Last night I had a discussion with my FriendSpeak reader on the Kingdom of God. For those of you who don't know, FriendSpeak uses the story of Luke in English to both teach people how to speak Ebglish better and to introduce them to the Bible. My FriendSpeak reader is a visiting professor from Korea doing post-doctoral work at the University of Kansas. His English skills are amazing, and I am awed by his love for God. He loves pursuing new knowledge.
Yesterday's conversation lasted 35+ minutes as we discussed the coming of the Kingdom of God. He wanted to know what the Bible said about the Kingdom. Here is what I wrote this morning. I would love your insight. What did I say right? Did I get any of it wrong? Please, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
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The Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God is an enigma. Throughout the New Testament we are told various things about the Kingdom. It seems to be both a present reality and a future orientation. The Kingdom of God is better translated as “the reign of God,” where God’s rule is established.[1] This takes place in the present, in our own lives, as we seek to follow the way of Jesus Christ and live by his example and his teaching. As we become more like Christ, the reign of God becomes better established in our own lives. This is also a future reality: God’s reign will not ultimately triumph until the end of time, “when every knee will bow on earth and under the earth, and ever tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).
Theologian Stanley Grenz puts it this way. “The kingdom of God is that order of perfect peace, righteousness, justice, and love that God gives to the world. This gift is eschatological (“at the end of time”), for it comes in an ultimate way only at the renewal of the world consummated at Jesus’ return. But the power of the kingdom is already at work, for it breaks into the present from the future. Therefore, we experience the kingdom in a partial yet vital manner en route to the great future day.”[2] In essence, the coming of the Kingdom of God creates a new way of life for us today.Because our lives are ruled by our belief in Jesus Christ, we begin to influence and change the world because of our faith. We put the Great Commission into action: “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28). Our hope is to help others becomes citizens in the Kingdom of God.
In Mark 1, Jesus begins his ministry by proclaiming, “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14-15).[3] This takes place after the temptation of Jesus in the desert.
Luke, however, goes a slightly different direction. Luke makes Jesus’ first discussion about Isaiah 61 (Luke 4:18-21). Lulke seems to equate the Kingdom of God with people’s physical and spiritual lives being healed. When God reigns, things are made right and people are made whole.
Jesus has a bunch of different parables about the Kingdom of God:
The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-, Matt. 13:1-15; Luke 8:4-10): The Kingdom of God grows as a man sows the “seed” (the Gospel).
The Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)
The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-34; Mt. 13; Luke 13): The Kingdom is like a mustard seed; it starts out small, then grows big.
The Parable of the Yeast (Luke 13:20-21)
The Parable of the Priceless Pearl and the Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44-46): The Kingdom is worth everything you own; you must be willing to part with everything in order to receive the kingdom.
The Parable of the Net (Matthew 13:47-52): The Kingdom of Heaven will gather everyone together, and then will weed through the good fish and the bad fish. Jesus tells us that the final fulfillment of the Kingdom will come at the end of time, when the Son of Man returns.
There seems to be both a present aspect of the Kingdom and a future aspect of the Kingdom:
Luke 17:20 – “Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is withinyou.”
-The Kingdom of God is tied to the presence of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 gives us a clear example. The Holy Spirit is our seal, our marker that guarantees us a place in the final Kingdom (Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30)
-This begins on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), and continues on through believers today.
We are also told that the Kingdom of God has already been brought about:
Luke 9:27 – “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 21:31-32 – “Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.”
In summary, the Kingdom has both a present and a future orientation. God’s rule exists in our lives because we have given our lives over to him. The Holy Spirit lives inside of us and guides/counsels us on how to live. By teaching others about God and Christ, we help spread the Kingdom in the world, because others will accept him and receive the Spirit as well. However, the Kingdom will not become a full reality until Jesus returns and the world sees the glory of God.
I hope this helps. I have enjoyed writing it for you. I would love to discuss it with you more!
In Christ,
Daniel
[1] This seems to be the best use of the Greek term basileia (βασιλεια).
[2]Stanley Grenz, Theology for the Community of God, Eerdmans: 1994, p. 22.
[3] Matthew makes a similar statement from Jesus in Matthew 4:17: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew uses “kingdom of heaven” and “kingdom of God” interchangeably. Matthew equates heaven to the place where God rules as sovereign.
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