doubtingthomas

First, is their any evidence outside of the Bible that the early christians thought that Jesus was coming within their lifetime or soon? Second, when do christians start to to interpret the second coming differently (i.e. in the distant future as opposed to inside their lifetime), and is their any information about their reasons for doing so? Thanks in advance.

WinAce

I'm not sure how you'd go about reconstructing early Christian eschatological views without the Bible. For better or worse, it contains virtually all of the oldest Christian documents still around (including 1 Thes., which specifically pertains to apocalyptic fervor). I suppose you could try reconstructing Q, but many of its reconstructions are eschatological and it's already contained within Luke and Matthew, so technically, it IS "in the Bible."

Nevertheless, they may be a few non-canonical documents early enough to allow us to make some inferences. One of these is the Didache or "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles," which various authorities have dated from 50-120 AD:

"Chapter 10. Prayer after Communion. But after you are filled, give thanks this way:

We thank Thee, holy Father, for Thy holy name which You didst cause to tabernacle in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality, which You modest known to us through Jesus Thy Servant; to Thee be the glory for ever. Thou, Master almighty, didst create all things for Thy name's sake; You gavest food and drink to men for enjoyment, that they might give thanks to Thee; but to us You didst freely give spiritual food and drink and life eternal through Thy Servant. Before all things we thank Thee that You are mighty; to Thee be the glory for ever. Remember, Lord, Thy Church, to deliver it from all evil and to make it perfect in Thy love, and gather it from the four winds, sanctified for Thy kingdom which Thou have prepared for it; for Thine is the power and the glory for ever. Let grace come, and let this world pass away. Hosanna to the God (Son) of David! If any one is holy, let him come; if any one is not so, let him repent. Maranatha. Amen."

I'm out of my league here, though. Personally, I find E.P. Sander's analysis quoted by Vinnie here quite convincing. Wherever the apocalyptic stuff in Christianity came from, it was probably quite early.

WinAce

Whoops, forgot the popular-but-uncanonized Epistle of Barnabas (dated from 70-135 AD on account of internal references to the Temple).

Barnabas 16:5
"Again, it was revealed how the city and the temple and the people of
Israel should be betrayed. For the scripture saith; And it shall be
in the last days, that the Lord shall deliver up the sheep of the
pasture and the fold and the tower thereof to destruction. And it
came to pass as the Lord spake."

This shows that the author did, indeed consider himself to be living in the "Last Days," which he considered a worthwhile assumption indicated by the events of the First Jewish Revolt.

Barnabas 21:3
"The day is at hand, in which everything shall be destroyed together
with the Evil One. The Lord is at hand and his reward."

Pay dirt. This document was definitely written after 70 AD, no later than 135 AD, and still expects an imminent return of Jesus to smite the evil. Preterists will have a hard time explaining such sentiments among Christians at large.

If I recall correctly, the reinterpretation into the distant future is secondary. The earliest example I can think of off the top of my head is the aforementioned "A day with the Lord is as a thousand human years" apologetic of II Peter. Every earlier document I can think of that touches on the subject has an imminent parousia motif instead.

judge

1 Clement seems to have been written when the temple was still standing. Although I'm sure you can find those who will disagree.

This post of mine elicited a veritable flurry of responses and furious discussion on this topic. :boohoo:

rlogan

While spin is gone the dating of various texts will be pushed back into the first century...

Vinnie's internal dating methodology will be board policy.

chaos...