|
|
|
|
Ockham’s
Razor
by Brian L. Martin
While we must exercise caution in using worldly
philosophies to interpret Scripture, the application of Ockham’s razor to the
imminency passages of the New Testament is quite thought provoking. Consider
just these few imminency passages, from the many dozen available:
Matt 16:27-28
For the Son of Man will come
in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each
according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here
who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His
kingdom."
The majority of commentators are divided as to exactly
what event, which occurred during the lives of some of those standing there,
fulfilled this prophecy. The Transfiguration, Pentecost, the Ascension and the
destruction of
Matt 24:33-35
So you also, when you see all
these things, know that it is near—at the doors!
Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till
all these things take place.
Many devices are used to tell us why the generation to
which Christ was referring was not His generation. A gap is put in the chapter,
thus separating the first portion, addressed to Christ’s generation, from the
last portion, which is addressed to some future generation. Or generation
is defined as the Jewish race, or a group of wicked people.
1 Thess 4:15-17
For this we say to you by the
word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord
will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet
of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
A plain reading of this passage would lead one to the
conclusion that Paul expected at least some of his contemporaries, and perhaps
himself, to be alive at Christ’s return. Yet we are told that Paul was using
an “editorial” we, which referred to the saints in general who would
be alive at the Second Coming.
Rev 1:1-3
The Revelation of Jesus
Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take
place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,
who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus
Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear
the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for
the time is near.
Although the phrases “shortly take place” and “the
time is near” would seem to be self-explanatory, commentators provide us with
several reasons why we can still look for the events to be fulfilled in our day
(or later). One is that “shortly” does not mean that the fulfillments are
near, but will take place speedily, in a short period of time, once they
commence. Another interpretation is that, while the commencement of the
fulfillments (or some of the fulfillments) may take place shortly, their
complete fulfillment may stretch over long periods of time. And then, of course,
there is the fact that what is “near” in God’s perspective may indeed be
millennia in man’s.
Returning to Ockham’s razor, we first note that each of
the above passages requires a different “explanation,” and that none of the
explanations fit the other passages. Redefining “generation” does suffice
for Matt. 16:28; using an editorial “we” does not work for Rev. 1:1-3, and
so on. And these are only four out of dozens of imminency passages. While some
of those other imminency passages might fall under the explanations already
given, you would find that several more than
the four “explanations” already
given are necessary to deal with all of the imminency passages. And yet, there
is one explanation that fits not only these four passages, but every
imminency passage in the New Testament—the Second Coming of Christ
occurred during the generation of the New Testament saints.
This brings us back to Ockham’s words: the simplest or
most obvious explanation of several competing ones is the one that should be
preferred until it is proven wrong.
Hmmm
. . . ! |
|
|