Kingdom,Used

Product Description When harassed by the Pharisees over the authority by which he cast out demons, Jesus said something as intriguing as it was contentious: 'Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand' (Mt 12:25). It is a principle that has been borne out by the testimony of history.But what precisely do we mean by 'kingdom'? In strictly secular use, it refers to a geographical territory or community of people subject to a king. Although these ideas are not entirely absent in relation to God's kingdom, it would perhaps be more accurate to speak of it as the Father's heavenly rule expressed on earth in human lives. In other words, it is the rule of God in action. It is perhaps a sad indictment of the current standing of the kingdom of God in the minds of so many church leaders that it is a subject that attracts the attention of so few Christians. This is not only true of those of a liberal persuasion, but increasingly so of my fellow evangelicals. This is particularly disturbing, given that the word of God we claim to hold so dear reveals he basileia tou theou to be pivotal to both Christ's ministry and to his ethical principles. Everything he said and did was governed by its relation to the kingdom of God. Or to put it another way: the words and ways of the Son were dictated by the will of the Father (Jn 6:38; 7:16, 17).This being the case, then it surely behoves each one of us that claim to be owned by God to discover what he has chosen to reveal through the Bible's pages concerning his rule over the created order generally and more specifically in and through the redeemed community. From the Back Cover It has been said that history teaches us that history teaches us nothing. However true this may be in general terms, the fact that we so frequently look to the past in an attempt to shape our future by applying its lessons in the present suggests we remain keen to learn. In the context of the subject of this book, though the stalwarts of the faith can serve as tremendous examples, it is to the lessons of Scripture that we must turn if we are to have a better idea of what the kingdom of God is, what that means for us as believers, and how we can be better equipped to extend its values in today's world. Thus, what we understand by the term 'kingdom of God' will not only determine whether we believe ourselves to be its citizens, but also how we think we should conduct ourselves in the light of such knowledge.It is the contention of this book that the biblical concept of kingdom as the expression of God's rule requires greater clarity of presentation in order to prevent it from confusion and/or distortion amongst Christians. About the Author Chris Woodall is former Associate Professor of Dogmatics at NorthWest University, South Africa. He is also the author ofCovenant: The Basis of God's SelfDisclosure.