Presented at
the 57th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society
in Valley
Forge, Pennsylvania, November 16-18, 2005. The meeting theme was:
“Christianity in the Early Centuries.”
Warning—the nature of the kingdom of God, as Jesus presented it, was so offensive, He was crucified. As we shall see, it is equally as offensive today. In the amazingly insightful words of the non-Christian writer, H. G. Wells, in his 1922 book, A Short History of the World:
The doctrine of the Kingdom of Heaven, which was the main teaching of Jesus, is certainly one of the most revolutionary doctrines that ever stirred and changed human thought. It is small wonder if the world of that time failed to grasp its full significance, and recoiled in dismay from even a half apprehension of its tremendous challenges to the established habits and institutions of mankind . . . . as Jesus seems to have preached it, was no less than a bold and uncompromising demand for a complete change and cleansing of the life of our struggling race, an utter cleansing, without and within . . . . It was not merely a moral and a social revolution . . . his teaching had a political bent of the plainest sort. It is true that he said his kingdom was not of this world, that it was in the hearts of men . . . but it is equally clear that . . . the outer world would be in that measure revolutionized and made new. . . .
Is it any wonder that all who were rich and prosperous felt a horror of strange things . . . . Is it any wonder that men were dazzled and blinded and cried out against him? Even his disciples cried out when he would not spare them the light. Is it any wonder that the priests realized that between this man and themselves there was no choice but that he or priestcraft should perish? Is it any wonder that the Roman soldiers . . . should take refuge in wild laughter, and crown him with thorns and robe him in purple and make a mock Caesar of him? For to take him seriously was to enter upon a strange and alarming life, to abandon habits, to control instincts and impulses, to essay an incredible happiness.[1]
Recap of Steps #1 and #2This is the third paper and third step in a 7-step series for “Restoring the Kingdom-of-God Worldview to the Church and the World.”[2]
Step #1’s paper explored the first-century fact that the kingdom of God was the central teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and at the heart of his earthly ministry. It was also central to his worldview and that of his first followers, the New Testament writers, and the early Church. It was the very essence of New Testament Christianity.[3]
But today, sad to say, the kingdom is no longer the central teaching of his Church, nor its very essence. Moreover, the kingdom has been written out of most biblical or Christian worldviews. We asked and answered two questions: What has happened? What has changed?
We also discovered the time for the establishment of the everlasting, eschatological kingdom and grounded it within human history. This establishment (not just inauguration, initiation, or a foretaste) was to fully occur “in the days of those kings” (Dan. 2:44)—i.e., within the time of Daniel 2 and 7’s four earthly kingdoms or world empires. This time frame firmly grounds the establishment of the everlasting, eschatological kingdom of God within human history. Notably, the days of Daniel’s fourth prophesied empire, the Roman Empire, ended in A.D. 476. The kingdom’s establishment was not prophesied to take place beyond that time or at the so-called end of time or end of history, as is commonly assumed. Therefore, it is biblically incorrect to claim, as many do, that the kingdom will not be established, or fully established, until the return of Jesus at some time future to us today.
Also, no other kingdom, form of this kingdom, ultimate establishment, or different fulfillment of this kingdom beyond the one-coming kingdom prophesied by Daniel and brought by Jesus is to be expected, scripturally or historically. Nor is there is any scriptural warrant for conceiving of “a revival of the Roman Empire” to accommodate a yet-future establishment and fulfillment of Daniel’s time prophecy.[4] All these futuristic notions are man-made ideas that conflict with clear biblical statements. We simply must believe what the Bible tells us and stop creating conflict and confusion by taking prophecy out of context and stretching it like a rubber band centuries out into the future.
Let us recall that when Satan tempted Jesus (Matt. 4:1-11), he quoted Scripture out-of-context. Similarly, most Christian teaching today takes the establishment of the everlasting kingdom out of its divinely determined time context.
Step #2’s paper documented how the kingdom was fully, finally, and completely established during that time-restricted period. We saw that God kept his word—his “perfect” and “flawless” word (Ps. 18:30). The everlasting kingdom’s establishment occurred through a phasing-in and phasing-out process in the first century. When the new form of the kingdom came, it came fully and increased (Isa. 9:7). The old form, the Temple system, was made obsolete, decreased, and was removed.
Hence, Step #1’s paper addressed the time issue and grounded the establishment of the kingdom in human history. Step #2’s paper documented how that establishment fully took place in the first century. The next issue to address is the present-day nature and status of that post-establishment and final form of the kingdom of God on this earth.
Kingdom-Restoration Step #3
The two great works of the Messiah were to be that of salvation and that of the kingdom. Neither can be separated from the other. Yet they are distinctive.
Ironically, Jesus never defined what He meant by the kingdom. If He had, it surely would have alleviated much of our modern-day confusion. Most notably, his presentations of the kingdom departed radically from Jewish expectations of both its nature and how the kingdom would come. Jews in the first century (and many Christians today) were looking for their Messiah to bring a political kingdom, which would overthrow the Roman authorities. But Jesus was not offering that kind of kingdom.
Of course, God’s kingly rule over the affairs of the world has existed from the beginning and is eternal. This kingdom theme is traced from Genesis to Revelation, and is derived from the fact that God is sovereign and has the right to exercise ruling authority. In Old Testament times, God acted in kingly power to create the world, and to deliver and judge his people. As King Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation” (Dan. 4:3; also Ps. 145:13).
However, with the coming into history of the promised Messiah, God’s kingdom began to manifest itself in new and more clearly revealed ways. Since its establishment in the first century, however, ignorance and confusion about it have prevailed. At the root of most misconceptions and misunderstandings is certainly a lack of knowledge of the time and means of its establishment, which we covered in Step #1 and Step #2 papers. This also has resulted from our lack of awareness or concern about what Jesus taught, modeled, trained, warned, conferred, and commanded regarding the nature of his everlasting kingdom.
HE TAUGHT ABOUT ITS NATURE . . .Beginning with the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), Jesus taught his disciples about the nature of the kingdom and what life in it was all about. He didn’t say, “I think” or “we may suppose.” Nor, did He quote other learned men. He spoke with certainty and authority, as One Who knew. And, the people of his day [and ever since] were astonished by his teachings (Matt. 7:29). Through many kingdom parables and discourses, He taught about its personal and public nature, and its many aspects and multi-faceted attributes, by saying, “the kingdom is like . . . .” The operative word here is, is—not was (past tense) or will someday be (future tense)—but is a glorious, present-day and available reality, back there and then.
Matthew states that “He [Jesus] went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom” (Matt. 4:23). Jesus taught that his kingdom was “not of this world” (John 18:36), but it was “in your midst” and yet “does not come with observation” (Luke 17:20-21); and “unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20 KJV). He taught how one could see it and who could enter it (John 3:3-5). He admonished his disciples to seek it first above everything else (Matt. 6:33). He even claimed that his kingdom was the “key to knowledge” (Luke 11:52; also see Matt. 23:13) and could change things for the better, internally and externally, and was to extend into every arena of life.
Toward the end of his earthly ministry, He told the chief priests and elders of the people that the kingdom of God would be taken from them and “given to another people who would produce its fruit” (Matt. 21:43). These and many other statements tell us a great deal about the nature of his kingdom. Significantly, each was a direct affront to the prevailing mindset of Judaism and the expectations of the Old Covenant age. Yet He taught them “as much as they could understand” (Mark 4:33).
The closing sentence from the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6, which was not in the earliest manuscripts but added later by the Church, underscores Jesus’ “is-ness” understanding. “For thine is the kingdom, and (is) the power and (is) the glory, forever, Amen” (Matt. 6:13 KJV). The word “is” is a present active indicative in the original language, and thus emphasizes a continuous present activity, not only for the kingdom, but also applying to the “power” and the “glory.”
HE MODELED THE PURE AND PERFECT FORM . . .
The most compelling aspect of Jesus’ earthly ministry was his coupling of the teaching of the kingdom with demonstrations of its presence and miraculous power.
As Matthew further writes, “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, the epileptics and the paralytics, and he healed them” (Matt. 4:23-24).
Since Jesus’ presentation of the kingdom was so radically different from the expectations of the contemporary Jew, He, undoubtedly, did not want to leave his followers confused or perplexed about its nature. And since neither He nor any biblical writer ever defined the kingdom, Jesus did something better. He modeled the kingdom in its pure and perfect form (with one major exception). It was both drawing and offensive.
Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus, anointed with the Holy Spirit, manifested kingdom authority, power, and character. Not only did He travel about proclaiming the kingdom, saving the lost, doing good, feeding the hungry, and ministering to the poor, He healed the sick, opened blind eyes, cast out devils, and even raised the dead. His first disciples watched in amazement as He demonstrated these signs of the presence and power of the kingdom. In so doing, Jesus modeled that his kingdom is not something one just believes or talks about. It is something one does. And, its ministry focus is to be upon the personal needs and interests of others.
Later, the Apostle Paul went about doing the same things Jesus did and saying, “Follow my example, as I follow the example [i.e. model] of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1), and urging his contemporaries “to imitate me” (1 Cor. 4:16; Phil. 3:17). This oneness of both belief and ministry was in answer to Jesus’ prayer for oneness (John 17:20-23) and an essential element in the expansion of the kingdom, back then and there. Yet in much of the Church today, this is oneness is a lacking.
Jesus also stipulated that “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12 KJV – note the plural “works”). And no disclaimers or exceptions are mentioned. Yet we today think, “we never can be like that.” To which Jesus is saying, “you must.” After all, Jesus’ prayer for oneness was not just for his first followers but also for “those who will believe in me through their message” (John 17:20). That is why it is termed “Jesus’ prayer for all believers.” Of course, we are not to die for the world’s sins or be raised three days later and ascend to the right hand of God—only Jesus could and did do that. But inspired Scripture further states, “whoever claims to live in him [Christ] must walk as Jesus did” (1 John 2:5-6; also see 2:4; Acts 2:22). Walking as Jesus did is an idiomatic expression and means doing what Jesus did. We have a similar expression today when we talk about filling somebody’s shoes. Of course, we do not mean filling shoes with gravel or dirt. We mean taking over doing what he or she used to do.
Back then, with the models Jesus and Paul laid down, there was no reason for the early Church to be confused about or misunderstand the nature of the kingdom Jesus came to bring, teach, and establish. The pertinent question is, Are believers in Jesus today to be proclaiming the same present and available kingdom and doing the same miraculous kingdom works He and Paul were doing—not to mention the “greater works?”[5]
Yes, this is a far cry from how most of us have been conditioned to practice our faith. Yet Scripture states that we have been saved by grace through faith for a purpose—to do “good works” (Eph. 2:5, 8, 10; Heb. 10: 24; Jas. 2:26) and “works appropriate to repentance” (Acts 26:20 NAS; also see 1 Thess. 1:3). What works?
Another other point to seriously contemplate is, if Jesus and Paul are no longer our role models of the Christian life, or if their model is limited to only their moral life, then we really have no model and everything is up for grabs. No matter how we may want to ignore, deny, or side-step it, for Jesus, doing the works He was doing is basic Christianity. The “greater works” are something else. He did not do them. That is why He called them “greater works.”
Let us honestly ask ourselves, if we modern-day followers of Jesus are not doing or even willing to do the works of Jesus, as He modeled and specified, why should we not be considered in the ranks of the unbeliever? Yet how many believers in Jesus do we see “walking” around today doing what Jesus did or even attempting it? So, how Christ-like is Christ-like, anyway? And How conformed to his image are we really supposed to be? Perhaps many of us today are paying mere lip service to our faith and insisting on our own ways of practicing our faith. Apparently, it is not enough to just state that we love Jesus and profess our belief in Him (see 1 John 3:18; John 14:15).
On the other hand, if Jesus and Paul are our role models, then the Christian life is a much higher “high calling” (Phil. 3:14; 2 Thess. 1:11; Heb. 3:1; 2 Pet. 1:10) than most of us have been led to believe. And, it demands a much strong response than we have given.
By his words and actions (see John 14:10), Jesus both demonstrated and defined the nature of the kingdom He was bringing. In so doing, He revealed that the kingdom was not an abstract concept or a mystery limited to human hearts. Nor was it a political empire, a utopian paradise, or a future golden age in a world beyond the realm of human history, as some today suggest. Instead, Jesus presented the kingdom as the dynamic presence of God’s reign and rule. He drew his heart to the Father, attracted others to Himself, and directed his kingdom works against the dominion of Satan, and not against Roman oppression (Israel had failed to identify their real enemy).
The kingdom which had been awaiting fulfillment in Old Testament times now fully resided in Him and his works (Col. 1:19; 2:9-10). He dynamically demonstrated its internal and external, spiritual and physical characteristics by the life He led, by his relationship with the Father, by forgiving sins, by healing the sick, by casting out demons, by taking authority over nature, by performing miracles, by taking care of physical needs, and even by the menial task of washing feet, which Jesus specifically said He did to “set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15). Jesus regarded all these as essential, substantial, and intrinsic elements of his kingdom. If not, why do you think He and the gospel writers spent so much time talking about all this?
Jesus’ earthly manifestation of the kingdom thus affected the whole person. It produced both spiritual transformations and physical healings. It redeemed and restored the totality of human life—spirit, mind, and body, all closely intertwined—from the spiritual and physical dominion of Satan’s kingdom. One of Jesus’ most prominent miracles was the casting out or exorcism of demons which He interpreted as clear proof that “the kingdom of God has come upon you”—i.e., his audience (Matt. 12:28). By this, Jesus demonstrated that God was now driving Satan from control over and making possible the renewal of personal lives. These deliverances freed their recipients to draw near to God and compelled those witnessing these miraculous occurrences to do likewise.
Thus, Jesus unveiled the “mystery” of the kingdom hidden through the ages, not only by teaching but also by modeling the kingdom in its pure and perfect form. The kingly rule of God had found its expression in Jesus, his devotional life, his teaching, and his ministry activity.
Much of the confusion and many of the errors over the nature of his kingdom only ensue when we moderns, for whatever reasons, ignore or disclaim any of the kingdom’s provisions and dynamics which Jesus modeled. In Jesus, the “mystery” of the kingdom had become “an open secret” (Mark 4:11-12). Are you amazed? Offended? The people of Jesus’ day were amazed (Mark 1:21-28). And many were offended. Soon most of the Jewish people would reject the type of a kingdom Jesus was bringing. But Jesus’ teachings and modeling was just a beginning.
HE TRAINED AND SENT THEM OUT . . .
Jesus sent out his first twelve disciples on an “OJT” mission (“On-the-Job-Training) to preach the very same kingdom of God as “at hand” and to perform the same miraculous works He had been doing (Matt. 10:1, 7-8; Luke 9:1-2, 6). By so doing, Jesus expanded his kingdom from his Person, words, and works into and through them. This prophesied increase of the kingdom (see Isa. 9:6-7) further affirmed that the kingdom was not a political rule, per se, but a supernaturally exercised power in opposition to that of Satan. On every occasion Jesus evaded the attempts of his followers to make Him a king or political ruler (John 6:15). Some time later, He further expanded the kingdom by sending out seventy others, two by two, into the towns to which He was about to go. These seventy preached the same kingdom message and did the same kingdom works as He and the Twelve (Luke 10:1-17).
For Jesus, the coming of the kingdom of God meant the progressive expansion and growth of the rule of God through Himself and into the lives of his obedient followers. They took Him seriously as He instructed them in the close inter-relationship between the preaching of the kingdom and the demonstration of its works of power (Matt. 22:29). So, He gave them temporary authority over demons and diseases—enemies of his kingdom—and the empowerment to perform miracles. They responded by emulated Him, to the best of their ability. Thereby, they experienced the “powers of the age to come” (Heb. 6:5) and victories over evil in advance of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Just as importantly, He trained them to care for the physical and emotional needs of the “least of these” as unto Him: the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, those needing clothing, the sick, and those in prison (Matt. 25:34-46).
Finally, prior to his ascension, He promised another expansion and progressive increase of his kingdom. His followers would receive the permanent empowering after the Holy Spirit had come upon them in Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2). From then on, all believers in Him, without distinction, would be empowered to be his witnesses by preaching the same kingdom message and doing the same kingdom works in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8; 2:1-21).
So, what happened? Jesus’ 1st-century followers in obedience to his directives, and with the supernatural enabling of God’s Spirit, transformed the world of their day. The book of Acts is a record of the continuation of Jesus’ teachings, his works, and his kingdom by his followers. It was preserved as part of the Holy Scripture not only as a confirmation of all Jesus began to do and to teach (Acts 1:1), but also as a record of their continued obedience in modeling the pure and perfect form of the kingdom as first modeled by Jesus Himself.
Should we today be taking their model and the works of Jesus seriously as well? After all, doesn’t being part of “God’s people and members of God’s household, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone” (Eph. 2:19-20) mean patterning our lives after them as our models? And is not not doing what God calls us to do something we call “sin?”
HE WARNED AGAINST. . . .
Jesus warned the seventy He sent out not to rejoice that the spirits— enemies of God—submitted to them. But to rejoice that their names were written in Heaven (Luke 10:20).
He warned that those who listened to these seventy, listened to Him. But any one who rejected one of them (because of what they were preaching or doing), rejected Him and the Father, too (Luke 10:16).
He both warned and cursed the Jewish teachers and religious leaders, the Pharisees, that they were hypocrites because they shut the kingdom (which He was bringing) in men’s faces by refusing to enter it themselves and preventing others who were trying to enter it from entering (Matt. 23:13-14f). Consequently, the kingdom would be taken away from them and given to a people who would produce its fruit (Matt. 21:43). What fruit? The fruit He modeled—the works of Jesus.
He warned that “anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child (i.e., with a childlike attitude of complete dependence and submission) will never enter it” (Mark 10:15).
He warned that some love the “praise from men more than praise from God” (John 12:43). And, “the servant [believer] who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows” (Luke 12:48).
Lastly, He warned in the “at hand,” “soon-to-come-to-pass” and “not-to-be sealed-up,” book of Revelation of the consequences for anyone who would add to or subtract from its kingdom-unveiling message (Rev. 22:18-19)—i.e. the revelatory description of his kingdom in victory over all opposing forces.
The sad reality today, however, seems to be that many Christian leaders are, likewise, shutting the kingdom Jesus presented in men’s faces by also refusing to enter it. They find it too offensive to our modern sensibilities, expectations, and rationalism. Therefore, they ignore, deny, or theologically dismiss this natured kingdom as not relevant today. Instead, they selectively pick and choose from Scripture the kind of Christian faith they will teach and practice. Of course, this is not a child-like attitude as they raise “ya-but” objections and produce millions of timid Christians who lack a strong kingdom consciousness.
Is it not surprising that the Apostle Paul would warn those to whom he had been preaching the kingdom to watch out and guard themselves because “savage wolves will come in among you . . . . even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth . . . .” (Acts 20:25-31)?
HE CONFERRED A ‘JUST AS’ KINGDOM . . .
After Jesus had announced, taught, modeled, trained and sent out, and warned about his kingdom, He said to his twelve disciples, at the Last Supper, “I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:29-30).
Notice, Jesus did not confer the Church upon them. The phrase “just as” conveys a vital truth concerning the nature of the kingdom He was conferring. His “just as” kingdom was the one about which He had said, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take to by force” (Matt. 11:12 KJV). Or, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it” (Matt. 11:12 NIV). Whichever translation you prefer, the conclusion is the same. It is the same kingdom Jesus announced, taught, modeled, and trained them to perform its essential elements. No exceptions or exclusions were made. Therefore, they would continue preaching the same message and minister the same works He had been doing. He also gave them “keys of the kingdom” and assured them that “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:19).
Hence, the Church is truest to its calling when it preaches and practices this conferred and same-natured kingdom. It is a matter of simple obedience and being one in continuity with Jesus, Paul, and early Church. They, and we today, advance his kingdom by coupling the preaching and doing God’s will on earth—i.e., word and works.
Not only has this kingdom, over the centuries, suffered great violence at the hands of adversaries, it probably has suffered more at the hands of Christians who have devalued, diluted, diminished, discarded and/or re-defined its modeled nature. As a result, major discontinuity has been introduced between the “just as” kingdom Jesus conferred and whatever version of it we defer to today.
In stark comparison, the kingdom Jesus, Paul, and the early Church presented produced a highly distinctive Christian lifestyle that dramatically contrasted to the lifestyles of non-believers. If we today are unbiased and child-like, we, too, can learn critical insights into the nature of the everlasting kingdom by studying and following their teachings and role modeling lives—and not just the moral parts with which we are the most comfortable.
HE COMMANDED THEM AND US TO SEEK IT . . .
Jesus commanded his disciples (and by extension, his followers of all subsequent generations) to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33). This is not the same as salvation which is to be received by grace through faith to become a follower (Rm. 10:9-10; Eph. 2:8-9). But what kingdom or whose version thereof was Jesus talking about? The answer is the one and only one He introduced, modeled, trained, and conferred upon his disciples.
Jesus further commanded in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) that his disciples (and again by extension, his followers of all subsequent generations) not only make disciples of all nations and baptize them, but also to teach them to obey everything He had commanded them to do. Jesus’ “everything” certainly would include all the miraculous, merciful, and fruit-producing works of the kingdom He had introduced, modeled, and sent them out to perform. A few months later, He would permanently empower them, and all future generations of Christians, to carry out this commission.
Hence, in the battle against the kingdom of Satan, Jesus demonstrated that the kingdom or rule of God came not just to defeat Satan’s works and save souls for a heavenly destination, but to save the whole person from sin and demonic powers, to clear and cleanse hearts, and to draw human lives to God. Jesus was obedient to God’s will and rule in and through his own life. Likewise, He commands his followers of every subsequent generation to do the same in making his name known.
This is the kingdom perspective behind Christ’s Great Commission. Surely, it is a much greater commission than most of us church-going Christians have been led to believe. A critic of Christianity once asked a group of Christians, “What Christ do you believe in? Because as I understand it, you’re behavior is not Christ-like.” Being a believer in Christ means being a follower of Christ and a doer of his word and works, plus doing the “greater works” (John 14:12).
But to follow Him as He commands means we have to get out of our comfort zones and reductionist versions of the faith. The reality is, the ministry needs of people today are the same as in Jesus’ time. And our God is still a “show-and-tell” God. As his ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20), we are to represent Him in the manner He has chosen and commanded.
What Is True Biblical Christianity?The Apostle Paul encouraged the Corinthians, and us today, to “stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58). But what is “the work of the Lord?” Is it not the works Jesus had been doing?
Yet the kingdom Jesus Christ taught, modeled, trained, conferred, and commanded his followers to seek, enter, and expand was so offensive to the religious people of his day, He was killed because of it. So is this same-natured kingdom normative for us today? Is it still true biblical Christianity?
For our society at large, church is mostly a meeting place, a social gathering spot to meet nice people. Or, it is a place to worship and learn about things that happened almost two thousand years ago. And most of us have been conditioned to be content to live with a Christianity without a mighty kingdom. No wonder the world and our culture is largely passing us by.
What a yawning gulf exists between the type of Christianity most Christians and churches today model, preach, and practice from the Christianity we find in the New Testament. Instead, we have settled for a more comfortable Christianity that is principally based on Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection. But where is the kingdom in that and us being “fellow workers for the kingdom of God” (Col. 4:11)?
What has happened? What has changed?
Frankly, today we are witnessing the decline of many institutional churches and the rise of the so-called post-Christian era. Some wonder what can be done? If things are going to change, I suggest we have to restore the preaching, teaching, and practices of the kingdom Jesus established and modeled. Isn’t that our model? Or, do we have no model?
Do You Find It Offensive?
Like Jesus’ first disciples, we, too, are faced with a choice. Will we follow Jesus in the way He modeled and commands, or not?
Remember, Jesus said that “he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also” (John 14:12 KJV). So do you find this emphatic statement and his same-natured kingdom offensive?
Let me illustrate this offensiveness in a very practical way. How would you feel if twelve or seventy unlearned people from out in the county suddenly showed up, uninvited, at your seminary or church . . . And, then they started preaching the kingdom as “at hand,” casting out evil spirits from some of your staff, and curing diseases and sicknesses of some of your students or members?
Or, let us put the shoe on the other foot. How successful do you think you would be in enlisting twelve or seventy people from your seminary or church to go out into local neighborhoods next week and minister the same miraculous works of Jesus to unbelievers?
I suspect that not many modern-day, American Christians would want anything to do with this type of kingdom or Christianity. It goes so against the grain of our sensitivities, intellectualism, and desires for control. Most Christians I know would resist, just as many 1st-century Jews did, and quickly defame and dismiss it.
Darrell L. Guder notes that “The favored way to accomplish this over the centuries has been to diminish the historical particularity of Jesus by reducing him and his message to a set of ideas, an intellectual system, often connected with a codified ethic, and managed thematically within the church’s rites and celebrations.”[6] Thus, making “it more compatible to our world and palatable for ourselves.”
Guder further adds that “the real and sinful purpose of reductionism is to back away from the call of Jesus . . . . to reduce the gospel, to bring it under control, to render it intellectually respectful, or to make it serve another agenda than God’s purposes.”[7]
Fact is, Jesus’ kingdom was and still is offensive, and frightening, too! Yet obedience and a faithful witness to this same-natured kingdom and its King by Jesus’ first followers, along with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, proved world-transforming. Luke records that “In this way [not in some other way] the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power” (Acts 19:20; also see 5:12-14 – emphasis added). Consequently, they were accused by their opponents of “turning the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). Today, it seems the other way around—the world is turning the Church upside down.
So today, we have countless Christians who believe they are going to Heaven and little else really matters. This attitude can only be described as brazen, if not defiant. And leadership allows it. But each and every Christian is called to have the same attitude as Christ (Phil. 2:5). And He is still our model. As Peter declared, Jesus left “an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Pet. 2:21).
Likewise, there is no reason for us today to be confused about or misunderstand the nature of his kingdom. Again, it is a much higher high calling than most of us have been led to believe (Phil. 3:14; 2 Thess. 1:11; Heb. 3:1; 2 Pet. 1:10-11). And we all have become too comfortable and conditioned to a much “lower calling.” But if you and I are sincerely seeking to be Christ-like, shouldn’t we be seeking opportunities to minister to others as Jesus did and advance his kingdom in the process?
The kingdom of God as presented by Jesus Christ demanded and still demands a serious response. It also requires action, action not only in the form of preaching and teaching but also with living demonstrations of its presence and power. The kingdom is our faith in action. It is a demonstration of whose we are, Whom we serve, and the oneness that binds us together with Jesus, Paul, and the early Church. Of course, there is a natural resistance to this in all of us. But this form of the Christian life was modeled for us and for good reason. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians, pinpoints this reason:
Brothers loved by God, we know that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord [their role models]; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith has become known everywhere . . . . (1 Thess. 1:4-8 – emphasis added, also see Titus 2:7).
So, what kind of models are we being today? Have we not been called to serve the same King and kingdom in our lives as did these Thessalonians? Are we not to become “imitators” of them and their ministry practice? Or does this passage only speak to their time? In other words, is the kingdom they preached and presented still present, relevant, and same-natured today? Or, is it not? Remember, and as we saw in papers for Step #1 and #2, there is no other kingdom yet-to-come.
Fact is, Jesus’ kingdom had a very strong effect on the lives and experience of his 1st-century followers. They were bold, energetic, empowered, and unstoppable, and turned “the world upside down” (Acts 17:6 KJV). Now, in our day, we rarely hear preaching or teaching about the kingdom of God. And we modern-day Christians bear little resemblance to those in the early Church. Not surprisingly, we are not being accused of “turning the world upside down.”
Yet in Jesus’ and Paul’s day and time, whatever Satan’s kingdom could wound and destroy, Christ’s kingdom could heal and restore. If we truly desire to draw near to God (Heb. 10:22), doesn’t this include becoming “a kingdom and priests to serve our God,” and “reign[ing] on the earth” as they did (Rev. 5:10; also 1:6)? After all, “How much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17) and share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Rm. 8:17)?
If you are offended by the modern-day presence of Jesus’ same-natured kingdom and his declaration that those of us who believe in Him will be doing the same works He did, then wait until we get to the “greater works,” which we are also suppose to be doing (John 14:12).
In sum, Jesus set the example for all that claim to be his. Our task is to take up the cross and carry on with his work (Matt. 16:24)—“boldly and without hindrance” proclaiming and demonstrating the kingdom of God and the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 28:31).
Nowadays, many believers hop from church to church in search of the “real thing.” But Jesus brought the “real thing” in the first century. He fully and permanently established the two great works the Messiah was expected to deliver—that of salvation and the kingdom (see Jude 3). Neither has been put out of business, postponed, or withdrawn. But without firm anchorage in time and nature, human speculation and undisciplined interpretation can drift off in any direction. And, so it has.
Contrary to much popular thought, Jesus did not come to bring a temporary version of his kingdom to earth. He came once to establish the everlasting and final form of God’s kingdom here on earth, fully and permanently (Dan. 2:44; 7:14, 18, 27). And He came again to take away and remove the old form (Matt. 23:36, 38; 24:22-3, 34; Heb. 8:13; 9:8-10) and give the kingdom “to a people who will produce its fruit” (Matt. 21:43. We are that people! His modeled works are that fruit!
As we have seen in Steps #1 and #2, all this and more was precisely time-predicted by Daniel and time-restricted by Jesus. This is why, when Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, He never spoke of another kingdom or a different-natured version to come in some far distant future. He said, emphatically, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:14-15). On another occasion, when the Pharisees asked Jesus for a timetable when the kingdom of God would come, He directly and factually replied that it was already there in their midst (Luke 17:20-21). He did not say it was only partially there, there in some sense, initiated, or only inaugurated. It was there fully in his Person, words, and works. But it was not in the form they were expecting.
From that time on, however, the establishment process would continue on uninterrupted. There is no scriptural warrant for or indication of a partial fulfillment with completion or consummation coming centuries later. This is why Paul referred to this time period as “the fulness of the time” (Gal. 4:4 KJV) and “the fulness of times” (Eph. 1:10 KJV) in which “to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” (Eph. 1:10 NIV). There is no room for a division of this “fulness of times,” its fulfillment process, or establishment into two time periods separated by a 19-centuries-and-counting gap.
The Old Testament prophet, Daniel, had foretold, in his two time prophecies, of a coming span of time within which the everlasting kingdom would be established. (Dan. 9:24-27; 12:4, 7, 11-13). This would occur “in the times (days) of those kings” (Dan. 2:44)—i.e. in the time of the rise and fall of four world empires or kingdoms, Babylonian, Media/Persia, Macedonian or Greece and Roman. The last one fell in 476 A.D. Those world empires/kingdoms have long ago passed away. Nothing in the Bible indicates any one of them will be restored (see footnote #4). Jesus lived on earth during the days of that last empire, the Roman Empire. Thus, the establishment of the everlasting kingdom on earth happened during that time (see Step #2 paper).
In recalling our definition of the kingdom from my first paper (see Appendix A), the kingdom of God remains the supernatural reality of God that utilizes the agency of human beings. Yet it transcends human ability and activity. And for some reason known only to God, He has chosen human beings as a primary method for exercising his reign, expanding his influence, and advancing his purposes in this world. That is his kingdom. It comes through those who will receive the kingdom and forcefully enter into it by obeying Christ’s commands.
Therefore, let us “spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24) by proclaiming the same gospel of the kingdom and doing the same works of Jesus. Of course, the cost of obedience can be high. But what about the cost of disobedience?
Martin Luther warned us well when he wrote,
“No greater mischief can happen to a Christian people, than to have God’s Word taken from them, or falsified, so that they no longer have it pure and clear. God grant we and our descendants be not witnesses of such a calamity.”[8]
But if Jesus, Paul, and the early Church is our model and we adhere to the force of his command to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33) as our top priority, then what other viable choice do we have, if we claim to be believers in Him (see again John 14:12; 1 John 2:5-6) and desire to hear the words someday, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matt. 25:21, 23; Luke 19:17)?
Billy Graham voiced it plainly in the first sentence of a lead article in the October 2000 issue of his ministry’s Decision magazine, writing, “Extending the Kingdom of God on earth—This is the essential reason for our existence as Jesus Christ’s servants.”[9]
The kingdom of God on this earth is simply God’s will being done. This is what Jesus said He came for, “not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38; 4:34). Jesus was committed to that goal. He was God’s will in action. And He sends us out in the same way to do the same thing—“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21; also see Matt. 7:21; 12:50; 28:18-20; John 14:15). Thus, He says “Follow Me,” This is what Christ-likeness is all about—to do God’s will as Jesus did. This is basic Christianity, is it not? This is putting our faith into action. This is being “counted worthy of the kingdom of God” (2 Thess. 1:5; also see 1 Tim. 1:12).
We need to stop merely saying we love people and start showing it by our actions. By being faithful witnesses in following the example Jesus, Paul, and the early Church modeled, we will present visible proof to the world of God’s kingdom rule, will differentiate ourselves from the world, and will show them clearly what it really means to be a Christian.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Eph. 3:20-21).
Fully present but greatly unaccounted for, under-utilized, and under-realized, Sir! The problem is, we have not taken Jesus at his word.
The good news is, however, and in the words of the old Bob Dylan song (1964), “for the times they are a-changin.’” The restoration and realization of the fully established and everlasting kingdom of God has the potential to dramatically change the face of Christianity, in the way it is preached, practiced, and perceived, and to turn the world upside down, again.
As we increasingly restore the kingdom-of-God worldview to the Church and the world (along with the gospel of salvation – see Acts 28:31), may our song and walk of faith increasingly become:
For your
glory
For your
kingdom
For your
name
O Lord
here I am[10]
The Greater Works
Again, if you thought the works of Jesus are offensive for our day and time, wait until you discover what the “greater works” are—that we are also supposed to be doing. They have been the subject of much speculation and disagreement. And, quite frankly, most of us would rather skip the works of Jesus and go directly to what we think are the “greater works.” But, as someone once said, this would be like building a second story on a vacant lot.
What these “greater works” really are, however, has not been left up to our imaginations or whims. They are fully and clearly revealed in God’s Word. As Jesus said, “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known (Matt. 10:26; also Luke 8:17; 12:2). As hard as it might be to fathom, these works are greater than Jesus did. That is why He called them “greater works.” Discussion of this topic, however, must await another time and occasion.
7 Steps
for ‘Restoring
the
Kingdom-of-God Worldview
to the
Church and the World’
Step #1 – Discovering the time for the establishment of the everlasting,
eschatological kingdom and grounding it within human history.Step #2 – Documenting, scripturally and historically, how the kingdom came and was established
“in the days of those kings.”Step #3 – Delineating the present-day nature and status of the kingdom.
Step #4 – Differentiating the kingdom clearly from salvation, the Church, and Israel.
Step #5 – Determining our duties, responsibilities, and rewards in kingdom service.
Step #6 – Detailing how then we should live, reign in, and pass along the kingdom to future generations.
Step #7 – Devising a strategy for awakening the Church, taking back lost territory, and turning the world upside down again (Acts 17:6 KJV)— with the rallying cry of “For Christ & Kingdom”— similar to the rallying cry of the American Revolutionary War, “No king but King Jesus.”
In my opinion, the realization of this 7-step restoration process has the potential to change the face of Christianity for the better—i.e., the way it is preached, practiced, and perceived—and to make an immensely positive difference in the Church, American culture, and our world.
Appendix A
A Working Definition
To help us begin resolving this definitional issue, here is my working definition to explicitly establish what is meant by the phrase kingdom of God.[11] It is not a political administration, a geographic territory, or an abstract notion. However, it is a rule, it does have a realm, and it is a pragmatic and dynamic reality. Simply defined, the kingdom of God is:
The sphere of God’s will, reign and rule.
It is located throughout heaven and the cosmos, and wherever on earth the manifestation of his sovereignty, holiness, power, and kingly authority is acknowledged and obeyed. That means it is realized both internally and externally, within and among, to draw human hearts to Him, to bless and discipline his people, and to defeat His enemies. It is to be entered, exercised, and advanced by every Christian who follows Jesus, and experienced in every aspect of society. However, it is not universally recognized, is contested, opposed, and persecuted, and is greatly under-realized.
[1] H.G. Wells, A Short History of the World, Chapter XXXVII on Great Books Online, www.bartleby.com. October 27, 2005.
[2] See Appendix A. Step #1’s paper was presented at the 49th Annual Meeting of the Midwest Region of the Evangelical Theological Society on the campus of Lincoln Christian College and Seminary, Lincoln, Illinois, March 19-20, 2004. To read, go to www.prophecyrefi.org and click on “Restoring the Kingdom-of-God Worldview to the Church and the World.” Step #2’s paper was presented at ETS’s 56th Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, November 17-19, 2004.
[3] The terms “kingdom of God,” “kingdom of heaven” and “my kingdom” are used interchangeably in the New Testament.
[4]John F. Walvoord, Major Bible Prophecies (Grand Rapids, MI.: Zondervan, 1991), 162-164.
[5]Time and space limitations prevent a discussion of cessationist arguments for the discontinuance of miraculous gifts from passages like 1 Corinthians 13, which can be understood in a completely harmonious manner with the continuity of the nature of Christ’s kingdom being presented herein.
[6]Darrell L. Guder, The Continuing Conversion of the Church (Grand Rapids, MI.: Eerdmans, 2000), 101.
[7]Ibid., 102.
[8]Martin Luther, trans. by William Hazilitt, Table Talk (Philadelphia: Lutheran Board of Publication, 1868), chapter one, section 12.
[9]Billy Graham, “Extending the Kingdom of God,” Decision (October 2000):1.
[10]Music and lyrics by Jacob Park, Medic Music, 2001.
[11]Most scholars recognize no difference between the “kingdom of heaven” (used in Matthew) and the “kingdom of God” (used in the other gospels). They are synonymous and used interchangeably. This can be verified by comparing the following verses: Matt. 11:12; Luke 16:16; Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:14, 15; Matt. 5:3; Luke 6:20; Matt. 10:7; Luke 9:2; Matt. 13:31; Mark 4:30, 31; 10:14; Matt. 19:23; Luke 18:24.
Prophecy Reformation Institute
John Noē
5236 E 72nd St.
Indianapolis, IN 46250
Phone: (317) 842-3411
Fax: (317) 842-7882