Introduction

As an increasing number of churchgoers deconstruct their beliefs, traditional evangelical doctrines concerning the future of creation have become one of the main targets of criticism in this global shift. Often rooted in a deep heartfelt conviction that the inherited narrative violates human conscience,  Spirit-led intuition recoils also from its incompatibility with the Abba of Jesus.

In contrast, the early fathers and mothers of the Church reveal a general hopefulness that exposes our shallow individualism. In their thinking and teaching they confront the question if the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a tragedy or a comedy – will Good prevail or will the universe be forever trapped in a dualistic state that allows evil to exist forever? Based on this question, I will determine what the Ancient Church believed concerning these matters in the light of its interpretation of the Apostle Paul’s discourse in 1. Corinthians 15:12-28.¹

I. Being Made Alive in Christ

Paul writes about the final defeat of death at the end of the ages and points to Christ’s resurrection as the proof for this hope (verses 12-25). Death will be swallowed up in the life of Christ. The “destruction” of death, is described by the Greek word katargeó, meaning “to nullify, discard, exempt, abolish, to make unproductive” (verse 26).² The text is speaking about more than just reanimation or resuscitation, as Paul compares the “making alive in Christ” to the resurrection of Jesus. Hence he writes that not all will be raised from physical death, but that all will be transformed by the life of Christ (verses 51-53). Gregory of Nyssa and Theodoret the Blessed testify:

 “The resurrection promises the restoration of the fallen to their ancient state, for the grace we look for is a certain return to the first life…”³

“For Christ has wholly destroyed the power of sin by his promise of immortality; for it (sin) cannot trouble immortal bodies.”⁴

II. A New Humanity

Christ is being presented as the new Adam, “the eschatological counterpart of the primeval Adam … the pattern or ‘prototype’ of Christ”⁵ in whom creation is being restored (verses 21-22 and Romans 5:15-19).  Hence both Jesus and Adam are called “son of God” (Luke 3:38), wherein the parental disposition of the Divine towards humanity is implied.  Origen and Gregory of Nazianzus write concerning this:

“For we must dare say that the goodness of Christ appeared greater and more divine and truly in accordance with the image of the Father ‘when he humbled himself and became obedient to death on a cross …’”⁶

“Our humanity was joined to and made one with God – the higher nature having prevailed – in order that I too might be made God as truly as he is made human.”⁷