Kingdom of God

Kingdom of God
   The New Testament name for the Church. St. Matthew uses the phrase, "kingdom of heaven," while the other Evangelists employ the term, "kingdom of God," both being equivalent terms meaning the same thing, viz.: the kingdom of Christ on earth, the kingdom of the Gospel, the Church of Christ. This is, indeed, a heavenly and divine kingdom, for though it is now set up on earth yet its nature, its purpose, its powers and its ends are "of heaven." That this phrase is used to signify the Church on earth can be seen most plainly in the various parables in which our Lord likens the "kingdom of heaven" to such things as of necessity belong to the present time. See the parables in St. Matt. 13; also in St. Mark 4:26-32. The Gospel which our Lord delivered to man is not an abstract Gospel, but "the Gospel of the kingdom ": -- see St. Matt. 4:23; 9:35; 24:14; St. Mark 1:14; St. Luke 4:43; 9:2; 10:9; 16:16; Acts 1:13; 8:12; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23 and 31. From these and many other passages we learn that our Lord embodied His Truth and Salvation in an Institution which should be the means of its preservation, the instrument of its promulgation throughout the world, and into which men are admitted by Holy Baptism to become partakers of His Salvation. This truth appears constantly in the Bible and is the basis of its appeals to live righteously and godly in this present world. As an example of this see Col. 1:12 and 13.

American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia. — New York, Thomas Whittaker. . 1901.

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  • Kingdom of God — • In this expression the innermost teaching of the Old Testament is summed up, but it should be noted that the word kingdom means ruling as well; thus it signifies not so much the actual kingdom as the sway of the king Catholic Encyclopedia.… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Kingdom of God — Kingdom King dom, n. [AS. cyningd[=o]m. See 2d {King}, and { dom}.] 1. The rank, quality, state, or attributes of a king; royal authority; sovereign power; rule; dominion; monarchy. [1913 Webster] Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. Ps. cxiv.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Kingdom of God — The Kingdom of God or Reign of God (Greek: ] spiritual rebirth, [Kingdom entered through spiritual rebirth: no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit ] and is not the only kingdom [Other kingdoms: If Satan is… …   Wikipedia

  • kingdom of God — The central theme of Jesus preaching according to the synoptic gospels, and a major subject of scholarly investigation for more than a century. The term does not occur in the OT; it is mentioned in the book of Wisdom (10:10) about 50 BCE and in… …   Dictionary of the Bible

  • kingdom of God — or kingdom of heaven In Christianity, the spiritual realm over which God reigns as king, or the eventual fulfillment of God s will on earth. Although rare in pre Christian Jewish literature, the idea of God as king was fundamental to Judaism, and …   Universalium

  • KINGDOM OF GOD —    a symbol that has an extraordinarily rich and varied history. The term means REIGN of GOD. NEW TESTAMENT scholars are divided as to the exact meaning of the term in the preaching of JESUS. AUGUSTINE identified the Kingdom of God with the elect …   Concise dictionary of Religion

  • Kingdom of God —    This term is a translation of the Greek basileia, which may also be translated kingship or reign. The Kingdom of God is at the center of the preaching of Jesus, who taught his disciples to pray for the coming of the Kingdom in the Our Father.… …   Glossary of theological terms

  • Kingdom of God —    (Matt. 6:33; Mark 1:14, 15; Luke 4:43) = kingdom of Christ (Matt. 13:41; 20:21) = kingdom of Christ and of God (Eph. 5:5) = kingdom of David (Mark 11:10) = the kingdom (Matt. 8:12; 13:19) = kingdom of heaven (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; 13:41), all… …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

  • Kingdom of God —    The established rule of God on earth. Christians are enjoined to pray for its coming …   Who’s Who in Christianity

  • Kingdom of God — noun the spiritual domain over which God is sovereign • Hypernyms: ↑spiritual world, ↑spiritual domain, ↑unseen …   Useful english dictionary

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