The Gospel And The Kingdom of God
How does the message of the rule of God on earth, the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth fit in with the overall message of the bible? How prominent should the kingdom of God and its establishment on earth be in the message God has given the church to proclaim?
Is the church’s primary message: Christ’s offering of His life to free people from the penalty of the law? Or, is the primary message: proclamation of the coming Kingdom of God that can only be entered into through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ?
Both messages are present in the scriptures. How do they relate? Is there a gospel about Christ and then another gospel about the kingdom? Should a message about the kingdom of God point a person towards Christ and what He accomplished by His death? Or, should a message about Christ crucified then point a person towards the kingdom of God?
Gospel Means “Good Message”
When I say the message I am using it in place of the word “gospel”. Gospel is the old english word used to translate the Greek noun evangelion. Evangelion is the content of what is preached. It originally referred to a messenger who brought news of victory in battle or escape from danger. By natural transference it came to mean the content of the message he brought… not just news but good news. The church writers then took this word and used it to describe the message proclaimed by Jesus Christ and the church. Note: its also where we get words like: evangelical, evangelism etc.
In scripture other words are added to evangelion to more fully describe the content of the message. Paul occasionally uses phrases like; the gospel of peace, the gospel of salvation, gospel of grace. You will also find the phrase gospel of God … a reference to where it originated from Romans 1:1.
Paul uses the phrase “gospel of Christ” a bit more frequently, about 8 or 9 times. More often Paul simply says “the gospel” assuming the hearer knows what the overall content of the message.
Is the Gospel About Christ?
By that I mean: is the content of the church’s message to focus people on Christ crucified for your sins and Christ resurrected so you might live? Or is the church’s commission to carry forward the same message that Jesus Himself spoke [the gospel of Christ]?
1 Corinthians 2:1-2 here is a scripture which is easily used as a rationale for simplifying the message to one that directs everyone to the cross of Christ [Spurgeon quote]
1 Corinthians 15:1-16 verse 1-8 could be used to prove that the message given to the church to proclaim is first and foremost about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is much truth in this assessment but it also falls short of presenting the complete message. Paul goes on in verses 19-26 to complete the gospel message by taking us all the way to the goal line… a place and a purpose for resurrected believers the Kingdom of God… established on earth when Christ returns!
I do not want to speak of the death and resurrection as if they are no big deal. What I want to say is that the death and resurrection are important because of the essential place and purpose they hold in the larger message of the kingdom of God.
If all roads lead to Christ… Christ leads to the Kingdom of God.
A Personal Example
When I was young and foolish the sacrifice of Christ meant nothing to me. I did not care if anyone or anything forgave me for stuff I had done. If they didn’t like it that was their problem. What got to me was the message of the kingdom of God. That was something I could wrap my mind around. That was something I could want to be a part of. But, when I admitted to myself that I wanted in something was in the way… something ugly… me.
To have any part in that Kingdom of God, I needed to be cleaned up, and I needed that forgiveness. I could only get it through Jesus Christ.
I believe this is what Jesus meant when He said “I am the way”.
John 10:1-10 the reason the sheep want to go through the gate is because there is a pasture of delicious grass on the other side.
Paul Proclaimed the Kingdom of God
Ephesians 3:4-6 A mystery is something formerly not known but now revealed by God through the teaching of the church. The new understanding Paul spent a great deal of his time teaching is that the inheritance [ i.e. kingdom] does not come through Israel and covenant law. Entry to the promise of the kingdom was available to all people through faith in Jesus Christ. The inheritance is a role and position in the rule of God on earth at Christ’s return. Christ is the gateway to the kingdom of God.
When Luke [who travelled extensively with Paul] wanted to summarize the content of Paul’s teaching he said Paul taught about the Kingdom of God and Jesus Christ. Luke does not sum up Paul’s teaching as being all about Christ crucified.
Acts 14:22 summary of his teaching at the beginning of his travels in Galatia
Acts 19:8 summary of his teaching midway through his ministry
Acts 28:23,31 to the very end [in case you want to propose that Paul’s content evolved]
Paul proclaimed the kingdom of God because Jesus told him to. Paul was adamant that the content of his teaching was not something he learned at the feet of the apostles. Its was what he received directly from the resurrected and living Christ.
Jesus Commissioned His followers to Teach the Kingdom of God
Luke 9:1-2, 10: 1,9
Acts 8:12 from the beginning the church’s message focused on the kingdom and the role of Jesus in making it possible.
Jesus Proclaimed the Kingdom of God
Mark 1:14-15
Matthew 4:17… why repent? Because the Kingdom of God is going to come! [verse 23]
The phrase kingdom of God is mentioned 53 times in the documentation we have of Jesus’ teaching recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It’s the content of the message Jesus taught. Consider how many of His parables say the Kingdom of God is like...
His most famous teaching on ethics [the sermon on the mount] is filled with teaching about the Kingdom.
Matthew 5:3-5,10 introduced with comments on the kingdom [established on earth]
Matthew 5:19-20 The importance of keeping the commandments is framed by their place in the kingdom of God. Begin now to obey and follow and teach others the laws of the kingdom.
Matthew 6:10 set your hope on the kingdom when God’s will rules the earth
Matthew 7:21 begin now to do the will of God… as it will be in the Kingdom.
Teaching About the Kingdom of God Did Not Begin With Jesus
Matthew 3:2 John the baptist who went ahead of Jesus taught about the kingdom.
Psalm 145:10-13 David wrote songs about the kingdom
Daniel 7:27 prophecies point toward the kingdom [Isaiah 40:9, 52:7-10, 61:1]
Galatians 3:8 Abraham heard the same message and looked forward to a city whose builder and architect is God. A better country or nation he and all those who lived by faith could look forward to and call their own [Hebrews 11:9-10, 14].
Hebrews 4:2 the message God has for humanity is consistent. Israel had the good message delivered to them but didn’t grasp what it truly meant. They thought the nation of Israel was the kingdom of God. And that the messiah’s appearance would be to reestablish the Israel as the kingdom of God. As mentioned earlier, Paul spend a great deal of his time teaching this was not so… that entry to the kingdom of God was not through Israel, or becoming a Jew… it was through Jesus Christ.
Jesus, the Messiah, came and revealed understanding of the Kingdom not previously understood [mysteries]. Yet, every thing He taught was built upon the foundation planned and set forth from the beginning. The messiah did not come to establish the kingdom at that time. He came to lay some essential ground work for the Kingdom that would be established at the appointed time [the end].
He gave His life as a sacrifice for sin… so that, you might have a place and a purpose in that promised kingdom of God… He is coming again at the appointed time to bring the rule and power and authority of God to earth as it is in heaven.
The message of the kingdom is the message God has always had for humanity, it is the message of the scriptures, it is the message the messiah taught and added to, it is the message He gave Paul to proclaim. It is the message of the church of God.
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