For over 20 years of my Christian life I thought very little about the subject of the kingdom of God. If you were to ask me what I thought the kingdom of God was I would immediately spout out something like this: "The kingdom of God is a period of time. It is God's rule over all and under this rule you have different administrations and times however the kingdom of God is over all."
Now if you asked me to go into the word to prove what I just said, I could not. All I could tell you is that is what I was taught somewhere along the way in my Christian growth.
There are many life times of learning available to us today. Perhaps we should consider the possibility of learning outside of what we understand now. Naive realism basically assumes that my reality of truth is identical with God's. So logically anyone who questions my point of view is clearly wrong. We the people in the western world are often guilty of taking this kind of dogmatic point of view about things.
Though we cannot understand fully, we should learn as much as possible about the truth of God's Word and what God's reality is. This will take being humble and meek to God and His Word. We must be willing to adjust our perception of reality to line up with God's.
In order to accomplish this, we must be open to understandings that lie beyond those we now have. As we gain new insight to God's heart, we change our perception to those new insights. This will involve constant comparisons between our present views and those we become aware of.
Let's consider how we arrive at our perception of reality. First let's define reality. Webster's Unabridged Dictionary defines reality as thus: "The quality or state of being real;" so reality is what we perceive as true, real, and actual.
As we grow up, we learn only one view on most issues. Our view seems to be the only one since it's mostly without competition. Many times, even if we become aware of other views, we assume our view is right because we trust those who taught us.
How could our view be mistaken? Our parents and other trustworthy people taught it to us. Many of us become dogmatic concerning our perception of reality. Only these seem logical and right to us. Thus, since our views are logical and right, all other views or any alternative view of reality must be illogical and wrong.
Holding on to these views without taking the time to honestly look at the Word for ourselves is a very dangerous mind set to be comfortable with. It was not until I was willing to go outside what I thought I knew regarding the kingdom of God that I began to realize just how little I knew about the kingdom of God.
As I wrote before in the beginning of the issue, what I knew about the kingdom of God filled all of two sentences. Again, I quote: "The kingdom of God is a period of time. It is God's rule over all and under this rule you have different administrations and times. However, the kingdom of God is over all."
Nonetheless, a brief glance at this statement will soon reveal that I really knew nothing regarding this topic.
Acts 19:1-8 1And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.4Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7And all the men were about twelve. 8And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Here is a remarkable verse of scripture regarding the kingdom of God. I was taught this verse of scripture in depth some 25 years ago and never considered the words "kingdom of God." Whatever the kingdom of God is, the apostle Paul had knowledge of it.
Furthermore, it was just not a cursory understanding. What he knew about the kingdom of God was in depth, exciting, and precise. So much so, that scripture records it here in Acts 19:8 that for three months he was able to speak boldly disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Now, as a minister, you would think that I would be able to speak more than two sentences about the kingdom of God. After all, the apostle Paul spoke on this topic for more than three months. My understanding of the kingdom had just been seriously questioned.
For the first time in my life, I considered the possibility that I really did not know beans about the kingdom of God. My pride was hurt and I realized that my understanding was lower than a pregnant ant's belly regarding the kingdom of God.
So I began to look into the subject and realized that there were many believers past and present who knew much more than me about this topic. So, I began a quest to learn about the kingdom of God. To date, I have recorded three classes and have taught the things concerning the kingdom of God for several years.
I am thankful to God and the many teachers dead and alive whom I have studied and learned from. Over the next several months, I will begin to expound for you the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Acts 19:8-10 8And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. 9But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily, in the school of one Tyrannus. 10And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
As if three months wasn't enough, Paul went on to dispute and persuade the things concerning the kingdom of God for two years. Could you? Could you teach and persuade the things concerning the kingdom of God for three months? How about two years? This is a sobering question.
Acts 8:5-12 5Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.7For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. 8And there was great joy in that city.9But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: 10To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. 11And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.12But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Look at Philip here in Samaria. He had great success and look at what he was speaking about (Verse 12: "preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God.") Where did Phillip learn about this kingdom? Were did Paul learn?
Acts 1:1-3 1The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
Of all the things that the Lord Jesus could have shared with his disciples, the Word records that for 40 days after his resurrection, he spoke of the things concerning the kingdom of God. Where did Jesus learn about these things?
Acts 1:4-6 4And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
His disciples were so excited about the things concerning the kingdom, that they wanted to know if the time was now! Were these disciples so dumb that they would ask such a silly and spiritually immature question: Or, were they so excited about the things that Jesus shared with them concerning the kingdom of God that they couldn't keep it in? They just had to know, "Is it now? We are ready!"
It's interesting to note that the book of Acts begins with Jesus teaching the things concerning the kingdom of God. As you look through the book, you will see that Peter, Paul, and Phillip - among others - all taught in depth the things concerning the kingdom of God.
And just as the book begins with Jesus teaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, we see that the book ends the same way.
Acts 28:30-31 30And Paul dwelt two whole years, in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 31Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
Now, I will answer the question I posed earlier. Where did Jesus, Peter, Paul, and Phillip learn the things concerning the kingdom of God?
Well, there was only one place that these wonderful men could learn these things: the Old Testament. You see the gospels and church epistles were not written yet. Simple question, simple answer. As a matter of fact, all God's Word is simple.
In our next issue, I will begin to unfold for you these exciting truths regarding the kingdom of God and how it belongs to us. God bless you.
To be continued…ÿ
Note: All scripture is from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. NIV indicates The New International Version, NLT indicates the New Living Translation, NAS indicates the New American Standard version, NKJV indicates the New King James Version, ASV means the American Standard Version, NJB means the New Jerusalem Bible, BBE means the Bible in Basic English, DBY means the Darby translation, NAU means the American Standard Version, 1995 Edition, and NAB means the New American Bible translation. For more information, go to the Works Cited page.