Essays
In the Fullness of Time
IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME
In Gal.4:4 Paul writes, “When the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” One can discover many aspects of the first-century world that seem testify to this “fullness of time” motif. Why did Jesus come precisely when He did? It was the “proper” time (1Tim.2:6 and Titus 1:3). But what made it “the FULLNESS of time”? The first-century A.D. was a time of pax Romana (the peace of Rome) which expanded traveling options considerably. Likewise, for the impressive man-made roads that traversed the entire Roman Empire. Although the Romans conquered the Greeks, Koine Greek became the lingua franca that facilitated com-merce, culture, philosophy and religion. The first century was also a time of soul-searching. Many were disenchanted with state-ordained religions and the apparent failures of their so-called gods. Thus, Paul used this environment to tell others about Jehovah God” (Acts 17:23). All of these circumstances paved the way for the proclamation of the gospel. Even the persecution (diaspora) of the saints advanced the spread of the gospel (Acts 8:4). Yet these factors do not go deep enough to explain “the fullness of time”.
The context of Galatians reveals that this “fullness” related to God’s foreordained plans for Israel. They were IN BONDAGE to the Law (Gal.4:3). Paul’s allegory in Gal.4:24ff shows that a judgment was pending for some (cast out the bondwoman and her son).
In this context, one can see that “the fullness of time” is an eschatological theme connected with events that would occur through-out Israel’s “last days” - - all of the things spoken of by Daniel the prophet (Dan.9:24-27) were coming to fullness as God engaged in consummating the changing of the covenantal worlds (from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant – cf. Heb.8:13). This involved a great mystery that included the Gentiles becoming joint-heirs (Eph.3:3-6 and Lk.21:24) with the Christian Jews. It also involved the “filling up of Israel’s sins” (cf. Mt.23:32 and 1Thess.2:16). Although Daniel’s prophecy regarding the seventy weeks can be hard to comprehend, we can be thankful that Jesus pinpoints the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 as the focal point of Daniel’s grand oracle.
Terry Siverd / Cortland Church of Christ
