The Church: The Kingdom of Christ

 

 

                 Jesus conclusively stated, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here" (John 18:36).  This was in answer to Pilate's earlier question of (verse 33) of "Are You the king of the Jews?"  Jesus' answer showed that he was a king but his kingdom was not a worldly kingdom as others thought. His kingdom would not use weapons of the world to defend itself.  His kingdom was not a secular or political.  It goals were very different from what Rome sought, so there was nothing about it to pose a threat to Roman power.  So why did Christ affirm his kingship, his kingdom, but not in a worldly sense?  The church is the kingdom of Christ.

           The suggestion that the words church and kingdom refer to the same Body seems ridiculous to many sincerely religious people.  A careful review of relevant passages reveals that this is a biblical fact.  In Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus himself uses kingdom and church interchangeably in his conversation with Peter, "I will build my church....And I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven."  These "keys to the kingdom of heaven" were used by Peter  when he preached the Gospel of Christ on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and when he preached to the household of Cornelius (Acts 10) – to both the Jews and the Gentiles.  Since Peter used the keys of the kingdom (The Gospel) to open (unlock) the church to both Jews and Gentiles, the church and the kingdom are the same body.

           The apostles made no clear distinction between the church, the kingdom, the body of Christ, and many other terms that referring to the church.  Paul called the Christians in Colosse "saints," members of "the kingdom" (Colossians 1:2,13), and calls the Christians in Corinth "saints" encompassing "the church of God."  The apostle John said of himself that the was a member of the kingdom (Revelation 1:9).  All of these were members of the New Testament church, yet they were members of the kingdom too.  Since the kingdom and church are biblically interchangeable terms, it must be noted that every prophecy of the Old and New Testaments that tell of the establishment of the kingdom refers to the church.  That church has its only beginning in Acts chapter two.  No other church represents the kingdom of Christ.  Jesus is the head of the church which is his body (Ephesians 1:22-23), and the king of the kingdom of God the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).  Many are still surprised and amazed that Jesus Christ did not come to establish an earthly or material kingdom.  Even the apostles were confused about the nature of the Lord's kingdom before their baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).  Their later teaching clearly reveals that the kingdom Christ came to establish is the church.  Those who teach otherwise make God a liar.

Melvin Salal Rogers

Oakwood Road, Church of Christ

1 Oakwood Road

Fairmont WV  26554