Answer

Abstract

The term the Kingdom of God as used in both Holy Scriptures and Christian teachings is found to have several perspectives on its meaning. There are those biblical scholars who are of the view that The Kingdom of God refers to the Sovereign rule of God in the universe and that the Kingdom is universal.  On the other hand, other biblical scholars are of the view that the concept ‘Kingdom of God’ refers to a spiritual realm that entails both repentance and new birth since God rules on the hearts of his followers. Never the less, another perspective has it that, the Kingdom of God refers to the future apocalyptic order in which only the righteous will enter during the second coming of Christ. This essay aims to assess the meaning of the Kingdom of God and to show ways to which it relates to the church.

The concept Kingdom of God

The terms kingdom of God is frequently found in both Holy Scripture and places of Christian worship. In other instances as Frazier, (1999) observes, the Bible calls it the ‘Kingdom of heaven,’ the ‘Kingdom of Christ’ or just ‘Kingdom.’  Unfortunately, there is a widespread disagreement among commentators regarding the actual meaning of the concept. For instance, some scholars are of the view that the term Kingdom of God presents a particular realm and the power of the Spirit at work in the heart of humans. Other scholars view the idea of the concept as a new future full of a new spiritual order. None the less, others view the concept as an ideal social order, a realm ruled by a monarch, the government of God himself where all social problems such as poverty, inequalities as well as social injustices are non-existent. This essay explores the meaning of the concept ‘Kingdom of God’ and shows ways in which the Kingdom relates to the church. What is more, other alternatives perspectives regarding the concept are equally explored.

When assessing the linguistic meaning of the term Kingdom, it implies to a reign, authority or the rule of a king. According to Glasson, (2015), the Kingdom of God can, therefore, be defined as the government of God. The scholar makes this assertion by citing the book of Mathew 6:33 that states, “seek ye first the Kingdom of God.”  According to the scholar, this implies that the Kingdom of God is allowing self to be governed by the Holy Spirit. Similarly, West-Hill (2013) indicates, that the Kingdom of God refers to the eternal rule of sovereign God in all the universe. In confirming his assertions, the scholar quotes Psalms 103: 19 that states, “The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his Kingdom rules over all. Similarly, Romans 13:1 states that God has established “every authority that exists.” Other evidence given by the scholars as a further confirmation of God’s rule as a way of kinship are found right from creation. According to West-Hill (2013), the royal administration of God manifested in the way he assigned dominion to man in the Garden of Eden as depicted in the book of Genesis 1:28.  Similarly, the scholar observes that the Lords, Kingship, and leadership also manifested throughout the historical periods when people viewed God as the sovereign ruling king who accompanied them in all their travels and provided both protection and shelter as evidenced by his ruling over Israel on their way out of Egypt during the Exodus. Throughout the period, God made a series of divine interventions coupled with acts that revealed his might such as delivering the Israelites from bondage by the use of miracles and plagues, parting the Red Sea so the Israelites could pass and protecting the Israelites while in the wilderness. Throughout these experiences, God’s sovereignty and rule manifested even further when the Israelites were brought into the Promised Land (Exodus 15; 19:5-6). The kingdom of God as God’s governance also manifests in other chapters of the Old Testament, especially in the Prophetic books. For example, Daniel describes God’s rule as an eternal kingdom and a dominion that endures forever (Daniel 4:3).

In the New Testament, however, the Kingdom of God takes other meanings as portrayed in both the teaching and the ministry of Jesus. For instance, in most of Jesus’ ministry, he often proclaimed “The Kingdom of God is near” (Mark 1:15). In other instances, Jesus instructed his disciples to preach to the world on the nearness of Kingdom. This implies that, the Kingdom of God refers to not only a present realm where God governs but also a future apocalyptic order in which only the righteous will enter.  This is evidenced by some Prophetic chapters in the Old Testament. For example, Daniel indicated that “God of heaven will put up a kingdom that will last forever and that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44). Similarly, the book of Mathew also depicts the Kingdom of God as a future reality by giving signs and wonders that might be used by the believers to know when the Kingdom is near.

 Another perspective brought about by other Biblical scholars regarding the idea of the Kingdom of God is that it is already here with us. Proponents of this viewpoint include West-Hill (2013), in his book titled, ‘An examination of reaching, teaching, feeding and loving people for the Kingdom of God.’ Where he observes that, the kingdom is a spiritual rule over all lives and all hearts of persons who willfully submit to God’s authority. Individuals who defy God’s authority on the other hand and refuse to submit to God’s authority will not be partakers of the Kingdom. In this regard, the Kingdom of God is spiritual and that for anybody to be part of the Kingdom repentance is necessary (Mathew 4:17). These sentiments are equally echoed in the John when he equates the Kingdom of God with the sphere of salvation. He quotes Jesus saying, the Kingdom of God can only be entered upon being born again (John 3:5-7). Similarly, Tolstoy & Garnett (2006) gives their assertion regarding this perspective by referring to the situation when the Pharisees asked Jesus to inform them on the exact time that the Kingdom would com. In his response, Jesus told them that “The Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). 

The Relationship between the Kingdom and the Church

According to the book of Ephesians 1: 22, the Church is defined as the body of which Christ who is the head. Similarly Frazier (1999) defines church as a spiritual fellowship that includes those that believe or will believe in Christ as the savior. According to the scholar, the church through spiritual guidance ought to remain steadfast in spiritual growth until salvation work of Christ is complete. In assessing the relationship between the Kingdom of God and the Church, it is evidenced that the Church is indeed part of the kingdom of God which is the rule of the Supreme God over all the universe and creation at large. This is because; it is the Lord’s spiritual rule over the hearts and lives of the members of the Church that enables them to willingly submit to God’s authority. According to Frazier (1999), the Kingdom of God is presently at work through the church where believers receive the Gospel of the Kingdom so as to voluntarily choose the Lordship and guidance of Jesus Christ and become the partakers of the Kingdom. Persons who fail to take the message of the Church and refuse to obey God’s authority will not take part of the kingdom of God (Mark 1:15). In other words, while the church may be viewed as the gathering together of people of God, it is also, the dwelling place of God and a means through which the kingdom of God reigns.

Application

When considering the various perspectives and doctrines regarding the idea of the Kingdom of God, it is established that the Kingdom is already amongst us and therefore it is the duty of every Christian to embrace the teachings of the Bible so as to be partakers of it.  The gospel of the Kingdom of God is also glorious news to the Christians. This is because, it enables them to have peace of mind regarding the Kingdom of God which is to come, a perfect state of affairs where social injustices, societal evils, and suffering will be un heard of.  Similarly, the message regarding the Kingdom of God should be used as a measure of godliness and perfection. This is evidenced in the book of Mathew when on describing his purpose on Earth, Christ stated that he must preach the Kingdom of God to both the city of Jerusalem and other cities since this is the sole purpose for which he came to earth ( Mathew 24:14). This implies that the mission of Christ on earth was to ensure that every person in every part of the world not only receive the message regarding the Kingdom but also turn from their sinful ways and be considered as the partakers of the Kingdom.  It is, therefore, a central mission of the church as parts of the God’s Kingdom to promote the ministry of the Kingdom allow broken and fallen humanity from all walks of life to enter into the Kingdom of God.  validity with respect to the sample size that was used. With the small sample size that Sewdas et al.’s (2017) study employed, there are very little room for generalizing the study’s findings.