Eight Aspects of the Kingdom of God

 

Eight Aspects of the Kingdom of God

Acts 1:3 "After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God."

Acts 20:25 "Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again."

Romans 14:17 "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

Mark 1:15 "The time has come, The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"

Acts 28:31 "He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!"

Galatians 5:19-21 "The acts of the flesh are obvious... I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

 

Aspect	Description	Example	Application	Relevant Scriptures
Mission	The kingdom of God is the main theme that the apostles were to preach after Pentecost	The resurrected Christ appeared to the apostles for forty days, speaking about the kingdom of God	Preaching the message of God's kingdom	Luke 17:20-21 "Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, 'The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, "Here it is," or "There it is," because the kingdom of God is in your midst.'" Acts 14:22 "strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,' they said." Mark 4:3, 26 "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed." "He also said, 'This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.'" 2 Peter 1:3-11 "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life..." John 3:3, 5 "Jesus replied, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.'" "Jesus answered, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.'"
New Testament	The kingdom of God is not a visible material realm, but a person	The kingdom of God is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself	Knowing and experiencing Christ as the kingdom of God
Churches	The churches are parallel with the kingdom of God and are the manifestation of God's kingdom on earth	The churches are the expansion of Christ, the multiplication of the seed of the kingdom	Participating in church life, expanding God's kingdom
Christ	The kingdom of God is Christ as life expanding into the believers	Christ is the seed of the kingdom, growing within believers	Allowing Christ to reign in us
God	The kingdom of God is the realm of God's reign in His life	God's righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit	Experiencing God's reign in daily life
Believers	Believers enter the kingdom of God through repentance and faith, and grow in it	Being born again to receive divine life, enjoying the blessings of God's kingdom	Pursuing spiritual growth, preparing to inherit the kingdom	1 Corinthians 6:9-11 "Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?... And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." Acts 19:23-41 "About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. A silversmith named Demetrius... brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. He called them together... and said: 'You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business...'"
Satan	Satan opposes  the expansion of God's kingdom on earth	The riot in Ephesus against Paul's preaching	Being vigilant against Satan's attacks, holding fast to faith
Proclamation	Proclaiming the kingdom of God  is reproducing the resurrected Christ	Paul teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ in Rome	Preaching Christ, expanding God's kingdom	Acts 28:23 "They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus."

 

This table summarizes the eight main aspects of God's kingdom, including mission, New Testament, churches, Christ, God, believers, Satan, and proclamation. Each aspect is accompanied by a corresponding description, example, application, and relevant scriptures.

This table helps us comprehensively understand the concept of God's kingdom and its importance in the Bible. It demonstrates that the kingdom of God is not merely an abstract concept, but a reality closely related to believers' daily lives and spiritual growth.

From this, we can see that the kingdom of God is:

 

The core theme of the apostles' preaching

l   A Christ-centered spiritual entity

l   Manifested on earth through the churches

l   The expansion of Christ's life in believers

l   The realm of God's rule

l   A domain that believers are called to enter and grow in

l   A battlefield facing spiritual warfare

l   A message that needs continuous proclamation and expansion

 

This table not only provides theoretical knowledge but also offers guidance on how believers can practice and experience the kingdom of God in their daily lives.

 

*Please refer to the 2024 Summer Live Training - Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1), Message Twelve: The Divine Trinity, the Spirit of Jesus, and the Kingdom of God."