Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright
Week 7: Part II, Chapter 6 — What the New Testament Says About the Future
Read Part II, Chapter 6 of Surprised by Hope. Key passages: 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; Matthew 24–25; Revelation 21–22.
Previewing Week 7 of Surprised by Hope
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 17-week guide when you’re ready.
Wright takes us carefully through the New Testament's key passages about 'the second coming' and 'the end,' arguing that most popular readings have badly misread what the texts actually say.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Wright examines 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 — the 'rapture' passage — and argues that the popular 'Left Behind' interpretation fundamentally misreads it. What does he say the 'meeting in the air' actually signifies, drawing on the word parousia and the image of a king arriving at a city?
2.The word parousia (often translated 'coming') was used in the ancient world to describe an emperor's ceremonial arrival at a city, after which its citizens would go out to meet him and escort him back in. How does this background change the meaning of the 'rapture' passages in 1 Thessalonians?
3.Wright discusses the 'little apocalypse' of Matthew 24–25 and the famous passage about 'one being taken and one being left.' How does he read this in its historical context, and why does he argue it refers primarily to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 rather than a future 'rapture'?
a.Does Wright's reading of Matthew 24 require abandoning all future-oriented hope? What is he affirming and what is he critiquing?
b.How does reading Matthew 24 in its first-century context change your view of it?