The Kingdom of God

In his approach Snyder utilizes seven themes from the Old and New Testament that he say’s help reveal the meaning of the kingdom of God. The themes presented are interrelated and not disconnected or segmented from each other. Rather, each theme is a partial expression of the whole, in other words, the kingdom of God is this, but it is also that. The challenge that the Western (US) reader faces is that one has been conditioned by “National Idealism,” to think that we are a Christian nation. Therefore, as a nation of God, we live out the biblical principles that are important to Christian values. This is important to state, since this type of thinking permeates throughout our churches and is expressed as kingdom living.

The term ‘Kingdom of God’ (or as is otherwise referred to as ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ in Matthew's Gospel) is mentioned throughout the Four Gospels. Over the centuries many scholars have reached the same conclusion that the central theme of Jesus’ message regards the ‘Kingdom of God.’ But what did Jesus mean by this term? This essay aims to discuss the meaning of the term ‘Kingdom of God’ and what Jesus must have meant by this.

Harnack understands the Kingdom of God in Jesus’ teachings to have two basic aspects. First is the traditional view as a future event, establishing God’s rule on earth. The roots of this view come from the historic elements of Jewish apocalypticism and in the teachings of John the Baptist. Jesus accepted and supported but also surpassed the teachings of John the Baptist. However, Jesus presented an idea of the Kingdom of God that was in contrast with the traditional understanding of the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ understanding of the Kingdom is a present and internal event which happens in the hearts of those of faith. According to Harnack Jesus would have seen the two aspects as complimenting one another wherein those of a present perspective would see a tension between the two. Harnack says that it is the second aspect of God’s Kingdom that held as the most important in Jesus’ teachings. The Kingdom of God then should be understood as “coming to the individual, by entering into his soul and laying hold of it. ” It is then that the Kingdom of God fills the Christian with the life of God. Looking at the Kingdom of God in this way makes it the rule of God “in the hearts of individuals.

To fulfill His mission to reconcile all things to Himself, God sends you and me, the church, into the world to spread the gospel, to evangelize, to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, and to embody in its corporate life the message of reconciliation. Lofty words indeed. God is God. He will achieve His ends. We can either be part of His plans or we can hide in the shadows. Jesus did not shrink back from giving us instructions. He was blunt, direct, and authoritative. No room for discussion, shades of meaning, different interpretations. As they say, “Which part of ‘go’ don’t you understand?” Just “go.” Not a call, but a command. The “go” may be a walk across the street to help and witness to a neighbor, it may be picking up

“A kingdom is a human political reality”, which is both earthly and physical. (pg 176) People see it as a negative impersonal political institution but rather it should positively flipped into community based. This includes individuals under one common influence. The power that kingdom has over politics transformed the power God has on earth through the churches until the day when He finally makes all things new (Rev 21:5). Together, the term kingdom politics is metaphor to what we should be basing our lives onto, the kingdom above under the political allegiance of God. As Christians, we must build this kingdom before God within the community of those living for the

The Kingdom may exist in the individual human heart, in groups, in institutions, and in nature. The Kingdom of God is as broad and as overarching as the presence of God which renews and transforms and recreates everything touched by it.

Authority can be defined in many different ways. The Oxford Dictionary defines authority as “the power to give orders, makes decisions, and enforce obedience” (Dictionary). An authoritative figure has the power to give commands and have them followed out in whichever

According to Evangelical Dictionary of Theology edited by Walter A. Enwall, authority “is the right and power to command, enforce laws, exact obedience, determine or judge” (Enwall, 153). Many things can be given authority when there has been accuracy confirmed. In God, all the authority is discovered in Him. The Bible has authority because it was written by men who were inspired by God. It has the highest authority because it is the “authentic embodiment of God’s self-disclosure” (Enwall, 153). The Bible receives its authority from God because it is the word of God. Just like in the verse in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”. God is the truth and therefore

In a few sentences, state your own understanding of how Christ prepares and sends Christians into the world as agents of

Joseph Ratzinger, also known as Pope Benedict XVI, wrote a book, Jesus of Nazareth: From Baptism In The Jordan To The Transfiguration. In the book, there is a chapter entitled, “The Gospel Of The Kingdom Of God.” In the Bible, Jesus often spoke about the Kingdom of God. There are four questions I will attempt to answer. 1. What is the Kingdom of God? 2. How does the Kingdom of God appear in the Old Testament? 3. How do Jesus’ words and deeds relate to the Kingdom of God? and 4. How does the concept Kingdom of God connect to the Old and New Testament?

kingdom of God made present in Jesus Christ or can it be reduced to a set of positions on this or

but his authority has still been given to him by God. For example, the book Job, God allowed the devil to cause affliction in Job’s life (Job 1:8). Nevertheless, Job remain steadfast in his faith in spite of all his troubles. The book of Job records as well, the Israelites stayed in Egypt for about four hundred years, and how their population grew. The Egyptians became afraid of them and made them their slaves. The oppression of the Israelites in Egypt was very great, and finally God raised up Moses to be their deliver. All authority comes from God; there is no other authority (John 19:10, Romans 13:1). God has appointed rulers to punish evildoers and to reward welldoers. It is His will that we submit to these rulers and obey them. We must submit to them for the Lord’s sake- that is, we must submit to them in order to show our submission to God’s authority and to set an example of righteous living for others to follow.

Kingdom of God (basileia tou theou) is used only six times––one of them being in verse 3d, and speaking about the Kingdom of God . In four of the other five instances, the disciples are proclaiming the Kingdom of God (8:12; 19:8; 28:23, 31). The Kingdom of God is a major emphasis of Jesus' teaching and of Luke's account of the life of Jesus and the early church. Basileia (rule, reign, or realm) tou theou signifies the authoritative power and empowerment of God with us in this sentence.

The kingdom of heaven was taught often in John’s messages and the center of Jesus sermons. The Old Testament was based that there would be kingdom of God that was a rule from heaven. It was the reason for ordinances, both civil and religious as well as the foundation for its institutions. It helped explain the history of people and how God dealt with them through the preaching of the prophets. Without understanding the kingdom of heaven the Old Testament remains a mystery as the Old Testament prepared people for the rule of heaven and the kingdom of God. The two main issues that presented problems to the kingdom of heaven was Israel’s reluctance to embrace Jesus as their king and the opposition of the surrounding nations to conform to Israel’s rule. Therefore Israel longed for a Messiah that would establish righteousness and join all the kingdoms of the earth under His dominion. Thus the three ideas that the kingdom of God emphasized would be universality, heavenliness, and permanency.

be among His people in a special way. Jesus called this special way the Kingdom of God. He warned His listeners to repent their sinful ways to be ready for the approaching Kingdom of God. In urging