Sunday, February 20, 2011

Which Kingdom is it?

There are some that are teaching out there that there is a difference between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God. There is also a new, popular book that was just released by Michael Pearl called "Eight Kingdoms" that teach that both kingdoms are different. We believe they are one and the same. Christ came to preach one gospel, about one kingdom, with one way and one salvation. He is also not the author of confusion.

Matthew is the only book in the Bible that wrote "kingdom of heaven" while the other books used "kingdom of God." Some believe that Matthew was afraid to offend the Jews by writing "God" since to them, it was a very sacred word and was easily offensive to use. However, Matthew did use "kingdom of God" several times in the book, so the real reason is unknown.

There is a lot more about this subject, but here are verses that prove these two kingdoms that Jesus spoke of are one and the same. Here is a list of verses that are written about the same instances, but from different books in the Bible. Hopefully, showing these comparisons between those verses will help us understand better what Jesus was speaking of.

See which kingdom they refer in each verse-


---------------------------------------

Matthew 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
   
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

VS.

Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.


-----------------------------------------


Matthew 5:3, 10 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

VS


Luke 6:20, 22 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

----------------------------------------------------

Matthew 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

VS

Luke 13:28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you thrust out.

--------------------------------------------------------

Matthew 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

VS

Luke 7:28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

------------------------------------------------------

Matthew 13:31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field.

VS

Mark 4:30-31 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed.

---------------------------------------------------------------


Matthew 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened

VS

Luke 13:20-21 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

VS

Mark 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Matthew 25:14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

VS

Luke 19:11-13 They thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants.

------------------------------------------------------------

Matt 19:14 "But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. "

VS

Mark 10:14 "But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. "

-------------------------------------

Matt 18:3 "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. "

VS

Mark 10:15 "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. "

--------------------------------------

Matt 13:10,11 "And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given."

VS

Mark 4:11 "And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables"

--------------------------------

Jesus even spoke of both in the same sentence, and treated both instances as the same thing-


"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Matt 19:23, 24

He even says "and again I say unto you" as to repeat what he had just said even though he referred it as the kingdom of heaven the first time.

-------------------------------------------------






A Voice in the Wilderness

No comments:

 

A Voice in the Wilderness | Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial License | Dandy Dandilion Designed by Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates