One of the main topics I have written about since 2005 is the kingdom of God amongst the kingdoms of men. Over the past 20 years, I’ve discovered that in religious circles in America, whether it’s—Orthodox, Non-Denominationals, Charismatics, Mainliners, Fundys, or Evangelicals—most of these people have little to no idea about this topic. If church people have a thought about the kingdom of God, it’s inclined to various theological ideas—not what the whole of Scripture would inform. If I were to inquire about why a church person thinks one way or another—it will soon be exposed that they do not have any practical understanding regarding the kingdom of God. Most can’t dialogue about it outside of generalities. When I’ve inquired of 40+ well-known leaders—many of whom you can hear daily on Christian radio—few have answers. If you consult the statements of faith on their websites, only one in my research mentions anything about this central subject within the New Testament. You can see it here on his site—hit the drop-down on “Kingdom: God Reigns.”
What is unknown to the theologically dependent of church is that there are six specific views on this topic in teaching today. All these views lay like a buffet of spaghetti for all to satisfy themselves with. Before we congratulate ourselves, it should be noted that all these views share a common thread. It is not God, nor is it His kingdom, or even the Bible. All these views have been interpreted away from the totality of what the Scriptures have to say on the subject. Second to this, each and every view reinterprets the subject from a perspective of belonging to and fitting safely within the kingdoms of men. The stark and simple truth is that all these views lobotomize the essence of Jesus and Paul’s teaching on the kingdom of God. But who would know it? Amidst all the references in popular teaching—however vanilla they might be—everyone is duped by the mere mention of the phrase “the kingdom of God.” The equivalence to this foolishness would be like thinking that because George Harrison mentions the word “Lord” 40+ times in a song—that he must be referring to Jehovah, because he also uses the word hallelujah.
We’ve got to become discerning people. We must move past sloganism and catchphrases. ‘Apples to Apples’ is not being referenced in all the teachings about the Kingdom of God. Various things are being equated to what Jesus and Paul meant. We have more of a problem than Apollo 13’s Jack Swigert radioing mission control in April 1970, “Okay, Houston… We have a problem.” The difference is, Apollo 13 was supposedly trying to get back to Earth safely. You and I, however, are discussing—IF—we are in the same gospel as Jesus, or not.
How Big Is This Subject?
The kingdom of God is not just a theological concept, but rather a central theme of the Bible. The Old Testament is about the kingdom of God in the form of Israel. When they failed, God already had the new embodiment in the wings and one gave way to the other. The kingdom of God amongst the kingdoms of men is the underlying message of the entire Bible. This is a profound truth that would shape our understanding of salvation. Salvation is not just about going to be with Jesus someday after we kick the bucket. It’s about being an alternative to the madness of the world—until we go to be with Jesus.
Given the size of the message, it is almost criminal that most statements of faith overlook this subject entirely. It’s like a new-car dealer offering automobiles without engines. I can’t tell you the number of well-known ministries offering the limp excuses, “I am sorry that we do not address these exact questions.” Another responded, “I only handle donation questions at this email address.” Still another referred me to “gotquestions.org.” I couldn’t believe it. If I called a car parts store—about a 350 Chevy motor—I wouldn’t get this much run around.
Organizing the Material:
I’m providing a brief overview of each chapter. Then, each full-blown section will be available at my other site: academia.edu. I try to keep it uncomplicated on Substack. These sections are for a “bigger” book that handles the subject in bite-sized scholarly pieces.
Chapter 1 – The Unknown Kingdom of God
—If you pose the following questions, “What is the kingdom of God? When does it exist, and, How does it affect my life?” you’ll get the wildest diversity of answers—or even non-answers—from well-known figures. That’s hard to believe. However, it’s true. I’ve spent 12 years researching this subject, and I have the receipts. I posed these exact questions to more than 40 ministries, seminaries, and famous Christian individuals. In this section, I share a quote from George Eldon Ladd that reminds us of the need to press into God’s purposes on this subject.
If you prefer a PDF, private message me your email address and I will send you the sections.
Chapter 2 – Adjusting Our View of Identity
—I discovered that identity and belonging—who we think we are—is a pre-eminent consideration that could cloud any fundamental understanding of the kingdom of God. To grow deeper in our relationship with God we must address and adjust our identity and sense of belonging. It is surprising the number of words in the New Testament that depict believers in terms of “not belonging.” While commentators haven’t missed the first detail. They’ve overlooked the connection between “not belonging” and the believer being substantive in faith living, which is supported by more than 180 texts in the New Testament. That’s a whale of a shortcoming, don’t you think?
Chapter 3 – Literary Devices Supporting the Kingdom of God
— Who would think literary devices would be a means to deliver a message? But these have survived the manipulations of both translators and theologians. The literary devices of differentiation and disassociation occur more than 100 times in the New Testament. These involve differentiations from the world and its system, encompassing the physical and temporal, as well as the eternal. Secondly, disassociation from the same to be what God intended as an alternative. One cannot be two things at the same time. It was always God’s will for us to be set apart unto the accomplishment of His purposes.
Chapter 4 – A Kingdom of Bond Servants
—Because of issues within the world, and how they’ve been handled with no alternative—an entire list of words, used to depict what it means to follow Jesus has been annihilated. Yet, servile terminology, as regarding the believer being this way, is replete throughout the New Testament. More than 130 such references exist. Yet, theologians and commentators are silent. A couple of researchers discovered this understanding and wrote two scholarly volumes,1,2 which helped to open my eyes. We can’t begin to serve Jesus until we become bond-servants. Anything else would be to torture the Biblical meaning of the word serve.
Chapter 5 – Parables and the Kingdom of God
—Of all the segments I’ve posted online over the years concerning the kingdom of God, this one generates more organic traffic than any other. The kingdom of God in Christ’s mouth appears more in 40+ parables and the Sermon on the Mount than through any other passages. The parables are not easy to understand, which is likely why so many ministries emailed me back with allusions that the Kingdom of God is “such a deep subject.” Yet, these are explained in the handling of the parables—specifically in terms of how the kingdom of God is realized.
Chapter 6 – Setting Sail and Weighing Anchor
—This section marks a turning point. The stage has been reset. Now, it’s time to get out of dry dock and into application. Church people are buried up to their chins in concepts, religious trivia, and stuff they think they know. Yet, Jesus wants us to be functional—journeymen that can apply understanding to a practical end. So, we are turning the corner in this segment and facing admonishment. If we do not blow the bridges spanning to the past— those of religious institutionalism and its ideology, which distracts most true believers—we will be continually bound to their same trajectory and failure. What we’ve learned to this point is not to set upon.
Chapter 7 – Building Blocks of the Kingdom
—When we build a tall, weighty structure, it must rest upon a foundation and the limits of that existence. Building blocks help us to understand the basic nature and necessity of the building we are to be unto God. Without these understandings in place, almost everything else about the kingdom of God in practical terms won’t make sense, and there will be no practical application.
Chapter 8 – Basic Culture of the Kingdom
—Fundamental to an actual kingdom is culture. If one doesn’t have dominant cultural values, they cannot be identified and they are no different than anything else around them. These are our distinctives. A Sioux Indian had many distinctions that set them apart from a Cherokee or Hopi. These differences were, in part, due to dominant cultural values. Christians, by-and-large, cannot be identified from atheists or pagans in the same culture. This is because Christians are merely a sub-culture of the unregenerate culture. God calls us to be set apart by dominant cultural values that have an impact, not meaningless religious trivia we talk about.
Chapter 9 – The Economic Differentiation of the Kingdom
—When you talk to a dyed-in-the-wool Communist, economics is a whole involvement in their scheme because—it does things. So, too, IF you’re going to follow Jesus, His kingdom impinges upon your economics. In fact, His economics must become yours. Western Christians think that they can “believe,” but it doesn’t touch their lives. The gospel of the kingdom of God, which is what Jesus taught, reengineers one’s life; it is not one of those “other gospels,” which are no kind of good news.
Chapter 10 – The Sermon on the Mount
—On the heels of the last section, The Sermon on the Mount, has lots to say about how we think, how we spend our time and money, and how these will change IF we are to follow Jesus. Most Christians in America are far more American than demonstrative of following Jesus. Christ wasn’t being hyperbolic or metaphoric in this area, as theologians would like to suggest. Everything in life takes on a new perspective when we follow Jesus. This fact is a harsh lesson for those who think knowing Jesus is just about being in the right place, where we get to go be with Jesus someday. Parables indicate that God has expectations that we would produce something with what He’s given us. The Sermon on the Mount addresses how it’s going to happen.
Chapter 11 – Cautions
—Cautions in specific areas are necessary. Over-balance or counterfeit involvements can sideline God’s purposes. This section points out various replacement therapies in religious circles and warns of definite realities we will face as we press into following Jesus. Western Christianity is invested in many false teachings, or it allows for a jungle of crazy caveats that disable truth, distract, and reduce people to inaction and uselessness. Many people want to be substantive, active, and intentional. various ideas in Christian institutionalism have the same effect as barbiturates. God would have us be cautious and discerning about good-sounding baloney.
Chapter 12 – The Mode of Kingdom Living
—Mode relates to “how” we do something. A differentiated existence will require a different practice and perspective. It will be intentional, as much so as a runner training for the Olympics. Following Jesus has always required something of those who follow—belief without action is meaningless. In this section, I share several examples that illustrate the importance of intentionality in a godly life. The kingdom of God is an intentional reality—perhaps this is why so few teachers touch upon it. They are afraid of the backlash. Christians are famous for talk, but woefully short on a living reality that makes a difference or that would impinge upon their freedom.
Chapter 13 – Contrasting The Kingdom of God and Christianity
—Two real stories, those of Gracia and Martin Burnham —and— Bruce Olson, could not be more similar but tragically opposite. This section compares their stories and shows the difference between a kingdom understanding of life and the prevailing “Christian” mindset. The two stories are harrowing. However, when compared, it reveals the bankruptcy of Christian thinking when the kingdom of God understanding directly contrasts it. Entitlement, expectation, and self-pity are overshadowed by surrenderedness, fruit of the Spirit and abandonment to God’s sovereignty, which sometimes ends badly in human terms. This comparison will shock you.
Chapter 14 – Closing Thoughts About the Kingdom of God
— This section is purely a culminative review. This book covers a lot of real estate. It’s meant to shock and awe, if not by the written sections, then also by the appendices that will be included in the print edition: databases of scriptural content, copies of letters from ministries, and mind maps to help acclimate the reader to the content. There will also be a companion book to this one, which will address the kingdom of God in simpler terms. The two books will point at each other, so that whatever type of reader can enter the subject from whichever direction they want to.
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Conclusion:
This subject is sure to captivate and engage your heart. I believe there is a growing sense of desperation for meaning, significance, and substance in religious circles. I see this angst in conversation, responses to certain types of posts, and the leapfrogging in “church” from one format and praxis to others. It’s not “transfer growth” as much as a search and a lack of meaningfulness in past options. I hope you will share your thoughts and insights on this post and its subsections with others. You and I can be an instrument in God’s hands. We can proverbially nail a new “95 Theses” to the door of Churchianity by becoming differentiated from it through our actions.