Eschatological motive for world mission in the New Testament

Abstract

This study must "begin with a definition of "eschatological motive", in view of the fact that theologians have given a widely differing content to the term.

The "consistent eschatology" of Albert Schweitzer would interpret the terra exclusively of the end of the world expedited in the immediate future. The followers of C. H. Dodd would apply the principles of "realised eschatology", while R. Bultraann, with his "reinterpreted eschatology", would hold that eschatology is T~ a "salvation occurrence" when a man becomes a new creature in A response to the preaching of the Gospel.

There are New Testament insights in these three approaches, but it is the conviction of this study that "eschatological motive" cannot be interpreted exclusively in terms of any one of them. The truth breaks beyond the narrow limits of these approaches - in fact, of any approach.

If it is dangerous to work with too limited a conception of "eschatological motive", the conception, on the other hand, could f be embarrassingly general. It is rightly claimed that in Christ past, present and future alike have eschatological significance, and that every contact with Christ is eschatological. The Gospel has an eschatological character, and the Church is an eschatological phenomenon. All this is, of course, profoundly true. But against such a background, our study would involve the influence of Christ and the Church on the Hew Testament missionary movement, which would be unprofitably general.

"Eschatological motive" in this study indicates the motive for world mission involved in the belief that human history is moving towards a chronological end (finis), which will also (and more significantly) be a teleological end (telos), involving the maturing of Godfs purposes for mankind. But that belief about the "Last Things", including the Parousia, the Last Judgement and the Resurrection of the Body, does not float in theoretical air; the New Testament anchors it securely in the historical fact that the coming Son of Man, by His Incarnation, Heath and Resurrection, has already gripped human history to make it the sphere of the operation of His absolute power, and to speed it on its way to its divine goal. That crucial "Coming,, of the Kingdom is the guarantee of the Kingdom that is still to come. Realised and unrealised elements are, therefore, inextricably involved in the eschatological convictions of the New Testament. No clear-cut division between the eschatology of grace, and the eschatology of glory, can be traced in the New Testament.

ed in the New Testament# Part I of our study uses Mark 13.10 as the locus classicus, and follows the conservative view that this is an authentic word of Jesus, giving an important indication that for Jesus, and the primitive Church, the end was conditioned by world-wide missionary preaching# The passage is used to bring into focus the New Testament relationship between eschatology and mission# Other approaches to the eschatological material of the Gospels are considered, notably those of Albert Schweitzer and C. H. Dodd. Part 2 of the study deals with eschatology and mission in Paul (the missionary, the thinker and the man); in Acts (with a special chapter on Stephen); in I and 2 Peter; and in Revelation.