THE KINGDOM IS NOT THE CHURCH

By Robert T. Woodworth, USA

The Courier, Baltimore, Maryland
(The Kingdom Digest April 1978)

A hymn by Timothy Dwight in our hymnal goes:

“I love Thy Kingdom Lord,
The house of Thine abode,
The church our blest Redeemer saved
With His own precious blood”

It is a common error to equate the kingdom of God with the church. The church is the Body of Christ, made up of believers. It is not temporal nor material, but spiritual and eternal. The Kingdom of God is the application of a heavenly principle to human government on earth. The kingdom is political and geographical. It is comprised of a people, a place and a king. God’s kingdom will come on earth when God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Christians have been taught to pray for this for 2000 years. (Matthew 6:10). Like the New Jerusalem, the Holy City, God’s kingdom is to come down from God out of heaven. (Revelation 21:2 & 10).

Heaven is where God is. The song-writer was right when he wrote, “Where Jesus is, ’tis heaven there.” Heaven is the spiritual realm of God,but not the material abode of the godly.Unlike the kingdom, heaven has no physical, material, geographical or political entity. Nowhere in the Bible does it ever say that when we die, we go to heaven. The kingdom of God is not heaven. The kingdom of heaven is not in heaven. The heavenly kingdom is composed of an earthly realm and earthly people living by heavenly or divine principles.

The Kingdom of God (or heaven) was the most important subject of Christ’s earthly ministry. John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness saying,

“Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”– (Matthew 3:2)

When Jesus began to preach, He started with the same basic premise:

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” – (Matthew 4:17)

And the kingdom of heaven is synonymous with the “kingdom of God” (as in Mark 1:14 & 15, 4:11, 9:1 & 47, 10:14 & 15, 23 -25, 12:34, 14: 25, 15: 43, Luke 8:10, 12: 31, 10:9, 11:20, 18:24). Where Matthew uses the term “kingdom of heaven” Mark, Luke and John use “kingdom of God”: Both terms refer constantly to a literal, material, geographical, physical, political, earthly realm containing good and bad elements and people destined to be cleansed, purged, purified and perfected into an ideal, plentiful, peaceful, glorious place for God’s redeemed people under their Redeemer and King!

To equate this kingdom with the church or with heaven is to distort the Scriptures. The principles of this kingdom are spiritual, but the application of these ethereal principles to the earthly realm is very practical and powerful. The Companion Bible (Appendices 112,113, 114) contains some useful outlines to show the Scriptural distinction between the kingdom and the church. There are seven terms used to refer to this kingdom in the Bible and none of them refer to the church, the spiritual body of Christ.

One, “kingdom of heaven” is used only in Matthew 32 times, and whenever a parallel passage is found in another Gospel, the “kingdom of God” is used.

Two, “Kingdom of God” as used by the Gospel writers refers always to God’s sovereignty over all, His universal moral rule, from the beginning and without end.

Three, “Kingdom of the Father” (as in Matthew13:43 in the parables of the kingdom) relates to the rule of the righteous in the cleansing of the kingdom from impurities and offences.

Four, “Kingdom of His dear Son” is the Apostle Paul’s reference to the sovereignty of Christ as Creator over His creation and creatures (Ephesians l:10, 20, 5:5, and Colossians 1:13)

Five, “Kingdom of the Son of Man” describes the coming kingdom of Christ (Matthew 16:28) on the throne of David (Isaiah 9:7) for redeemed Israel forever (Daniel 7:13-14, 18, 22)

Six, “Everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” is Peter’s term for the outward display of Christ’s glorious reign at His second coming which could be inwardly anticipated and experienced now (II Peter 1:11). Christ gave the keys or secret of this kingdom to Peter (Matthew 16:19)

Seven, finally the “Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” is used in Revelation 11:15 to portray prophetically the wonderful rule of the King of kings over the kingdoms of the world.

The Companion Bible Study Helps also lists these ten scriptural reasons why the kingdom of God cannot be equal to the church of Christ.

One, the subjects or citizens of the kingdom are called “heirs” to whom the Father gives the kingdom (James 2:5, Matthew 25:34, Luke 12:32). Nothing like this is said of the church. The members of the church are not heirs of the church; they are not given a church.

Two, Jesus said His disciples were to “receive the kingdom” (Luke 19:12) and be “appointed a kingdom” (Luke 22:29). This is never said of the church which belongs to Christ, the Head.

Three, the church’s officers and ministers are called pastors, elders, deacons, or teachers. (Ephesians 4:11, Acts 14:23, James 5:14, l Timothy 3:8-12). None of these terms are used of officials in the kingdom.

Four, the Greek “basileia” is translated to “kingdom” only four times in the plural, while the Greek word “ekklesia” is translated “church” 115 times and 36 times in the plural. There is no crossing over of meanings in these translations.

Five, Jesus speaks of the “children of the kingdom” (Matthew 13:38, 8:12). He never mentions the children of the church.

Six, the names of the church are never used of the kingdom: His Body (Ephesians l :23), Building, holy temple (2:21), one body, one Spirit (4:4),“members of His body, His flesh, His bones” (5:30), “House of God” (1 Timothy 3:15)

Seven, “Partakers of the heavenly calling” is a privilege of the members of the church (Hebrews 3:1), but the “saints” are to rule and reign with Christ over His kingdom (Daniel 7:18,22,27). They “take” the kingdom and “possess” it (Revelation 5:10, 20:4, 6).No such thing ever occurs in the church.

Eight, the church is now here on earth awaiting a heavenly call (Philippians 3:11, 14).The kingdom is not here yet but awaiting the King from heaven (Hebrews 2:8). (Note: It is here but not operative).

Nine, the church is a secret, a mystery hidden until the time it is to be revealed (Romans 16:25, Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:26).The Kingdom is the subject of much prophecy and many parables, (Matthew 13: 2, 31, 33, 45, 47) revealed to the disciples of Christ (v.13-14).

Ten, the characteristics are different:

The church is sanctified by the Word, and without spot or wrinkle or blemish (Ephesians 5:26,27).

The kingdom is infiltrated by the devil, contains weeds who are children of the wicked (Matthew 13:38,39). The kingdom is to be cleansed and the wicked and
offensive things removed (13: 41, 47-50).

Jesus told us to seek first this kingdom of God and other things would follow (Luke 12:31). Remember that the kingdoms of this world are to become the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever (Revelation 11:15).The good news that proclaims the coming of the King and His kingdom is called the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 4:23, 9:35). But the kingdom of God is not the church.