The Kingdom of God

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The Kingdom of God

• The Mediatorial Kingdom in the Book of Acts

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Some Comments on the Book of Acts

• Like the gospel accounts which precede it, it is
  primarily history.
• It is a continuation of the story as recorded in
  Lukes gospel of all that Jesus began to do and
  teach (11).
• We should not be surprised then to find teaching
  about the Kingdom of God here, as well teaching
  about the church.
• The book is transitional in nature, and describes
  events that are not necessarily normative for the
  church of the present age.
• Acts must be read while keeping firmly in mind
  the progress of revelation!

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The Progress of Revelation and the Transitional
Nature of Acts
Church
Israel
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Christs Post-Resurrection Ministry and the
Kingdom (Acts 11-11)

• The disciples need for further teaching.
• Jesus followers could not harmonize their
  concept of the messianic kingdom with Jesus
  death.
• Jesus demonstrated to them the reality of His
  resurrection from the dead by many convincing
  proofs and spoke to them things concerning the
  kingdom of God (Acts 13).
• His resurrection became the connecting link
  between His suffering and subsequent glory.

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Christs Post-Resurrection Ministry and the
Kingdom

• What was the disciples task?
• The disciples were to bear witness to Jesus as
  the messianic king.
• They were to proclaim the facts of His death and
  resurrection.
• They were to preach repentance for the
  forgiveness of sins among all the nations.
• They were to follow a definite procedure
  Jerusalem (1-7), Judea and Samaria (8-12), then
  the uttermost parts of the earth (13-28).
• They were to make disciples, baptizing them in
  the name of Jesus and teaching them to observe
  all that Jesus had commanded the first disciples.
• They were to warn unbelievers of divine judgment.
• They would be empowered by the Holy Spirit in
  their work and authenticated by miraculous signs.

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Christs Post-Resurrection Ministry and the
Kingdom

• The disciples question about the kingdom (16).
• This question assumes the restoration of a divine
  kingdom that existed before.
• It also assumes that such a kingdom had not yet
  been re-established.
• It assumes that when the kingdom is restored,
  Israel will once more possess the kingdom as it
  did in Old Testament history.
• Their main question is about time, not about the
  nature of the kingdom.

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Christs Post-Resurrection Ministry and the
Kingdom

• Christs reply to the disciples question (Acts
  17-8).
• In this reply there is no rebuke for their
  general assumptions.
• He does answer their question with respect to
  timing It is not for you to know times or
  epochs which the Father has fixed by His own
  authority (17).
• During the time of the interregnum, the apostles
  were to be occupied with a worldwide ministry of
  witnessing.
• Christs post-resurrection ministry closed with
  His visible ascension into heaven and the promise
  that He will come in just the same way as you
  have watched Him go into heaven (Acts 111).

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The Day of Pentecost and the Kingdom

• The Origin and nature of the day
• It was the second of the three great annual
  feasts at which every males attendance was
  required by law (Deut 1616).
• Pentecost means fiftieth, that is, 50 days
  after Passover.
• The people assembled on this day of Pentecost
  included the 120 (115), Jews from every nation
  under heaven (25), and Gentile proselytes
  (210).
• What was the purpose of the miracle of tongues at
  Pentecost?
• To bear testimony to a huge percentage of the
  nation of Israel, who in turn could take the news
  back to their respective homes.

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The Day of Pentecost and the Kingdom

• The testimony given on Pentecost (214-36).
• Peter explains the miracle of tongues by quoting
  from Joel 2, providing OT proof that this was
  from the Spirit of God.
• He also points to the various signs and miracles
  that had accompanied the Lords original
  announcement of the kingdom.
• Peter cites Psalm 110 to show that Jesus must
  remain at the right hand of the Father until the
  Father makes His enemies a footstool for His
  feet.
• The effect of the Pentecostal testimony (237).
• The same crowd that had days before called for
  Christs crucifixion was now cut to the quick,
  and asked What shall we do?
• Peters reply and what followed (238-47).
• Notice that there is no mention of the church up
  to this point in the book of Acts.

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The Official Reoffer of the Messiah and His
Kingdom

• Acts 311-26

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The Official Reoffer of the Messiah and His
Kingdom

• Peters sermon is directed at the nation of
  Israel.
• Peter attributes the power of this miracle to the
  God of Israel, who has glorified His servant
  Jesus.
• Peter tells the multitude that their act of
  crucifying their messiah has not put them beyond
  the pale of the kingdom.
• They must repent in order for the kingdom to come.

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The Miracles of the Book of Acts

• The frequency of these miracles
• 30 miracles recorded in Acts
• 9 general statements about the prevalence of
  miracles during this time (e.g. 243 512,
  15-16 68 86 143 1512 1911-12 289)
• The nature of these miracles
• Very public in character
• Effect was to produce many converts and attract
  great crowds

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The Miracles of the Book of Acts

• Earlier biblical parallels
• The supernatural events of the OT historical
  kingdom
• In the numerous predictions made by the prophets
• In the ministry of Jesus and His disciples in the
  period of the Gospels
• McClain sees such exhibitions of divine power as
  invariably connected with the Mediatorial
  Kingdom of God (p. 411).

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Jewish Opposition and Its Growth

• Three definite stages
• From Pentecost to Stephens martyrdom (Acts 2
  7).
• This era began with no severe opposition, but
  this changed after Peters sermon in the temple
  and subsequent arrest (41-3).
• The apostles continued in their bold
  proclamation, resulting in many conversions and
  subsequent arrests.
• This period culminates with the stoning of
  Stephen, who boldly confronted the religious
  leaders with their sin (Acts 7).
• From Stephens death to Pauls address at Antioch
  (Acts 8 13).
• Stephens death began a violent persecution
  against the church, scattering it and its
  message.
• It was during this time that the Lord saved Saul
  of Tarsus and turned him from a persecutor to a
  proclaimer of the Way.
• This conversion temporarily turned the Jewish
  opposition away from the church and towards the
  Apostle Paul.
• Acts 12 records Herod Agrippas opposition,
  evidenced by the killing of James and arrest of
  Peter.
• This period culminated with Pauls address to the
  Jews in the synagogue at Antioch (Acts 1313-52).

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Jewish Opposition and Its Growth

• From the Antiochan address to the conference at
  Rome (Acts 14 28).
• The persecution during this period became more
  intolerant and more intense.
• Its primary object is the Apostle Paul, who is
  proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah and salvation to
  the Gentiles apart from the Law.
• Pauls conference with the Jews at Rome (Acts 28)
  While imprisoned Paul met with the Jews in Rome
  and told them that I am wearing this chain for
  the sake of the hope of Israel (Acts 2820).
  What was this hope to which Paul referred?
• The first meeting prompted another larger
  gathering, where the main topics of discussion
  were the kingdom of God and Jesus as the Messiah
  (Acts 2823). Though some believed, many opposed
  Paul and he responded accordingly (Acts 2824-28).

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Preaching in the Apostolic Period of the Acts

• Twofold aspect of preaching during the period of
  Acts
• The impending establishment of the kingdom
• The testimony concerning the Church as the
  spiritual and royal nucleus of the coming Kingdom

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Preaching in the Apostolic Period of the Acts

• Three main emphases in the subject matter of
  apostolic preaching
• Concerning Jesus and the way of salvation He is
  the predicted messiah of the OT, the unique Son
  of God, and the suffering servant who was
  crucified and raised from the dead. Only through
  Jesus can anyone, Jew or Gentile, be saved from
  his sin.
• Concerning the kingdom viewed as something yet
  to come at Christs return.
• Concerning the church The Greek term evkklhsi,a
  (church) appears 19 times in Acts, but only
  once in the first 7 chapters the remaining 18
  are found in chapters 18-20. It is likely that
  this term originally would be understood as the
  saved Jewish remnant and only later, through
  subsequent revelation to the Apostle Paul, come
  to have the meaning of Jew and Gentile in one
  body, distinct from the nation of Israel.

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Next Week The Mediatorial Kingdom in the Epistles