Rediscovering the Kingdom of God
Within my own tradition, the Kingdom of God has long been the central foundation for faith and practice. Yet the theology of the kingdom is slowly losing it's influence in today's church. Let's talk.
Recently I was writing the forward for my friend Robby McAlpine’s forthcoming updated version of a book on the Kingdom of God. I’ll tell you more about it when it releases and I have an actual link. But as I was thinking about the topic, I was somewhat convicted about how little I have spent teaching on the topic over the past year. After all, Jesus spent more time talking about the kingdom of God than any other subject. In fact, Jesus told the crowds that the reason why he was sent was to proclaim the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43). And here I am, two thousand years later, often preaching messages and writing about theological topics that don’t adequately provide connection to Jesus’ central message.
On one hand, I have long observed within “kingdom movements” that if everything is the kingdom, nothing is the kingdom. Yet on the other hand, it’s difficult to not see traces of kingdom theology connected to all things theological.
Returning to the Kingdom.
Re-discovering the kingdom seems to be a pretty common historical event for theological thinkers. Those who have followed the “quest for the historical Jesus” are likely familiar with the focus on Jesus’ words and teachings, especially concerning the kingdom of God. Those who have been particularly influenced by the scholarship of George Eldon Ladd have come to see that kingdom theology is crucial to understanding the ministry of Jesus. And for those of us in “kingdom movements,” the foundation for our charismatic practices.
So for the coming year, I want to be more intentional to both educate and demonstrate within our local church the theology and practice of the kingdom, to spend more time teaching on both the nature of the kingdom and to “show and tell” the kingdom’s work. It isn’t that we don’t see kingdom things happening all of the time; rather, I’m not sure people have understood how the kingdom is central to all of these times we’ve “done the stuff” as John Wimber so famously said.
How about you? If you are a pastor, might you need to also be more intentional? And if you aren’t a pastor, might you need to return to the theology of the kingdom?
What is the Kingdom?
As Ladd wrote in A Theology of the New Testament, “the Kingdom is in some real sense both present and future.” This is where we get the “now and not yet” aspect of the kingdom and has been the foundation behind what theologians describe as “inaugurated eschatology.” Though the kingdom was central to Jesus’ message, sometimes he described it as a present reality, like when he connected his work of casting out demons to the kingdom arriving (Matt. 12:28). At other times, Jesus spoke of the future kingdom coming during the end of the age (Matt. 24-25). These, and other kingdom connected issues, have shaped the theological landscape to embrace this “now and not yet” approach to a kingdom that has come, is coming and will come in the future.
As George Ladd famously stated:
“The [kingdom of God] is the abstract or dynamic idea of reign, rule, or dominion…”
So the Kingdom is dymanic and is rooted in the present and forthcoming reign of God. Or as I like to tell people, any time that we see God’s activity in our world, it’s the kingdom of God coming near to us (generally by the power of the Holy Spirit).
Kingdom Impact.
This means that the theology of the Kingdom of God impacts our ecclesiology, sacramental theology, charismatic theology, and soteriology. And not only does it influence our thinking, it impacts our actions. As Ladd wisely states:
“The unique element in Jesus’ teaching is that in his person the Kingdom of God has invaded human history, and people are not only placed under the ethical demand of the reign of God, but by virtue of this very experience of God’s reign are also enabled to realize a new measure of righteousness.” (A Theology of the New Testament, 126)
Jesus’ kingdom means you should live in a certain way and engage with people a certain way. Why? Because you live under the dynamic rule and reign of God.
What do you think? What would you add? I’d love to read your thoughts!
About the Author
Luke Geraty is a pastor-theologian in northern California. With a few theology degrees and nearly twenty years of pastoral leadership, Luke loves the Bible, theology, fly fishing, coffee, and books. All opinions are his own and not the views of any other organizations he’s affiliated with. You can follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe to his YouTube.
Yes, yes, yes. More of this! Let His kingdom come.
While pastoring Vineyard churches (we planted two, one in Central and another in Southern California, 1983 and 1996) I experienced a cyclical waxing and waning of energy and focus to preach/teach on the Kingdom of God like you describe. I don't think it was for a lack of awareness of the awesomeness of God's authority and power or a disconnect between the reality of His kingdom and the implications this truth should have in our values, ethics, and behavior (those those are real issues, too). It had more to do with a disconnect between these biblical truths and experiences and the identity and everyday lives of the people in our congregations.
As I've been rethinking the issues of the gospel, the kingdom, the power of God and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, I'm coming to the conclusion that, at least in my former preaching and teaching role, I missed a fundamental element in the biblical data regarding God's kingdom. Seeing this element now makes it impossible for me now to not maintain a keen focus and interest in the kingdom of God. It answers the question “Why” is this relevant? Without a clear and compelling answer to this question, it is easy to loose interest no matter how our tradition or respect for John Wimber might pressure us to keep up the momentum.
I would suggest that a fuller (no pun intended) perspective on the kingdom is discipleship to Jesus. The Father, in the son and by the Holy Spirit has done everything necessary to restore us to our originally created relationship with himself and role in his creation. Across the whole story of the bible and all the data points about the king and his kingdom, the focus is ultimately on restoring humans to their relationship and role as those who are God's image, and who have responsibility to manage God’s purposes on earth as in heaven. The kingdom breaking into our present but it’s not aimless or arbitrary. The in-breakings of the kingdom in the bible are not just demonstrations of God's power to show who is the real boss. They are always directed at God’s plan to restore humanity to their intended role with him in the administration of his kingdom.
Consequently, the only time it is easy to keep focus on Kingdom teaching is when there is lots of power happening. If we are in the middle of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit it is easy to say, the kingdom of God is here, see what God is doing. We say, this is what the kingdom is all about; it is the in-breaking of the future rule of God with power into our present experience in this dark and dominated world.
But when you are back home in the mundane day to day of normal church life where the power may not be very present at all, it gets pretty old after a while to keep preaching about a kingdom that breaks in when it isn’t any more. However, when we see the kingdom message of the gospel as all that God has done in Jesus and is continuing to do through Jesus’ spirit, I find it compelling to keep preaching and teaching on the topic because Jesus’ disciples need to know who they are and what their role is in God’s kingdom purposes.