APOSTLE OF THE LAST DAYS
The Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul
By C. Marvin Pate
Kregel, Grand
Rapids MI
C. Marvin Pate has presented a unique perspective on the
theology of Paul: Eschatology. He sees the work of Paul as a product of the
times in which Apocalyptic Judaism was the dominant view of theology among the
Jews. In doing so, he sees the record of Acts and the Pauline corpus as a
unity. He sees Paul’s (or Christian) eschatology as a development of the old
Jewish view of the Present Age/Coming Age which is inaugurated eschatology into
the present age that will be consummated at the coming age: the already/not yet
paradigm. He sees the outworking of Paul’s eschatological theology as a
reaction or outcome of opposition from non-Christian Jews, the Roman imperial cult,
and Hellenistic religion.
He presents Paul as Apocalyptic Seer. It started with his
apocalyptic vision of Christ on the road to Damascus when Paul realized Jesus was the
inaugurator of the age to come. He was called to preach this Apocalyptic Gospel
to the Gentiles. This message included confession that Jesus is the Christ;
that Jesus’ death and resurrection inaugurated the age to come; the means of
salvation and entrance into the age to come was solely by faith; and Paul was
to bring about the end-time conversion of the nations.
Pate then proceeds epistle by epistle in chronological order
giving the apocalyptic features of each. In this, he shows how Paul’s
inaugurate eschatology runs up against the popular apocalyptic scenarios of the
times, including Hellenistic, Merkabah Mysticism, Roman, and Imperial Cult. He
ends with a chapter summing up Paul’s theology which he views through the
apocalyptic gospel lens.
There are some things that concerned me. First, I am not
sold that apocalyptic is a correct term to use of his eschatological views.
Second, His view of eschatology does not take into consideration Paul’s
dispensational influences on eschatology. Third, I am not convinced that
eschatology is the essence of Paul’s theology. It is evident that we see Paul’s
eschatology differently. Fourth, there is no index, which would have been an
aid to the reader. Fifth, it is not the most readable and not always easy to
follow. However, that said, this book should not be dismissed. I learned about
the apocalyptic scenarios of the times and their relationships to Biblical
eschatology. It gives insights that will aid anyone studying eschatology.
[Thanks
to Kregel Publications for providing a free copy of this book for my honest
review.]
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