Page 24 - TH130 Kingdom of God A4 Final

The Kingdom of God

history in the person of Jesus Christ (Pomerville, 134–135). He further
equated the kingdom of God with “the activity of God” (134). He said that
Pentecostal theology answers the question, “How is the kingdom of God
advanced?” The answer is that the kingdom of God is advanced in the
power and anointing of the Holy Spirit (147–148).

Other Pentecostal theologians saw the vital connection between “signs
and wonders” and the advancement of the kingdom of God. In 1986,
Assemblies of God missionary Ruth A. Breusch wrote a series of ten
articles for Mountain Movers magazine entitled “The Kingdom, the Power,
and the Glory.” Writing from a Pentecostal point of view, she talked about
the kingdom of God and its relationship to the mission of the church. She
said that in this age God has chosen the church as His means of advancing
His Kingdom throughout the earth. The Spirit is present in the Kingdom
to empower the church for the task
of world harvest. More recently,
Peter Kuzmic and others have
There is a vital written convincingly of the role of

connection between the Spirit’s power in advancing the
kingdom of God in the world.
1
“signs and wonders”
and the advancement One recent development among
some Pentecostals and charis matics
of the Kingdom. is Kingdom Now theology. This

theology is a departure from the
premillennial end-time teachings
of most Pentecostals. Kingdom Now theology focuses on the church
Christianizing society, that is, making society ever more Christian. It rejects
the teaching of the rapture of the church. Kingdom Now theology has
generated controversy in Pentecostal circles.

In their early years, Pentecostals often overlooked biblical teaching
on the kingdom of God. However, today there are many references to
the kingdom of God in Pentecostal and charismatic writings. Pentecostal
perspectives on the kingdom of God will be discussed in Unit 4.

1 Material for this chapter is drawn from Kuzmic (1988, 521–526), Ladd
(1952, 21–60), and Williams (1989, 105–108).

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