The Kingdom of God

What Is the Kingdom of God? Understanding Its True Meaning

The phrase "Kingdom of God" resonates deeply with us, but what does it truly mean? According to Luke 17:21, Jesus declares, “The kingdom of God is within you.” This powerful statement shifts the perspective from a physical realm to an internal, spiritual experience. The illustration continues in Luke 13:21, comparing the Kingdom to “leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” But what is this "leaven"? In Matthew 16:12, the reader is warned against “the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” identifying it as their doctrine. Simply put, the Kingdom of God is a transformative understanding of wisdom rising within us.

The Original Teachings: Parables and Sayings Before the Gospels

Before the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) were written, no narrative of miracles, resurrection, or ascension existed. Instead, the earliest records of Jesus’ teachings were most likely collections of parables and wise sayings. These sayings, often centered on the Kingdom of God, formed the foundation of early Christian philosophy. Written after the destruction of Jerusalem, the Gospels wove these sayings into narratives to support traditional beliefs, but their core rested on philosophical wisdom.

This original wisdom, free from later narrative additions, focused on an inward spiritual journey. For example, the concept of resurrection wasn’t about a physical rising but a spiritual awakening—a “rising up” of understanding within the heart, as promised in Jeremiah 31:33: “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.”

Redefining Death: A Spiritual, Not Literal, Concept

The promise in John 8:51, “If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death,” challenges traditional religious understanding. If the Kingdom of God is an internal experience, then the “death” referenced here isn’t physical but spiritual. This spiritual death is tied to the “righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees” (Matthew 5:20), which the Jesus character critiques as insufficient. In Mark 7:9, he condemns their adherence to “your own tradition” over their Deity’s commandments, equating traditional religious law with spiritual stagnation.

The Hebrew Scriptures philosophically define sin and death as the philosophy of rigid religious law. This definition can be found in the New Testament, wherein 1 Corinthians 15:56 states, “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.” By embracing the Kingdom of God’s understanding, one can avoid this spiritual death and experience a resurrection of thought, or a renewal of heart and mind, fulfilling the saying, “Create in me a clean heart...and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10).

The True Message: Liberation from the Curse of the Law

The narrative of a demigod dying and rising for humanity’s sins is a later addition, not the Hebrew Bible’s core teaching. Yet Galatians 3:13 declares, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.” The crucifixion, in this context, symbolizes liberation from the traditional religious law; the true “sin” and “death.” By focusing on the Kingdom of God experience, one can reject outdated religious traditions/ideals/supposition/ and embrace wisdom sparking spiritual awakening.

This message is revolutionary: adhering to Jesus’ sayings prevents spiritual death by fostering a living, transformative faith. As the doctrine of the Kingdom rises within, it reshapes devotional thought and ignites a resurrection of the soul.

Why This Matters for Your Spiritual Journey

Understanding the Kingdom of God as an internal, transformative experience empowers one to move beyond rigid and useless traditions. We are supposed to be cultivating a belief that is alive, intellectual, and dynamic. The Bible’s original concern of spiritual or inward resurrection; free from the “curse of the law”; offers a path to deeper connection with the intended will and journey of at the core of the scriptures.

Let the Kingdom of God rise within you, transforming your heart and mind.

How The Bible Reveals a Revolution of Personal Devotional Transformation

When reflecting on the stories of Moses and the Exodus, Samson and the two pillars, Gideon’s war against Baal, Abraham’s journey, and Joseph’s rise to power in Egypt, what stands out? These narratives represent more than just historical events—they signal a revolution and resurrection of devotional thought. They challenge us to consider a deeper devotional revival.

At the heart of the Bible is the concept of an inward resurrection, a transformation of our devotional conversation’s inner being. King David, recognizing this profound truth, wrote in Psalm 51:6, “Thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.” The core message of the Bible is a resurrection driven by wisdom and knowledge. As 1 Samuel 2:3 declares, “The LORD is a God of knowledge,” and Proverbs 2:6 reminds us that “out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”

The Bible’s wisdom is the fuel for inner revival. The Bible is not ultimately a collection of stories, but rather a message with a call to revive and reshape our devotional thoughts and feelings. Proverbs 1:23 affirms, “I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.” From Genesis to Malachi, the focus remains on this inward transformation of the mind through the Bible’s wisdom.

However, when we transition to the New Testament, the language and philosophy shifts, influenced by the dominant Greek culture and religious thought. Despite this shift, the original message remains hidden beneath the surface. Luke 17:21, for instance, tells us, “The kingdom of God is within you,” echoing Ruth 2:4, “The LORD be with you.” These two verses are not different in meaning but convey the same core message. The “kingdom of God” isn’t a new concept. To the Greek it was called the “doctrine of the kingdom,” but to the Hebrew it was called the “science of the LORD.”

Here’s the fascinating part: the Bible plays with these terms to keep its message accessible yet profound. “The LORD” and “the kingdom” are essentially one and the same—they represent the experience of the Bible’s words within our devotional character. Yet, because of religious tradition and theological interpretations, we often fail to see this continuity.

This philosophical expression is captured in the word “Immanuel,” meaning “God is with us,” or more directly, “within us is God” (Isaiah 8:10). Understanding this helps us reclaim the Bible’s original intention—a focus on the inward, personal devotional experience, untainted by external religious structures.

So why is it essential to grasp that the “kingdom of God” predated the New Testament? Because as we move through the Bible, especially into the Greek-influenced gospels, we encounter distortions of the original Hebrew philosophy. If we aren’t rooted in the wisdom of the Old Testament, we risk misunderstanding the message. As Isaiah 45:21 says, “There is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.”

The Greek-influenced reinterpretation of the Bible’s message led to a distortion of the original Hebrew philosophy, especially regarding the nature of God. This shift wasn’t just a religious one but a philosophical one, altering how people understood their relationship with the scriptures. Even though the landscape of religious interpretation has changed over time, the original intent remains intact and waiting to be rediscovered.

This shift in biblical interpretation mirrors what happens in secular history: those in power shape the narrative. In the same way, the Bible’s original philosophy has been overshadowed by religious and political agendas. Understanding this is vital if we are to reclaim the Bible’s true devotional experience and engage with it in a way that transforms our personal and devotional character.

The Bible calls for more than belief—it calls for a revolution of the heart and mind, a resurrection of our inner dialogue with the Bible. By returning to its original message, we open ourselves to a wisdom that revives, restores, and reshapes our lives.

The Essence of Biblical Spirituality: A Journey of Balance, Wisdom, and Inner Peace

Concerning the BIble’s philosophy, I am often asked about the essence of its significance. There are real seekers out there, seekers not merely curious about the Christian theory or its preconceived notions; they yearn to grasp the meaning behind the Bible's spiritual understanding. This exploration reveals a fascinating shift in human comprehension, where traditional views of spiritual intelligence and devotional beauty are giving way to deeper inquiries into the fundamental counsel and wisdom embedded within the Bible.

The core of the BIble’s philosophy is about achieving balance within the devotional and the natural self. Consider that the ultimate goal of the Bible is to harmonize the human condition through the personal discovery and application of its wisdom. This can be perfectly encapsulated in one powerful sentence from Psalm 119:165: "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them."

Possessing the law (in context, philosophy) of the living God bestows a unique peace that fosters balance. But what is this law? While it might seem natural to link David's words to the Mosaic law and its associated religious practices, doing so would be a misinterpretation. The law given by Moses did not inherently increase peace.

True peace is added to our minds when we exercise the Bible’s words. The peace that is given from such an act arises from a desire to know the intention within those words, leading to our edification. Hebrews 11:6 emphasizes, "Without faith it is impossible to please him," while Galatians 3:12 reminds us, "The law is not of faith." Relying on written religious laws, which is the standard religious experience, to find peace ultimately leads to disappointment and spiritual unrest, as it fails to fulfill the promise of edification through self-regulated learning.

David, the psalmist, understood this profound truth. He speaks of a deeper law that brings peace to the inner self, as seen in Psalm 51:6: "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom," and Psalm 51:10: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."

It's crucial to remember that "the law (religious law) is not of faith" (Galatians 3:12) and that "whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Romans 14:23); to the Bible’s mind, all religious law is defined as “sin.” The law David speaks of is a principle of mental creation and renewal, a counsel that nurtures personal faith, affecting the inward parts of our devotional life, fostering wisdom, and adding peace when we fully embrace it.

Paul's illustration of the living God's chief apostle suffering on the cross serves as an allegory for our personal spiritual journey. In Galatians 3:13, Paul writes, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us," echoing Deuteronomy 21:23: "He that is hanged is accursed of God." This crucifixion symbolizes the rejection of the belief that adherence to written religious laws justifies and satisfies the experience.

Understanding this allegory means recognizing that sincere justification and peace with the living God, ourselves, and others is through a different path than a traditional religious experience. Romans 3:20 asserts, "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight." Instead, peace is achieved through a wisdom that fosters inner creation and renewal, as Paul describes in Romans 8:2: "The law of the Spirit of life…hath made me free..."

The law that adds peace is the law of the Bible’s life. When we engage with this law or principle, we move beyond the prescriptions of Moses, embracing the healing character within the Bible’s words. David connects this wisdom to creation and renewal because true peace emerges when our minds are refreshed by the Bible's philosophy, as Ephesians 4:23 advises: "Be renewed in the spirit of your mind."

David's prayer reveals the mission of achieving balance through spiritual renewal. By cultivating a new devotional mind, we instruct our inner self to regenerate and reform. Handling the Bible's words personally allows us to move beyond the general human and religious state, described in Romans 7:15: "That which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I."

This imbalance is corrected through mental regeneration, freeing our minds from "philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men" (Colossians 2:8). In doing so, we can focus on the Bible's words, gaining knowledge and applying it to our lives.

In this pursuit of balance and renewal, we find the true essence of biblical spirituality—a journey of balance, wisdom, and inner peace.