Time&Eternity

notes to chapter 2 263
91. “Die Zeit läuft zunächst auf das Christusereignis zu. Dieses ist schlechthin die Sinnmitte,
die Sachmitte der Zeit.” Ibid., 28. Cf. Cullmann, Christus und die Zeit, 84–94,
117–59; trans., Christ and Time, 81–93, 121–74.
92. Gal. 4:4: the fullness of time (to plērōma tou chronou); cf. Mark 1:15.
93. “Das Heilshandeln Gottes ist eines in Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und Zukunft, in
Vorwegnahme, Erfüllung und Vollendung.” Delling, Zeit und Endzeit, 31.
94. E.g., Rom. 6:3ff.
95. “.l.l. Zeit ‘nach Christus’ im chronologischen Sinn, sondern Christuszeit, Zeit, die
vom gekreuzigten und erhöhten Christus her bestimmt ist.” Delling, Zeit und Endzeit, 38.
96. “.l.l. ein sachbegründetes Zugleich,” ibid., 49.
97. “.l.l. in der Auseinandersetzung zwischen Ichwillen und heiligem Geist,” ibid., 42.
98. Ibid., 44f.
99. Ibid., 46. Cf. Werner, Die Entstehung des christlichen Dogmas. Even Lohse stresses
that the delay of the parousia probably led to a more conscious shaping and an increasing
significance of apocalyptic ideas, but not to a crisis. The effectiveness of the Spirit made
the presence of salvation conscious, and by means of Baptism as incorporation into the eschatological
people of God, hope in the future was kept alive. Simultaneously, deliberations
about the time of the parousia became increasingly unimportant (Lohse, Grundriß
der neutestamentlichen Theologie, 60f.).
100. Delling, Zeit und Endzeit, 52; Cullmann, Christus und die Zeit, 69; trans., 62, etc.
101. Delling, Zeit und Endzeit, 54.
102. Ibid., 55.
103. Ibid., 56.
104. The word aiōn occurs more than 100 times and aiōnios 70 times; kairos 84 times;
chronos 54 times; and hōra 106 times. From Exegetisches Wörterbuch zum Neuen Testament,
ed. Horst Balz and Gerhard Schneider (Stuttgart et al.: Kohlhammer, 1980–83); Exegetical
Dictionary of the New Testament, 3 vols., ed. Horst Balz and Gerhard Schneider (Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991).
105. Whether or not the plural usage actually presupposes the knowledge of ages and
periods of time whose endless chain constitutes eternity, as Sasse (“aiōn, aiōnios,” 199)
maintains, I, along with Barr (Biblical Words for Time, 64f.), dare to doubt. Plural usage of
aiōn does not necessarily mean that a cessation of time or timelessness is inconceivable.
106. Cf. on this Sasse, “aiōn, aiōnios.”
107. In Gnosticism, eons appear, on the one hand, as periods of time and an echelon
of worlds in both the earthly and divine spheres; on the other hand, they also appear as beings
produced by the externalization of divine attributes. From the overflow or outpouring
fullness (plēroma) of God arises a class of heavenly beings having different traits and authorities.
On its return to the world of light, the soul must pass through a series of eons
and, in the process, chase off the ruling powers in each eon. Cf. on this Rudolph, Die Gnosis,
esp. 76–98 and 186–221, and trans., Gnosis, as well as Walker, Gnosticism: Its History
and Influence, esp. 35–71.
108. See also pp. 86–89.
109. Cf. on this Barr’s criticism of Cullmann, whose theory he faults precisely because
of the false opposition of aiōn and kairos (Barr, Biblical Words for Time, 47–81, 157). On
Cullmann’s response to Barr, see Cullmann, Christus und die Zeit, 26f.; trans., 14ff.
110. See Barr, Biblical Words for Time, 20ff., which includes, as proof, comparisons
of Mark 1:15 to Gal. 4:4, Acts 3:20, and Acts 3:21, as well as of 1 Pet. 1:5 to 1 Pet. 1:20 and
Jude 18.
111. Linnemann, “Zeitansage und Zeitvorstellung.”
112. Cullmann also thinks (too) simply that the juxtaposition of present and future