Friday 14 October 2011

The Olivet Discourse and Subsequent History

The Olivet discourse includes details that were relevant to the questions which it addressed - but that does not mean that other things weren't also to happen, other things not necessarily mentioned in detail in the discourse.

For example, the discourse includes mention of natural calamities and persecutions - but that does not mean there could not also be seasons of relative calm and that the Church could not ever experience acceptance and enjoy positive influence, in certain places at certain times.

The scope of an answer needs to be understood by the scope of the question itself. The Olivet discourse answered a question which was prompted by the disciples' surprise at hearing that the Temple would be destroyed. It was a surprise to the disciples that the ensuing years could even include any real hardship at all. Their expectations of the kingdom were different. So Jesus sought to enhance their understanding of the nature of how things would transpire, which included telling them about calamity and persecution - but that didn't mean better things couldn't also be experienced to varying degrees in varying places at varying times.

Therefore the Gospel-message and the Christian-outlook is not one of Dominion-now hyper-optimism - but neither is it one of gnostic-type dis-attachment from the physical here and now.

Yes, there is going to be calamity and persecution this side of the second coming - but that doesn't mean that things like getting married, having a family, and wishing to prosper, do business, and govern nations are inconsistent with Gospel-living. Christian-living can overflow into these areas as well.

No comments:

Post a Comment