The Narrow Path Ministries

Luk 4:43 But He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose."

Just what did Jesus preach about the kingdom of God?


Paul

Everything Jesus taught was concerning the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15; 4:11/ Matt.4:23; 6:33/ Luke 13:18, 20/Acts 1:3).

Among the things Jesus taught about it were the following:

1. The kingdom would not come in the visible form that the Jews expected (Luke 17:20-21/ John 3:3)

2. The kingdom of God was once associated with national Israel, but is to be given over to an international community (Luke 13:28-29/ Matthew 21:43; 24:14 [cf.Ex.19:5-6])

3. The kingdom of God is spiritual, not "of this world," and could only be entered by spiritual birth (John 3:5/ 18:36/ Matt.18:3 [cf. Rom.14:17])

4. In one sense, the kingdom of God was already present (Matt.12:28/ Luke 17:21 [cf. Col.1:13])

5. In another sense, the kingdom was yet to be realized in its universal phase (Mark 9:1; 14:25/ Luke 9:27; 19:11-12; 21:31)

6. The kingdom was presently quite small and inconspicuous, but was growing and destined to fill the earth (Matt.13:31-33 [cf.Dan.2:34-35, 44-45])

7. The growth of the kingdom would be by spiritual means (disseminating its message—like scattering seed), and not by military conquest (Matt.13:18-23/John 18:36 [cf.Isaiah 2:4])

8. His disciples would have the privilege of inheriting the kingdom (that is, as a domain over which they themselves would be rulers) in its future and universal phase (Matt.13:43; 25:3 [cf. 1 Cor.6:9-10; 15:50])

9. Being rich is, in this present time, an obstacle to entering the kingdom of God (Matt.19:24/ Luke 6:20 [cf.James 2:5-7])

10. Being religious (at least like the Pharisees) can be a hindrance to entering the kingdom of God (Matt.5:20; 21:31)

11. Some who are not yet in the kingdom may be "not far" from it (Mark 12:34)

12. The kingdom of God must be the absolute priority (even obsession) of those who wished to inherit it (Mark 9:47/ Matt.6:33; 13:44-46; 19:12)

Very nice Steve.

The Kingdom of Heaven --- The Kingdom of God

The Gospel of the Kingdom, i.e. the Good New of the Kingdom, and how to enter it was proclaimed by John the Baptizer, Jesus, Peter, and Paul.

Mark wrote that the message proclaimed by John the Baptizer was the very beginning of the Gospel of Christ:

Mark1
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way;
3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight—"
4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forsaking of sins.

The Gospel According to John the Baptizer
According to John the Baptizer, there were two requirements necessary to become a member of the Kingdom:

1.Repent ie. Get a change of mind and heart.
2. Be baptized. The purpose of baptism was the affirmation of one’s decision, the entrance into the door of salvation, and the beginning of the process of sending sin out of one’s life, and thus the bearing of fruit that is worthy of repentance.

The Gospel According to Jesus
Matt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
(Matthew 24:33 so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.)
John 4:1-3 Now when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again to Galilee.

Jesus proclaimed the same requirements! Repent and be baptized.
To be a member of the kingdom, one must be a disciple of Christ. Jesus said, that in order to be His disciple, one must die to the self life, and become alive in Christ.

Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who discounts his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:24,25

The Gospel According to Peter
After Peter had addressed the men of Judea, showing that God had raised Jesus from death, and that they had crucified Him, the following exchange took place:

Acts 2:36-39
“... Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?"
And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forsaking of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him."

What were Peter’s requirements to appropriate the benefits of gospel? Repent and be baptized! The only difference was that now that Jesus had been raised, the gift of His Spirit was given. Yet, even prior to this, Jesus, before sending out his disciples, breathed on his disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”


The Gospel According to Paul

Acts 28:30,31 And he lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ quite openly and unhindered.

But did Paul declare the necessity of repentance, as did John the Baptizer, Jesus, and Peter? Or did he teach that all that is necessary is to believe in the atoning work of Christ? In explaining to King Agrippa his experience with Jesus on the road to Damascus he concluded by saying,

Acts 26:19,20 "Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and perform deeds worthy of their repentance.

Does Paul’s gospel not resemble that proclaimed by John the baptizer?
Yes, Paul preached repentance, and doing deeds worthy of repentance. But did Paul proclaim the necessity of baptism? We read:

Acts 18: 8 ...many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.

It was after they heard Paul that they were baptized. The necessity of baptism must have been implicit or explicit in Paul’s message. Otherwise, why would they get baptized? So Paul’s gospel not only “resembled” that of John the Baptizer. It was identical!

But is baptism really necessary in order to get right with God? Let’s look at the life of Paul himself. When were his sins washed away? Was it on the road to Damascus when Jesus spoke to him, and he submitted? That experience certainly turned him around. He was blinded, and was then ready to do what the Lord Jesus told him to do. But later, it was Ananias who counseled him to be baptized. From Paul’s own account of the matter, Ananias said:

Acts 22:16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’

So it was not when Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, but at his baptism that Paul had his sins washed away.

Jesus taught:
John 3:5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I tell you, unless one is generated of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Although there is much controversy about the meaning of “generated of water”, many understand it to be baptism. This view is consistent with Justin Martyr’s explanation of the ways of Christians to Augustus Caesar and to his son. Justin was born in 110 A.D. In chapter 61 of Justin’s “First Apology”, we find his explanation of Christian baptism.

I will also relate the manner in which we dedicated ourselves to God having been made new through Christ; lest, if we omit this, we seem to be unfair in the explanation we are making. As many as are persuaded and believe that what we teach and say is true, and undertake to be able to live accordingly, are instructed to pray and to entreat God with fasting, for the remission of their sins that are past, we praying and fasting with them.

Then they are brought by us where there is water, and are regenerated in the same manner in which we were ourselves regenerated... For Christ also said, “Except ye be generated again, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”... And how those who have sinned and repent shall escape their sins, is declared by Isaiah the prophet... he thus speaks: “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from your souls; learn to do well; judge the fatherless, and plead for the widow: and come and let us reason together, saith the Lord. And though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white like wool; and though they be as crimson, I will make them white as snow. But if ye refuse and rebel, the sword shall devour you: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”...that he may obtain in the water the remission of sins formerly committed, there is pronounced over him who chooses to be regenerated, and has repented of his sins, the name of God the Father and Lord of the universe...”

What About John 3:16 and Acts 16:29-31...?
Acts 16:29-31 And he (the Philippian jailer) called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Do these passages contradict the requirements Jesus and Peter gave for becoming right with God? Do they require something less to be saved? So often today, we hear that all you have to do to get right with God is “accept Christ as your personal saviour”. That’s a phrase we don’t find in any New Testament or early Christian writing. Or all you have to do is pray “God be merciful to me a sinner” , or “I realize I’m a sinner, Jesus, and that you died to save me. I hereby accept your finished work to make me fit for heaven.” Or some other such prayer.

I recall a woman from my local area who affirmed that she would not become a Christian, because she just didn’t want to have to come to the front of a church and weep and cry. Some time later, she told me that she found out from her Christian friend that a person doesn’t have to come forward, weeping and crying. “All you have to do,” she explained, “is say a little prayer, and you’ll be a Christian.” That’s the way the woman understood the “gospel” which was presented to her. One wonders how many people have “said the little prayer” and remained unchanged, but are under the delusion that they are now “saved”, that they can go on living their lives as usual, but with the expectation that they’ll go to heaven when they die, or when they are raised again to life.

So, it is said, that all we have to do is believe in Jesus. However, the whole crux of the matter lies in that little word “πιστευω” which has been translated “believe”. Indeed, the word does mean “believe” in many contexts. But another meaning is given in John’s account of Jesus’ life:

John 2:23-25 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

Is not “entrust” also the way the word is used in John 3:16 and Acts 16:29-31? If we entrust ourselves to Jesus, this includes repentance and baptism.

Luke 13:5 I tell you ... unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
John 3:5 Jesus responded, "Truly, truly, I tell you, unless one is generated of water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Luke 17:20,21

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; "nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." NKJV


Matthew 23:13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in.
(7 woes)

Matthew 23:33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?

John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. .

Jesus’ Kingdom Parables

Entering the Kingdom
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.Matt 13:44-46

When a person recognized the exceeding value of the Kingdom, and the quintessence of entering it, he will gladly let go of all of his own aims and ambitions for the sake of the Kingdom.

The Growth of the Kingdom
Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."
He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened." Matt 13:31-33

The Purification of the Kingdom at Christ’s Coming
Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed darnel among the wheat, and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the darnel appeared also. And the servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it darnel?’
He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’
But he said, ‘No; lest in gathering the darnel you root up the wheat along with them.
Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the darnel first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’" Matt 13:24-30

Jesus Himself explained this parable:

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the darnel of the field."
He answered, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the darnel are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels.
Just as the darnel are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age.
The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. Matt 13:36-43

what very appropriate timing of this topic!

i am leading a multi-week class on "What is the Kingdom of God" at my church starting next week. i've been re-listening to Steve's excellent lectures on this topic- Pierac if you havent listened to them yet i highly recommend them!

i think most Christians have only a very cursory understanding of this vital topic. Thanks. Steve and Paidion, for your responses.

TK

Pierac wrote:Luk 4:43 But He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose."

Just what did Jesus preach about the kingdom of God?

Paul

Jesus preached that the kingdom was coming or starting soon. Jesus spoke this in part due to the expectation of the people for the Christ and His kingdom.(Such expectation was indeed valid.) And Christ spoke this as the "prophet like unto Moses" (Deut 18:15)
But the people didn't realize that a judgment was also occurring with the start of the kingdom. Therefore the message warned them of the judgment. "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand." (Matt 4:17) Such message was designed specifically for that generation though there may a continuing requirement of repentance for people even today --but such repentance today now only is an action subsequent to the start of the kingdom.

In making a warning of judgment in connection with the start of the kingdom, Jesus thereby showed that the various prophecies were tied to the same event. The prophecies covered different events and requirements (see the scripture passages below):
1. Judgment (with implied opportunity for repentance) Mal 3:5
2. Cleansing (the purpose/after-effect of judgment) Dan 9:24
3. Removal of enemies (Roman Empire) Dan 7:25-26, Dan 2:44-45, Luke 1:74
4. Punish the world for their evil. (This is why repentance was preached to the nations) Isa 13:11
5. Arrival of the prophet of Deut 18:15 as a warning and as indicator of that era
6. Inauguration of Jesus as king in the kingdom Dan 7:13-14, Ps 2:6, Isa 9:6-7

So this warning to these events was what Jesus preached. But the various prophecies (some listed above) were behind the words He preached.

In a sense it was left for the people to hear the message, repent and be saved from that wrath of that era. Those who heard and received the message came to faith and repented in accord with His command.

I am assuming the question was about what Jesus preached of the kingdom to the cities since the message to the disciples was different in that Jesus went on to share details (and mysteries) of the kingdom with the disciples.

An additional highlight of the verse is that this was Jesus' purpose. So the verse shows how much significance God placed upon that era that He should send Jesus as a prophet to warn that generation of the judgment. The significance also was shown in the parable where the owner of the vineyard sent his son to get the fruit of the vineyard. Luke 20:9-18

VERSES
1. Judgment
Mal 3:5 I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don’t fear me,” says Yahweh of Armies.

2. Cleansing
Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.

3. Removal of enemies
Dan 7:25 He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time. 7:26 But the judgment shall be set, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end

Dan 2:44 In the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. 2:45 Because you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God has made known to the king what shall happen hereafter: and the dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.

Luke 1:74 to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies,
should serve him without fear,

4. Punish the world for their evil
Isa. 13:11 I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will humble the haughtiness of the terrible.

5. Arrival of the prophet of Deut 18:15
Yahweh your God will raise up to you a prophet from the midst of you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him

6. Inauguration of Jesus as king in the kingdom
Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 7:14 There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed

Ps 2:6 “Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion.”

Isa 9:6 For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 9:7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on the throne of David, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.

steve wrote:Everything Jesus taught was concerning the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15; 4:11/ Matt.4:23; 6:33/ Luke 13:18, 20/Acts 1:3).

Among the things Jesus taught about it were the following:

1. The kingdom would not come in the visible form that the Jews expected (Luke 17:20-21/ John 3:3)

2. The kingdom of God was once associated with national Israel, but is to be given over to an international community (Luke 13:28-29/ Matthew 21:43; 24:14 [cf.Ex.19:5-6])

3. The kingdom of God is spiritual, not "of this world," and could only be entered by spiritual birth (John 3:5/ 18:36/ Matt.18:3 [cf. Rom.14:17])

4. In one sense, the kingdom of God was already present (Matt.12:28/ Luke 17:21 [cf. Col.1:13])

5. In another sense, the kingdom was yet to be realized in its universal phase (Mark 9:1; 14:25/ Luke 9:27; 19:11-12; 21:31)

6. The kingdom was presently quite small and inconspicuous, but was growing and destined to fill the earth (Matt.13:31-33 [cf.Dan.2:34-35, 44-45])

7. The growth of the kingdom would be by spiritual means (disseminating its message—like scattering seed), and not by military conquest (Matt.13:18-23/John 18:36 [cf.Isaiah 2:4])

8. His disciples would have the privilege of inheriting the kingdom (that is, as a domain over which they themselves would be rulers) in its future and universal phase (Matt.13:43; 25:3 [cf. 1 Cor.6:9-10; 15:50])

9. Being rich is, in this present time, an obstacle to entering the kingdom of God (Matt.19:24/ Luke 6:20 [cf.James 2:5-7])

10. Being religious (at least like the Pharisees) can be a hindrance to entering the kingdom of God (Matt.5:20; 21:31)

11. Some who are not yet in the kingdom may be "not far" from it (Mark 12:34)

12. The kingdom of God must be the absolute priority (even obsession) of those who wished to inherit it (Mark 9:47/ Matt.6:33; 13:44-46; 19:12)

I agree Steve,

We all are aware The kingdom of God is the reign of God. And God reigns in the hearts of men and women whenever they enthrone His Son-the King.

Mat 25:34 "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Luk 1:33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end."

Rev 17:14 "These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful."

Rev 19:16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

When Jesus was on earth, His Ministry he was chiefly centered on extending the reign of God. As He preached the gospel, healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, fed the poor, reproved oppressors, and trained His disciples, He destroyed Satan's work on the one hand and extended his Father's reign on the other.

Mat 4:23 Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.

Act 10:38 "You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

1Jo 3:8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

As the community of the King, the church exist to carry on the earthly ministry of Jesus
Mat 18:18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. 19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.

As the corporate expression of the risen Christ, the church is called to advance God's reign and destroyed Satan's work .

Mat 10:7 And proclaim as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts,

Mat 18:18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

Luk 10:18 And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

Joh 14:12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

As the recipient of the out poured spirit, the church is equipped to fulfill the mission of Christ. She "preaches the gospel to the poor, heals the brokenhearted, preaches deliverance to the captives, recovers sight to the blind, sets at liberty them that are bruised, and preaches the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18-21). In short, the kingdom of God is embodied in the person of Jesus. And the church is the instrument for its earthly expression.

To be sure, the kingdom of God will one day come upon this earth physically and visibly.

Dan 7:13 "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Isa 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Rev 11:15 And the seventh messenger trumpets. And loud voices occurred in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of this world became our Lord's and His Christ's, and He shall be reigning for the eons of the eons! Amen!"

1Co 15:24 thereafter the consummation, whenever He may be giving up the kingdom to His God and Father, whenever He should be nullifying all sovereignty and all authority and power." 25 For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy is being abolished: death. 27 For He subjects all under His feet. Now whenever He may be saying that all is subject, it is evident that it is outside of Him Who subjects all to Him." 28 Now, whenever all may be subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also shall be subjected to Him Who subjects all to Him, that God may be All in all.)"

2Ti 4:1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:

Yet today the kingdom is present spiritually and in a mystery.

Mat 13:11 Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.

Mar 4:11 And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables,

Luk 8:10 And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.

Luk 17:20 Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21 nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."

Whenever Christ is exercising His authority and manifesting His presence, the kingdom of God is present. Even though it is still future.

Luk 16:16 "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

Luk 17:20 Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed;

Rom 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

1Co 4:20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in word but in power.

So the kingdom of God is both heavenly and earthly. Both hidden and being revealed. Both future and present. To borrow a phrase from one New Testament scholar, the kingdom is "already" but "not yet" here (Hebrews 6:5).“ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,”

As the agent of the kingdom, the church moves upon the earth as a visible, countercultural community. It is a new social reality that exercises Christ’s authority and bears his image-the two task God called man to fulfill in the beginning (Genesis 1:26-28).

Because of the goal of the kingdom is to sum up all things in Christ and establish God's reign, our Lord’s radical teaching on "the kingdom" and Paul's majestic vision of the "eternal purpose" are fundamentally the same. As Howard Snyder in his book The community of the King observes,

The church is seen as the community of God’s people-a people called to serve Him and called to live together in true Christian community as a witness to the character and values of his kingdom. The church is the agent of God's nation on earth. But what is that mission? It is nothing other than bringing all things and, supremely, all people of the earth under the dominion and headship of Jesus Christ... Jesus speaks of the kingdom of God; all speak of God reconciling all things through Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:19;Col. 1:20) These are two ways of saying the same thing, for God is reigning and reconciling through Christ... Jesus speaks of ‘the mystery of the kingdom’; Paul speak of ‘the mystery of Christ.’ For Christ is the key to the kingdom. The kingdom of God is the ongoing reconciliation work of God in Christ seen from the perspective of the final definitive establishment of God's dominion when Christ returns to Earth. Christ's must return to fully establish his kingdom. But by His Spirit he now works on earth through His Body, the church… What then is the kingdom of God? It is Jesus Christ in through the church, the uniting of all things in Him... the Scriptures emphasize the eternal purpose or plan or will of God, that which He is doing in history to bring about the reconciliation of all things. This divine purpose is identified with the kingdom are reigning of God.

So, why did Jesus and his Apostles not preach about his death and resurrection during His 3 years on this earth?

This point is crucial in that I must emphasize it further. Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom in the company of the 12 Apostles: "Now after this he made his way through towns and villages preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. With him were the twelve" (Luke 8:1). Later, "he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal" (Luke 9:1-2).

At this stage the disciples had no knowledge of the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is proved by their subsequent reaction to Jesus's announcement of his impending arrests and crucifixion: Luk 18:31 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 "For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, 33 and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again." 34 But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.

Even immediately after the resurrection the disciples still did not understand it. And yet they had been preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom in the company of Jesus. "They did not yet understand the scriptures that he must rise from the dead" (John 20:9). This was after the death and resurrection of Jesus had occurred.

Now if, as it is commonly said, the Gospel consist of information about the death and resurrection of Jesus only, how is it that both Jesus and the twelve proclaimed the Gospel without reference to the Savior's death and resurrection? What is the answer? This we know the Gospel of the kingdom was announced before Jesus died (Mark 1:14, 15; Matt. 4:23; 9:35; Luke 4:43; Luke 8:1,etc.) and, as the book of Acts informs us, after the resurrection (Acts 1:3; 1:6; 8:12; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31). Act 1:3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.

In Acts, however, we find added to the Gospel about the Kingdom, the new facts about the death and resurrection of Jesus, which had now become history. The result is a Gospel message about the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ's (Acts 8:12; 28:23, 31).

That Kingdom message remains as the primary component of the Gospel. Jesus’ death and resurrection are additional, indispensable subjects for belief.

So again what did Jesus preach?

TK wrote:what very appropriate timing of this topic!

i am leading a multi-week class on "What is the Kingdom of God" at my church starting next week. i've been re-listening to Steve's excellent lectures on this topic- Pierac if you havent listened to them yet i highly recommend them!

i think most Christians have only a very cursory understanding of this vital topic. Thanks. Steve and Paidion, for your responses.

TK

Thanks TK,

Could you provide me a link to Steve's lectures?

Paul

Pierac wrote:So, why did Jesus and his Apostles not preach about his death and resurrection during His 3 years on this earth?

...snip...

Before the resurrection of Christ, His resurrection was a mystery. The critical message to the people in that generation was to repent before the kingdom started. Matthew 13 parables show some significance of the resurrection. For example,the Hid Treasure parable shows that Christ in a sense bought the field through His death. The similar idea is shown in the Pearl parable, that Jesus gave all He had -- His life -- to obtain the great pearl.

Pierac wrote: At this stage the disciples had no knowledge of the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is proved by their subsequent reaction to Jesus's announcement of his impending arrests and crucifixion: Luk 18:31 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 "For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, 33 and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again." 34 But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.

The disciples didn't understand it. It seems that the disciples were in such a culture shock under the teachings of Jesus that these disciples couldn't understand all Jesus said. Part of that shock came because the disciples likely (and apparently) expected Jesus to move into kingship while among them -- and death is quite an interruption of that concept.
Note also that the meaning was hidden from them. There certainly was a need for the Holy Spirit to remind them what Jesus had told them. Jesus knew and planned ahead for getting their memory back.
Is there a problem with Jesus not speaking more about the resurrection?

Pierac wrote: ... snip...

Now if, as it is commonly said, the Gospel consist of information about the death and resurrection of Jesus only, how is it that both Jesus and the twelve proclaimed the Gospel without reference to the Savior's death and resurrection? What is the answer?
...snip...

Scripture seems to say that the kingdom was yet future. So of course they had to share the gospel of the kingdom. Now, when speaking to Jews, the fact of Jesus' resurrection appeared to be widely known. The Apostles' preaching then only needed few references to the resurrection.
I suppose you have a different question in mind-- not the original question about what Jesus preached. Are you asking whether resurrection is part of the gospel of the kingdom? If so, the answer then would be that the death and resurrection had an implicit role of the start of the kingdom as shown in the Matt 13 parables as described above. And the death and resurrection were part of those aspects of truth that most likely stop people from coming to faith -- because they think this idea must just be mythology -- the idea of resurrection doesn't fit the way of thinking and logic of the natural man.

Pierac wrote:In Acts, however, we find added to the Gospel about the Kingdom, the new facts about the death and resurrection of Jesus, which had now become history. The result is a Gospel message about the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ's (Acts 8:12; 28:23, 31).

Acts 4:10 shows an example where Peter highlighted the fact of Christ's resurrection

Acts 4:10 wrote: be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in him does this man stand here before you whole.

So this appears to be a fact inherent to the gospel of the kingdom. But the resurrection still didn't have to be comprehended by the disciples for the fact to be important later on.

Pierac wrote:That Kingdom message remains as the primary component of the Gospel. Jesus’ death and resurrection are additional, indispensable subjects for belief.

So again what did Jesus preach?

How was this discussion supposed to change any impression about what Jesus preached?