Like friends here on the AOG list, this friend reminded me that Jesus
admits there is something He does not know; i.e., His second
coming--only the Father "knows" (Mk 13.32).
It is here where I break with him. I do not believe Jesus had this
theology in Mk 13.
And I believe that Jesus' eschatology may have indeed been substationally
expanded, if not created by the evangelists.
It seems apparent to me that the technical data of the little apokalypse
as well as its expansions in Matthew and Luke offer the eschatologies of
the evangelists and their communities of faith. There is just not enough
evience to believe that Jesus had this developed of a eschatology.
Nevermind which hermeneutic one uses, Jesus seemed to care little
regarding things of this world such as clothing, money and worries, as
the eschatological world was at hand. All those things were "passing
away."
This passage, like the one which introduced the reader to the ministry of
Jesus in the book of Mark (Mk 1.15), is eschatological in nature and
immanent in focus.
The eschaton is upon all the characters involved in the narrative and
this included the reader/hearer.
I say this beause the reader is involved not only _with_ the text, but
_in_ the text as well, for the question of _Mark's generation_ was a
serious one. It begins the teaching (Mk 13.4).
Time? Signs? (Mk 13.4)
The little apokalypse has Jesus answering by first bringing to attention
all of the things which had actually occured to early Christians before
their reading of the text. To hearers of the little apokalyse, Mark
13.5-22 is a prelude to the present.They had occurred before Mk 13 was
written.
Present Eschaton "Signs" and warnings (Mk13.5-22)
Persecutions and assurance ( Mk 13. 5-11)
Betrayal and standing firm (Mk 13.12-13)
Human Sacrilege and Divine response (Mk 13.14-20)
False Christ's and forewarning (Mk 13.21-23)
On the other hand, Mk 13.24-37 were written from the authors future
perspective:
Prelude to future eschatological signs (Mk 13.24-27 )
"In those days following that distress..." and
the Judge of Heaven (Mk 13.26-27)
Summary answer to when the eschaton will be apokalyptically realized (Mk
13.28-31)
Time: "This generation" (Mk 13.30)
Signs: "These things..." (Mk 13.30)
Confirmed with Judean oath (Mk 13.31)
But even as this was to occur specifically within the authors's
generation, the specific time within that generation was not known
Conclusion:
Exact time uncertain and unknown (Mk 13.32)
Exhortation:
A Be on guard (Mk 13.33)
B Like a man going away (Mk 13.34a)
C Tell's the one "Keep watch" (Mk 13.34b)
D You do not know when the owner of the house will come back (Mk
13.34b)
C1 Therefore, keep watch (Mk 13.35a)
B1 But if he comes suddenly (Mk 13.36)
A1 Watch (Mk 13.37)
My friend conceeds that Jesus may not have known the time of his return,
but what we have in Mk 13 is not a dialogue between Jesus and Peter,
James John and Matthew as much as it is a a dialectic between the the
earliest theologians and their believing communities.
The concerns of a persecuted Church have been vocalized throug the
disciples. Their anxieties regarding the return of their risen lord are
directly addressed by the author(s) of the little apokalypse.
Mark 13 is obviousy a well developed eschatology of one of the
communities of faith. I seriously doubt if Jesus had a theology as
developed as that represented there in his assurance and his name (Mk
13.30).
my friend thinks that the problem is, the possibility of His second
coming is "open" and contingent upon completion of the evangelistic task,
not a certain unchangeable date.
I presumed he meant Mk 13.10. I am familiar with that evanglelistic
focus, but I am not persuaded that captures the reason why the prophecy
never came to pass within Jesus' Generation. The author gives assurance
in the mouth of jesus that "these things" -would- occur within the
generation of Jesus (13.30).
It didn't occur.
Mk 13.1-22 were written after they occured (The present Eschaton) whereas
Mk 13.24-37 are the apokalyptic glimpse into the future which never
occured.
The future just didn't turn out the way the evangelist envisioned it
would.
-- Harry Staiti a0003192@mail.airmail.net http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/2587/post-lib.htmlTo subscribe to the Post-Liberal Theology Discussion List 1. Send a message to: hub@xc.org. 2. In the body of the message type: subscribe post-liberal-theology