Terms associated with the kingdom
we can define the kingdom of God as
the rightly inherited kingship of Christ seen presently through changed human lives and miracle demonstrations of His divine power and authority while anticipating His future reign as the Sovereign Ruler.
"It is clear that the Kingdom of God is the central theme of Jesus' teaching"
(Ladd 1978, 103)
List some of the things God's kingdom requires of its members
1. Deny oneself (Matthew 16:24). 2. Watch every word (Matthew 12:36). 3. Consider possible persecution (Matthew 5:10). 4. Be merciful (Matthew 5:7). 5. Be pure in heart (Matthew 5:8). 6. Hate one's own life (Luke 14:26). 7. Carry one's own cross (Luke 14:27). 8. Destroy bodily parts if necessary (Matthew 5:29-30). 9. Watch and pray (Luke 21:36). 10. Go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19).
what do we know concerning this Kingdom?
1. It is God's kingdom where Christ is the ruler. 2. kingdom operates among His followers 3.There is no geographical location of the kingdom of God. 4. The kingdom of God is best represented as Christ's kingship. 5. When we are in the presence of Jesus, we are in the kingdom of God. 6.
Christ describes this future fulfillment of the Kingdom as
1. a wedding banquet (Matthew 22:1-2; Luke 22:29-30) 2. as the gateway into eternal life (Matthew 25:46) 3. as the age to come (Mark 10:30), 4. and as the kingdom of God (Mark 10:24
What concepts does our study identify with a kingdom?
A realm—that is, an area with physical, visible limits—or a ruler and the subjects over which he rules; a set of rules that governs the affairs of the kingdom or a sense of security or personal well-being that one is safe from outside intrusion
we can view the kingdom of God as already among us but not yet here. How is this so?
Because we anticipate the future aspect of the kingdom yet to come. There will be a day when Christ will return and set up His kingdom on earth.
Compare Christ's initiation of the present aspect of the Kingdom with the initiation of the future aspect.
Christ initiated the present aspect with His redemptive death and resurrection, and He will initiate the future aspect with His coming in power and glory.
As Erickson notes,
In the Scriptures heaven is a virtual synonym for God
How did Christ define the Kingdom in His teaching? (standard definition)
It is a spiritual rather than a physical realm. God rules over it and shares authority with Christ. Born again people are the subjects, and Christ's teachings are the rules under which they live.
What priority does the kingdom of God have in Jesus' teachings?
It's the central theme of Jesus' teaching.
Matthew's use of kingdom of heaven is based on a simple historical fact.
Jews avoided using the name Yahweh and often substituted an appropriate term for deity. In their view, Matthew respected this feeling and substituted heaven for God.
What are the requirements for membership in Christ's kingdom?
Making Christ the Lord of one's life and living in obedience to His commandments; permitting the undesirable traits of the inner person to give way to the desirable traits that characterize Christ's followers
how was the Kingdom associated with visible effects in the physical world?
Matthew 10:7-8; 11:2-6; 12:28; Luke 9:1-6; 10:9.
provides the strongest evidence for this future aspect of the Kingdom.
Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, and Luke 21 (the Olivet Discourse)
Why does Matthew use kingdom of heaven rather than kingdom of God as used by Mark and Luke?
Most likely Matthew uses kingdom of heaven because he is writing for a Jewish audience. Out of respect for God, Jews used words like heaven as a substitute for His name.
The idea of the kingdom of God occupies a place of supreme importance in the teaching and mission of Jesus. This "master-thought" of Jesus, as it has been called, is the central theme of his proclamation and the key to understanding his ministry. (1988, 522)
Peter Kuzmic (Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements)
Is there a difference between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God?
Since Mark, Luke, and other New Testament writers use only kingdom of God, and Christ says simply kingdom on a number of occasions, we conclude that the terms are synonymous
This standard definition of kingdom no doubt matched
The Jewish concept
Briefly explain how a kingdom can be "already but not yet."
The Kingdom is already present in Christ's person and work, but it has not yet been consummated in all of its fullness.
Discuss briefly the present aspect of the Kingdom and cite scriptural support for it.
The Kingdom was present in the person and works of Jesus. Jesus said it was near (Matthew 4:17), had come upon His hearers (Luke 11:20), was within people (Luke 17:20-21), was advancing (Matthew 11:11-13), and people were entering into it (Matthew 21:31). These verses indicate clearly the present aspect of the Kingdom.
s perhaps the clearest issue of all,
The moral or ethical aspect of the Kingdom
Why did the Jews reject Christ and His teachings on the Kingdom?
The realm was no longer the nation of Israel, and Christ was assuming equality with God in ruling the Kingdom. The subjects were not necessarily Jews and the Law was no longer the only infallible guide for living.
Contrast the rules governing God's kingdom with those of a worldly kingdom.
The rules that govern God's kingdom concern attitudes and behavior that are acceptable to God; they are chiefly internal. By contrast, the rules of a worldly kingdom are mainly external.
Describe the subjects of God's kingdom in John 3:3, 5, and Matthew 5:3-10, 17.
They are people who have been born again—experienced the new birth. They are governed by the teachings of Christ who came to fulfill the Law.
Matthew 22:1-2; 24:30; 25:31-33 indicate what these verses imply about the future kingdom of God.
They imply that the future aspect of God's kingdom has a literal, physical manifestation. Christ, angels, and the people of all nations will be there. The wedding feast also suggests this.
The major difference between the ethics or rules of the kingdom of God and those of an ordinary worldly kingdom is that
one is internal and the other is external.
In your opinion, what view of the Kingdom has the most scriptural support?
the Kingdom is "already but not yet." That is, the kingdom of God has come (present) but is still to come (future).
What underscores the importance of the Kingdom in Christ's teaching.
the term kingdom appears a total of 121 times in the Synoptics. Even if we do not include the parallels, he notes, the Synoptic writers use the term over 60 times
Mark and Luke use the Greek idiom, kingdom of God, because
they are writing primarily to a Gentile audience.
According to Jesus, the kingdom of God does not come visibly, the kingdom of God is within the person himself or herself—it is spiritual.
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At His first coming, Christ inaugurated the Kingdom—planted the seed—that will grow and develop until His second coming.
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Jesus' teaching on the spiritual nature of the Kingdom and its lack of a physical place, as well as His own part in it, differed from Jewish expectations
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Jesus' teaching thus indicated that the Kingdom is both a present reality and a future expectation.
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Jews linked holiness with external actions—what one did or did not do—but Jesus stressed the purity of the inner person. He emphasized being more than doing
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Kuzmic notes that the term kingdom appears a total of 121 times in the Synoptics.
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Maintaining citizenship in the Kingdom also requires one to lead a life in which moral or ethical values are supremely important.
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Mark, Luke, and other New Testament writers use only kingdom of God,
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Since so many of Christ's parables relate either directly or indirectly to the kingdom of God
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Since they were unable to fully understand His teaching on the true nature of the Kingdom and accept its implications, the Jews, Christ's kinsmen, ultimately rejected Him.
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The evidence of the reality and authenticity of God's kingdom were the miracles Jesus performed, including His power over evil spirits.
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The moral aspect of God's kingdom involves the inner nature of a person.
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atthew uses the term kingdom of heaven thirty-three times and kingdom of God only four times
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