Adrio König oor die doel van die openbaring van die wederkoms

Abstract

Hierdie artikel ondersoek of die vraag na die telos (doel) van die openbaring van Christus se wederkoms in die Nuwe Testament as ’n dogmatiese kwessie beskou moet word. Vorige navorsing deur Van Rhyn (2017) het die telos vanuit ’n eksegeties-openbaringshistoriese perspektief behandel. Hierdie studie fokus egter op die teologie van Adrio König, veral soos in The eclipse of Christ in eschatology (1989) uiteengesit, om vas te stel of sy teologiese raamwerk ’n dogmatiese uitleg van die vraag ondersteun. König se Christosentriese eskatologie, wat hy as ’n “teleologiese Christologie” beskryf, beeld Christus uit as die eschatos en telos van die geskiedenis. Sy verwoording van die drie wyses van Christus se koms (vir ons, in ons, met ons) integreer die wederkoms met God se verbondsmatige verlossingsdoelwitte.
Die artikel kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat König se teologie, wat hy self as teleologies of doelgedrewe tipeer, duidelik impliseer dat God se telos met die openbaring van die wederkoms sake soos vermaning, vertroosting, hoop, waarskuwing en verbondsvervulling op die oog het. Hierdie teloi funksioneer sowel kerugmaties as pastoraal ten opsigte van gelowiges en ongelowiges. Die studie bevestig dat die openbaring van Christus se wederkoms nie bloot informatief is nie: Dit is diep teologies van aard, en daarom vorm dit ’n geldige onderwerp van dogmatiese besinning. 

Abstract
This article explores whether the question regarding the telos (goal) of the revelation of Christ’s second coming in the New Testament should be regarded as a dogmatic issue. Previous research by Van Rhyn (2017) addressed the telos from an exegetical-revelatory historical perspective. This study, however, engages the theology of Adrio König, especially as presented in The eclipse of Christ in eschatology (1989), to determine whether his theological framework supports a dogmatic interpretation of the question. König’s Christocentric eschatology, described as “teleological Christology”, frames Christ as the eschatos and telos of history. His articulation of the three modes of Christ’s coming (for us, in us, with us) integrates the second coming into God’s covenantal and redemptive purpose.

The article concludes that König’s theology, which he himself denotes as teleological or purpose-driven, clearly implies that the revelation of the second coming serves divine purposes such as exhortation, comfort, hope, warning and covenantal fulfilment. These purposes function both kerugmatically and pastorally for believers and unbelievers. The study affirms that the revelation of Christ’s return is not merely informational but profoundly theological, and thus a valid subject of dogmatic reflection. 

https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.90.1.2631