This is from Luke 17:21, when Jesus was talking to Pharasees (hypocrits and skeptics). Some folks say the translation should be "..God is among you" or "...God is in the midst of you." Regardless, God is either internal to sinners or in the presense of sinners.
If this be true, why are some self-professed Christians so quick to disassociate themselves from sinners and to condemn them as Godless? Why do they condemn others as destined for Hell, when Jesus did not appear to do so? Jesus spent time in dialogue with sinners and apparently asked them to examine their own hearts for the meaning of God.
I am not trying to cast aspersions or accusations here; I am just trying to find out how others on R&S interpret this passage.
2007-11-22 13:29:39 · 30 answers · asked by Ward 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Many people believe Jesus Christ taught that the Kingdom of God is something that exists only in the hearts and minds of believers. Such assumptions are incorrect for several reasons. The Greek word entos, translated "within," is better translated "in the midst of" (Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, "Within"). Several translations, including the Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible and New English Bible, make this clear. Jesus Christ could not have been telling the Pharisees here that God's Kingdom was something that existed within their hearts or minds—after all, they wanted to destroy Him (Matthew 12:14, Mark 3:6).
Instead, in this passage Christ was pointing out the paradox that the Pharisees did not have the spiritual discernment to recognize that the message of the Kingdom of God was at hand or being offered to them (Matthew 23:15-17). To punctuate this point, Jesus, referring to Himself, said "the kingdom of God is among you" or "in your midst." The spiritually blind Pharisees did not recognize Jesus as the divine Representative of that Kingdom.
Rather than telling the Pharisees that the Kingdom of God was something in their hearts, Jesus Christ warned them that they were so spiritually blind they couldn't recognize the very personification of that Kingdom in Him. There is no basis in this passage for believing the Kingdom of God resides in one's heart.
2007-11-22 13:43:03 · answer #1 · answered by TIAT 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is an important passage.
"Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
Most Jews err by imagining the Messiah as a conquistador who would vanquish Israel's enemies and reestablish the throne of David. Here the Pharisees are asking when this mighty conqueror would come and institute an earthly dominion. However, Jesus recognized this as not only a false interpretation, but as a temptation (see Matt 4:9).
The kingdom of God comes whenever an individual recognizes Christ as king and obeys him. Thus, his kingdom comes not by military conquest, but by individual conversion.
Cheers,
Bruce
2007-11-23 22:22:12 · answer #2 · answered by Bruce 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Luke 17:20 But on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them and said: “The kingdom of God is not coming with striking observableness, 21 neither will people be saying, ‘See here!’ or, ‘There!’ For, look! the kingdom of God is in YOUR midst.
Seeing as Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees when making this statement, and seeing that the reasonable transliterations available from the Greek include, 'midst' this verse makes more sense within the context of the verse being translated as midst.
2007-11-22 21:32:52 · answer #3 · answered by Tim 47 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
as a non-christian who has worked with ALOT of sinners(including myself!) i interpret that as meaning that god is love and the WORST sinner CAN find that in their hearts...
people don't act badly from hate or 'evil' - they act from fear and grief and ignorance...those are, relatively, easy to get past..and lo and behold, when you DO you find people are all beautiful on the inside - truly incredible, spiritual beings. it's harder to do crap when you know that about yourself...and if you FOLLOW that love, it does become a spiritual thing - a real kingdom of god regardless of creed or belief.
seems like some religious folk think the rule book is more important than the reality...maybe because they haven't found that reality themselves yet? maybe the energy necessary to keep going la la la about that can fuel a lil more ire when they are judging others but it clearly has nothing to do with the original message.
like i said - i'm not a christian...or any other thing like that...but i have met 'something' divinely good - in life, in others and in me - and i am more than willing to take the truth where i find it - be that a christian truth, or islaamic, shamanic, wiccan, whatever...kinda think we're all looking for the same thing and love seems to be the common denominator.
=)
2007-11-22 22:31:44 · answer #4 · answered by mlsgeorge 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
we are made in His image and He lives in our souls- there is not a need to attend church in a specific building on a specific day or time, you can worship the Lord anywhere at anytime. BUT most religions don't want people to find out about this truth as they would lose a very lucrative money making business if all people stopped attending and supporting the churches.
Read the book of St Thomas of Aquinas for the complete gospel.
2007-11-22 21:40:02 · answer #5 · answered by flyingdove 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I interpret this saying with his other statements on the necessity for a new spiritual birth made to Nicodemus in John 3. The Pharisees expected a Messiah to be a military leader to bring them deliverance from external oppressors and occupiers, whereas Jesus came to bring deliverance from the inner oppressiveness of spiritual death we were all born with.
2007-11-23 07:41:28 · answer #6 · answered by Steven Ring 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Kingdom of God exists whenever and wherever the Holy Spirit accepts the invitation to take up residence in a human soul.
It is a function of sanctifying grace, which itself is a share in God's own divine life.
Absent special circumstances, one must be: 1) validly baptized; and 2) without serious sin, to enjoy such a state.
The Kingdom of God was totally absent from the earth from the moment Adam sinned, until the instant the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived in her mother's womb.
Now, thanks to Christ, the Kingdom of God is visibly manifest on the earth, primarily through the sacraments, and also through the members of the authentic new covenant, universal church, who are living temples of the Holy Spirit.
2007-11-23 00:11:56 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
The King of that Kingdom was standing right there in front of them. They had no idea what he was speaking of as they had turned away from his Father long ago.
As Jesus said, sinners needed the message. Righteous people would not. But except for Jesus, there have been few and far between instances of righteous people; just us sinners.
2007-11-22 22:27:06 · answer #8 · answered by grnlow 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Jesus was telling the pharisees that with Jesus, the King present, the kingdom was in the midst of them. Also, another meaning for the believer is that the kingdom is spiritual and we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God.
2007-11-22 22:16:41 · answer #9 · answered by Not perfect, just forgiven 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Lu 17:21
Ver. 21. The latter words of this verse seem fairly to admit of a double interpretation, as you here may signify the disciples of Christ, who had received Christ as their Lord, over whom he exercised a spiritual dominion and jurisdiction, or as it may respect the whole Jewish nation, amongst whom the kingdom of God was now exercised, by the preaching of the gospel, and the power of Christ put forth in the casting out devils, and other miraculous operations. I incline to the latter, as differing from those that think these words were spoken with a peculiar respect to the disciples; I rather think them a reply to the Pharisees, as corrective of their false notion and apprehension of the Messiah, as if he were yet to come, and to set up a temporal principality; for it is said, Lu 17:22, And he said unto the disciples, as if he did but then specially apply his discourse to them; en hmin thus signifieth, Lu 7:16; Joh 1:14. You (saith our Saviour) are much mistaken as to the nature of my kingdom, and indeed of the kingdom of the Messiah, in the expectation of which you live. It is not a kingdom of the same nature with the kingdoms of the world, it cometh not with pomp: and splendour, for men and women to observe; they shall not say, Lo here he cometh! Or, Lo there he goeth! The kingdom of God is now in the midst among you, though you observe it not.
2007-11-22 21:36:56 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋