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Topic 8Kingdom of God

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'If your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out' (radical repentance) ... sight to the blind, to let the oppressed ... Third Quest: emphasizes future aspect. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Topic 8Kingdom of God

1
Topic 8 Kingdom of God

Terminology
The central motif in Jesus teaching.
Frequency 61x in Synoptics (Mk., Q, M, L).
Infrequent in rest of NT and in Judaism
(dissimilarity).
Synoptic summaries (Mk. 114-15 Mt. 423 935
Lk. 443 81).
Prominent theme in parables (The kingdom of God
is like).
Kingdom of heaven kingdom of God.
Kingdom of heaven used only in Matt. (32 out of
37x).
Usually changes k. of God in Mk. or Q to k. of
heaven.
Reflects Jewish tendency to avoid direct
reference to God.
Kingdom not spatial but dynamic.
Malkut (Hebrew) basileia (Greek).
Not so much a place but an activity (the kings
reign).
Kingdom of God primarily Gods kingly
rule/reign.
Does not exclude physical image gospels speak
of entering the kingdom Gods new world.

Kingdom of God in Judaism
OT King by virtue of Creation and Covenant.
Rightfully King of Creation, though nations have
turned away.
King of Israel to extent Israel submits to Torah
(puts on the yoke of the kingdom of God
submission to Torah).
Judaism k. of God becomes primarily an
eschatological hope.
Gods final reign when he intervenes to destroy
evil and set things right.
Present age Gods reign opposed by Satan and his
agents.
Age to come Gods reign fully manifested.
The Kaddish (synagogue prayer) May he establish
his kingdom during your life, and during your
days, and during the life of all the house of
Israel. (Cf. Lords Prayer)
The Eighteen Benedictions (synagogue liturgy)
Bring back our judges as at first, and our
rulers as at aforetimes, and be thou King over
us, O Lord, thou alone.
Jesus announced arrival of long-awaited kingdom.
Eschatological or not?
Present or future?

C. Kingdom of God as Future/Eschatological
Synoptic summaries ( 9 Mk. 115 par.)
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God
has come near repent, and believe in the good
news (Mk. 115).
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near
(Mt. 417).
Nearness of future kingdom lends urgency to
repentance.
Lords Prayer ( 30 Mt. 610 Lk. 112)
Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as
in heaven.
Like Kaddish, prays for eschatological
sovereignty of God.
Sayings associating Kingdom with final judgment.
131 Mk. 943-48 par. Entrance requires
radical repentance.
If your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out
(radical repentance).
It is betterto enter the kingdom of God with
one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into
hell (judgment determines fate kingdom of God
or hell).
42 Mt. 721-23 par. Entrance requires radical
obedience.
Not everyoneshall enter the kingdom of heaven
but the one who does the will of my Father
On that day (judgment day)I will declare to
them, I never knew you depart from me, you
evildoers.
Many parables have theme of final judgment (Weeds
and Wheat Fishnet Marriage Feast Sheep and
Goats).

C. Kingdom as Future/Eschatological cont.
Sayings associating Kingdom with eschatological
feast of salvation (Messianic Banquet)
165 Mt. 811-12 par. many will come from
east and west and sit at table with Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven
236 Mk. 1425 par. I will not drink again
of the fruit of the vine until that day when I
drink it new in the kingdom of God.
Sayings about a coming Son of Man to pronounce
judgment and establish Kingdom
123 Mk. 838-91 par. Those who are ashamed
of meof them the Son of Man will also be ashamed
when he comes in gloryThere are some standing
here who will not taste death before they see
that the kingdom of God has come with power.
219 Mk. 1326-27 par. Then they will see the
Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and
glory. Then he will send out the angels and
gather his elect

C. Kingdom as Future/Eschatological cont.
Conclusion
Jesus announces the eschatological Kingdom of God
coming in near future.
It is urgent to repent, live right, and be
prepared to enter.
Burden of proof is on those who claim Jesus
taught a non-eschatological Kingdom (Borg,
Crossan, etc.).

D. Kingdom of God as Already Present
149 Lk. 1120 par. Mt. 1228 Explanation of
exorcisms
If it is by Gods finger that I cast out demons,
then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
In Jesus healings Gods sovereignty is being
restored.
176 Mt. 1112-13 par. Lk. 1616 Words about
John
(Since John) the kingdom of heaven has suffered
violence, and men of violence take it by force
(Lk. everyone enters it violently).
John marks shift of the ages time of
fulfillment has come already people are entering
Kingdom.
183 Lk. 1720-21 The kingdom of God is in
your midst.
Liberal theologians (mis)translated entos as
within you, i.e., a non-eschatological,
spiritual rule of God in hearts of men.
Not within but among Kingdom is present in
Jesus activity, if only you have eyes of faith
to see it.
Not coming with observable signs rejects
apocalyptic speculation (cosmic signs, etc.)
discerned by faith.

D. Kingdom of God as Already Present cont.
64 Mt. 112-6 par. Reply to Johns question
Go tell John what you see and hear the blind
receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers
are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
and the poor have good news brought to them (cf.
Isa. 2918-19 355-7 611-2).
Jeremias Jesus eschatological cry of joy
fulfillment of prophetic hope for age of
salvation is dawning.
10 Lk. 416-21 Inaugural sermon in Nazareth
Reads Isa. 611-2 The Spirit of the Lord is
upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good
news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
release to the captives and recovery of sight to
the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to
proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
Declares Today this scripture has been
fulfilled in your hearing.
Messianic age has arrived.
Couched in Jubilee imagery release of
debt-slaves and return of forfeited land in the
50th year (Lev. 25).
Esp. relevant to Palestinian conditions of
poverty, debt, and absentee landlordism.

D. Kingdom of God as Already Present cont.
142 Lk. 1023-24 par. Blessing of disciples
Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For
I tell you that many prophets and kings desired
to see what you see
What the prophets longed for, the disciples have
in their experience.
Many parables depict something decisively new
present in Jesus ministry.
54 Mk. 221-23 par. Parables of New Cloth and
New Wine
Cant patch old garment with new cloth or put new
wine in old wineskins.
Something new has come which does not fit old
patterns or expectations.
Elsewhere imagery of harvest, feasting, and
light.
Conclusion
Many sayings imply that Kingdom of God is already
dawning in Jesus ministry.
Kingdom of God can already be experienced through
proper response to Jesus.

Main lines of interpretation
The non-eschatological school Liberal lives
Jesus used language of eschatology (husk), but
heart of his teaching was an inward moral ethic
(kernel).
Kingdom is inward reign of God in hearts of
people.
An ethical ideal toward which we strive through
human effort, work of Church, and advance of
Christian (European) culture.
School of thoroughgoing (consistent)
eschatology A. Schweitzer
Eschatology is not the husk but the kernel.
Jesus taught an imminent, apocalyptic kingdom
urgent to repent.
Ethical demands are conditions for entering, an
emergency interim ethic applicable to brief
period before K. comes.
Present texts explained as meaning that K. is
so near that its effects are felt aforetime, or
that Jesus prophetically sees it in advance.
By 1930, most scholars agreed on some form of
eschatological view.

Main lines of interpretation cont.
The school of realized eschatology C. H. Dodd
Kingdom has arrived in Jesus ministry
eschatology has been realized (i.e.,
experienced) eschaton has come.
Jesus looked for no future critical events the
eschatological crisis is present in his ministry
(healing, preaching, passion, resur.).
The eschaton has moved from the future to the
present, from the sphere of expectation into that
of realized experienceIn the ministry of Jesus
Himself the divine power is released in effective
conflict with evil(Kingdom of God) represents
the ministry of Jesus as realized eschatology,
that is to say, as the impact upon this world of
the powers of the world to come in a series of
events, unprecedented and unrepeatable, now in
actual process (Dodd, Parables of the Kingdom,
pp. 34-35).
Future texts are explained away final
judgment is graphic depiction of judgment taking
place now.
Dodd has been influential in calling attention to
the present motif in Jesus teaching on K. but
not in his total rejection of the future
element.

Main lines of interpretation cont.
The school of inaugurated eschatology
Jeremias, et al.
Jesus taught Kingdom is both present and future
became mainstream consensus for most of 20th
cent.
Kingdom has already arrived, but not yet in its
fullness power of evil is broken but not yet
eliminated.
Jeremias eschatology in the process of
realization.
Cullmann D-Day (decisive battle) has come
V-Day (final victory) still lies in future.
Bultmann future Kingdom impinges on present by
compelling a decision (the future determines the
present).
Recent trends
Jesus Seminar non-eschatological interpretation.
Attributes apocalyptic texts to later tradition.
Divides Q into earlier (wisdom) and later
(apocalyptic) layers.
Third Quest emphasizes future aspect.
Sanders Jesus expected an imminent K of G
established by intervention of God elimination
of evil building of a new Temple restoration of
Israel, ruled by Jesus and disciples.
Did not expect the end of the time-space universe.

Characteristics of the Kingdom
Present hiddenness of the Kingdom.
It takes eyes of faith to see K of G in Jesus
activity (whoever has ears to hear, let them
hear).
Kingdom is not yet complete.
It comes in unexpected ways (not in military
might or cosmic events but in servant ministry).
Parables of contrast (see Topic 7).
Mustard Seed ( 97 Mk. 430-32 par.).
Leaven ( 98 Mt. 1333 par.).
Sower ( 90 Mk. 41-9 par.).
Kingdom comes not by human effort but
miraculously, by power of God.
Parable of Seed Growing Secretly ( 95 Mk.
426-29).
Emphasizes not natural process of growth but
miraculous contrast between dead seed and new
life/harvest.
May answer demands for Jesus to act more
decisively zap sinners or rally a revolt No,
we will plant seed and wait for God.
This does not rule out human involvement seeds
must be planted and watered, but God gives the
growth (1 Cor. 36).

Characteristics of the Kingdom cont.
Kingdom demands a response.
Repent turn around from sin towards God.
Embrace ethic which embodies the values of the
Kingdom.
Kingdom offers salvation or judgment, depending
on response.
Repent or perish ( 162 Lk. 131-5).
Assumption that disaster/suffering is evidence of
extraordinary sinfulness is false.
All are sinful and must repent to avoid
destruction (cf. OT prophets preaching doom of
nation unless it repents).
Parable of Barren Fig Tree ( 162 Lk. 136-9).
Owner orders tree cut down gardener begs for
one-year reprieve.
Jesus ministry involves a one-time blanket
pardon for those who will embrace it before it is
too late.
Kingdom is not political but has political
implications.
Not plotting to revolt and take over government.
Kingdom does involve restructuring social order
according to Gods values.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth
Kingdom of God contradicts/condemns kingdom of
Caesar/ Herod.