Re: Being a disciple of Jesus is not enough

“What I am concerned about here is the argument that we should take the early Jesus movement as a sufficient model for the missional church today.”

I agree with this point if we are talking about a model like a blueprint — if we just follow all the instructions we will build the perfect structure. Of course we should take the narrative given to us and then adopt an expression that fits into our current context, and not just try to recreate a past expression in our current culture. As long as we look at culture through the lens of the Scripture and not look at Scripture through the lens of culture.

“I disagree that we are still waiting for the parousia, for reasons explained ad tedium elsewhere (see this recent comment, for example, and The Coming of the Son of Man).”

Being new to this conversation (and website), I am going to have to take some time to try and read up on what you mean by moving past eschatology, but I will ask a few questions in the mean time. Are you saying that along with us being new creations this is the new heavens and the new earth we find in Revelation and Isaiah? Or are you specifically talking against a pre-millenial style rapture? Do you see there still being an eschatological crisis, albeit a different one than faced by the first disciples of Christ? I will also order your book from Amazon and give it a try when it comes in.