The Gospel of the Kingdom: Scriptural Studies in the Kingdom of God

 Serious students of the Bible sometimes lose sight of the fact that the study and interpretation of Scripture should never be an end in itself. God has given men His Word written for a practical purpose:“That the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (II Tim. 3:17). When a gulf exists between the lecture-room and the pulpit, sterility in the class-room and superficiality in the pulpit often result.

The present author has given much attention to the technical study of the Biblical doctrine of the Kingdom of God. No teaching of the New Testament has been more vigorously debated than this. However, the Kingdom of God was the central message of our Lord’s ministry. He “went about all Galilee ... preaching the gospel of the kingdom” (Matt. 4:23). This element of proclamation has often been engulfed in debate and argument.

The following pages are proclamation. While it is obvious that a distinct point of view underlies the proclamation, the purpose is not to defend the point of view or to discuss optional interpretations or critical and theological problems, but to attempt to follow our Lord’s example by proclaiming Good News.