Shining In The Kingdom

One difference between Baptists and the teaching of Christ is the idea of Christ's present kingdom. Baptists believe the kingdom of Christ is still future, but the New Testament shows that Jesus is currently ruling his kingdom. He rules the universe from the right hand of the father. The kingdom reconciled in the Father is the part that is future.

Understanding this is necessary. Baptist tend to reject the necessary part.

Matthew 13:15 teaches we must see, hear, understand, convert, before being healed. Conversion is accepting Christ as messiah and giving honor and obedience to him as described by Peter in Acts 3:19-23. Healing is only possible through conversion to Christ's reign. Since the parables explain the kingdom, it is a necessary point of understanding.

Act 3:19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Conversion is only possible thru understanding the meaning of the parables.

Then in Matthew 13 after teaching the parables Jesus asks the disciples if they understood what he taught in the parables and they responded they did understand.

Mat 13:51  Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

Jesus wants to make sure they understand the parables because they will be the content of their teaching. Their job will be to explain the elements within the parables. They will be the scribes and prophets sent by God.

Mat 13:52  Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

The new and old are the parables and their explanations. That means the parables are to be understood in the writings in the New Testament.

Since he refers to scribes he is concerned with writings, the letters and general works of the New Testament.

We can break down each parable and show how they are connected to the writings. For instance, the parable of the wheat and tares refers to two kingdoms. At least two distinguishable parts of God's rule.

1. The Kingdom of Christ

Mat 13:37  He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

Mat 13:38  The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

This is not speaking of Christ when he returns, but people converted to Christ's word as expressed in the New Testament.

2. The Kingdom of the Father restored after Christ's kingdom finishes its purpose.

Mat 13:43  Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

This likely corresponds to I Corinthians 15 where Christ turns over the Kingdom to the Father after the judgment, we in our new glorious bodies will shine forth as the sun as his glorified church.

1Co 15:28  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Christ will not be co-equal with the Father in position, the Trinity doctrine is false in that sense of co-equality.

1Co 15:41  There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

1Co 15:42  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

1Co 15:43  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

1Co 15:47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

1Co 15:48  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

1Co 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1Co 15:54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

1Co 15:55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

1Co 15:56  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

1Co 15:57  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.