And what is more familiar and discussed in our conversations than time?When we talk about it, we understand what we’re saying. We also understand what they say when they talk about it. So, what’s time? If no one asks me, I know; if I want to explain it to someone who asks me the question, I don’t know. Augustine (354-430). [1]
God has inserted the revelation of the Bible into history; He did not provide it (as he might have) in the form of a theological manual. As we place revelation in history, what would it mean for God to have provided us with a revelation whose history was false?this universe that, as the scriptures say, speaks of God. What was God’s point in offering us his revelation in a book full of lies about the universe?The answer to both questions should be “none of this would make sense!”It is therefore clear that, from the point of view of Scripture itself, we can observe unity throughout the field of knowledge. God spoke, linguistically and propositionally, of truths about himself and truths about man, his history, and the universe. ?Francis A. Schaeffer (1922-1984). [2]
- The Christian conception of time.
- Even with its variations.
- Directly influenced the entire Western world.
- The understanding that time has a beginning.
- A means.
- And an end was completely alien to pagan cultures [3].
- The question of history and time is fundamental to Christianity by its own constitution.
Let’s take a walk. Augustine (354-430)? “The great teacher of the Christian Middle Ages” [4], knew better than anyone to portray this problem.
For Augustine, is God the eternal gift?That precedes the time created by Him: “Nevertheless, the whole past precedes you, mastering you with your ever-present eternity (Ps 102:27)”. . [6]
Elsewhere:
God’s years are not one thing and God is another; But God’s years are God’s eternity; God’s eternity is his substance. There is nothing changing, nothing past, as if it were not already, anything of the future that is not yet. There you can only find: Yes; there is: it was and will be, because what it was is no longer, and what it will be is not yet, but all that exists there is just [7].
Therefore, in eternity, God did nothing, because if He did, it would be his creature: “I am not afraid to affirm that before creating heaven and earth, you have done nothing, for if you had done something, what else could it be?your creature ??. [8]
Time can only be evaluated from its finitude, looking at its past or looking to its future; present “to be time, it must necessarily pass into the past. “[9] However, we can’t talk about “past”?or “short”, as it has become non-being, and cannot be characterized by these accidents anymore. “Every day is over. Every hour, every month, every year: none of this is left. Before you come, it will be; when he comes, won’t it be?” [10]
How do you know him? Explains
So let’s not say, “the time spent was long” because we won’t find what might have been long, since it no longer exists from the moment it has passed. Let’s say before: “this present time was long” because only as while it was present, it was long. (?) So where’s the time you can call long?Is this the future? But we don’t say this time is long, because it doesn’t exist yet. We say, “It’s going to be a long time. ” And when it will be if that time has not yet come, then it will not be long, because there is still not what can be long, suppose at least it is a long time in the future. But this can only begin when it is born of this future — which does not yet exist — and becomes the present time, for only then does it have the ability to be long. But with the words we have left above, the present claims that it cannot take long. [11]
The brevity of the days extends to the end of the centuries, the brevity because all the time, I say not from today until the end of the centuries, but from Adam until the end of the centuries, is a small drop of water, compared to eternity. [12]
So what to do with remembrance and hope? Well, Augustine creates three forms of donation; I would say that memory is the gift of past things, [13] sleep is the gift of future things and what I see, aspire, touch, taste and hear is the gift of the present [14].
Augustine’s perspective naturally takes on an eschatological tone: “For nothing seems faster than anything that has happened. When the day of judgment comes, will sinners realize that life is not long?[15].
In this way, time is the great sign of finitude and mediation. Thus, the Middle Ages is always time, for time will always be mean between before and after or, between the previous time and eternity, [16] when time will be extinguished. [ 17]
Gilson (1884-1978) emphasizing the importance of Augustine, states that after him, “The Middle Ages began to represent the history of the world as a beautiful poem, the meaning of which is intelligible and complete for us, provided we know its beginning. And its end? “. [18]
Returning even partially to our path, we can say that, in fact, the question of the direction of time occupies a continuous place in our daily lives, in the great and small things of daily life. Time is always present in our speeches, our expectations, our memories and even our anxieties:
I don’t have time anymore
I don’t know how I’m going to have time to do that, I didn’t have time.
I don’t know if I’ll have time.
The day of surgery is approaching (anxiety with the proximity of time).
In just 2 years (joy or sadness to find too much or too little time according to my desire).
It has been so long
Not so long ago.
We’re running out of time.
Time passes so fast
Leisure.
We do the weather, etc.
The ordinary citizen cannot philosophizing about time, however, this issue is part of his life.
The discussion about the meaning of time is endless, it’s been a long time. Augustine was right in his perplexity. So, what can I say?In this condition of life, we can say that time was created by God with his creatures. Without creation, we wouldn’t have time. In eternity, we will no longer have time as an instrument to measure the succession of events. I think we can have another way of measuring succession (will we need it?) In eternity. But this question is beyond my comprehension.
As a present reality, time has its objectivity over which only God has control, God is the Lord of time. Time, therefore, by being directed and preserved by God, is relentless in its passage into the life of creation, yet time acquires active and passive subjective characteristics in this same creation.
Active, when consciously read over time, giving it personal meanings of pleasure and pain, joy and sadness, work and leisure, frustration and hope, speed or slowness.
Otherwise, I try to trick time, with creams, treatments and surgeries to make it seem to have less lifespan (lived and more life), although in my youth I tried to wear certain garments to look older. Time seems to contribute to the existence of these paradoxes: I find nice ears to tell a 7-year-old girl who looks like 10. But this same girl wouldn’t be happy to hear me tell her she’s 30 and 35.
Passive, even if I am not aware, the weather was more favorable for certain eating habits, living in a certain area with the milder climate, my skin color is less likely to show them, time stamps, etc. In this way, we are all influenced by how long an ally or executioner can be, as we use it (1Co 3. 1-2; Heb 5. 11-14).
Christianity is a religion of history. [19] Let us eliminate, for example, the historicality of the first 11 chapters of Genesis, and we will mutilate the meaning of Scripture and, therefore, the foundations of the Christian faith. Because Creation took place in history, as did the Fall, the Promise (Genesis 3. 15) and the Flood, everything else makes sense. If the Fall is just a legend, why should we believe in the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ as a historical fact?Creating another legend would be enough, who knows, to remedy what had been invented before.
Revelation takes place in history. What is the meaning of God speaking and acting in history and, at the same time, providing through his Word a false story, full of errors, contradictions and mistakes?Much of the doctrinal teaching of the scriptures comes from historical facts, not just doctrinal ones. Propositions. [20]
Biblical accounts are a historical pedagogy of the grace of law and the law of grace, we clearly see in history the manifestation of aspects of God’s attributes to his people according to his precepts, his promises and, also, in the manifestation of his judgment. leading man to repentance, confession, forgiveness and life.
In history, we see the practical demonstration of God’s teachings, revealing the successes and failures of his creatures to be faithful to his Lord, and, at the same time, the demonstration of his incomprehensible mercy reaching its climax in the incarnation of the Word. .
We insist that Christianity is not based on legends, but on facts that must be witnesses, because they have a direct relationship with the lives of those who believe [21]. Christianity is a religion of deeds, speech and life. The facts, duly understood, have a direct relationship with our lives. The Christian faith is based on Christ Himself: man-God. Without the historical Christ, there would be no Christianity. [22] His strength and uniqueness are best expressed in this fact: in the person of Christ, not only in his teachings [23]. Christianity is the same Cristo. La incarnation is total and even missionary: the Word became flesh and lived among us (Jn 1:14). That is why Christianity is also a religion of remembrance, informs about God’s actions and challenges the people to reaffirm their faith by remembering God’s actions. in history. [24]
Paul thanks God for the faith of the Ephesians because he was centered on Christ (Ephesians 1:15-16). And it couldn’t be any different. Precisely because the Gospel is centered on Christ, authentic faith, identified as a savior, is not just any belief, the content of which is indefinite, having only the virtue of being able to believe; a kind of faith in faith. Isn’t the gospel something like that? Pet? Who, after being emptied of its original content, can be filled with softener, detergent, water or other substance. The gospel, as the scriptures teach us, is the Lord Jesus Christ himself. We have “an open revelation from God. ” [25]
The Good News comes from God, whose content is that God Himself proclaims salvation to all who sincerely desire it [26]. Therefore, the gospel has as its content and essence [27] Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior as revealed in the scriptures. “To have faith is to believe that what God says is true. Is the content of the Christian faith god’s revealed Word??, sums up MacArthur. [28] Jesus Christ is the Incarnate Word.
Faith is an essential part of the gospel. However, this faith must rest only in Christ as our Savior (John 3:16).
Bavinck (1854-1921) correctly emphasizes Christ’s uniqueness to Christianity:
He occupies a very unique place in Christianity, he was not the founder of Christianity in the usual sense, he is the Christ sent by the Father and who founded his kingdom on earth and now extends it to the end of time. Christianity itself. He’s not out, he’s in Christianity. Without his name, his person and his work, there is no Christianity, that is, it is not Christ who shows the way of Christianity, he himself is the way [29].
If we are sincere in our Bible study, there are not many alternatives for us. Either Jesus Christ is indeed God according to his own testimony, so we can regard Him as a great teacher, a good, just, and merciful man, or it is a joke, not worthy of our faith or ours. respect.
Barth (1886-1968) constantly declares that Scripture does not allow us to wander in our faith, but when he speaks to us of God, he points to Jesus Christ, on whom our attention and thoughts should be focused [30].
Stott (1921-2011) asks the question: “Should Jesus be worshipped or simply admired?If he is God, he is worthy of our worship, faith, and obedience; if it is not God, to consecrate this devotion to him is idolatry. “? [31]
If the divine and redeeming affirmations of the historical Jesus Christ are true as they really are, the message of the gospel must be proclaimed to the world so that those who believe may be saved.
Noll sums it up well by saying that: “To study the history of Christianity is to constantly remember the historical character of the Christian faith. “
Without the historical fact of Christ’s incarnation, death and resurrection, one can even speak of religious experience, but not of Christian experience, the Christian experience depends fundamentally on these facts, that is why the preaching of the early Church, as the scriptures show. us, was supported primarily by the safety of the Lord’s Resurrection. [34]
When we focus on experience, we run the risk of losing the dimension of the essence, of the Referrer, who is God; In this process, as Barth (1886-1968) writes, the passage from the Lord’s experience to Baal’s experience is brief. Are religious and sexual extremely similar? [35]
Jesus Christ is the climax of Revelation
Sire (1933-2018) illuminatingly wrote:
Jesus Christ is God’s final and special revelation. Because Jesus Christ was truly God, He showed us more completely who God looked like than any other form of revelation. Because Jesus was also completely a man, He spoke to us more clearly than any other form of revelation. of revelation can do. [36]
[1] Agostinho, Confessions, Sao Paulo: Cultural April (Os Pensadores, v. 6), 1973, XI. 14. 17, p. 244.
[2] Francis A. Schaeffer, The God Involved, 2. ed. Sao Paulo: Christian Culture, 2009, p. 146.
[3] Cfr. Gene Edward Veith, Jr. , From All Your Understanding, Sao Paulo: Christian Culture, 2006, p. 22-23.
[4] Jacques Le Goff, Time: In: Jacques Le Goff; Jean-Claude Schmitt, co-ords. Medieval Western Thematic Dictionary, Bauru, SP. ; Sao Paulo: editor of the Sacred Coracao University; Official State Press, 2002, v. 2, 531.
[5] Augustine, Confessions, XI. 11. 13. P. 242. Insists on this point: “As for the present, if it were ever present and did not pass in the past, it would no longer be time, but eternity?”(Agustín, Confessions, XI. 14. 17. P. 244). Elsewhere: “What has an end is not lasting and all the centuries that end, compared to endless eternity, are, I will not say small, but nothing?( Santo Agostinho, A Cidade de Deus, 2. ed. Petrapolis, RJ; Sao Paulo: Voices; Brazilian Augustinus Federation, 1990, (Part II), XII. 12. P. 74). In eternity, there is no past, as if something does not yet exist, but only in the present, because does the eternal still exist?(Augustin, Commentary of the Psalms, Sao Paulo: Paulinas, 1997, (Patrstica, 9/1). ), v. 1, (Ps 2. 7), p. 27).
[6] Augustine, Confessions, XI. 13. 16. Page 243
[7] Augustine, Commentary on the Psalms, Sao Paulo: Paulus, (Patrstica, 9/3), 1998, (Ps 101), v. 3, 37.
[8] Augustine, Confessions, XI. 12. 14. Page 242.
[9] Augustine, Confessions, XI. 14. 17. Page 244
[10] Augustine, Commentary on Psalms, v. 3, (P. 101), p. 37.
[11] Agustín, Confesiones, XI. 15. 18 and XI. 15. 20. P. 244 and 245 Nor is the past long because it does not exist, but the long past is nothing more than the long memory of the past? (Augustine, Confessions, XI. 28. 37. P. 255).
[12] Augustine, Commentary on the Psalms, v. 3, (Ps 101), p. 36
[13] “Feudal time favors the past. Is it time of memory that develops the potential of Christianity as a religion of memory?The memory of Jesus, the memory of these dead models who are martyrs and saints?(Jacques Le Goff, Time : In: Jacques Le Goff; Jean-Claude Schmitt, co-ords Thematic Dictionary of the Medieval West, Bauru, SP. ; Sao Paulo: editor of the Sacred Coracao University; Official State Press, 2002, v. 2, 535).
[14] See: Augustine, Confessions, XI. 20. 26. Page 248.
[15] Agustín, Commentary on the Psalms, Sao Paulo: Paulinas, 1997, (Patrstica, 9/1), v. 1, (Sal 13), p. 70.
[16] See: Etienne Gilson, The Spirit of Medieval Philosophy, Sao Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2006, p. 485.
[17] The Goff, interpreting medieval understanding, summarizes: “Time is moving toward eternity, who will abolish it?”(Jacques Le Goff, Time: In: Jacques Le Goff; Jean-Claude Schmitt, co-ords. Medieval West, Bauru, SP; Sao Paulo: editor of the Sacred Coracao University; Official State Press, 2002, v. 2, 535).
[18] Etienne Gilson, The Spirit of Medieval Philosophy, Sao Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2006, p. 481. For a more complete study of the difficulties of conceptualizing the time of Augustine, see: Etienne Gilson, Introduction to the Study of St. Augustine. Sao Paulo: editorial speech; Paulus, 2006, 357-370.
[19] See Alan Richardson’s exhibition, Here Are the Creeds: A Brief Introduction to the History of Christian Doctrine, Editorial Barcelona CLIE, 1999, p. 15ss.
[20] See, for example: Francis A. Scheffer, No Final Conflict: The Bible Without Error in Everything It Affirms, Brasilia, DF. : Monergism, 2017, p. 13-33.
[21] See: F. A Schaeffer, The God who intervenes, Sao Paulo: Cultura Crist, 2002, p. 250-251.
[22] Georges Duby (1919-1996), from a purely historical point of view, admits: “Christianity, which fundamentally permeated medieval society, is a religion of history. It proclaims that the world was created at one time and that God became man in another time to save humanity. From there, the story continues and does God direct it? (Georges Duby, year 1000, year 2000, on the trail of our fears, São Paulo: Editora UNESP; Imprensa Oficial do Estado, 1999, p. 16). “Have historians rightly insisted on the fact that Christianity is a historical religion, anchored in history and affirmed as such? (Jacques Le Goff, Time: In: Jacques Le Goff; Jean-Claude Schmitt, coords Thematic dictionary of the medieval West, Bauru, SP; São Paulo, SP . : Editor of the Universidad Sagrado Coração; Official State Press, 2002, v. 2, p. 534). “Christianity, as well as the religion of Israel, from which it was born, is presented as a historical religion in an absolutely concrete way, in comparison with which none of the other religions of the world can be compared? not even Islam, although it is closer to Christianity and Judaism, in this sense, than to any other religion. (Christopher Dawson, Dynamics of history in the world, São Paulo: É Realizações Editora, 2010, p. 343). In the same way: Marc Bloch, Apologia da História, or, Historian’s Office, Rio de Janeiro: Jorge Zahar, 1997, p. 58. See also: Gordon H. Clark, A Christian vision of men and the world, Brasília, DF . : Monergismo, 2013, p. 85, 92.
[23] See: Alister E. McGrath, Passion for Truth: The Intellectual Coherence of Evangelism, Sao Paulo: Shedd, 2007, p. 23ss. All that is presented as Christianity, but which does not emphasize the absolute and essential need of Christ, is not Christianity; if He is not the heart, soul, and center, beginning, and end of what is offered as salvation, it is Christianity. Isn’t that Christian salvation, whatever it is?(DMLloyd-Jones, God’s Supreme Purpose: Exhibition on Ephesians 1. 1-23, Sao Paulo: Selected Evangelical Publications, 1996, p. 143). “The Gospel made us. It is based entirely on one person; is based on specific facts that have occurred throughout history. (?) Did you lead me through the facts, along the tunnel of darkness towards the dawn that illuminates the other end?(DMLloyd-Jones, Don’t Disturb Your Hearts, Sao Paulo: Selected Evangelical Publications, 2016, p. 29). See Alister E. McGrath, The Genesis of Doctrine: Foundations of Doctrinal Criticism, Sao Paulo: Vida Nova, 2015, p. 195ss.
[24] See: Michael S. Horton, The Sole? Reform S: In: J. M. Boice; B. Sasse, Hoje Reform, Sao Paulo: Christian Culture, 1999, p. 97.
[25] Joel Calvino, Second Corinthian Exhibition, Sao Paulo: Paracletes, 1995, (2 Cor 3. 18), p. 78.
[26]? May the gospel be eliminated, and we will all be cursed and dead in the eyes of God. Does this very Word, by which we are begotten, become milk to create us, as well as solid food for our continued nourishment? (Joo Calvino, Exposition of 1 Corinthians, Sao Paulo: Paracletos, 1996, (1Co 4. 15), p. 143).
[27]?Is Christ the end of the law and the sum of the gospel?(Joo Calvino, Ephesians, Sao Paulo: Paracletes, 1998, (Eph 2. 20), p. 78).
[28] John MacArthur, God: Face to Face with His Majesty, Sao José dos Campos, SP. : Faithful, 2013, p. 16.
[29] Herman Bavinck, Systematic Theology, Santa Barbara d?West, SP. : SOCEP. , 2001, p. 311.
[30] Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2010, II/2, p. 52-53.
[31] Timothy Dudley, Authentic Christianity: 968 selected texts from the works of John Stott, São Paulo: Editora Vida, 2006, p. 44. Lewis (1898-1963) wrote forcefully: “A man who is only a man, and who says the things that Jesus said, would not be a great moral teacher: or would he be a fool, on an equal footing with who he claims to be . a boiled egg, otherwise it would be the devil. Each of us must choose one of the possible alternatives. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or he was mad, or he spit on him and killed him like a demon; Or we can fall at your feet and call you Lord and God. But don’t offer any condescending nonsense that He is a great human teacher. He didn’t give us that option. Did you never pretend? (C. S. Lewis, The Essence of Christianity, São Paulo: ABU Editora, 1979, p. 29). Boice takes a great look at the options Lewis offers. See: James M. Boice, Foundations of the Christian faith, Rio de Janeiro: Editora Central Gospel, 2011, p. 238-240. John Piper is doing something similar, with a different approach. (See: John Piper, A Man Called Jesus Christ, São Paulo: Vida, 2005, p. 11-12). Also, Josh McDowell, More than a Carpenter, Venda Nova, MG . : Editora Betânia, 1989, p. 26-35.
[32] Mark A. Noll, Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity, Sao Paulo: Editora Cultura Crist, 2000, p. 16. See also: Clyde P. Greer, Jr. , Honestly Reflecting on History: In: John F. Editor of MacArthur Jr. Think Biblically !: Recovering the Christian Vision of the World, Sao Paulo: Hagnos, 2005, p. 400-401.
[33] Cfr. J. Grresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism, Sao Paulo: Os Puritanos, 2001, p. 77.
[34] Like it or not, can we not evade the fact that Christianity was historically based on belief in the resurrection?(Alan Richardson, Here are the Creeds: A brief introduction to the history of Christian doctrine, Barcelona: EDITORIAL CLIE , 1999, page 24).
[35] Karl Barth, The Word of God and the Word of Man, Sao Paulo: Novo Século, 2004, p. 217.
[36] James W. Sire, The Universe Next Door, Sao Paulo: Hagnos, 2004, p. 8 p. m.