here in light of our focus on Scripture. Was the early church too influenced initially by “Jewish materialistic” readings of the end or were they simply following the lead of the language of the Hebrew Scriptures? This question spills over into considerations about the New Testament’s use of the Old Testament, a question we will discuss. Nevertheless, what should not be missed in the midst of the debate over history is that all the responses affirm a biblical emphasis on the presence of “new creation”