Kingdom of God

Question 1

Background to Luke’s Gospel according to Christian tradition

Answer 1

• gospel means ‘good news’
• Luke wrote the acts of the apostles
• Luke was a doctor and historian
• he was not a disciple, he was a gentile who became a christian and shared the good news
• the gospel gives an idea of preaching activities of Jesus and how He also supported the faith

Question 2

Context of Luke

Answer 2

His personality is clearly seen in his style
• Roman rule of Palestine but allowed Jews to be ruled by local kings
• Romans took over fully after Herod’s death
• Romans were polytheists, didn’t follow kosher food laws, and Jews resented their taxes
• Christians persecuted by Jews
• resurrection stories were passed around to give early believers hope
• eye witnesses were important as they would explain to others what they had seen

Question 3

Luke’s sources

Answer 3

• Mark
• Quelle
• Special material to Luke (L): such as parable of Good Samaritan, sinful woman, lost son.
• Significance: the closer a source is to the event, the more accurate it is
• sources believed in salvation history- a theme of Luke
• Jews believed God intervened in history to save them whilst Luke believed God had a plan for all. God sending Jesus to earth.

Question 4

Luke’s purpose

Answer 4

• defending Christianity- he was arguing the ‘truth’ to believers and non-believers. Got believers to believe in teachings and that this belief would sustain them through their persecution
• Luke wanted to tell others about his faith (1:4 Prologue) and to convince the Romans that Christians were not trying to cause trouble
• he was a gentile and wanted people to know Christianity was for all, including gentiles, poor and outcasts (woman bleeding 8:42)
-JESUS’ LIFE IS A FULFILLMENT OF OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY- PROVES HE IS THE MESSIAH. JESUS IS BOTH HUMAN AND DIVINE

Question 5

Theophilus

Answer 5

• Luke’s addressee
• name means ‘lover of God’
• scholars reckon he was an influential Greek, perhaps a Christian
• he may have been rich and gave Luke money to write the Gospel
• “your excellency”- maybe was an important official
• or was any reader

Question 6

Jesus preaching at Nazareth (Luke 4:16-21)

Answer 6

• uses language such as: sabbath, Isaiah, Spirit of the Lord. All very Jewish
• but also: poor, blind, prisoner, oppressed. Jesus was the saviour for all

• “no prophet is acceptable in his hometown” fulfils OT prophecy (4:24)

• 4:27: Jesus challenges the people and has come to save them

• 4:30: authority allowing to forgive sins and heal people

• Crowd were not pleased and left

• showed messiah would be rejected

• Jesus’ power shown when he walked through the crows about to throw him off the cliff

• Elijah and Elisha: OT prophets told people what God wanted and sometimes predicted the future. Jesus spoke of them because they socialised with people who were not Israelites, which was a sign that Jesus would save all.

• ‘scripture has come true’= Isaiah predicted the messiah would come to save the people and Like is showing that Jesus is the Messiah

-links to purpose: JESUS’ LIFE IS A FULFILMENT OF OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY- PROVES HE IS THE MESSIAH. JESUS IS BOTH HUMAN AND DIVINE

Question 7

Salvation in Luke

Answer 7

Luke is particularly concerned to show that salvation is for all so he emphasises the following groups of people who weren’t considered to be important at the time:

women (woman bleeding+witnesses to resurrection),

poor and outcasts (shepherds in Luke’s account of Birth of Jesus),

Holy Spirit (baptism),

gentiles (roman officer’s servants),

prayer

Question 8

Luke’s titles for Jesus

Answer 8

• saviour- saves people
• messiah- anointed one
• Christ- Greek for Messiah

Question 9

Kingdom of God

Answer 9

From Luke

• (Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew; is different so don’t confuse)
• one of the key elements of the teachings of Jesus in NT
• analysis focuses on it being either a prediction of a future established earthly Kingdom or a state already present in us all

Question 10

Context of the Kingdom of God (AO2)

Answer 10

• no mention of KofG in OT

• few references to God as ‘King’

• however, OT theme is of a covenant with the Hebrews being God’s people

• God as King mainly comes from Luke and Matthew

• NT background, roman rule and Second Temple, loss of independence won in Maccabean revolt (167-160 BCE)

• the view of the Kingdom included a restoration of Israel to kingdom ruled by a descendant of David

• God would intervene (Daniel 7 son of man), KofG involved God taking back reigns of history

• most Jewish sources imagine a restoration of Israel and either a destruction of the nations or a gathering of the nations to obedience to the One True God, Jesus stands firmly in this tradition - in his teachings he perceives that God’s great intervention has arrived and that he is the focus of that intervention

• his suffering and death seem to cast doubt upon this but his resurrection establishes his claim

Question 11

Nature of the Kingdom of God

Answer 11

• central theme of Jesus’ teachings- mentioned 35 times in Luke

• refers to how God acts and intervenes in human history- establishing his rule

• it is not a literal Kingdom: more a state of being; arises from God’s saving activity; shown in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus

• Marshall: “Luke associates the coming of the kingdom of not only with the preaching but also with the mighty works of Jesus which are signs of the activity of God. The coming of the kingdom is firmly tied historically with the ministry of Jesus”

Question 12

Beginning of Luke

Answer 12

• 1:32-33: “He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end”

• from the beginning of Luke Jesus is shown as of a Kingdom which will last forever

• Jesus uses Kingdom as a way of warning of Gods judgement and the need for repentance. He emphasises the Kingdom as the source of Salvation”

• tension between when the kingdom is, is it a present reality within us all or a future earthly establishment of God’s kingdom
—John the Baptist introduced Jesus’ kingship: “prepare the way for the Lord” (Luke 3:4)

•	John believed that Jesus was the one sent from God who would bring judgement and Kingdom (Luke 3:16)

Question 13

Eschatology

Answer 13

the part of theology concerned with death, judgement and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind
• for Christians, this is associated with the second coming, Jesus’ Parousia

Question 14

Parousia

Answer 14

an ancient Greek word meaning presence, arrival, or official visit- second coming of Jesus

Question 15

Parable

Answer 15

a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels

Question 16

Salvation

Answer 16

in religion- the saving of the soul from sin and its consequences; also called deliverance or redemption from sin

central part of the eschatological nature of the kingdom, God helps seekers to find salvation through the work life, death and resurrection of Jesus

Question 17

Eschatological aspects to the Kingdom of God in Luke

Answer 17

-Isaiah 61:1-2: He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance for our God, to comfort all who mourn”
-Luke 4:18: “He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free”
-Luke uses language of the Old Testament to show Jesus as the fulfilment of the Old Testament

Question 18

Luke’s warning signs for the ‘end of times’

Answer 18

-Luke 21:24-27: “They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars…At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory”
-Jesus coming again is parousia

-Luke 10:20: “do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven”
-it is not about what is said or done- it is about faith

-Luke 12:40: “you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him”

-Luke 13:30: “there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last”

-Luke 18:25: “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God”

Question 19

The sermon on the mount

Answer 19

the sermon on the mount describes who can enter the Kingdom of God, also called beatitudes

-Luke 6:20-49: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now for you will be satisfied…Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets…Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets”

salvation is not achieved without actively seeking it:
• sinners must seek God and God will (or has already) respond
• the parable of the banquet (Luke 14: 15-24) describes how God will look for people willing to hear and accept the invitation
• Parables of the Kingdom emphasise that people with earthly power will not enter
• the humble will receive the place
• no longer just for the Jews

Question 20

Marshall on salvation

Answer 20

“in the teaching of Jesus the good news of the Kingdom of God was for the poor and there were stern warnings to the rich about the danger”

Question 21

Arguments for a present Kingdom

Answer 21

-C.H. Dodd: believed in Realised Eschatology in the sense that the kingdom was already present in Jesus portrayed in his miracles

-E Schweitzer: Jesus was teaching that there would be an immediate coming of the kingdom

Question 22

Evidence for a future Kingdom

Answer 22

Luke 10:9: “the kingdom of God is near”. Luke mentions a future coming of the kingdom linked to the judgement of God in 9:27 which states “some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Kingdom of God”

10 Minas: references to a future kingdom when the ruler will return to judge his people. “To everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing even what he has will be taken away” (19:26)

Luke 17:22: “You will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it”

Luke 22:24: “many, I tell you will try to enter and will not be able to”

Question 23

Evidence for a present Kingdom

Answer 23

“but if I drive out demons by the finger of God then the Kingdom of God has come to you” (Luke 11:20)

• also said Jesus taught about the existence of the Kingdom of God in the present when he said that the kingdom was a gift for the poor (Luke 6:20) and those least on earth (Luke 7:28)

• Luke 17:20-21: “The Kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation…because the kingdom of God is within your midst”

Question 24

Arguments for a future Kingdom

Answer 24

E.P. Sanders: Jesus was actually talking about a kingdom that would be established in the future, possibly after a day of judgement

Henry Morris: “Parables both reveal and conceal truth: they reveal it to the genuine seeker who will take the trouble to dig beneath the surface and discover the meaning, but they conceal it from him who is content simply to listen to the story”

Question 25

Evidence for a present and future Kingdom

Answer 25

18:30: “in this age, and in the age to come”

23:42: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”
23:43: “today you will be with me in paradise”

Question 26

Argument for a present and future Kingdom

Answer 26

I.H. Marshall: the kingdom was in both the present and the future, and whenever it comes, it is a present reality and relevant for the life of all people in all ages. He said “while Luke retains the hope of the future coming of the kingdom, he also stresses the presence of the kingdom as a reality in the ministry of Jesus”.

Question 27

Inaugurated Eschatology

Answer 27

the Kingdom has begun but its completion is yet to come. Essentially past and present.

Question 28

Realised Eschatology

Answer 28

the Kingdom has come as Jesus, his ministry and his legacy

Question 29

Content and Context of the Parable of the Sower

Answer 29

Jesus is travelling and spreading the word of God, women are with him (highlight on outcasts)

The farmer = Jesus, scattering seeds to spread his message

The seed = the word of God

The different types of ground/soil = how other people respond to the word of God

Context: Used imagery of a farmer because this would have been a common job in 1st C Palestine so the listeners would have understood the message

OT Reference to Isaiah 6:9-10 ‘he said, ‘go and tell this person: be hearing, but never understanding be ever seeing, but never perceiving’

Question 30

What does the Parable of the Sower suggest about the Kingdom?

Answer 30

The mention of women shows that the KOG is for everybody - even outcasts.

KoG is for those who hear the Word of God, retain it and apply it to their lives to produce a ‘crop’

Possibly present - because by hearing and understanding the word of God you get the ‘secrets’ of the KOG.

His proclaiming the KOG supports realised eschatology—through Jesus’ ministry, the KOG is revealed to his disciples.

Question 31

Content and Context of the parable of Jesus and Beelzebul

Answer 31

Jesus is performing an exorcism and some people accuse him of being able to do this through the power of Beelzebub.

A strong man = is a person who trusts his willpower in trying to resist satan.
Or the strong man could be jewish law.

House = house of Israel/ Jewish faith with the Temple

Following the rule of law and using your willpower is not enough—you need to have full faith in Jesus.

Actively keep from sin to avoid future trouble with demons (allegorical demons (?), so sin)

Context:

Jesus talking about the house dividing/scattering could be a reference to the destruction of the temple in 70 AD(eschatological warning) - Luke would have written his gospel after this event.

After Babylonian exile, Israel was in disarray: different understandings of what Jewishness is. Those who had been exiled developed their ideas about God, including Life after Death and Justice, forgiveness for more than just Jews but others also. Those who stayed retained traditional ideas

Question 32

What does the parable of Jesus and Beelzebul suggest about the Kingdom

Answer 32

when the Kingdom of God is in us (prepared like the strong man) we can keep demons out

It could be present since Jesus is driving out a demon - when an exorcism is being performed, Satan’s kingdom is reducing in power and the KOG is increasing in power.

It is for:

People who hear the wired of God and obey it

Those who have belief in Jesus and faith in him can enter

Question 33

Content and Context of the parable of the Narrow Door

Answer 33

Narrow door = door/gate to the kingdom of God/heaven

Owner of the house = God

House = KOG

Jesus is describing that it will be hard to enter the KOG - people need to be prepared

Context: Reference to OT prophets

“you will see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you threw out”

Question 34

What does the parable of the Narrow Door suggest about the Kingdom?

Answer 34

The KOG will be a feast with the OT prophets and many people from all over the world

Future - speaks of the owner closing the door in the future tense

It is for:
People who are prepared and make an effort, everyone around the world can enter as long as they do what is right

Question 35

Parable of the Great Banquet content and context

Answer 35

Man is hosting a banquet and invites people but they all make excuses not to come so he invites the outcasts from the town to come to his banquet.

Man = God
Great banquet = messianic banquet
Many guests = the people who are expected to enter the KOG eg: Jews/Pharisees
Servant = Jesus

Excuses show the people who are more concerned with early matters than the KOG.

Banquet = spiritual nourishment

Context:

The excuses used for not attending the banquet would have been culturally relevant and understood by the people of 1st-century Palestine eg: buying land.

Question 36

What does the parable of the Great Banquet suggest about the Kingdom of God

Answer 36

The mentioning of the lame, blind and disabled shows that the outcasts will be in the KOG
Possibly the present since the ‘invitation’ has already been sent.

Potentially present, depending on whether it is accepted or not.

It is for:
People who ‘accept the invitation’ and believe in Jesus can enter the KOG.

Entry is no longer based on being jewish/part of the ‘official’ invitation list - KOG is accessible to all

Question 37

The parable of the Coming of the Kingdom of God content and context

Answer 37

Disaster, like the destruction of Sodom and the flood.

SoM will be like lightning.

People will be taken away from the earth

Context:
Isaiah 53 reference verse 25.

OT imagery (aforementioned)

Question 38

What does the parable of the Coming of the Kingdom of God suggest about the Kingdom

Answer 38

SoM will be like lightning.

People will be taken away from the earth

Not observable, but it will be in our midst

Sounds like the future, where is unclear

who can enter is unspecified

Question 39

The rich and the Kingdom of God content and context

Answer 39

Riches (presumably spiritual) in the Kingdom of God (verses 22 and 30)

Very difficult for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God

Because wealth can become an obstacle, to the wholehearted dependence on God.

Context:
Legalistic OT commandments are no longer enough

Love and charity are paramount

Question 40

What does the parable of the rich and the Kingdom of God suggest about the Kingdom

Answer 40

It will be a great reward for those who make personal sacrifices for God
”in this age, and in the age to come”- future and present

It is for:
Those who give up worldly things for God and are generous

Question 41

The ten minas content and context

Answer 41

Kingdom of God is like dividends

Spreading the word, gained ten new converts

Justice in the Kingdom of God

Analogy: God is the man who becomes king, servants are believers, enemies are non-believers

Context:
The belief that the second coming would be soon

Question 42

What does the parable of the ten minas suggest about the Kingdom of God?

Answer 42

Rewards faith and spreading the word, a spiritual return

future, because the parable was said in response to those who
thought it’d come soon

Those who spread the word