Of the Kingdom of God

In the nineteenth century it was popular to interpret the kingdom of God as referring to God’s spiritual rule in the lives of believers. It was essentially noneschatological and belonged to this world. The locus of its operation was the human heart. As time passed, however, it became evident that among Jesus’ contemporaries and the biblical writers the kingdom of God was never understood as something occurring in the human heart. Such an understanding had little in common with the first century. It was rather a reading into Jesus’ teachings of the nineteenth-century liberal agenda.

-- Robert H. Stein, “Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ”

This passage stands out for me, because it strikes at the critical issue for me of what should be my understanding of Christianity: is it a matter of the heart, and perhaps a good ethical code for the community, or could it possibly be more real than that, the reign of the universe, world without end?

I imagine that those nineteenth-century liberals just wanted to keep Christianity current with the modern, unsuperstitious world. But maybe there is more wonder in the world than can be seen and touched. It can be nice to think so. I think I like the idea of a little more enchantment in the world. Who doesn't want a little magic?

Of the Kingdom of God

In the nineteenth century it was popular to interpret the kingdom of God as referring to God’s spiritual rule in the lives of believers. It was essentially noneschatological and belonged to this world. The locus of its operation was the human heart. As time passed, however, it became evident that among Jesus’ contemporaries and the biblical writers the kingdom of God was never understood as something occurring in the human heart. Such an understanding had little in common with the first century. It was rather a reading into Jesus’ teachings of the nineteenth-century liberal agenda.

-- Robert H. Stein, “Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ”

This passage stands out for me, because it strikes at the critical issue for me of what should be my understanding of Christianity: is it a matter of the heart, and perhaps a good ethical code for the community, or could it possibly be more real than that, the reign of the universe, world without end?

I imagine that those nineteenth-century liberals just wanted to keep Christianity current with the modern, unsuperstitious world. But maybe there is more wonder in the world than can be seen and touched. It can be nice to think so. I think I like the idea of a little more enchantment in the world. Who doesn't want a little magic?