"" <pekulike@yahoo.com.au>

Was "Re: The Kingdom of God"

The Bible is a record of two kingdoms in constant conflict; a)the
kingdom of God, b)kingdom of Satan. Jesus made the kingdom of God
central in His preachings and from these teachings we learn that God's
devine kingdom is divided into two different categories---the spiritual
and the literal.
Citizens of the spiritual kingdom of Heaven have God ruling and
reigning in thier hearts. Before conversion, the throne in our hearts
is occupied by Satan, sin and self. But after we accept the forgiveness
and power of Jesus, that bondage is broken. This is why Paul says, "Let
not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in
the lusts thereof ... For sin shall not have dominion over you." Romans
6:12, 14. "But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt
the kingdom of God is come upon you." Luke 11:20.

As soon as a person accepts Christ, he instantly becomes a citizen of
God's spiritual kingdom. This is why both Jesus and John the Baptist
began thier ministries by urging people to repent, "for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand." Matthew 3:2; 4:17.
"At hand" means available or accessible now. This is why Jesus said,
"The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they
say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within
you." Luke 17:20, 21. As soon as a person is baptized, he leaves
Satan's kingdom of Darkness and joins God's kingdom of light.

Every true follower of Christ IS an ambassador TO this world from God's
spiritual kingdom. Ambassadors from other countries often speak a
different language, wear different clothes, eat different food, use
different currency, and have different customs. In the same way, as
Christian ambassadors we should be very careful to rightly represent
our Lord's kingdom by the way we eat, talk, dress, and spend our time
and money.

Someday God's people will inherit the literal, physical kingdom of God.
It is this kingdom we are longing for when we pray the Lord's prayer,
"Thy kingdom come." Matthew 6:10.
God's literal kingdom will be fully and finally established after the
post-millennium judgement and battle described in Revelation 20.

Hello,

It is good that you are a believer and want to serve the God of the
Bible. I just wanted to increase your accuracy a bit. Remember, God
searches for people who worship with the "truth". (see Joh 4:23.24) It
is your reference to Lu 17:21 I wish to comment on. The KJV reads:

"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the
kingdom of God is within you."

Were you aware that in the KJV translation of Lu 17:21, the statement
that the kingdom of God is "within" a person, is different in some
other popular translations? Even the KJV marginal reading admits a
possible translation of, "The kingdom of God is among you". Some other
popular Bibles agree and thus read:

"nor will they say, 'Lo, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the
kingdom of God is in the midst of you." (RSV)

"nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold,
the kingdom of God is in your midst." (NASB)

"and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.' For
behold, the kingdom of God is among you." (NAB)

There is a big difference between something being within you, and
something being in your midst. So which is the correct rendering?

Take a look at the context itself. Notice who Jesus was talking to in
Luke 17:21. Vs 20 says it was the Pharisees. They were about the last
persons on earth that Jesus would say they had some special good
quality of God in them. Rather, Jesus called them hypocrites, blind
guides, serpents, offspring of vipers, and said that they actually
prevented the KINGDOM of the Heavens from reaching men. (Mt
23:13,16,33) Not a very fine testimony, was it.

Thus, God's kingdom is not some mystical good thing within each person
(esp wicked people like the Pharisees were), but is a real GOVERNMENT
that will soon remove all of man's governments and usher in better
days. (see Dan 2:44) Jesus is the king of that government, and when he
was present as a man in the first century, the kingly representative
of the government, God's kingdom, was 'in their midst'. And that is
the point Jesus was making to them at Luke 17:21.


Sincerely, James


***********************************
Want a FREE home Bible study?
Have Jehovah's Witnesses questions?
Go to the authorized source:
http://www.watchtower.org
***********************************

"" <pekulike@yahoo.com.au>

Was "Re: The Kingdom of God"

The Bible is a record of two kingdoms in constant conflict; a)the
kingdom of God, b)kingdom of Satan. Jesus made the kingdom of God
central in His preachings and from these teachings we learn that God's
devine kingdom is divided into two different categories---the spiritual
and the literal.
Citizens of the spiritual kingdom of Heaven have God ruling and
reigning in thier hearts. Before conversion, the throne in our hearts
is occupied by Satan, sin and self. But after we accept the forgiveness
and power of Jesus, that bondage is broken. This is why Paul says, "Let
not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in
the lusts thereof ... For sin shall not have dominion over you." Romans
6:12, 14. "But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt
the kingdom of God is come upon you." Luke 11:20.

As soon as a person accepts Christ, he instantly becomes a citizen of
God's spiritual kingdom. This is why both Jesus and John the Baptist
began thier ministries by urging people to repent, "for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand." Matthew 3:2; 4:17.
"At hand" means available or accessible now. This is why Jesus said,
"The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they
say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within
you." Luke 17:20, 21. As soon as a person is baptized, he leaves
Satan's kingdom of Darkness and joins God's kingdom of light.

Every true follower of Christ IS an ambassador TO this world from God's
spiritual kingdom. Ambassadors from other countries often speak a
different language, wear different clothes, eat different food, use
different currency, and have different customs. In the same way, as
Christian ambassadors we should be very careful to rightly represent
our Lord's kingdom by the way we eat, talk, dress, and spend our time
and money.

Someday God's people will inherit the literal, physical kingdom of God.
It is this kingdom we are longing for when we pray the Lord's prayer,
"Thy kingdom come." Matthew 6:10.
God's literal kingdom will be fully and finally established after the
post-millennium judgement and battle described in Revelation 20.

Hello,

It is good that you are a believer and want to serve the God of the
Bible. I just wanted to increase your accuracy a bit. Remember, God
searches for people who worship with the "truth". (see Joh 4:23.24) It
is your reference to Lu 17:21 I wish to comment on. The KJV reads:

"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the
kingdom of God is within you."

Were you aware that in the KJV translation of Lu 17:21, the statement
that the kingdom of God is "within" a person, is different in some
other popular translations? Even the KJV marginal reading admits a
possible translation of, "The kingdom of God is among you". Some other
popular Bibles agree and thus read:

"nor will they say, 'Lo, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the
kingdom of God is in the midst of you." (RSV)

"nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold,
the kingdom of God is in your midst." (NASB)

"and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.' For
behold, the kingdom of God is among you." (NAB)

There is a big difference between something being within you, and
something being in your midst. So which is the correct rendering?

Take a look at the context itself. Notice who Jesus was talking to in
Luke 17:21. Vs 20 says it was the Pharisees. They were about the last
persons on earth that Jesus would say they had some special good
quality of God in them. Rather, Jesus called them hypocrites, blind
guides, serpents, offspring of vipers, and said that they actually
prevented the KINGDOM of the Heavens from reaching men. (Mt
23:13,16,33) Not a very fine testimony, was it.

Thus, God's kingdom is not some mystical good thing within each person
(esp wicked people like the Pharisees were), but is a real GOVERNMENT
that will soon remove all of man's governments and usher in better
days. (see Dan 2:44) Jesus is the king of that government, and when he
was present as a man in the first century, the kingly representative
of the government, God's kingdom, was 'in their midst'. And that is
the point Jesus was making to them at Luke 17:21.


Sincerely, James


***********************************
Want a FREE home Bible study?
Have Jehovah's Witnesses questions?
Go to the authorized source:
http://www.watchtower.org
***********************************