Chapter 10 — The Kingdom of God Flashcards
According to our study, the terms kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven
Are essentially synonymous.
According to their concept of kingdom, the Jews in Christ’s day expected
The Messiah to deliver His people from foreign rule and restore Israel to political greatness.
The Jews rejected Christ’s teaching on the Kingdom because
Christ was assuming equality with God in ruling the Kingdom.
By saying followers of Christ live between the times, we mean that
What Christ has already initiated in believers will not be fully realized until His second coming.
Regarding the present and future aspects of the Kingdom, it is true that the present aspect
Is invisible and internal, while the future aspect will be visible and physical.
About the future aspect of the Kingdom, Christ taught that
He will come in power and glory and separate the wicked from the righteous.
The moral aspect of God’s kingdom involves
the inner nature of a person.
Which statement distinguishes the rules of God’s kingdom from the Jewish concept of the Kingdom?
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)
In His teachings about the Kingdom of God, Christ gave importance to
Internal purity.
Membership in the Kingdom requires a person to make Christ his or her Lord, follow His teachings, and
Undergo an inner transformation of character.
What priority does the kingdom of God have in Jesus’ teachings?
It is the central theme of Jesus’ teaching.
Why does Matthew use kingdom of heaven rather than kingdom of God as used by Mark and Luke?
Most likely Matthew uses kingdom of heaven because he is writing for a Jewish audience. Out of respect for God, Jews used words like heaven as a substitute for His name.
How did Christ define the Kingdom in His teaching?
It is a spiritual rather than a physical realm. God rules over it and shares authority with Christ. Born again people are the subjects, and Christ’s teachings are the rules under which they live.
What concepts does our study identify with a kingdom?
A realm — that is an area with physical, visible limits — or a ruler and the subjects over which he rules; a set of rules that governs the affairs of the kingdom or a sense of security or personal well-being that one is safe from outside intrusion.
Read John 3:3-5, and Matthew 5:3-10,17. Describe the subjects of God’s kingdom.
They are people who have been born again — experienced the new birth. They are governed by the teachings of Christ who came to fulfill the Law.
Why did the Jews reject Christ and His teachings on the Kingdom?
The realm was no longer the nation of Israel, and Christ was assuming equality with God in ruling the Kingdom. The subjects were not necessarily Jews and the Law was no longer the only infallible guide for living.
Why is the current reign of Christ not like an empire?
The kingdom of God as it currently exists does not clam ay geographical or political area over which it reigns. God’s kingdom exerts its rule over human lives as those people willingly and joyfully surrender to the loving and wise authority of Jesus.
Briefly explain how a kingdom can be “already but not yet”.
The Kingdom is already present in Christ’s person and work, but it has not yet been consummated in all of its fullness.
Discuss briefly the present aspect of the Kingdom and cite scriptural support for it.
The Kingdom was present in the person and works of Jesus. Jesus said it was near (Matthew 4:17), had come upon His hearers (Luke 11:20), was within people (Luke 17:20-21), was advancing (Matthew 11:11-13), and people were entering into it (Matthew 21:31). These verses indicate clearly the present aspect of the Kingdom.
Read Matthew 22:1-2; 24:30; 25:31-33, and indicate what these verses imply about the future kingdom of God.
They imply that the future aspect of God’s kingdom has a literal, physical, manifestation. Christ, angels, and the people of all nations will be there. The wedding feast also suggests this.
Compare Christ’s initiation of the present aspect of the Kingdom with the initiation of the future aspect.
Christ initiated the present aspect with HIs redemptive death and resurrection, and He will initiate the future aspect with His coming power and glory.
According to our study, scriptural support for the future aspect of the Kingdom occurs primarily in which of Jesus’ discourses?
Olivet Discourse
Contrast the rules governing God’s kingdom with those of a worldly kingdom.
The rules that govern God’s kingdom concern attitudes and behavior that are acceptable to God; they are chiefly internal. By contrast, the rules of a worldly kingdom are mainly external.
In your opinion, what view of the Kingdom has the most scriptural support?
Your answer. As presented in this chapter, we take the view that the Kingdom is “already but not yet.” That is, the kingdom of God has come (present) but is still to come (future).
