KINGDOM OF GOD The most historical datum about Jesus’ life is the symbol that dominated his whole preach- ing, the reality that gave meaning to all his activities—the kingdom of God. The Synoptic Gospels summarize Jesus’ teaching and preach- ing with the lapidary sentence: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (Mk 1:14-15, Mt 4:17, Lk 4:43). The phrase occurs 122 times in the Gospel and 90 times on the lips of Jesus. Jesus preached the kingdom of God, not him- self (K. Rahner), yet in his own teaching Jesus figures as the representative (Lk 17:20-21), the revealer (Mk 4:11-12; Mt 11:25-26), the cham- Pion (Mk 3:27}, the initiator (Mt 11:12), the instrument (Mt 12:28), the mediator (Mk 2:18-19), and the bearer (Mt 11:5) of the kingdom of God (Beasley-Murray 1986: 296). The kingdom is not only the central theme of Jesus’ preaching, the reference point of most of his parables, and the subject of a large number of his sayings; it is also the content of his symbolic actions, which form such a large a part of his ministry, e.g., his table fellowship with tax collectors and sinners, his healings, and exoicisms. In his communion with out- casts Jesus lived out the kingdom, demonstrat- ing in action God’s unconditional love for undeserving sinners (Soares-Prabhu 1981:584). The death and resurrection of Jesus put his message into a new context, with the result that in Paul and John the kingdom of God is no longer directly at the center of the Christian preaching. “Jesus, the preacher of the Kingdom of God, became after Easter Christ preached” (R. Bultmann, Glauben und Verstehen, | (Tub- ingen, 1933], 101,251). This is not an early ee ‘Kingdom of God ___ falsification of the message. There are two cen tral topics in the NT: the kingdom of God and Jesus the Christ. It is not easy to define precisely what the term “kingdom of God" means, In the course of the history of theology the interpretation of this phrase has often changed according to the situation and ‘the spirit of the age. The word “reign” or “kingdom” is an archaic phrase that does not evoke a resonance in our present ex perience of reality. The expression needs to be retranslated in order to render its meaning. The uestion concerning the kingdom message of Jesus is therefore: How can we bridge the hermeneutical gulf between what the kingdom of God meant in the teaching of Jesus and what it can mean for us today? (Perrin 1976:32-56), In the biblical and theological discussion on the kingdom’ in modem times we can distin- guish three foci: the kingdom as concept, the kingdom as symbol and a new way of focusing, and the kingdom as related to liberation. Each approach raises different questions, which should be seen as complementary. Kingdom as Concept The first’ approach may be described as “authorcentered” What did the authors of the Bible mean with this concept? Tb treat the phrase “kingdom of God” as a concept assumes that behind it we find one clear and constant idea. For example, the kingdom of God is the final, eschatological and decisive intervention of God in the history of Israel in order to fulfill the promises made to the prophets. The con- ‘cem is to find out what the phrase meant in the teaching of Jesus, although Jesus himself never defined the kingdom in precise terms. Kingdom as Symbol The second may be referred to as a “text- ered” approach. It aims to explore what the iia aod tery moder Viewing he kingdom as a symbol opens the phrase to evoke ‘a whole series of ideas, since a symbol by its definition provides a set of meanings that can- not be exhausted or adequately expressed by ‘one referent only (Perrin 1976:33). As a symbol, ‘kingdom evoked in Israel the remembrance of God's activity, be it as Creator of the cosmos, ‘Creator of Israel in history, or ultimately the ‘expectation of his final intervention at the end — ea Sey of history, It is God acting in history on behalf of his people and ultimately on behalf of crea. tion a8 a whole that is the underlying referent to which all of Jesuy teaching and preaching refers. The expression stands for a rich and multifaceted religious experience. It expresses a personal relationship and is even linked to geo- graphical areas. Kingdom as Liberation The third apptoach that has emerged in recent times may be called a “reader-centered” approach. Liberation theologians appeal to the kingdom of God in order to help them articu late and deal with the fundamental question of liberation theology: the relationship between the kingdom of God and the praxis of liberation in history, “We are dealing here with the classic question of the relation between faith and human existence, between faith and social reality, between faith and political action, or in other words, between the kingdom of God and the building up of this world” (Gutiérrez 1973:45). What is at stake is the world-trans- forming dimension of the kingdom. Here the question is: What does the phrase “kingdom of God” have to say to the situation in which we find ourselves now, a situation marked by utter oppression and exploitation. This approach, while not denying the others, brings out very strongly the dynamic aspect of the kingdom. ‘The message of Jesus afms at transforming all reality rather than offering us new information and ideas about it. It intends to recover the historical dimension of God's message and to move that message away from all abstract universalism so that the biblical message may be more responsive to the world of oppression. and to the structures of an unjust social order (Puellenbach 1989:37-48). ‘Thus, the first approach tries to get “behina| the text’; the second stays “with the text’; and| the third stands “in front of the text” The| discussion in terms of the first focus, the kingdom.as concept, was carried out largely in. Europe (Germany and Britain}; the second, the kingdom as symbol, in North America, and the third focus, kingdom and liberation, emerged from Latin America.568 —__ 1. The Kingdom of God in the Old Testament The phrase “kingdom of God" does not occur in the OT, but it is said nine times that God rules in a kingdom. Most exegetes insist that the abstract term malkit is associated with Yahweh, Istael’s God, only very late in the OT and denotes the act of God, The emphasis is on kingly rule and domination rather than on a territory or a place. It is therefore regarded as a religious idea. In recent times this thesis has been challenged, as the notion of kingdom has been approached not only from a historical- critical viewpoint but also from a social- political one (Lohfink 1987:33-86) The faith of the OT rests on two certainties: first, that God has come in the past and that he has intervened | in favor of his people; second, the firm hope that God will come anew in the future in order to accomplish his purpose for the world he has made. As Martin Buber put it: “The realization of the all embracing rulership of God is the Proton and Eschaton of Israel" (Beasley-Murray 1986:17). The following can be regarded as the basic elements of the notion of the kingdom of God in the OT. (1) God is king over all creation and over Israel in particular, on the basis of the cove- nant. (2) This kingship over Israel is experienced in a particular way in the liturgical celebration, ie., in the cult. (3) There is hope of a final and decisive coming of Yahweh on behalf of his people in the future in order to fulfill his prom: ises made to the fathers and the prophets (Schnackenburg 1963:11-74). ‘What is unique was Israel’s experience of Yahweh as Lord of history who acts on behalf of his people; who cares, protects, forgives, heals, and makes @ covenant with them. All this becomes part of what it means to say that God is king of Israel and of all the nations. The actual care and presence of God among his people are then expressed in symbols such as father, mother, pastor, bridegroom, and so on. The functions of Yahweh as king who reigns among his people become components of this ‘experience: he creates a people, he organizes its structure; he feeds them and protects them; he directs, corrects, and redeems them; and he | imparts justice to them. All this forms the background of the “religious experience” vexpressed in the symbol kingdom of God |(Cabellio 1985:16-18). ___ Kingdom of God 2. The Kingdom Message in the New Testament Jesus never defined the kingdom of God in discursive language, He presented his message of the kingdom in parables, which are to be regarded as “Jesus’ choice of the most appro: priate vehicle for understanding the Kingdom of God" (Scott 1981:11). They are the preaching itself and should not be looked upon as merely serving the purpose of a lesson that is quite independent of them. Here participation pre- cedes information. The parables have to remain the reference point for understanding the message of the kingdom (Crossan 1973:51-52) The basic content of the kingdom message can be summarized in the following characteristics: It is "Already" Present and “Yet" to Come Jesus own mentality, his teaching and preach- ing were formed most profoundly by the great prophets of the OT, particularly by Deusero. Isaiah. According to Luke (4:16-21) and Mat- thew (11:1-6), he understood his mission in the setting ofthe jubilee tradition announcing the “great year of favor’ as the ultimate visitation of God on behalf of his people (Lobfink 1986703) Jesus proclaimed this final visitation of God not as future, nor as an object of anxious expos. tation (Lk 3:15), but as having arrived with him, The kingdom has become a present reality, it ig “at hand” (Mk 1:14), “in our reach” (Lk 17:2; demonstrates its effective presence as a iber- ating force through exorcisms (Mt 12:28), heal. ing, and forgiving of sins. Although the historical presence of the kingdom in and through the ministry of esus 16 strongly affirmed, the fulfillment of what is now dimly experienced in an anticipatory way. is still to come. This creates the tension of the ‘already’ and the “not yet” The emphasis either on the “not yet” or the “already” determines the way the kingdom message of Jesus is seen as affecting this world. If the emphasis is put on the “not yet” the “trials of the kingdom’ in the present world stand out and the hope for its final coming becomes the determining factor for action, While no one denies the presence of the kingdom, the emphasis in traditional the- ology is put on the “not yet,’ to the detriment of the “already” In the words of Lohfink: “In order. to be fair to Jesus’ message and practice, one must, more than anything else, hammer out the presence of the basileia that Jesus himself _ maintained” (Lohfink 1989:103).Kingdom of God Although Jesus stood in the tradition of the great prophets, his message is deeply influenced by the apocalyptic expectations of the time, Yet he did not share the pessimism of the apocalyp. tic writers conceming this world, but he por trays 4 realistic view of the power of evil. His message of the kingdom of God can be under stood only in contrast to the kingdom of evil that is at work in this world. Jesus understood his mission as undoing and overthrowing of the evil powers and bringing a liberation that aims at the end of all evil and the transformation of the whole of creation (Kelber 1974:15~18). The Kingdom Is a Gracious Gift from God and a Task for Human Beings Since the kingdom of God is God himself offering his unconditional love to his creatures and giving to each a share in his own life, the kingdom is to be understood as a gracious gift to which we have absolutely no claim. We can accept it only as a love gift from God in gratitude and thanksgiving. This is the main teaching of the growth parables (Mk 4 and Mt 13). One can pray “thy kingdom come” (Mt 6:10}, may cry out to God day and night (Lk 18:7), may hold oneself in readiness like the wise virgins (Mt 25:1-13); it is God who “gives” s eae ta gracious a of the king: make human beings mere passive eee parables of the talents (Mt 25:14¢~ 30) and the treasure in the field (Mt 13:44) show that human beings are actants of the kingdom Here the kingdom is a pure gift, but Sep, ith incredible risks. The also it comes only wit 5 é kingdom of God is totally and pomias of the but at the same time it ly God's work, but a emmnigely jetely the work of is also totally and complete ¥ ‘human beings (Lohfink 1989:104-5} The Religious and Political Dimensions of the Kingdom ‘The religious character of the kingdom is so evident in Scripture that it does not need ‘special attention. The kingdom transcends this ‘world and aims at the new heaven and the new earth. This aspect, however, is often stressed to the extent that the kingdom has no place in this world anymore. Consequently, the message ‘of Jesus becomes totally a private affair, and the ‘social shape of the kingdom is completely 589 neglected and disregarded. Attempts are made today to rescue Jesus from the prison of in dividualism and to bring him back into social life again (Hollenbach 1989:11~29}. By placing Jesus in the sociocultural situation of his time and seeing his mission primarily in the setting of restoring Israel and announcing the “great year of favor’ to his people, the political im plication of Jesus’ message becomes obvious as a demand for a radical restructuring of all present social structures on the basis of the covenant How political was Jesus? Jesus relativized all authority to the Father and to the kingdom, He undertook action that had political signifi- cance, the most radical of which was the denial of absolute authority to any power of his time. In that way Jesus presents us with a ‘normative politics’ ic,, all legitimate authority must be put under the inbreaking kingdom, which demands the restructuring and reordering of all human relationships. ‘To insist chat Jesus’ message on the kingdom Was purely religious and had nothing to say about sociopolitical structures cannot be main, tained on the basis of Scripeure but only on the basis of a rather dualistic view of the world which denies any relevance of the gospel for ‘nnerearthly realities (Steidl Meier 1986:15-16) The Salvational and Univers: Of the Kingdom John the Baptist announced the ‘coming of the kingdom and rejected eave Particularism and ethical passivism, Jewish, ancestry was no guarantee of salvation, By adopting baptism as a rite used for Jewish pros- clytes he declares in fact that Jews stood on the same level with the Gentiles in view of the coming messianic visitation. In contrast to Jesus, who shared most of John’s view of the ‘coming kingdom, John announced first the ‘great judgment that would precede the of the eschatological kingdom. No one could enter the coming kingdom before having passed through this judgment. For Jesus the absolutely certain event that is happening at this very moment in his words and actions is that God is offering his final salvation to all now in this precise hour. This offer is absolutely uncondi- tional and has only one aim: the salvation of all, but specially the sinners and outcasts who al CharacterSPO catia hoped least for it. Its coming does not depend on us, Nor can we prevent it. The motive for action in the face of the inbreaking kingdom now is not the coming judgment as in John’s preaching but this unconditional offer of salva tion. The function of the coming judgment which Jesus did not deny, is not so much a threat of condemnation but rather a not to remain deaf and closed to the offer of salvation (Merklein 1978:146-49) For Jesus, the kingdom is a message of peace and joy. Now is no time to mon 2:18f). Satan's reign is cola Now is a time of salvation; good from bad will be don 13:24-30). The offer of salvat Jews and Gentiles, right Although Jesus restricted “house of Israel? he foresa Gentiles (Mt 8:11) in the srimage of the nations a: waming Present jum and fast (Mk. sing (Lk 10:18) the separation of ie at the end (Mt tion now is for all ‘cous and sinners, his mission to the tw the coming of the image of the great pil: 8 outlined in Is 2:2-3. The Challenge of the Kingdom: Conversion To the indicative proclamation that the king- dom of God was a reality at hand, Jesus adds an imperative—a call to conversion as a response to God's coming in person. This response to the kingdom “at hand” is expressed with the words: “convert and believe” Since the kingdom is a dynamic power that constantly breaks into this world, the call for repentance is a permanent ‘one directed to everyone, not only to sinners but also to the righteous who have committed no great sins. ‘To convert means to tum toward, to respond a call. One is asked to let this message into eee to let oneself be overwhelmed by cis great news. Such a turning around toward the kingdom will include a turning away from. But the motive for conversion is the inbreaking Z of God as having already arrived and not any demand to make oneself ready for its future coming. Conversion is a joyful occasion, not a terrible event of judgment and condem- nation. The lost child has come home (Lk 15:25), the dead one has become alive again. “This son ‘of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (Lk 15:24, 32). Conversion, there- fore, is preceded by God's action, to which we are called to respond. Only his love makes it pos- ‘sible at all. Conversion is a person's reaction to ‘God's prior action (Fuellenbach 1989:58-59). —— Kingdom of God Itis important that the constantly inbreaking kingdom of God be regarded as being always good news and never judgment or condemn tion, Jesus did not abandon judgment (the word appears fifty times in his preaching) but post- poned it. Only the one who does not heed the message of the kingdom now will have to face judgment at the time when the fullness of the kingdom will come. Therefore, wherever the kingdom is preached, judgment should not be anticipated. The gospel has always to remain good news and to be preached accordingly. Commitment to the Person of Jesus ‘The symbol kingdom of God ultimately points to and reveals in a very concrete way God un- conditional love for his creatures. This incom- prehensible love (Eph 3:18-19) became visible and tangible in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore, the kingdom is not just a “grand design’ a utopian dream come true, God's ultimate plan with creation. It is ultimately a person: Jesus Christ. What the kingdom really iis we can only sense and imagine in a personal encounter with him “who loved me and who gave his life for me" (Gal 2:20). Conversion means to ‘tum to someone. It means to welcome, to accept Jesus as the center of our whole life. For him and his gospel we subordinate everything else (Mk 10:28}, even life itself (Mk 10:32). Prior to the question of what the kingdom is, comes the question, Who is Jesus-for me? (Cabellio 1985:22), Conversion in the last analysis is a per. sonal commitment to Jesus, an open declaration, forhim. The person of esus becomes the decisive factor for salvation, for acceptance or rejection in the kingdom of God. This personal attach- ‘ment is a new and unparalleled element in the claims of Jesus. ‘To sum up, then, the key message of Jesus con- tains an indicative, which epitomizes all Chris- tian theology, and an imperative, which sums up all Christian ethics. Its indicative is the pana of he Kine ag eran of God's unconditional everyone. Its imperative isa call to turn toward this inbreak- ing kingdom and to let its power into my life. A Definition of the Kingdom Jesus never defined the kingdom of God. He described the kingdom with parables and. similes (Mt 13, Mk 4), with images such as life,Kingdom of God glory, joy, and light, Paul in Rom 14:17 presents a description that comes closest to a definition: “For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit? Albert Schweitzer regarded this text ass creed for all times” Some scholars have argued from here that the symbol kingdom of Ged is not only the'center of the Synoptics but also of the whole NT. Justice, peace, and joy are key concepts expressing relationships—to God, t» ourselves, to our fellow human beings, and to nature. Wherever Christians relate in justice Peace, and joy in the Holy Spitit, there the kingdom becomes present, The kingdom defined ina short formula is nothing other than justice, peace, and joy in the Hol er loly Spirit (Wenz 3. The Person of Jesus and the Kingdom of God How is the kingdom of God related to the person of Jesus? The Origin of Jesus’ Kingdom Experience Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom is ulti: mately rooted in his “Abba experience” The message of the kingdom was “sent” to him in his prayer and is therefore intimately tied to and determined by his personal experience of God as Abba. Jesus experienced God as the one who was coming as unconditional love, who ing the initiative and was entering Ses known by the earlier prophets. This experience of God determined his whole life and formed the real core of his kingdom message (H. Schi- mann, Gottes Reich [Freiburg im Breisgau, 1983} 21-64). , Aloe mas of his life, Jesus realized that ‘Yahweh wanted to lead Israel and ultimately all human beings into that intimacy with Yahweh which Jesus himself experienced in his own relationship with God, whom he called Father. This is most explicitly expressed in the Lord's Prayer. Here Jesus authorized his disciples to follow him in addressing God as Abba. By do- ing so he lets them participate in his own com- munion with God. Only those who can say this ‘Abba’ with a childlike disposition will be able to enter the kingdom of God (Jeremias). In Jesus, the Father wanted to make the covenant come tie and be finally established. This is ‘what Jesus thought of as being the kingdom of 501 God that was to come through him into the world: God's unconditional love, which does not know limits when it comes to fulfill the age-old promise of salvation for every person and the whole of creation. Since Jesus himself is God's ultimate offer to us, it can be said that he is God's kingdom present in the world. Jesus is the kingdom in person, the autobasileia, of, as Origen put it, “Jesus is the Kingdom of God realized in a self” Jesus’ Death and the Kingdom What i the connection between the kingdom that Jesus preached and his death on the cross? Was Jesus’ death necessary that the kingdom in its fullness might come? How did Jesus under. stand his death? How did he interpret his failure? A. Schweitzer argued that Jesus would not have proclaimed the arrival of the eschato- logical kingdom of God without knowledge of the trials and suffering that were evoked by this apocalyptic phrase. If Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God as imminent, then the thought of suffering had to come to him quite naturally. Te was not possible to separate from the eschato- logical kingdom the thought of eschatoloneal trial, of the coming Messiah, and of vatiering the age that would immediately proces arrival of the kingdom. Suffering had vo be proclaimed as necessary for the final comiog of the kingdom of God. Jesus, who wien himself clearly in relation to ene stood kingdom, realized that he had to indee oe ing and death as a necessary prerequisee coming of the kingdom. W. Kasper =the Schweitzer view his own, concludes: "jerry certainly saw the trials of suffering and perenne tion a part ofthe lowly and hidden chapseres oy the Kingdom of God, and as such they peecd into the main stream of his preaching. Theses therefore, a more or less straight line from Jeoug! eschatological message of the basileia, the kingdom, to the mystery of his passion” (Kasper 1976:116} The Last Supper and the Kingdom of God The eschatological perspective of Jesus’ death is evident in the story of the Last Supper (Mik 14:17-25; 1 Cor 11:23-25). The gatherings at table, which provoked such scandal because Jesus excluded no one from them, even open. sinners, and which thus expressed the heart of.592 his message, were types of the feast to come in the time of salvation (Mk 2:18-20}. The Last Supper, like all gatherings at table, was an anticipation or “antidonation’ of the consum: mation of the kingdom. It is an “already” of the ‘not yet,” a foreshadowing of the consummation of the kingdom, the advent of the perfect reign of God, the fulfillment of the great banquet all that can only become a full reality after Jesus’ death. The final gathering presupposes this giving of himself for the many ‘The eschatological reference in Luke 22:16 has the following meaning: Jesus will no longer sit at table with the disciples on earth but will do so again during @ new meal in the coming Kingdom of God. For this to happen, his awaited death is a necessary condition. The disciples can partake of the final eschatological banquet only if Jesus first lays down his life for them (Lk 22:20). (Jeremias 1971:299). To share in the kingdom of God is possible only after Jesus has fulfilled the precondition for it; after he has drunk the cup and has been baptized with a baptism (see Mk 10:35-40} (Schnackenburg 1963:193}. The true nature of the task that Jesus had to fulfill in order to bring the kingdom in its fullness is expressed in the words regarding the bread and wine, He must surrender his life so that men and women may share the feast of the kingdom with him. is resokition to complete the mission that Ce SS nm melting ‘and his confidence that he would soon be par- ticipating in its joy sound the keynote of his last meal with his disciples. The Last Supper is framed in affirmation of the death of Jesus in prospect of the kingdom of God. (Beasley- ‘Murray 1986:263) The Death of Jesus: God's Ultimate Revelation Atone jint in his life Jesus must have real- ized chat the only way left to fulfil his mission ‘was to demonstrate the immensity of God's Tove for us to the very end (Jn 13:1). The cross and his death appear as the only way that re- mained to prove God’s redeeming love in a sin-permeated history of humankind. In what precisely do these “eschatological tribulations and sufferings” consist that he had to undertake in order to make the final coming of the kingdom possible? The solution offered is the following: The life of Jesus portrays a tension ee —_________ Kingdom of God that exists between his intimate life with the Father and his “living ous life to the very end?” his faithfulness to his mission, which is most adequately expressed with the two words “iden tification’ and ‘representation’ Jesus felt that the more he identified himself with us, the more he would experience our sinfulness, our forlomness, our insecurity as those who had rejected Gods gift of love. He came to realize that in order to carry his mission through to the end he would have to experience the full reality of what it means for a creature to be cut off from God. For Jesus it would mean to experi ence in himself being cut off from the Father, who meant everything to him, from whom he drew life, and whose will he had come to do. The thought that this moment was coming hor- rified him. The Father would take him as humankind in its God-forsaken, abandoned state. Jesus would have to experience this being completely iden tified with us in our sinfulness and being treated as our representative before God. The cry on the cross is to be seen as the moment when Jesus identified himself most with our God-forsakenness (Mk 15:34). In this moment it seemed as if the love of the Father, from which he drew life, had stopped flowing. The eschatological tribulations are precisely this experience of our true state without God: for. saken, condemned without any hope on our part. On the cross Jesus experienced God as the ‘one who withdrew (Mk 15:34) and let him ex. perience all our forlornness, the real trial of the inbreaking kingdom, which was to overcome sin, condemnation, and death (Fuellenbach 1989:85-95}. In experiencing the effect of sin as condemna- tion, God took upon himself in Jesus Christ what would have been the destiny of human- kind. ‘He descended into hell!” These are the eschatological tribulations that had to be endured in order that the kingdom could finally come in its full glory. 4. The Hope Spirit and the Kingdom ‘The Holy Spirit is described in Scripture as the “agent of life” or as the “giver of life? Through the Spirit the old creation came to exist and re- mained in existence. The same Spirit is believed. to bring about the new heaven and the new earth. at the end of time. The eschatological time isKingdom of God _ forescen asthe golden age of the Spirit, Jesus’ mission in the Gospel of John is described as “releasing the Spirit of the end-time” who will accomplish the transformation of the old into the new. As the ultimate revelation of God's un conditional love for his creatures, Jesus’ death releases this love and transforms it into the power of the Hdly Spirit, The first deed of this crucified love set free in the Spirit is the resur rection of the dead body of Jesus into the new creation. According to Paul, the Holy Spirit is the power by which the Father raised Jesus from the dead. By the same Spirit the kingdom, realized in a new way through the death and resurrection of Jesus, now becomes a world. transforming, life-giving force. It is, therefore, the Holy Spirit who continues the work of Christ down through the ages and is leading humanity and ‘creation as a whole to its final completion in the fullness of the kingdom (Fuellenbach 1989:97-107) ' 5. The Church and the Kingdom The Spirit of the risen Lord, the Spirit of the new creation, brings forth the new eschato- logical community, the church. The church is, therefore, an anticipation in space and time of the world to come. It is “in the world but not of the world” The church’s essence and mission have to be understood in the light of the kingdom present in the church but directed to the transformation and salvation of the whole of creation. 4 ‘Vatican II describes the church as the mystery of Christ. In it is realized the “eternal plan of the Father, manifested in Jesus Christ, to bring humankind to its eternal glory? The church is seen in relation to the “bringing about of the ‘secret hidden for ages in God” (Col 1:16; Eph 3:3-9, 1 Cor 2:6-10}, which is none other than the kingdom of God. The kingdom aims at the transformation of the whole of creation into its. eternal glory, and the church must be seen and understood in the context of this divine inten- tionality. The church’s mission is to reveal through the ages the hidden plan of God and to lead all humankind toward its final destiny. The church must see itself entirely in the service of ‘this divine plan meant for the salvation of all ‘creation (Pannenberg 1985:72-75). ip 9S The Church Is Not the Kingdom of God on Barth Contrary to what many dogmatic textbooks before the council said, the church is not the Kingdom of God now. Vatican fl expressed this in Lumen Gentium (art. 5) and again in Gaudium et Spes (art. 45). It replaces what was perhaps the most serious preVatican Il eccle siological misunderstanding, namely, that the Church is identical with the Kingdom of God here on earth. If itis, then it is beyond all need for institutional reform, and its mission is to bring everyone inside lest salvation elude them? (McBrien 1981:686). The kingdom makes itself felt outside the church as well. The mission of the church is to serve the kingdom and not to take its place, The Kingdom Is Present in the Church It is the kingdom present now that creates the Church and keeps it constantly in exis- tence, The church is therefore the result of the coming of God's kingdom into the world. The dynamic power of the Spirit who makes God's final saving intentionality effectively present is the true source of the community called church, Although the kingdom cannot be iden- tified with the church, this does not mean that the kingdom is not present in the church. The kingdom makes itself present in a particular way. We can say that the church is an initial, proleptic, or anticipated realization of the plan of God for humankind. In the words of Vatican TL “She becomes on earth the initial budding forth of that Kingdom’ (LG 5). Second, the church is a means or sacrament through which this plan of God with the world realizes itself in history (LG 9, 48). “The Kingdom creates the Church, works through the Church, and is pro- claimed in the world by the Church. There can be no Kingdom without the Church—those who have acknowledged God's rule—and there can be no Church without the Kingdom; but they remain two distinguishable concepts: the Rule of God and the fellowship of men” (Ladd. 1974277). ‘The Mission of the Church Jesus bound the reign of God, which previously belonged to the people of Israel, to the commu- nity of his disciples. With this election of anew594 COMMunity’ che purpose of the OT people was f¥ansferred to this new people. They are now to eine @ visible sign of God's intention with Tae World and the active carrier of his salvation take yt Called out of the nations in order to is thav?.2 Mission for the nations, What mai * the kingdom will remain bound to a vis. sens cOmmuney which mnt put hel the air 7° OF Gods ultimate plan of salvation for {Lobfink’ 1985:17-29) 10M this perspective the church is necessary Stder for the kingdom to remain in the LRT. “eis the community which has beguneo LI (even only in foretaste) the reality ere king ingdom, which alone can provide the hegees ‘Cutic of the message... Without the hey eneutic of such a living community, he Message of the Kingdom can only become an ‘ideology and a program, it will not be a gospel” (Newbigin 1980:19). The church’ mission in the light of the kingdom is descrited in a roelaim in word and sacra: threefold way: (1) To P' ra ey ment that the kingdom of God has come in person Jesus of Nazareth (2} To offer its own life ease, that the kingdom is present and ahs test case world today. Thia can be seen remy areh’s own life, where justice, peace, Pathe chars eopect for human rights are con: as oe ‘The church offers itself as a ‘conuma ociey 0 society at lane, Uahink challenge : eer io Gecicatned te Basle prin- cer is dom: justice, i inbreaking kingdom: sie oe eeu oe ce ittive element of proclaiming the gospel eeeatthe ultimate goal of the kingdom Es Since the jtion of the whole of creation, transformatityt understand its mission in the Ristichat 5 imminent kingdom (McBrien service 1981717). ni Jim Kroeger, MM — Kingdom of God Bibl: R. Sconuacks@unc, God's Rule and Kingdom (New York, 1963}, |. Jenemias, New Testament Theology (London, 1971) J.D. Crossan, The Parables: The Challenge of the Historical Jesus (San Francisco, 1973), G. Gutitentz, A Theology of Liberation (New York, 1973), 'W. Ketsene The Kingdom in Mark: A New Place and a New Time (Philadelphia, 1974), G. E. Lavo, Future (Grand Rapids, 1974, H. Wane, Theolope des Reiches Gottes (Hamburg, 1975), H. Memtiser Die Gottesherrschoft als Handlungsprineip (wurdoor, 1978), N. Peaniw, Jesus and the Langusge of aie Kingdom (Philadelphis, 1976), W. Kaspen seco, ie Christ (LondoniNew York, 1976), |. Sons) pengeg Reino de Dios significado y objectivor ule e i vida y mision” Christus 45 (1990) prey Sign ofthe Kivedom (rand Rapids, 180) R Nonpsnck, Reich Gottes: Hoffaun dey et egtthen, 1980) B. Scorr, Jesus, Symbol Mies forthe Kingitom (Philadephia, 196), Cae Sones New seeatbe Kingdom of God: Jepuy vise? ofa Cherie 9D. S. Amalopavadace ef, 9 Ind SDAUSH in the Struggle for a New Soca, Pamealoes, Bi wos ety ey ean hn Het Chris berate a 15035, istry (New York, SIOUMBIER, Social fustice Mic "Unity (London, ‘ament The Presence of the 1984); G. Loum, Jesus and {Bie ible Comm 8 0986) 21e-gn des Gottesreichs vom Alten ‘Testament he, dione mats Zu Kiche Altestamens fet Saehen? tionen (Freiburg, 1987), 33-86, &. Caner onze & Dios? Christus 50 (1985) 16-97 SO. El Rei fronting Jesus for Social Invaleree 11985) 151-57, id, “The Historical a I: Heart of Jesus’ Mesaj Reday (Manila, 1989), id, Hermeneusce we Us and Liberation Theology (Manila, 1989), Jobn FUELLENRAcH, Source: Dictionary of Fundamental Theology Editors: R. Latourelle & R. Fisichella New York: Crossroad, 1995; “Kingdom of God” article by: John Fuellenbach, SVD, pp. 586-594.