02.07. How the Kingdom and the Church Differ

VII HOW THE KINGDOM AND THE CHURCH DIFFER

I IN chapter three we considered "God’s Covenant with David, or The Coming Kingdom," in which it was stated that God is not now and in this age setting up His Kingdom, but doing something else, namely, building up His Church, which is called the Body of Christ. The time will come, it was added, when this Body will be completed and the Church caught up to "meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). Afterwards, Christ will return to the earth and in Him God will set up His Kingdom which is the Kingdom promised to David and now in abeyance. The last chapter bore the title, "The Place of the Church in the Plan of Redemption," where it was shown that the Church did not come into being until after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ,i. e.,on the day of Pentecost. It. was also shown that the Church has a particular and a limited work to do on the earth,i.e.,the building up of itself until, as a spiritual organism, it is complete or perfected, when the translation above referred to takes place. In this chapter, however, the Kingdom and the Church are brought together in one view, in such a way that it may be seen more clearly how they differ.

II To speak first of the Kingdom. The word is a translation of the Greek "basileia," and is never translated any other way. There are two phrases descriptive of it in the New Testament, "the Kingdom of God" and" the Kingdom of Heaven," which in the popular mind are identical and interchangeable, but this is an error. The first is the broader and more comprehensive term, universal in fact, "including all moral intelligences who are willingly subject to God." These are the good angels, the saints of all past and future dispensations, and the true Church of the present dispensation. (See Luke 13:28-29; Hebrews 12:22-23.) On the other hand, the Kingdom of Heaven, as distinguished from the Kingdom of God, is a limited designation, and takes its rise in the divine promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:10-17. The story is something like this: At the creation of man God gave into his hands the dominion over all the earth, which man lost to Satan at the fall, the latter then becoming the "prince of this world" (cf. Genesis 1:26-28 with ’Matthew 4:8-10, and John 14:30). Immediately, however, God revealed His remedial purpose in Jesus Christ, the seed of the woman, who should bruise the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). This purpose was to restore the dominion to man, and through man, again to bring it back to Himself.

Two thousand years later this purpose further revealed itself in the divine call of Abraham to become the father of the nation of Israel (Genesis 12:1-7). This nation was to be instrumental in the execution and fulfillment of the original purpose.

Again, one thousand years after the call of Abraham, and when the nation which had come out of his loins was established in its land, and David his descendant was reigning over it, that purpose still further revealed itself in the promise to David that the Lord would set up his seed after him and establish his kingdom forever (2 Samuel 7:10-17). This is the beginning of the Kingdom of Heaven.

It is called "the Kingdom of Heaven," not because it is to be realized or manifested in heaven, but because the thought of it originated there, in God’8 purpose of love and grace towards His creatures, and because it is heavenly in its principles and in its authority. In other words, to quote Daniel 2:44, it is "the Kingdom of Heaven" because" the God of heaven" shall set it up, but it will be set up on earth, nevertheless, and will have Jerusalem as its capital (Isaiah 24:23; Joel 3:16-17). At first it will be established over Israel when she shall have been regathered to Palestine and converted to Jesus Christ as her Saviour and Messiah; but ultimately it will be established over the whole earth (Psalms 2:8; Isaiah 2:1-4; Ezekiel 37:21-25; Zechariah 9:10).

Furthermore, the thought that God is to set up the Kingdom of Heaven should be dissociated in our minds from any idea that man will set it up. That is, it will not be brought to pass by any legislation of men, nor by any international treaties. Neither will it come by "persuasion," through the preaching of the Gospel and the progress of Christianity for example, but rather by the exercise of divine power and through purifying judgments on the world powers in connection with the second advent of Christ. (See Psalms 2:1-12; Isaiah 9:7; Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44-45; Zechariah 14:1-9; Revelation 19:11-16.) As the Scofield Bible says, "it is impossible to conceive to what heights of spiritual, intellectual and physical perfection humanity will attain in the coming Kingdom," but we know it will mark an age of peace and righteousness. The meek will inherit the earth in those days; longevity will be increased; beast ferocity will be removed; justice and equity will be the rule; and the great majority of earth’s inhabitants will be saved by the grace of God, for the knowledge of Him will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Especially should it be noted that Satan will then be removed from the scene and from active participation in human affairs (Revelation 20:1-5). And finally, as showing more clearly the relation of the Kingdom of Heaven to the Kingdom of God, let it be repeated that the Kingdom of Heaven has for its great object the ultimate establishment of the Kingdom of God in the earth. That is to say, the "Kingdom of Heaven merges into the Kingdom of God," when Christ, having "put all enemies (of the Kingdom of Heaven) under his feet," "shall have delivered up the Kingdom (of Heaven) to God, even the Father" (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).

III

Coming to the thought of the Church, it is the translation of the Greek word "ecclesia," which means the called-out ones, as when a number of people are called out from their private concerns to a public meeting, and assembly of some kind. In the New Testament it is used (1) to designate a local church, as when Paul speaks of "the church which is at Cenchrea" (Romans 16:1) ; (2) a group of churches, as when he speaks of "all the churches of the Gentiles" (Romans 16:4); (3) the visible body of professed believers, "all the churches of Christ" (Romans 16:16) ; and especially (4) the body of the truly redeemed in this dispensation, no matter of what locality, or to what class they belong, "the Lord added to the Church daily" (Acts 2:47), "the Church which is his body" (Ephesians 1:22-23), "the Church of the first-born" (Hebrews 12:23).

These are the called-out ones in the sense that God, by His Holy Spirit, has called them out of the world unto Himself through the exercise of their faith in Christ. They have been" delivered out of the power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of the Son" (Colossians 1:13).

Thus we see that the Church is not revealed in the plan of God till we reach the New Testament. Then it is that Christ appears on the earth, He who is the Seed of the woman promised in Eden, the Seed of Abraham and the Seed of David, the Son who should proceed out of Him and in whom His Kingdom (i.e., the Kingdom of Heaven) should be established forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13).

"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:1-2). And Christ Himself at the initiation of His ministry in Galilee did the same (Matthew 4:17). But Israel did not repent, but instead she kept on in her wicked way and rejected "him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write." When this rejection became evident and fixed at the time of Peter’s noble confession of Him as "the Christ, the Son of the Living God," then it was that Christ announced the new program about the Church which had been "kept secret since the world began" (Romans 16:25). He said "upon this rock,"i.e., upon this confession of me, "I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). This building process began on the day of Pentecost, and has been in process ever since, and will continue until the building is completed, when "the Church which is his body" (Ephesians 1:22-23), will be caught up to meet its Head in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). (See the previous chapter, "The Place of the Church in the Plan of Redemption.")

It thus appears that the Church at present bears something of the same relationship to the Kingdom of Heaven that the latter bears to the Kingdom of God; in other words, it has for one of its objects at least, the ultimate establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven upon the earth (Ephesians 5:29-32; 2 Timothy 2:12).

IV A few confirmatory evidencesofthe distinction between the Kingdom and the Church may be appreciated. For example, consider (1) the terms used in representing each. The Church is "built," the Kingdom is "set up." The first word is never used in connection with the Kingdom nor the second in connection with the Church.

Consider (2) the relationship sustained by men and women towards each. The Church has its "elders," its "messengers," its "servants," but the Kingdom has its "heirs." "We "see," we "receive," we "enter," we "inherit the Kingdom," but these terms are never used in Scripture of our relationship to the Church.

Consider (3) the way in which reference is made to each. The "advancement" and "extension" of the Kingdom are spoken of, but the "cleansing" and "edifying" of the Church.

(4) The Kingdom is a unit, the Church an aggregation. The word "Kingdom" is never found in the plural, but "Church" is very commonly referred to thus.

(5) The Church will reign with Christ, but the Kingdom will be reigned over by Christ and His Church.

(6) The Church is an election, taken out of all nations; the Kingdom will be universal.

(7) The Church is now in the world and longs for the time when it will be delivered out of it, but the Kingdom is still in abeyance and prayed for in the familiar words, "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

(8) The Church is temporal so far as its establishment on the earth is concerned, but the Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.

Years ago there lived and ministered in Boston an earnest though somewhat eccentric individual known as Father Taylor, pastor of the Seamen’s Bethel. He was a godly man but not very cultivated, and one day, while preaching, he became considerably tangled in his utterance and broke out with the words, "Brethren, I seem to have lost the track of my nominative ease; but one thing I know, I’m bound for the Kingdom!"

He was right. Though he had been in the Church a great many years, he realized that the Kingdom was still future. Father Taylor, in other words, was not guilty of the blunder of a university president (also a minister) whom we have seen quoted as follows: "The Christian Church is the Kingdom of God on earth, viewed in its objective or institutional form. God’s Kingdom among men is as old as human history!"

V

There are two or three textual objections to the foregoing that may suggest themselves. For example, what about Christ’s words, "My Kingdom is not of this world," and "The Kingdom of God is within you" (John 18:36; Luke 17:21)? And the words of Paul, "For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17).

Some have found embarrassment in reconciling the first with the idea that the Kingdom is to be an earthly one; but there is no more conflict there than in the case of the Church. Christ’s Church is not of this world, but it is in the world.

It is the same with the second text, which the margin renders, "The Kingdom of God is among you, or in the midst of you." The Kingdom could not in any sense have been within the persons to whom Christ addressed these words, because they were the wicked and contentious Pharisees who were expecting the Kingdom to come by such methods of observation as they could appreciate. Christ’s words rebuked them. The Kingdom was already in the midst of them, or among them, in the sense that the King was there, if only they had eyes to see Him. And as to Paul’s words, of course, righteousness, peace and joy are already in the earth, but this does not constitute the Kingdom to be set up after the coming judgment on the nations, and which is to constitute the throne of David.

Hence we see that the true attitude of the Church to-day must be that of the best days of her history, one of loyal and loving expectancy, as she continues to pray: “Thy Kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

QUESTIONS ON THE LESSON 1.Give a condensed review of the earlier lesson on "God’s Covenant with David."

2. Do the same for the lesson on “The Place of the Church."

3. What two Biblical phrases describe the “Kingdom" ?

4. How do these two expressions differ in meaning? 

5. Where may it be said that the conception of the Kingdom of Heaven takes its rise?

6. Tell in your own words the story leading up to it.

7. Why is it called "the Kingdom ’of Heaven’’’?

8. What will be its earthly beginning and ultimate extent?

9. By what means will the Kingdom be set up on the earth?

10. How does the Scofield Bible summarize the earthly blessings of the Kingdom?

11. State the relation of “the Kingdom of Heaven" to “the Kingdom of God."

12. Can you quote 1 Corinthians 15:24-28?

13. What does “ecclesia" mean, and in what four ways is it used in the New Testament?

H. When, and under what circumstances was the Church revealed?

15. When will its earthly history conclude?

16. Name eight evidences confirmatory of the distinction between the Kingdom and the Church.

17. Name and reply to certain textual objections to the foregoing.