The Kingdom

I haven't written in quite a while.  I've had a lot of stuff happening in the Grove and out.  I haven't been idle , however.  Recently I've been hearing so much talk about "The Kingdom."  It's a phrase we often use in Christianity.  I've heard and read it in different contexts and with different ideas as to what the Kingdom is. A few weeks ago I decided to start studying what the Bible has to say about The Kingdom.  I have been looking so far at the New Testament.  I have my own ideas but part of what's great about the internet and social media is the ability to interact on ideas with different people.  So this post is as much to get feedback and comments as much as tell you what I think.  So here goes...

I'm going to start with the Synoptic Gospels and add the rest of the New Testament over the next couple weeks.  I started by going to biblegateway.com, typing in "Kingdom" into the search and then noting every mention of the Kingdom in reference to the rule of God/Jesus.  The question I had going into this was, "Is the Kingdom primarily a future destination or a present reality?"  In other words should I be waiting to go to the Kingdom, or participating in the Kingdom that has already started.  I must confess by bias going into the study.  No one just reads the Bible and does what it says, even if that's what they claim.  We all interpret because we all come carrying our own baggage when we read the text.  We also have 2000 years of history to overcome to get to the original text.  I'm also reading an English NIV Bible so interpretation is just part of life.

One of the first things I noted looking through Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Synoptic Gospels) is the language used.  Matthew calls it "the Kingdom of Heaven" while the other two call it "the Kingdom of God."  Matthew is writing primarily to a Jewish audience who would not even write the name of God let alone speak it.  Mark and Luke, however, write to a more Gentile audience who are alright with writing God.  The three writers are all talking about the same thing as evidenced by the similarities in stories.  Matthew's "Kingdom of Heaven" is not so much a statement about the geography of the kingdom as it is where the Kingdom comes from, where its authority originates.

Matthew 5 (Sermon on the Mount) speaks of the characteristics of the kingdom.  The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 Jesus says, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  I'm no Greek scholar, but my question here is if Jesus is asking for only God's will to be done on earth, or if he is also asking for the kingdom to come to earth as well.  Luke simply writes "Your Kingdom come."
There are several clear references to the Kingdom in the future but there are also references to the Kingdoms existence and presence now.  Jesus says in Matthew 6:32-34 (Luke 12:30-32) "Seek first His Kingdom."  I would assume Jesus is not telling them to seek the Kingdom unless the Kingdom has already broken in on the world.  Matthew 16:27-28, Mark 9:1-3 and Luke 9:26-28 Jesus says that some in the group listening to him will not die before they see the kingdom come.  The original audience to which Jesus spoke expected to see the Kingdom.

This is a start.  Enough to introduce the study and get me thinking.  Some theologians refer to the kingdom as "already but not yet."  The Kingdom has started and we can see glimpses of it but it is obviously yet to be completed.  I'm open to discussion, criticism, or other comments.  In the coming weeks I'll write some more about the Synoptic Gospels, look at the few references in John, take a look at Paul's view and lastly do a little with Revelation (although that's a whole other study that I've started).