• As most scholars have now come to recognize, the parables of Jesus seem treated best when they are viewed within the twin coordinates of history and literature and when these two focuses come together as hermeneutics.[1]

 

R. David Kaylor states he will follow the premises of Funk and Smith who derived eleven presuppositions for the Jesus Seminar.[2] Werner Kummel likes the approach of word studies as he states in his book,

• It therefore seems advisable to start not from the most debated texts, but from an examination of the particular terms which can throw some light on the temporal meaning of Jesus’ eschatological pronouncements.[3]

 

Rudolf Bultmann states: “Every interpretation of history presupposes a hermeneutic method. But usually the historians do not reflect upon this presupposition.”[4] Kaylor believes that, “positions taken must be supported by evidence and rational argument.”[5] This can be a fairly subjective criterion to live by. Paul Tan states:

• Most people know something about the teachings of prophecy, but a comparative few are acquainted with the hermeneutical principles and procedures on which prophecy is based. This is unfortunate, for hermeneutics is foundational and should be studies first.[6]

So, how shall we proceed? T. W. Manson makes this observation:

• Only toward the end of the eighteenth century was the right of Scripture to say something on its own account, and not merely to be called in to ratify the decisions of Oecumenical Councils or Assemblies of Protestant Divines, openly proclaimed by Gabler.[7]

With this in mind we will let the Scriptures speak for it-self while following two presuppositions. One:

 

•         We observe, accordingly, that the writer of Biblical Introduction examines the historical foundations and canonical authority of the books of Scripture. The textual critic detects interpolations, emends false readings, and aims to give us the very words which the sacred writers used. The exegete takes up these words, and by means of the principles of hermeneutics, defines their meaning, elucidates the scope and plan of each writer, and brings forth the grammatico-historical sense of what each book contains.[8]

And two, we will stand on the principle of the following Scripture:

• But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.[9]

From the synoptic gospels we will examine the statements Jesus made concerning the kingdom of God and attempt to

 

answer the opening questions that elude many.

 

The Problem Defined

“The key to the meaning of the Kingdom is Christology. Jesus not only utters the message of the Kingdom of God, He is Himself the message.”[10] As we look at some Gospel text this view will be found not far from the overall truth.

 

The record of Jesus’statement in Mark, coupled with His statements recorded in Luke, will give us some insight to the historical time line of the kingdom of God.

• And after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom ofGod is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel. [11]
• The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since then the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and every one is forcing his way into it. "But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.[12]

Jesus proclaims a clear distinction in God’s economy at this point in history. The proclamations of the Law and the Prophets have come to fulfillment in the presence of Jesus. Just as Jesus stated, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.”[13] This supports Vos’s position that the kingdom is an extension of the Old Testament prophecy and Jesus expected everyone to understand that.[14] Jesus states, “andJerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”[15] This continues to show that Jesus recognized economies or God working in stages, in bringing the kingdom of God to us in history. This would support Ladd’s position that, “God’s reign expresses itself in different stages through redemptive history.”[16]

 

Through several of Jesus’ statements we can begin to see how Jesus presented the kingdom of God in the present.

 Jesus makes the following statement in Mark 9:

• And He was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”[17] 

 

The Scriptures continues on in that context and states that a week later Jesus was transfigured in a glorious form along with Moses and Elijah. If you follow grammatical-historical hermeneutics this would be seen as a fulfillment of what Jesus had just stated a week before. If this is the correct interpretation, then one aspect to the kingdom of God could be seen as of another dimension of our present world, one not accessible in our present form. Another aspect of the kingdom can be seen in Matthew 12 and says,

• And one of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?" Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord;  and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' "The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." And the scribe said to Him, "Right, Teacher, You have truly stated that He is One; and there is no one else besides Him; and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."  And when Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.[18]

If taking on a correct attitude and view concerning the nature of the kingdom results in bringing us closer to the kingdom, then this may suggests that another aspect of the kingdom is spiritual. Consider what is recorded in Luke,

• And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts up and grows-- how, he himself does not know. "The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. "But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come." [19]  

This illustrates that another aspect of the present Kingdom is its progressive nature. It grows and spreads in a mysterious manner. The kingdom of God was expected to come in a physical presence, but instead Jesus spoke in terms of its nature and its mysteries, of its birth, and growth and finally its appearance in the future. How should we understand this?

 

The Mysteries Explained

• And He answered and said to them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. "For whoever has, to him shall more be given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. "Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. "And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

 

            'You will keep on hearing, but will not understand;

And you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;

For the heart of this people has become dull,

And with their ears they scarcely hear,

And they have closed their eyes

Lest they should see with their eyes,

And hear with their ears,

And understand with their heart and return,

And I should heal them.'[20]

 

What did Jesus mean by the mysteries of the kingdom? Simply put, He was referring to things about the kingdom that were not revealed in times past. How do we know this? Consider the words of the Apostle Paul,

• For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-- if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you; that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.[21]

According to these two texts it was never God’s intention to deliver the earthly kingdom to Israel at this time in history. The mystery that is to be revealed at this time is a new economy or a new stage of the progressive kingdom. In simpler terms the kingdom of God was going to be offered to the Gentiles through the mystery of, “Christ in you”, “that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”[22] Thus the Church becomes the next stage in the kingdom revealed. This is something Kaylor doesn’t understand. Kaylor believes that Jesus spoke in parables because of political dangers of the day,[23] when clearly the Scriptures state that the parables were given to hide the mysteries from the nation of Israel at that time. Kaylor also believes that the Gospel writers were some how on a different page when it came to the ways of the historical Jesus.[24] It is clear, from the Scripture stated so far, that the historical Jesus and the Gospel writers, which some were Apostles and most were, eye witness of Jesus’ life, were in complete harmony concerning the mysteries of the kingdom. Jesus life was not a manipulation by the church to get Jesus to be something He was not. This view would only come by not accepting any of our presupposition.

 

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Footnotes