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The Kingdom of God

the contemporary Pentecostal-charismatic phenomenon” (1998, 526).
Let’s look briefly at some features of that theological framework.

Interpreting Kingdom Passages

Pentecostals often stress the fact that power is a principal feature of
God’s kingdom. Paul wrote, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of
talk but of power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). The Church Age—or the Age of
the Spirit—is marked by two key features:

• The proclamation of the gospel. The church’s primary task is to
proclaim the gospel to all nations before the soon coming of Christ
(Matthew 24:14).
• The dynamic work of the Spirit. The church’s work is to be carried
out in the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).

Both characteristics are hallmarks of the modern Pentecostal movement.

Pentecostals often see the activity of the Spirit in Kingdom passages
that others overlook. For instance, some evangelical commentators say
little about the role of the Spirit in advancing the kingdom of God in the
earth. Pentecostal missiologist Paul A. Pomerville challenged:

Even evangelical approaches to the Kingdom theme can neglect
the role of the Holy Spirit for a number of reasons. George Eldon
Ladd’s otherwise excellent survey of the kingdom of God theme in
The Presence of the Future (1974) is an illustration. He is unusually
silent on the role of the Holy Spirit.… In what appears to be an
almost studied manner he avoids the mention of the third person
of the Trinity. (1985, 147)

In the Pentecostal view, however, the presence of the Kingdom is
characterized by the dynamic activity of God the Holy Spirit.

Life and Ministry in the Kingdom

Pentecostals take great encouragement from the doctrine of the
kingdom of God. They are inspired by both its present and future aspects.
First, they believe that the kingdom of God is presently manifesting itself
in Kingdom power. They expect to minister through the enablement of

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