l and accidental fixed and fluid elements. To the former belong:
(1) the notion of a final fearful conflict with the powers of the world
which is just about to break out [Greek: to teleion skandalon engiken],
(2) belief in the speedy return of Christ, (3) the conviction that after
conquering the secular power (this was variously conceived as God's
Ministers as that which restrains--2 Thess. II. 6, as a pure kingdom of
Satan see the various estimates in Justin, Melito, Irenaeus and
Hippolytus) Christ will establish a glorious kingdom on the earth and
will raise the saints to share in that kingdom, and (4) that he will
finally judge all men. To the fluid elements belong the notions of the
Antichrist or of the secular power culminating in the Antichrist as well
as notions about the place, the extent, and the duration of Christ's
glorious kingdom. But it is worthy of special note that Justin regarded
the belief that Christ will set up his kingdom in Jerusalem, and that it
will endure for 1000 years, as a necessary element of orthodoxy, though
he confesses he knew Christians who did not share this belief, while
they did not like the pseudo Christians reject also the resurrection of
the body (the promise of Montanus that Christ's kingdom would be let
down at Pepuza and Tymion is a thing by itself and answers to the other
promises and pretensions of Montanus). The resurrection of the body is
expressed in the Roman Symbol while very notably the hope of Christ's
earthly kingdom is not there mentioned (see above p. 157). The great
inheritance which the Gentile Christian communities received from
Judaism is the eschatological hopes along with the Monotheism assured by
revelation and belief in providence. The law as a national law was
abolished. The Old Testament became a new book in the hands of the
Gentile Christians. On the contrary the eschatological hopes in all
their details and with all the deep shadows which they threw on the
state and public life were at first received and maintained themselves
in wide circles pretty much unchanged and only succumbed in some of
their details--just as in Judaism--to the changes which resulted from
the constant change of the political situation. But these hopes were
also destined in great measure to pass away after the settlement of
Christianity on Graeco-Roman soil. We may set aside the fact that they
did not occupy the foreground in Paul, for we do not know whether this
was of importance for