01 Dec. 2004            
A Prayer
of Jesus
I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise
and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will

Is the Kingdom of God Within You?


By Edgar Jones


Much of Christendom proclaims, "The kingdom of God is within you."

Is the kingdom of God within you?  Within us?  Within everyone?  Within anyone?

Here is the relevant Word, from the KJV and the RSV -- the KJV is the best known version from which such an idea can be dragged from the Word of the Lord:

Luke 17 (KJV)
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Luke.17 (RSV)
[20] Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed;
[21 ] nor will they say, `Lo, here it is!' or `There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.

The phrase that captures our interest is the last one,

. . . the kingdom of God is within you. (KJV)

But from the RSV:

the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.

There are other versions.  For example,

For the Kingdom of God is among you. (NLT)

The FNT has the same:

For behold the kingdom of God is among you.

As you can observe, the KJV expresses an idea that differs from either the RSV, the NLT or the FNT.  Which of these more accurately renders the Word of Jesus? 

The Greek word that he uttered is entos.   If one follows the only other use of this word by Jesus, Matt. 23:36, we will have to select the KJV:

Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

It would not make sense to read, "among the cup and the platter" because both are singular nouns.  He must mean "within the cup and the platter."  However, in the case of Luke 17:21, the pronoun that follows entos is plural.  If Matthew 23:16 were to read "cups and platters," among or in the midst of  would make as make as much sense as within.

So it is with Luke 17:21; the "you" following entos in the Greek is plural.  This, on observation, is confirmed in any case by the fact that the context has him answering Pharisees (plural) -- also designated them.  But one must also observe that within also works with the plural.  It is correct usage to say, within the cups and the platters.  That also makes sense.

We have determined that either within, among, or, in the midst of are suited to this statement by the Lord. Did the Lord tell them (and us) that the kingdom was within them, among them, or in the midst of them?

There is a way to determine which of these he means, without a doubt.  We need only examine the persons being addressed to determine which is suited to them.  He is addressing the Pharisees, so the question we must ask is: does Jesus mean for us to understand that the kingdom of God is within (inside of) the Pharisees?  If not, then he must mean that it is among or in the midst of them. We further stipulate here, to avoid any misunderstanding, that Jesus refers in these texts to the individual human heart.

Just recall that he is speaking to the Pharisees in Luke 17:21 and to none other.  Now, back up in that gospel to read the Lord's evaluation of what was in their hearts.  Remember, this is the very same persons, the Pharisees, which he addresses in Luke 17:21.  The narrative places this earlier encounter shortly before the verse we are examining.  We find this in Luke 16:14,15 (FNT):

14 Now the Pharisees being philia-lovers of money heard all these things, and were ridiculing him. 15 And he said to them: You are those justifying yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts, for the thing exalted among men is an abomination before God.

Can the kingdom of God reside in those hearts?  God knows their hearts, and he finds only abomination there.

There is more.  We have this from Luke 11:39(FNT):

So the Lord said to him: Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but the inside of you is full of robbery and wickedness.

Conclusion:  When Jesus addressed the Pharisees, he was not addressing people who had any relation with the kingdom of God.  He said of them, first,

Inside you are full of extortion and wickedness.

Then, later:

God knows your hearts; for what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

Now, go back to his only other use of entos as presented above (Matt. 23:26): 

Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within (entos) the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

It is simple; the only things inside or within (entos) the Pharisees were:

extortion and wickedness

abomination in the sight of God.

We confidently state that this version, the kingdom of God is within you (KJV), is erroneous.  It plants an evil seed -- a seed that has  sprung up and multiplied throughout Christendom where so many believe that the kingdom is within the hearts of those Pharisees -- and themselves.

The kingdom was not in those Pharisees, but were they in the kingdom?

Matt. 5:20 (FNT)
20 For I say to you that unless your justice abounds more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens.

These persons, the Pharisees, were not in the kingdom, not was the kingdom in them!  They had no relation to the kingdom of God. 


There is But one Relation to the Kingdom

Jesus never speaks of the kingdom being inside of anyone.  That is vitally significant, for it reveals something about the nature of the kingdom that was the focus of his gospel, the Gospel of the Kingdom.  So, did he speak of others entering into the kingdom?  Many times!

Matt. 5 (FNT)
20
For I say to you that unless your justice abounds more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens.

Matt. 7 (FNT)
21 Not everyone saying to me: Lord Lord will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my father who is in the heavens.

Matt. 18 (FNT)
3 Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become as the child, you will not enter into the kingdom of the heavens.

Matt. 19 (FNT):
23 Truly I say to you that the rich hardly enter into the kingdom of the heavens. 24 But again I say to you it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Mark 9 (FNT):
47 And if your eye stumble you, cast it out, for it is good that one-eyed you enter into the kingdom of God than having two eyes be thrown into Gehenna, . . ..

Mark 10 (FNT):
23 How difficulty will those having possessions enter into the kingdom of God. 24 But his disciples were being amazed at his words. But Jesus again answering says to them: Children, How difficult it is for those trusting upon possessions  to enter into the kingdom of God. 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for the rich to enter into the kingdom of God.

Luke 18 (FNT):
24  How difficulty those having possessions enter into the kingdom of God. 25 For it is easier for a camel to enter through a needle hole than for the rich to enter into the kingdom of God.

John 8 (FNT):
4 Nicodemus says to him: How is a man able to be born when he is old? Is he able to enter into his mother's womb a second time and be born? 5 Jesus answered: Truly truly I say to you, if someone not be born out of water and spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God.

It is elementary; the kingdom is not inside of anyone.  If one has a relation to the kingdom, then that one is inside the kingdom.  Prior exposure to false doctrine renders one blind to many aspects of the Word, and Luke 17:21,22 is an excellent example of this blindness in action.  A lifetime spent in Christendom, being exposed to the idea of the kingdom being within you, makes it difficult to see the fallacy of it. 

Is it important?

Yes, vitally so!  It goes to the issue of seeing the kingdom of God.


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