THE KINGDOM AND THE CHURCH
The Kingdom and the Church
The Term “Church’ is not synonymous with the terms “Kingdom of God” or “ Kingdom of Heaven.” These two terms cannot be used interchangeably in the New Testament. The Kingdom of God is greater than the church. The church is a mystery of God and is involved the eternal purpose of God in the earth. The apostle Paul was given an understanding and a revelation of what God was moving toward in the church in bringing forth His’ will in the earth through the church. The Kingdom is clearly another domain, as we shall study in details later.
We must clear our thinking and understanding about the Kingdom and the Church! The kingdom and the church are at the very center of God ultimate purpose and plan in the earth. In others words, we must consider that the eternal ages attest that GOD ETERNAL PURPOSE IN THE EARTH is preparations of His church and kingdom to be ONE. Many of us at this point will have to re-think and re-evaluate our views about dispensational truths and the questions of debate between the relationships of the Church to the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God
Jesus declared, preached and taught the “ GOSPEL of the KINGDOM.” Matthews 4:23; “ And Jesus went about all Galilee, “teaching in their synagogues, preaching the ‘gospel of the kingdom”…The Kingdom of God is “THE REIGN and RULE OF GOD.” The word ‘kingdom’ in it truest meaning is “ a royal reign.” God is a king and therefore he must have a realm or domain to rule. The kingdom of God is the domain of God’s rule and when we pray for His kingdom to come; we are praying for His reign and rule to be in the earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9,10).
The Kingdom of God according to scripture is the same as the Kingdom of Heaven. The word ‘kingdom’ appears over 150 times in the New Testament alone. In every case the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are the same and sometimes used interchangeably. Jesus speaking in Matthew 19:23,24 says;
“Then said Jesus unto the disciples, Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
Here our Master makes no differences between the ‘kingdom of God’ and the kingdom of heaven.’ He uses the terms interchangeably. Others references may be found in comparison in the gospel books, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Matthew 5:3 says,…”Theirs is the Kingdom of heaven” as Luke 6:20 says, “Yours is the Kingdom of God.” Matthew 13:31 “The Kingdom of heaven is like a grain” while Luke 13; 8,9 says, “kingdom of God ….is like a grain.” Matthew of times wrote the kingdom of heaven in These terms perhaps to the Jews …as indication of His view of the kingdom ‘at hand ‘ perhaps as John the Baptist had preached, an earthly, physical kingdom was at hand. Jesus introduces the present Kingdom of God. This message largely was to the Jews at that time regarding their expectation of the coming kingdom.
The Term “Church’ is not synonymous with the terms “Kingdom of God” or “ Kingdom of Heaven.” These two terms cannot be used interchangeably in the New Testament. The Kingdom of God is greater than the church. The church is a mystery of God and is involved the eternal purpose of God in the earth. The apostle Paul was given an understanding and a revelation of what God was moving toward in the church in bringing forth His’ will in the earth through the church. The Kingdom is clearly another domain, as we shall study in details later.
We must clear our thinking and understanding about the Kingdom and the Church! The kingdom and the church are at the very center of God ultimate purpose and plan in the earth. In others words, we must consider that the eternal ages attest that GOD ETERNAL PURPOSE IN THE EARTH is preparations of His church and kingdom to be ONE. Many of us at this point will have to re-think and re-evaluate our views about dispensational truths and the questions of debate between the relationships of the Church to the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God
Jesus declared, preached and taught the “ GOSPEL of the KINGDOM.” Matthews 4:23; “ And Jesus went about all Galilee, “teaching in their synagogues, preaching the ‘gospel of the kingdom”…The Kingdom of God is “THE REIGN and RULE OF GOD.” The word ‘kingdom’ in it truest meaning is “ a royal reign.” God is a king and therefore he must have a realm or domain to rule. The kingdom of God is the domain of God’s rule and when we pray for His kingdom to come; we are praying for His reign and rule to be in the earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9,10).
The Kingdom of God according to scripture is the same as the Kingdom of Heaven. The word ‘kingdom’ appears over 150 times in the New Testament alone. In every case the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are the same and sometimes used interchangeably. Jesus speaking in Matthew 19:23,24 says;
“Then said Jesus unto the disciples, Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
Here our Master makes no differences between the ‘kingdom of God’ and the kingdom of heaven.’ He uses the terms interchangeably. Others references may be found in comparison in the gospel books, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Matthew 5:3 says,…”Theirs is the Kingdom of heaven” as Luke 6:20 says, “Yours is the Kingdom of God.” Matthew 13:31 “The Kingdom of heaven is like a grain” while Luke 13; 8,9 says, “kingdom of God ….is like a grain.” Matthew of times wrote the kingdom of heaven in These terms perhaps to the Jews …as indication of His view of the kingdom ‘at hand ‘ perhaps as John the Baptist had preached, an earthly, physical kingdom was at hand. Jesus introduces the present Kingdom of God. This message largely was to the Jews at that time regarding their expectation of the coming kingdom.
- Attachments:
© 2024 Created by Raliegh Jones Jr..
Powered by
