The Kingdom of God is Within

Although people often think Jesus meant that the Kingdom is inside you, what he actually meant was that the Kingdom is within your midst--meaning the circle of the Apostles who had been arguing and speculating about the coming Kingdom, all the while the fulfillment of prophesy, Jesus himself, was standing right there with them!

Albion said:

Although people often think Jesus meant that the Kingdom is inside you, what he actually meant was that the Kingdom is within your midst--meaning the circle of the Apostles who had been arguing and speculating about the coming Kingdom, all the while the fulfillment of prophesy, Jesus himself, was standing right there with them!

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Can you elaborate on how you come to the conclusion that this is what he really meant?

Part of this is a matter of translation. Consider how all these Bible versions translate the passage (not including the KJV)--
New Living Translation
You won't be able to say, 'Here it is!' or 'It's over there!' For the Kingdom of God is already among you."

English Standard Version
nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

Berean Study Bible
Nor will people say, 'Look, here it is,' or 'There it is.' For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst."

Berean Literal Bible
nor will they say, 'Behold here,' or 'There.' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."

New American Standard Bible
nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."

King James Bible
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
no one will say, 'Look here!' or 'There!' For you see, the kingdom of God is among you."

International Standard Version
People won't be saying, 'Look! Here it is!' or 'There it is!' because now the kingdom of God is among you."

NET Bible
nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst."

New Heart English Bible
neither will they say, 'Look, here.' or, 'Look, there.' for the Kingdom of God is within you."

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Neither do they say, 'Behold, here it is!' and 'Behold, from here to there!', for behold, the Kingdom of God is within some of you.”

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They can't say, 'Here it is!' or 'There it is!' You see, the kingdom of God is within you."

New American Standard 1977
nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

Jubilee Bible 2000
neither shall they say, Behold it here! or, Behold it there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

King James 2000 Bible
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.

American King James Version
Neither shall they say, See here! or, see there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

American Standard Version
neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There! for lo, the kingdom of God is within you.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Neither shall they say: Behold here, or behold there. For lo, the kingdom of God is within you.

Darby Bible Translation
nor shall they say, Lo here, or, Lo there; for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.

English Revised Version
neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There! for lo, the kingdom of God is within you.

Webster's Bible Translation
Neither will they say, Lo here! or lo there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Weymouth New Testament
Nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' --for the Kingdom of God is within you."

World English Bible
neither will they say, 'Look, here!' or, 'Look, there!' for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you."

Young's Literal Translation
nor shall they say, Lo, here; or lo, there; for lo, the reign of God is within you.'

It's just such an underwhelming expression. "within your midst". Some intellectuals must love it. I don't.

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I don't exactly care for that wording, either, and that's what I don't care for with most modern language translations. They're not uplifting. But that's not to say that the meaning is incorrect.

bettercallpaul said:

What about the Aussie Bible for Dummies Translation?

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Look for this: paraphrased for children >
Jesus said to His disciples (at the time the Father directed Him to)
"You (disciples) are already in the Kingdom,
now start living like it"
or: now start acting like it"
i.e. The Father telling them through His Son Jesus to stop acting like they were not already in His Kingdom,
perhaps meaning (I forget the context) >
stop quarreling, or seeking(whatever), or wondering, or continuing as if still in the kingdom of the devil.... (the world, with all the people of the world, under the devil's 'control' even though they deny it) ...

Albion said:

Part of this is a matter of translation. Consider how all these Bible versions translate the passage (not including the KJV)-

Although people often think Jesus meant that the Kingdom is inside you, what he actually meant was that the Kingdom is within your midst--meaning the circle of the Apostles who had been arguing and speculating about the coming Kingdom, all the while the fulfillment of prophesy, Jesus himself, was standing right there with them!

Click to expand...

Consider the Greek word ἐντός, "entos" - improper prep., gen., inside, within, Luke 17:21; τὸ ἐντός, the interior, inside,

It is also used in Matthew 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Albion said:

Part of this is a matter of translation. Consider how all these Bible versions translate the passage (not including the KJV)--
New Living Translation
You won't be able to say, 'Here it is!' or 'It's over there!' For the Kingdom of God is already among you."

English Standard Version
nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

Berean Study Bible
Nor will people say, 'Look, here it is,' or 'There it is.' For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst."

Berean Literal Bible
nor will they say, 'Behold here,' or 'There.' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."

New American Standard Bible
nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."

King James Bible
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
no one will say, 'Look here!' or 'There!' For you see, the kingdom of God is among you."

International Standard Version
People won't be saying, 'Look! Here it is!' or 'There it is!' because now the kingdom of God is among you."

NET Bible
nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst."

New Heart English Bible
neither will they say, 'Look, here.' or, 'Look, there.' for the Kingdom of God is within you."

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Neither do they say, 'Behold, here it is!' and 'Behold, from here to there!', for behold, the Kingdom of God is within some of you.”

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They can't say, 'Here it is!' or 'There it is!' You see, the kingdom of God is within you."

New American Standard 1977
nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

Jubilee Bible 2000
neither shall they say, Behold it here! or, Behold it there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

King James 2000 Bible
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.

American King James Version
Neither shall they say, See here! or, see there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

American Standard Version
neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There! for lo, the kingdom of God is within you.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Neither shall they say: Behold here, or behold there. For lo, the kingdom of God is within you.

Darby Bible Translation
nor shall they say, Lo here, or, Lo there; for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.

English Revised Version
neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There! for lo, the kingdom of God is within you.

Webster's Bible Translation
Neither will they say, Lo here! or lo there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Weymouth New Testament
Nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' --for the Kingdom of God is within you."

World English Bible
neither will they say, 'Look, here!' or, 'Look, there!' for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you."

Young's Literal Translation
nor shall they say, Lo, here; or lo, there; for lo, the reign of God is within you.'

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The answer depends on the DEFINITION of the "Kingdom of God".
The term "Kingdom of God" is always used one of two different ways.
First it is used to refer to the Holy Spirit as in the verse below - representing
that the "Kingdom of God" would be taken from the (2nd) Jewish Kingdom and
it would be given to the (3rd) Christian Kingdom


Mat 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you,
and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.


The second way the term "Kingdom of God" is used is to represent those
who are "born again" and, therefore, have the "indwelling" Holy Spirit.
So all regenerated Christians have the Kingdom WITHIN them.

Where it gets confusing is that some times the term "Kingdom of God"
and the term "Kingdom of Heaven" can be used interchangeably....
but ONLY when talking about the "wheat".

Remember, the Christian Kingdom consists of both saved "wheat/sheep"
and many unsaved "tares/goats". The term "Kingdom of God" is NEVER
used to represent the unsaved "tares".... although the term
"Kingdom of Heaven" can represent both "wheat and tares".




...

bettercallpaul said:

I've seen that explanation before, but I'm not sure I agree with it. It's just such an underwhelming expression. "within your midst". Some intellectuals must love it. I don't.

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The answer depends on the DEFINITION of the "Kingdom of God".
The term "Kingdom of God" is always used one of two different ways.
First it is used to refer to the Holy Spirit as in the verse below - representing
that the "Kingdom of God" would be taken from the (2nd) Jewish Kingdom and
it would be given to the (3rd) Christian Kingdom


Mat 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you,
and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.


The second way the term "Kingdom of God" is used is to represent those
who are "born again" and, therefore, have the "indwelling" Holy Spirit.
So all regenerated Christians have the Kingdom WITHIN them.

Where it gets confusing is that some times the term "Kingdom of God"
and the term "Kingdom of Heaven" can be used interchangeably....
but ONLY when talking about the "wheat".

Remember, the Christian Kingdom consists of both saved "wheat/sheep"
and many unsaved "tares/goats". The term "Kingdom of God" is NEVER
used to represent the unsaved "tares".... although the term
"Kingdom of Heaven" can represent both "wheat and tares".


.

5thKingdom said:

The answer depends on the DEFINITION of the "Kingdom of God".
The term "Kingdom of God" is always used one of two different ways.

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Actually, it is used in more ways than that in Scripture, including the way that Jesus used it in the verse we've been discussing.

Albion said:

Actually, it is used in more ways than that in Scripture, including the way that Jesus used it in the verse we've been discussing.

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No... it is NEVER used in more ways than that.
Otherwise you would simply post the SCRIPTURE.

But.... I am open to correction if you can provide some SCRIPTURE instead of your "feelings".

And when you say "the way that Jesus used it in the verse we've been discussing"...
you are saying nothing because the verse we are discussing HARMONIZE with the
definition I provided.


.

bettercallpaul said:

If I can think of the most useful quote in the Bible, it would be this one. In my younger years, I always thought life was "somewhere else." I was in awe of older siblings or heroes in movies. They had a presence. Self-belief or maybe belief in God I don't know.
But if I had really woken up to the fact that real life or God was within me. That there is no need to be in awe of others. I would've stopped looking elsewhere. Now I know the answers can be found within, to life's meaning, through prayer. I'm not discounting the importance of the Bible here btw.

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I would have to agree with you, and the within you, is very important. This is the place of fellowship and communion also.

In fact I would have to say to the open minded, that fellowship is something we should look at. I mean Who can you fellowship with.

It's a possibility, you might be able to fellowship with someone who seems to be a lesser person, and yet not be able to fellowship with your pastor. (This is just for example sake).

Who can you fellowship with, what is this fellowship, is there a real and false type of fellowship, and what kind of fellowship does Jesus and Paul refer when they speak in the NT?

Fellowship is not something a person enters into just because that person chooses to go to a bible study, a Friday night prayer meeting, or to a Sunday food sharing event in the backyard of the church.

These are not bad things, it just doesn't guarantee that the spiritual fellowship that Jesus and Paul talks about is going to occur. It's not so much the location, or event as it is WHO comes together at the event.

In fact, you may not be able to enter into this fellowship with the pastor of your church, or even most of the people who go to your church, or maybe you're lucky and all of you have this kind of fellowship.

So how do you keep Paul's command to not forsake the gathering together of "YOURSELVES"?

Ponder that word "YOURSELVES"…

What do we know about fellowship?

It's a spiritual event, it happens while we are in this human body, but it cannot happen apart from SPIRIT.

Paul's constantly admonishing people to SEE if they are in Christ, or IF that Spirit of Christ be IN YOU. Paul also says; "When it pleased God, to reveal, Christ "IN ME"…

Fellowship in the spirit only happens with TRUE believers…

Have you ever had a witness in your spirit?

No offense but I don't mean TV preacher type of claims and exaggerations. I mean a real event, where the spirit bore witness in you about an event or person.

Let me give you an example: One day I was crammed into a small room, with 30-50 guys, this room was maybe 40 feet x 40 feet, we are all standing shoulder to shoulder. I don't know any of the men in this room.

All of a sudden I turn around and look across the room, and I see the back of a man's head, this man is about 20 feet away, at the end of the room, facing away from me.

All of a sudden I KNOW He was a Christian, a real believer, there was no doubt. I felt this STRONG inner witness about his identity. And I told him he was a believer, he said how did you know, so I explained what happened, we fellowshipped from that day forward.

Now this inner knowing is the only way you'll know someone is a real believer. It might come while they share their testimony, or when you see them walking on a side road, hitch hiking. Or possibly not at all. God has to reveal it.

But this is not the same as someone CLAIMING to be a Christian, or someone who was raised in church, or someone who agrees with all your doctrines, or someone who runs to the alter, or someone who reads their bible, or even someone who you call "pastor".

Going to a building with lots of people inside, and calling it church is no different than going to a Safeway store full of people…UNLESS… Everyone there is a true believer, and the unbeliever is afraid to be in their midst.

Rodo7777777 said:

Going to a building with lots of people inside, and calling it church is no different than going to a Safeway store full of people…UNLESS… Everyone there is a true believer, and the unbeliever is afraid to be in their midst.

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Of course that is the opposite of what the Bible teaches.
The Bible says [Mat 13] that the "Kingdom of Heaven" consists of
both (few) saved "wheat" and (many) unsaved "tares".

It was always PART of the Christian Gospel that "tares" would infiltrate the church
and the "leaven" of their false doctrines would corrupt the churches and eventually
the entire Kingdom. And that PROCESS started while the Apostles preached. Just
read Revelation chapters 2 and 3 to see the extent of this corruption before the
end of the first century. The condition of the churches today is the FULFILLMENT
of the prophecy of the leaven of the "tares".

Read Mat 7:21-23.... few in the church are saved
Read Luke 13:23-30... few in the church are saved

Many are called ("called" by the Christian Gospel)
but few are chosen ("chosen" to become saved)



.

5thKingdom said:

Of course that is the opposite of what the Bible teaches.
The Bible says [Mat 13] that the "Kingdom of Heaven" consists of
both (few) saved "wheat" and (many) unsaved "tares".

It was always PART of the Christian Gospel that "tares" would infiltrate the church
and the "leaven" of their false doctrines would corrupt the churches and eventually
the entire Kingdom. And that PROCESS started while the Apostles preached. Just
read Revelation chapters 2 and 3 to see the extent of this corruption before the
end of the first century. The condition of the churches today is the FULFILLMENT
of the prophecy of the leaven of the "tares".

Read Mat 7:21-23.... few in the church are saved
Read Luke 13:23-30... few in the church are saved

Many are called ("called" by the Christian Gospel)
but few are chosen ("chosen" to become saved)



.

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Sorry to disagree, we are not called by the gospel. But instead by His spirit.

Rodo7777777 said:

Sorry to disagree, we are not called by the gospel. But instead by His spirit.

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Are you serious?
Why do you think we have the BIBLE (Word of God)
Why do you think we are commanded to spread the Gospel?

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Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

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I hope you realize that saying "sorry to disagree" means LESS than nothing.
The ONLY measure of Biblical Truth is "harmony of Scripture"....

Biblical Truth is not found by consensus of opinion or by someone's personal "feelings".
Biblical Truth is found through "harmony of Scripture" and that is the same as saying
harmony of the GOSPEL.

To say we are NOT called by the Gospel - is too so un-Biblical that I cannot imagine
anyone (who is Christian) even thinking such a thing. Since I don't know you
I have to ask.... are you Christian?

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Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever
I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

5thKingdom said:

Are you serious?
Why do you think we have the BIBLE (Word of God)
Why do you think we are commanded to spread the Gospel?

-------

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

---------

I hope you realize that saying "sorry to disagree" means LESS than nothing.
The ONLY measure of Biblical Truth is "harmony of Scripture"....

Biblical Truth is not found by consensus of opinion or by someone's personal "feelings".
Biblical Truth is found through "harmony of Scripture" and that is the same as saying
harmony of the GOSPEL.

To say we are NOT called by the Gospel - is too so un-Biblical that I cannot imagine
anyone (who is Christian) even thinking such a thing. Since I don't know you
I have to ask.... are you Christian?

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

Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever
I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

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The word of God, the words of God, and the bible are 3 different things, and all three are displayed for us to see, in the scriptures. For example Hebrews 4:12 is NOT talking about your leather bound bible. The spirit draws or to be technically correct "no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him"

SaintNick said:

Can you elaborate on how you come to the conclusion that this is what he really meant?

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Jesus was speaking to a hostile crowd. He wasn't saying that God's kingdom was some interior spiritual reality residing inside of each of those hostile persons; Jesus was saying the kingdom of God--God's reign--was there right in front of them, in their midst. The kingdom is found in the Person of Jesus and what He was doing--feeding the hungry, giving sight to the blind, healing the lame, raising the dead, and ultimately in His life-giving death and resurrection.

-CryptoLutheran

PeaceJoyLove said:

Consider the Greek word ἐντός, "entos" - improper prep., gen., inside, within, Luke 17:21; τὸ ἐντός, the interior, inside,

It is also used in Matthew 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

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The Lord uses ὑμῶν, the genitive 2nd person plural, we would render this word into colloquial American English as "y'all". "Within" or "among" "you [all]".

It doesn't mean the kingdom is a private, interior spiritual reality; it means the kingdom is present there right in front of them, in the Person of Jesus.

-CryptoLutheran