Page 92 - TH130 Kingdom of God A4 Final

The Kingdom of God

“preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus
Christ” (v. 12). Comparing these two verses, we discover that to “proclaim
the Christ” and to preach “the good news of the kingdom of God” are the
same. Both are declaring “the name of Jesus Christ” (v. 12).

Another example is found in the ministry of Paul in Acts. At the
conclusion of the book, Luke writes that Paul “explained and declared
to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus”
(Acts 28:23). He then says that Paul “preached the kingdom of God
and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 31). Again, as with Philip,
“preaching the kingdom of God” is the same as teaching and preaching
about Jesus Christ. We therefore conclude: When, in the book of Acts,
Luke says that the Christians preached Christ, or preached the gospel,
we can know that they were at the same time proclaiming the message
of the kingdom of God.

John’s Adaptation of Terms

In his Gospel, John often substituted the phrases “life” or “eternal
life” for “kingdom of God.” This can be seen by looking closely at Jesus’
conversation with Nicodemus in John 3. There, Jesus says to Nicodemus,
“I tell you the truth, no one can see [or ‘enter,’ v. 5] the kingdom of God
unless he is born again” (v. 3). Then, in verses 15–16, He describes the
same experience with different words: “Everyone who believes in him
may have eternal life.” Finally, in verse 17, Jesus calls the same experience
being saved: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn
the world, but to save the world through him.” These relationships are
as follows:

• Be born again in order to enter the Kingdom (vv. 3–5).
• Believe in order to have eternal life (vv. 15–16).
• Believe/be born again in order to be saved (v. 17).

Note how in John 3:3–5 being born again results in one entering the
kingdom of God. Then, in verses 15 and 16, believing results in eternal
life. These parallel statements are describing the same experience. Finally,
notice how both believing and being born again results in one’s being
saved, another parallel expression.

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