The Gospel and the Future Kingdom

 “It may be said that during Jesus’ ministry the Kingdom of God is spoken of always as a future event. It is expected, prayed for and hoped for. But it is never said explicitly to have arrived, not even at the Last Supper. What is present is the agent of God, Jesus. But because the agent of the Kingdom is present and active through his teaching and mighty works, the Kingdom of God may also be said to be potentially present…Its arrival in its own right is depicted as a future event” (Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels [A Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship], IVP, 1992, “Kingdom of God,” p. 425). 

Since the Good News/Gospel offered by Jesus for our belief has to do with the Kingdom of God, it follows that the term Kingdom of God must be defined. Without a definition, how can one “repent and believe the Gospel of the Kingdom” (Mark 1:14, 15)? You cannot believe in a Gospel about a Kingdom which remains a vague concept. 

A widespread confusion exists in the churchgoing community about what Jesus meant by the Kingdom. The quotation above from the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels is immensely helpful as establishing the fact attested by Matthew, Mark and Luke that Jesus thought of the Kingdom as the great event of the future. He urges his disciples to keep praying “Thy Kingdom come!” This does not mean “Thy Kingdom spread”! You do not pray for the Kingdom to come, if it has already come. Note, too, that Joseph of Arimathea, who was a Christian disciple, was still waiting for the Kingdom of God after the death of Jesus (Mark 15:43). The Kingdom of God is the great hope for the future to be realized only by the return of Jesus to reign on earth. 

... The vast majority of the Kingdom texts in Jesus’ teaching unmistakably point to the future intervention of God at the future coming of Jesus. The Kingdom of God is the objective of the Christian faith. Loss of this simple fact is responsible for a great deal of confusion amongst Bible readers. 

Here are two key verses: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his throne of glory…In the regeneration, [when the world is reborn] when the Son of man sits on the throne of his glory, you too will sit on twelve thrones to administer the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt. 25:31; 19:28). 

These sayings combine to give us a clear vision of the second coming of Jesus and his subsequent session on his throne, ruling in company with the apostles. Jesus foresaw a reconstitution of the tribes of Israel. This “concrete” expectation of divine government coming to the earth — the Kingdom of God/Heaven — is fundamental to any understanding of the Bible. Replacing the constant Kingdom language of Jesus with “heaven” (which Jesus never offered as the Christian goal) confuses the New Testament and suppresses the words of Jesus.

The above post was taken from here.

TEN Bible Lessons - Lesson 10

Jesus is Exactly Like His Brothers

The Bible says that Jesus is like us in every way, and actually had to be in order to make atonement for our sins.  But if Jesus has two natures or two minds ... as orthodox Trinitarianism demands, then Jesus is not like us in every way.  Furthermore, God doesn't have brothers ... but Jesus clearly does.

Hebrews 2:17

"Therefore, he had to be made like his brethren in all things, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people."

Romans 8:29

"For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brethren"

Jesus Was Given a Name Higher Than the One He Had

The Bible says Jesus was given a name above every name because of his obedience to God.

Philippians 2:8-11

… He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  For this reason God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him a name which is above every name, That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Hebrews 1:4

So he has become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

Romans 14:9

For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

Acts 2:36

Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: GOD has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!

The above post is based on an article taken from here.

TEN Bible Lessons - Lesson 9

Jesus is the Second Adam

The New Testament refers to Jesus as the Second Adam, or the Last Adam, and even says that Adam was a prototype of the Messiah.  The Biblical Unitarian position easily explains this comparison: Jesus was ontologically exactly like Adam, who was the first human son of God (Luke 3:38).  Adam was the son of God who failed, Jesus is the one who was victorious.  God's solution to the problem of sin and death was another Adam, God's legal option according to Romans 5:12-19.  The Christian story is essentially the tale of two Adams, one who disobeys and loses the Kingdom, the other who obeys and reclaims it.

Luke 3:38

"…who was the son of Seth, who was the son of Adam, who was the son of God."

Romans 5:14

"Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.  But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many.  And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin.  For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification.  If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.  Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.  For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous."

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 (NRSV)

"For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being.  For as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ."

Jesus Belongs to the Creation of God

Jesus is supposedly an uncreated God with no beginning.  But the Bible says that Jesus is a member of Creation; he is called the chief of all God's created things.

Colossians 1:15

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation."

Revelation 3:14

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning (Greek arche: leader/chief) of the creation of God, says this..."

The above post is based on an article taken from here.

TEN Bible Lessons - Lesson 8

Everything Had to be Made Subject to Christ

The New Testament says that before he was exalted, he was beneath the angels.  But after God raised Jesus from the dead, God subjected all things to Jesus, and now the only thing not subjected to Christ is God himself.

Ephesians 1:22

And He (God) put all things in subjection under His (Jesus) feet, and gave Him (Jesus) as head over all things to the church, which is His body.

1 Corinthians 15:27

For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.

Psalm 110:1

Yahweh says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

Hebrews 2:9

but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Acts 2:36

Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: GOD has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!

Jesus Hands the Kingdom over to God

If Jesus is God himself coming to rule the world in the Kingdom, why would he hand the Kingdom over to God in a final act of submission so that "God" could rule over everything including Jesus?

1 Corinthians 15:24-28

"then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.  For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.  The last enemy that will be abolished is death.  For “He has put all things in subjection under His feet”.  But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.  When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all."

The above post is based on an article taken from here.

TEN Bible Lessons - Lesson 7

Jesus Does Not Have Inherent Power or Authority

Jesus consistently claims to have no power, no authority, and no initiative of his own.  Both he and the Apostles teach that Jesus was "God", not Jesus, who was the originator of his works.

John 8:28

“I do nothing of my own initiative.”

John 5:30

“By myself I can do nothing…”

John 5:27

“and He (God) gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.”

Matthew 28:18

“all authority has been given to me…”

John 14:10

…the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Acts 2:22

"Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know..."

Acts 17:31

"For he (God) has set a day when he (God) will judge the world with justice through the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead."

The above post is based on an article taken from here.