[for a more complete discussion see my blog
http://revsre.blogspot.com/
When Jesus used the phrase “The Kingdom of God”, exactly what did he mean? We need to learn clearly what Jesus was saying and what it means to us. Was He was using the contemporary idea of the Jewish King, a promised “David” to restore rule to Israel? I feel there was much more, that is what this lesson will discuss.
Matthew used a play on words that said something very new, very different, but the Jews had to be taught to understand it. The kingdom was by God’s Grace through Faith in the hearts of men. Let me put this the other way to I hope help you see my point. What if John and Jesus preached, “Change the way you think and come near for the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit”. I not only think they would not listen, they may have stoned them. But that is just what He said.
The verse Showing where John the Baptist and Jesus start this teaching of a Kingdom is:
Mat 3:2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
The content of this verse is not clearly seen in our modern translations. “Repent” is not complete in its meaning as far as the Greek word shows, it means more change the way you think, change your mind. “Kingdom” is the royal authority to rule, the power of God in the hearts of men to serve and rule with Him. The two centers,
sin and salvation, are seen in this verse.(1) Man of sin must change the way he thinks (Stop disobeying God!) to receive the salvation of God, the Kingdom, (The indwelling power of the Holy Spirit in this life and a royal priesthood in the coming Kingdom).
The idea of change the way you think is not new to this verse:
Exo_19:5 'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;
Lev_22:31 "So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the LORD.
Lev_25:18 'You shall thus observe My statutes and keep My judgments, so as to carry them out, that you may live securely on the land.
1Jn 2:3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
And John said, As for me I baptizes with water; Jesus will baptize with the Spirit. He will cause his Spirit and the Spirits gifts to come upon his followers (Act_1:8), be poured out on them (Act_2:17, Act_2:33), fall upon them (Act_10:44; Act_11:15). e-sword, Bakers NT Commentary Luke 3:16 (William Hendriksen, 1982) (2)
Luk 3:16 John answered and said to them all, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
In the Old Testament God said hear my voice and keep my commandments and I will be you God you will be my people. There has always been only one Gospel one way of salvation. Only a remnant of Israel was true to God, only the Remnant is the “True Israel”, and they are saved the same way every one of all time are saved BY GOD’S GRACE. Jesus and John did not say something new, they said something different from the common thought of a kingdom of Israel. They said change the way you think and come near to be joined to the royal power of God.
"The Gospel (or good news) of the Kingdom." To understand it correctly we must keep this in mind, avoiding the easy method of treating it as a mere series of lessons on different subjects, and endeavoring to grasp the unity of thought and purpose which binds its different parts into one grand whole. (6) The Gospel “moving around the two centers, sin and salvation, (1)” is not a “Kingdom” in the material sense. It is to change the way we think and by faith receive the royal authority of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Any other view of the “Kingdom” verses does not agree with the rest of the Gospel.
It may help us to do this if we first ask ourselves what questions would naturally arise in the minds of the more thoughtful of the people, when they heard the announcement, "Come near for The kingdom of heaven." It was evidently, to such persons the Lord addressed Himself. (6) The Greek speaking people of the early Church would know βασιλεία was an abstract idea meaning the royal authority of a king.
The discussion of the “Power of God” was taken as the “Kingdom of God” but the word (βασιλεία basileia) does not say kingdom it says the power the authority to reign, it was not used of the physical kingdom. (8)
Matthew spoke in Jewish terms to a Jewish audience and
he made a play on what they knew to teach them more. The word translated kingdom means the royal power of the king, in this description of Kingdom we have God’s
Authority to rule with Jesus for eternity, given to the Church, gentiles grafted into the spiritual Israel after the nation rejected God. In the place of the ones bidden we have the ones saved by grace, adopted as sons, a royal Priesthood. As in Israel there was the Temple where God’s Glory resided in the Holy Of Holies, above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim, A Light of God’s glory Dwelled among the people of God.
Joh 1:4-5 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
A word for word translation of this verse is: Mt4:17
"Change your mind and draw near for “the royal power of God”. Note in this verse the “draw near” is in reference to the one changing their mind not the “kingdom or power”. There is no grammatical reason the move the “draw near” to the kingdom of Heaven. Change your mind is “You” second person plural, Draw near “the ones changing” is third person plural. Power of God is the object of the preposition “for” and first person singular.
"You change your mind the ones changing draw near for the royal power of God"
Mat 4:17
απο τοτε ηρξατο ο ιησους κηρυσσειν και λεγειν μετανοειτε
from then began Jesus to herald and say think differently
ηγγικεν γαρ η βασιλείατων ουρανων
come near for the royal power of heaven (God)
βασιλεία basileia
Thayer Greek Dictionary Definition: (11)
1) royal power, kingship, dominion, rule
1a)
not to be confused with an actualkingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom
1b) of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah
1c) of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah’s kingdom
Just because a word was translated a certain way does not mean it must be. Yes βασιλεία has been translated Kingdom but, usage over a long time does not make it correct. Βασιλεία is an abstract idea of the power behind a King, it is the power that allows a King to rule, and the Greeks very seldom used it as kingdom. (Alford) (12)
The royal power of heaven is the power of the King of Kings, God's authority to rule over eternity. When changed by grace, children of God, we are heirs and joint heirs with Christ. He is the King there is only one King, yet as heirs we have the power (βασιλεία) of The King. When Christ said Mat 16:28 Truly I say to you, There are some standing here who shall not taste of death until they see the Son of Man coming in His Power. The word βασιλεία is used that is "Coming in His Royal Power."
The ones saved by Grace and obeying Christ Lordship share and have that power. This is not some distant eventual result it is a present possession.
End Notes:
(1)
The Expositor's Bible, E-sword Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Luke 8:1
EDITED BY THE REV. SIR W. ROBERTSON NICOLL, M.A., LL.D.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE, BY THE REV. HENRY BURTON, M.A., D.D.
HODDER AND STOUGHTON PUBLISHERS LONDON
(2)
Bakers New Testament Commentary, e-sword commentary Luke 3:16
William Hendriksen , Simon J. Kistemaker
Baker New Testament Commentary, Baker Academic, Ada, Mi
(3)
2. Who Are God's Chosen People? David Curtis and Richard Anthony,
URL
*http://ecclesia.org/truth
/chosen
.htm
(4)
WHC Frend, Rise of the Early Church, Fortress Press,,Philadelphia 1946 - 1984
Roy C. Foster, Studies in the life of Christ, College Press, Joplin Missouri, 1971
What did most ancient Hebrews believe?
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_did_most_ancient_Hebrews_believe
(5)
Ezekiel 36:26-27, I Corinthians 3:16 says, “Do you not know your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Rom.8:16 Spirit beareth witness that we are children of God
1Jn.3:24b We know He abideth in us, by the Spirit
1Jn.4:13 Hereby know we that...He (dwelleth) in us, because He hath given us of
His Spirit
(6)
http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/article_kingdom.html
The Meaning and Significance of the Phrase "Kingdom of God" in the Teaching of Jesus as Represented by the Synoptic Gospels
Robert I Bradshaw
(7)
J. Ramsey Michaels, "The Kingdom of God And The Historical Jesus," in Willis, 216.
(7a)
http://www.wordmadeflesh.org/the-cry/the-cry-vol-11-no-2/what-do-we-mean-by-the-kingdom-of-god/
(7b)
http://www.preceptaustin.org/overview_glory_of_the_lord.htm
(7c) (Kings and Priest, RCH Lenski, Lutheran Literary Board, Burlington, IA 1927) page 9
(8)
George Eldon Ladd, "Kingdom of God," G.W. Bromiley, Gen. Ed.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia(ISBE), revised, Vol. 3. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986); B. Klappert, "King, Kingdom," Colin Brown, Gen. Ed.,
New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Vol. 2. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971).
