Before Jerusalem Fell

A Response to Home and Ice 345
of Alexandria and Ongen, which they put forth as two of four
non-Irenaean “witnesses” for a late date.2G If they had checked the
original sources, they would surely have been less confident in asserting
these fathers are witnesses to the late date, for neithr Clement nor
Origen mentions Domitian at all!27 Apparently for historical evidence,
they adopt the common jargon: “It goes without saying”! Certainly
neither Clement nor Origen said anything about John being banished
by Domitian.
1 hope the careful reader of their book will notice that House and
Ice even admit that such astute historian-exegetes as F. J. A. Hort
and Philip Schaff hold the early date, despite Irenaeus’s alleged
evidence. 28
There are a host of others who do, as well.29
Irenaezu
As I continue on in their critique, it becomes obvious that they
are confident in their employment of Irenaeus against early date
advocacy. Unfortunately, they do not appear to be as prepared to
deal with his evidence as is requisite for their task. This inadequacy
becomes all too obvious from the following evidences.
First, after citing Irenaeus’s passage from Against Heresies, they
employ a “debater’s technique” (to borrow their own phrase again)
by attempting to promote their point as “clear.” They write: “How
does Chilton deal with such a clear statement?”3° As I have noted
previously, Irenaeus’s translators have commented on the dif’iiculty
of translating and interpreting him. 3
1 In light of such a problem as
mentioned by several noted historians and linguists, how could Irenaeus’s
statement be deemed “clear”?
Second, after citing a particular English translation of Irenaeus,
they comment: “Chilton questions whether [Irenaeus’s] ‘that was
seen’ refers to ‘the apocalyptic vision’ or to John himself. Since the
impersonal pronoun ‘that’ is used we can assume that it refers to
26. Ibid., p. 253.
27. See pp. 68tI, supra.
28. House and Ice, Dominion Ttwology, p. 252.
29. The reader should note my extensive list of early date advocates given above on
pages 30-38.
30. House and Ice, Dominwn Theology, p. 251.
31. See pp. 47ff.