Christ Absent and Present: A Study in Pauline Christology

Preface ......................................................................................................... V
Abbreviations ................................................................................................ X
Chapter 1: The Absence and Presence of Christ. An Introduction .................. 1
1. Presence and Absence ................................................................................ 1
2. Outline ....................................................................................................... 4
Chapter 2: Entry Point: Schweitzer and Käsemann on the Exalted Christ ....... 6
1. Schweitzer on the Exalted Christ ................................................................ 7
1.1 Christ in Heaven ....................................................................................... 7
1.1.1 The Mystical Union of Christ with Believers ............................................. 9
1.1.2 Christ and the Lord’s Supper ............................................................... 14
1.2 Christ’s Agency from Heaven .................................................................... 16
1.2.1 Paul and the Revelation of the Exalted Christ .......................................... 17
1.2.2 The Soteriological Activity of the Exalted Christ ..................................... 18
1.3 Summary .............................................................................................. 20
2. Käsemann on the Exalted Christ ............................................................... 22
2.1 Christ on Earth ....................................................................................... 22
2.1.1 Christ and the Believer ...................................................................... 23
2.1.2 Christ and the Church ........................................................................ 25
2.2 Christ’s Agency on Earth .......................................................................... 32
2.3 Summary .............................................................................................. 37
3. Summary and Conclusion ........................................................................ 38
Chapter 3: The Absence of Christ ................................................................ 42
1. Introduction ............................................................................................. 42
2. Christian Experience and the Absence of Christ (Phil 1:21–26) ................ 43
3. The Parousia and the Absence of Christ (1 Thess 4:15–17) ...................... 51
4. Conclusion ............................................................................................... 58
Chapter 4: The Nature of the Exalted Body of Christ ................................... 60
1. Introduction ............................................................................................. 60
2. Christ’s Heavenly Body (1 Cor 15:25–41) ................................................ 62
3. Christ’s Spiritual Body (1 Cor 15:42–44) ................................................. 67
3.1 Dale Martin: A Lighter Body ..................................................................... 68
3.2 Troels Engberg-Pedersen: A Body Composed of the Material Spirit .................... 72
3.3 Litwa: A Deified Body ............................................................................. 81
3.4 Conclusion: A Body Transformed by the Spirit............................................... 85
4. Christ’s Human Body (1 Cor 15:45–49) ................................................... 86
5. Christ’s Discrete Body (Rom 8:29) .......................................................... 91
6. Christ’s Located Humanity (Rom 8:34) .................................................... 95
7. Conclusion ............................................................................................. 100
Chapter 5: The Bodily Absence of Christ ................................................... 102
1. Introduction ........................................................................................... 102
2. Christ’s Current Bodily Absence (2 Cor 5:6–8) ...................................... 102
3. Christ’s Future Bodily Coming (Phil 3:20–21) ....................................... 110
4. Conclusion ............................................................................................. 113
Chapter 6: The Epiphanic Presence of Christ ............................................. 115
1. The Presence of Christ: Introduction ...................................................... 115
2. The Epiphanic Presence of Christ: Introduction ...................................... 118
3. The Aroma of Christ (2 Cor 2:14–17)..................................................... 121
3.1 Background to Aroma Imagery ................................................................. 123
3.2 Paul’s Apostolic Preaching and Existence ................................................... 126
3.3 Paul, the Aromatic Presence of Christ ........................................................ 127
4. The Letter of Christ (2 Cor 3:1–3) .......................................................... 128
5. The Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor 3:4–17) ..................................................... 134
5.1 An Absolute Identity between Christ and Spirit ............................................ 135
5.2 A Dynamic Identity between Christ and Spirit .............................................. 136
5.3 Identifying the Lord of 2 Corinthians 3:17 ................................................... 138
6. The Glory of Christ (2 Cor 3:18) ............................................................ 142
7. The Face of Christ (2 Cor 4:1–6) ............................................................ 147
8. The Life of Jesus (2 Cor 4:7–12) ............................................................ 152
9. Summary and Conclusion ...................................................................... 159
Chapter 7: The Dynamic Presence of Christ............................................... 161
1. Introduction: Christ as Agent ................................................................. 161
2. Personal Mediation: Revelation (Rom 15:18–19; 2 Cor 13:1–4) ............. 161
2.1 Christ Working through Paul (Rom 15:18–19).............................................. 165
2.2 Christ Speaking through Paul (2 Cor 13:1–4) ............................................... 169
3. Impersonal Mediation: Discipline (1 Cor 11:27–34) ............................... 174
4. Summary and Conclusion ...................................................................... 180
Chapter 8: The Bodily Presence of Christ .................................................. 182
1. Introduction: Christ’s Bodily Presence ................................................... 182
2. Christ and the Ecclesial Body (1 Cor 12:1–31) ....................................... 183
2.1 Christ Embodied in the World by the Church (Käsemann et al) ........................ 184
2.2 Christ Embodied in the Church as the Spirit (Engberg-Pedersen) ...................... 186
2.3 Christ Present to the Church by the Mediation of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:1–31) ........ 189
2.3.1 1 Corinthians 12:1–11 ..................................................................... 189
2.3.2 1 Corinthians 12:12–31 .................................................................... 192
2.4 Conclusion: The Absent Christ and his Present Spirit. .................................... 197
3. Christ and the Individual Body (Rom 8:9–10) ........................................ 199
3.1 Christ Experienced by the Believer as the Spirit (Dunn) .................................. 199
3.2 Christ Localised in the Believer by the Spirit (Barth) ..................................... 200
3.3 Christ Present to the Believer by the Mediation of the Spirit (Rom 8:9–10) ......... 201
3.3.1 The Hypostatic Spirit ...................................................................... 202
3.3.2 The Personal Intercession of the Spirit ................................................. 204
3.3.3 The Inter-dependence but Non-identity of Christ and Spirit ...................... 208
4. Christ and the Eucharistic Body (1 Cor 10:1–16).................................... 212
4.1 Christ’s Embodied Presence ..................................................................... 213
4.1.1 Physical Embodiment ...................................................................... 213
4.1.2 Spiritual Embodiment ...................................................................... 215
4.2 Christ’s Mediated Presence ...................................................................... 216
5. Summary and Conclusion ...................................................................... 218
Chapter 9: Conclusion ............................................................................... 219
Bibliography .............................................................................................. 225
Index of Ancient Sources ........................................................................... 241
Index of Modern Authors ........................................................................... 252
Index of Subjects ....................................................................................... 256