Explain St. Augustine's argument that time does not exist and his idea that “time tends towards non-existence”. Use textual evidence to support your response.

The text:
Book X

Augustine opens Book X with a discussion of the principles of confession. He denounces confession to others rather than directly to God (p. 238). One wonders whether he is referring to the priesthood or the religious hierarchical structure of the church in his day or merely to lay Christians. He correctly sees that there can be no spiritual benefit, absolution or edification for the confessor that comes from confessing one’s sins first to man and then to God, or not to God at all. He knows that confession is a work of God in the hearts of men. He prefers confession directly to God and has a strong sense of communion with God in the act of confession.

His lengthy discussion of memory (p. 245-263), this writer admits, was a difficult passage of which to lay hold. He praises the faculty (p.246, 254), and endlessly analyzes it throughout the section. But to what end? Perhaps to explore more thoroughly his own mind, to know himself and so relate more intimately with God, as he finally suggests (260)? It seems more so to be something of a fanciful excursion into philosophy than a serious doctrinal or spiritual issue with any strong biblical underpinnings.

After the discourse on memory, Augustine asserts that love for God is diminished if love for anything is not for God’s sake (p. 263). But, this is unreasonable and not a clear biblical concept. The love one has for one’s children, for example, is not even predicated upon a relationship with God and is certainly no slight to Him since it is expected by Him. That one can love one’s children more fully through a relationship with God is true, but no vice can be reckoned to one who does not see the need to purpose such love for God. Love for one’s children is a blessing from God and need not be expressed for His sake. That it is expressed at all in such a case is an act of obedience and praise, however unwitting.

His concern over the commands to avoid the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life seems excessive to the point of ascetic. At one point he even confesses that he considered the monastic life, but was deterred by God (p. 283). He sees as a snare memory, food, music, art, dreams, and the well-deserved praise of men. Yet, he has some trouble discerning when he is over concerned about such matters and when he is not quite concerned enough (p. 270). His refrain throughout the section is the plea that God would first give him all the spiritual virtues, and then require of him what He will. This is sound practice for any believer.

Book XI

Augustine’s insights into time and eternity in Book XI are penetrating. His grasp of the concept that time is created by God as a medium within which He is performing His will, rather than a medium which contains Him shows his advanced understanding of the transcendence of God (p.291). But, he goes too far with his quirky denial of the existence of past and future (300-301). The view he adopts here appears more philosophical than theological and may be a remnant from his earlier philosophical work. Scripture declares that God only knows the end from the beginning, that He has a plan, and that He is working it out in the context of time. God established time with certain properties. It is linear, for example. Humans move forward through it, and cannot move backward. Humans look backward through it, but, apart from the power and revelation of God, cannot look forward into it. Perhaps an oversimplified argument against this view of Augustine’s is to say that all matter that exists now, has existed in ages past since the creation event and will continue in existence until it is destroyed when the old heaven and earth pass away. What exists now existed in the past and will exist in the future. Memory’s role is to provide a context to the present; for what exists in the present. The present is without value if there is no past and no future.

Augustine does make another helpful observation about the movement of heavenly bodies. He clarifies their relationship to time as not constituting it, but as a means of marking it (p. 302). This is certainly consistent with God’s method of marking time, not only as expressed in the creation event, but throughout Scripture wherever time is related to hours, days, weeks, months, years, etc. Yet, he also sees time as not so much having properties but, if it exists at all, existing in the conscious mind (p. 306). This writer would argue that anything created has properties and thus cannot exist only in the mind since that which has properties is separate and distinct from the mind.