N.T. Wright On The Meaning of "citizens of heaven": Divine Imperialism

I am aware that, in particular theological circles, there's a whirlwind of opinion about N.T. Wright and whether his view on "justification" is orthodox or not. Be that as it may, I'm also aware that many of those same critics are as excited about his writing on the resurrection of Jesus as they are horrified about his views on justification. His larger, more encyclopedic, work titled The Resurrection of the Son of God is the foundation for his smaller, more popular and accessible book titled Surprised by Hope. A friend loaned the latter to me and I've found myself delightfully surprised by how much I enjoy it, and the Christian hope that, by it, Wright has made more clear.

A sample:

Philippi was a Roman colony. Augustus had settled his veterans there after the battles of Philippi (42 B.C.) and Actium (31 B.C.). Not all residents of Philippi were Roman citizens, but all knew what citizenship meant. The point of creating colonies was twofold. First, it was aimed at extending Roman influence around the Mediterranean world, creating cells and networks of people loyal to Caesar in the wider culture. Second, it was one way of avoiding the problems of overcrowding in the capital itself. The emperor certainly did not want retired soldiers, with time (and blood) on their hands, hanging around Rome ready to cause trouble. Much better for them to be establishing farms and businesses elsewhere.

So when Paul says, "We are citizens of heaven," he doesn't at all mean that when we're done with this life we'll be going off to live in heaven. What he means is that the savior, the Lord, Jesus the King - all of those were of course imperial titles - will come from heaven to earth, to change the present situation and state of his people. Jesus will not declare that present physicality is redundant and can be scrapped. Nor will he simply improve it, perhaps by speeding up its evolutionary cycle. In a great act of power - the same power that accomplished Jesus's own resurrection - he will change the present body into the one that corresponds in kind to his own as part of his work of bringing all things into subjection to himself. (p. 100)

BHT