Timothy to Hebrews - The Preterist Archive

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92 First Timothy III. 16.
2 Thess. i 10 ; 1 John m world— iv. 16) ; the by which is to be understood,
as opposed to the glory, the ungodly world, the world
lying in wickedness (1 John ii. 15, seq.). Thus he found a reception
in the world, a place in it so to speak. To this reception in the
world is now antithetically opposed the next member he was received
up into glory—where he now sits enthroned at the right hand
of God. On iv with verbs of motion, comp. Winer's Gr., § 50, 4,
p. 367. According to De Wette, this is not to be understood of the
historical ascension of Christ, of which we have an account in Mark
and Luke, but of a celestial event. De Wette, who refers the being
seen of angels to a scene beyond the reach of sensible observation
the counterpart to the descent into hell—would naturally understand
the being received up into glory not of the ascension, but only
of another occurrence which took place in heaven,*-^ But this very
necessity of refemng the clear words, he luas received up into glory^
to something else than the ascension of Christ, is a proof that his
interpretation of the words, seen of angels, is incorrect. Our view
of the words does not compel us to go beyond the historical event
of the ascension, which indeed could not be more appropriately described
(comp. Mark xvi. 19, he was received up into heaven, and
sat down, etc. ; Acts i. 11, he who is taken up from you into heaven;
Luke xxiv. 51). And if this be not what is meant, what other
dvaXa(f)dTivaL h 66^-ij is conceivable ? Our interpretation maintains
the suitable antithesis in the two clauses, the one of which expresses
Christ's glorification in the world, the other in heaven ; there, as
also here, he has a place as king of an empire, which embraces
heaven and earth. How clear are thus the antithesis in each of the
three pairs of clauses by which this great mystery of godliness is
represented 1 How simple and apparent is thus the progress from
was manfested to loas received up. How obscure, on the contrary,
does everything become, when with De Wette we supi)ose the being
seen of angds to refer to a scene in heaven, and the being received
up into glory to another celestial event I Dr. Baur has denied that
there is any logical connexion in the sentences as they follow each
other ; on the other hand, he discovers a Gnostic complexion in the
expressions idiKatdjOrj iv nv. and vlxjiOr] dyyiXoiq ; in which case his
being at a loss to find any logical connexion is quite as accountable
as it is conclusive against his interpretation. Meanwhile, Dr. Baur
has still made the attempt to introduce some clearness into the connexion,
by supposing in each of the three pairs an antithesis of a
Gnostic and anti-Gnostic sentiment. Strange that a writer, to
combat Gnosticism, forges epistles, and then "by each of these
clauses seeks as much as possible to satisfy both the orthodox and
the Gnostic party ;" comp. the General Introduction. Moreover,
* Tho samo remark applies also to Iluthor.