'THE APOCALYPTIC HERMENEUTIC OF THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH: HOW 1 ENOCH SHAPED JUDE’S CHRISTOLOGY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CHURCH

This paper will attempt to argue that the Early Church, in its most primitive incarnation

was an apocalyptic movement, which interpreted the Old Testament scriptures apocalyptically,

refracted through the lens of the apocalyptic writers of the intertestamental period, and located

the zenith of this expectation, and its concomitant fulfillment, in the Christ event-both the first

and second advents, though mostly the parousia is in view. The Epistle of Jude will be the test

case for this argument. In fact, the thesis will be applied to this epistle in the following manner:

Jude, as the primary representative of the urkirche, interprets the Old Testament apocalyptically,

refracted through the lens of the apocalyptic writers of the intertestamental period, primarily 1

Enoch, and locates the zenith of this apocalyptic expectation, and its concomitant fulfillment, in

the Christ event-both the first and second advents, but ultimately and most importantly in the

parousia. This thesis, admittedly, is loaded with presuppositions that must first be established

before drawing such a conclusion. This paper will approach the task through a methodology that

is grounded in both historical research, establishing both historical and literary context, and

theological conjecture, seeking to understand both the implications and application of the

apocalyptic genre for a more robust Christology developed within the primitive church. As is the

case with all historical inquiries, this paper will not attempt to provide scientific certainty on this

issue, but will provide evidence toward a strong probability of Jude’s early date, Palestinian

provenance and a reliance upon apocalyptic concepts within this milieu that will hopefully be an

addendum to the broader scholarly dialogue.