聖經是我們獨一無二的標準 - 生命.. 結晶.. 啓示

Meaning

• The kingdom of God is not a material realm visible to the eye, but actually a person—the Lord Jesus Christ Himself

• The kingdom of God is the realm of life produced by the resurrected Christ reproducing Himself in His ascension through the Spirit by means of the disciples

• The kingdom of God is the enlargement of Christ, the result produced by Christ's reproduction

• Three synonymous terms: reproduction, churches, kingdom of God (the kingdom is the churches, the churches are Christ's reproduction)

Luke 17:20-21 "The kingdom of God does not come with observation... For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you"

Acts 28:31 "Preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ" (the kingdom of God and the things concerning Christ are parallel)

Acts 28:23 "Explaining and solemnly testifying of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus" (the kingdom of God is Jesus)

Reason

• The resurrected Christ appeared to the apostles for forty days speaking of "the things pertaining to the kingdom of God," establishing the kingdom of God as the theme for the apostles' preaching

• The main work of the ascended Lord is to reproduce Himself throughout the earth

• Christ needs to reproduce Himself through His witnesses for the producing of the churches

• Every local church must be begotten by Christ, produced by Christ's reproduction in His divine, resurrection life

Acts 1:3 "He also presented Himself alive after His suffering... appearing to them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God"

Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you... and you shall be witnesses to Me"

Mark 4:3 "Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow" (Christ as the sower)

Mark 4:26 "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground" (Christ as the seed)

Examples

• Parable of human kingdom: Initially only one man, Adam, then enlarged to a couple, family, and finally all humanity

• Reality of God's kingdom: Christ as the seed (Gospels), the reproduction of the seed producing the churches (Acts)

• Historical testimony: Starting from Jerusalem, disciples scattered everywhere, establishing churches, even to the uttermost part of the earth

• Present situation: Acts is still being written, the reproduction work of the resurrected Christ is still continuing

Acts 8:1 "The disciples were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria" (scattering is reproduction)

Acts 8:12 "When they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ"

Acts 13:1-4 "In the church that was at Antioch... they sent them away" (churches sending out workers to continue reproduction)

Acts 14:22 "Strengthening the souls of the disciples... We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God" (disciples and God's kingdom are parallel)

Application

• Personal level: We are all part of Christ's reproduction, produced by the resurrected Christ

• Church level: We in the churches are Christ's reproduction and enlargement, expanding the kingdom of God

• Universal level: Proclaiming to the entire universe that the Lord Jesus is in the heavens, reproducing Himself through us

• Eternal level: Being with Christ in the heavens, the churches are the kingdom of God

Acts 19:8 "Paul... spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God" (continual preaching)

Acts 20:25 "I have gone preaching the kingdom of God" (making this his ministry)

Rev. 1:9 "I, John... your companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ"

Rev. 1:11 "Send it to the seven churches" (the churches are the manifestation of God's kingdom)

Acts 1:3

"Speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God"

The resurrected Christ established the kingdom of God as the central theme for the apostles' preaching

Acts 8:12

"The things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ"

The gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ are the same thing

Acts 14:22

"We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God"

The life of the churches is the reality of the kingdom of God

Acts 19:8

"Reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God"

The things of the kingdom of God are the content the apostles continually debated and preached

Acts 20:25

"Preaching the kingdom of God"

Paul made preaching the kingdom of God his lifelong ministry

Acts 28:23

"Explaining and solemnly testifying of the kingdom of God... persuading them concerning Jesus"

The kingdom of God is the things concerning Jesus; they are completely consistent

Acts 28:31

"Preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ"

Final summary: the kingdom of God and the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ are parallel

Reproduction of the Resurrected Christ

The process of Christ reproducing Himself in His ascension through the Spirit by means of the disciples

Process and method

Disciples bearing witness, preaching the gospel, establishing churches

Churches

The direct result of Christ's reproduction, the enlargement and manifestation of Christ

Result and manifestation

Local churches everywhere, gatherings of believers

Kingdom of God

The realm of life produced by Christ's reproduction, the enlargement of Christ Himself

Reality and scope

The spiritual realm where Christ reigns, which is the churches

Sowing Stage

Four Gospels

Sower and seed

Sowing Himself as the seed of the kingdom of God

The seed fell into the ground and died

Reproduction Stage

Acts

Resurrected and ascended Christ

Reproducing Himself in ascension through the Spirit by means of disciples

Producing the churches

Expansion Stage

Epistles

Head of the church

Reigning in the churches and continuing to enlarge

The practical manifestation of God's kingdom

Completion Stage

Revelation

King of kings

The kingdom of God fully realized

New Jerusalem