As Christians, who have "grown up" with "Christian" terms and phrases, we often lose their original impact in either the New Testament language (being Greek) OR its original context. Here's an example. . .
Kingdom of God / Heaven: Have you ever wondered why Jesus chose to speak about the Kingdom of God / Heaven? Why not the family of God; the people of God; or the community of God? Aren't these three phrases valid understandings of our relation to one another and God? Why did Jesus use the term "Kingdom?" What was the "other" prominent kingdom in the first century? What might the connection be here between these two kingdoms?
Often, I feel like we, as Christians, often equate the Kingdom of God / Heaven as just being the place where God lives, up there, out there, beyond the clouds. This would be the place we hope to go when we die. It has nothing to do with the here and now. Yet, let's consider a few lines of the Lord's Prayer:
Kingdom of God / Heaven: Have you ever wondered why Jesus chose to speak about the Kingdom of God / Heaven? Why not the family of God; the people of God; or the community of God? Aren't these three phrases valid understandings of our relation to one another and God? Why did Jesus use the term "Kingdom?" What was the "other" prominent kingdom in the first century? What might the connection be here between these two kingdoms?
Often, I feel like we, as Christians, often equate the Kingdom of God / Heaven as just being the place where God lives, up there, out there, beyond the clouds. This would be the place we hope to go when we die. It has nothing to do with the here and now. Yet, let's consider a few lines of the Lord's Prayer:
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, ON EARTH as it is in Heaven.
Consider the implication here: We are praying that God's Kingdom be HERE on the earth. We are NOT praying to go to God's Kingdom someday, but that God's Kingdom will come HERE!
Consider these passages of Scripture as well:
Consider these passages of Scripture as well:
- Psalm 139: 7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. (NRSV)
- Acts 17: 28 For "In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "For we too are his offspring.' (NRSV)
- Ephesians 4: 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. (NRSV)
If we really believe these passages as well, God isn't just up there, out there, beyond the clouds. God is HERE. Does that mean we can experience the Kingdom of God HERE? Why or why not?
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