Kingdom of God. Already but not yet.

Aussie52 said:

I have recently been reading a number of the late George Eldon Ladd's books, especially his 'Gospel of the Kingdom of God'. I found his idea that the Kingdom of God was not postponed as the Dispensationalist insist, but rather it belongs to the present as well as the future very informative. His pithy phrase that is, 'already but not yet' captures what I believe is the teaching of Scripture.
So, the Kingdom or reign of God is present in the hearts of true believers at this present time and will find its fulfillment in the Millenium and New Heavens and New Earth. So, the Kingdom is for today and for tomorrow.

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Have you erased ...Thy Kingdom come.....from your Lords Prayer?
'Already but not yet', is just confusion. Something material and visible is either there or not there.

AMillenniumism is a discredited theory, the reality of our situation today proves that.

keras said:

Have you erased ...Thy Kingdom come.....from your Lords Prayer?
'Already but not yet', is just confusion. Something material and visible is either there or not there.

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There is nothing confusing about it. Don't assume that everyone is as confused as you are.

Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Luke 17:20 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

John 17:13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it......18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

These scriptures make it clear that the kingdom of God/Christ is a currently reality spiritually. If you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you then you are in the kingdom of God/Christ. It will come in its fullness when Jesus returns, but we are in it spiritually now. You have to be completely lacking in spiritual discernment in order to not understand this simple concept that is not confusing at all.

keras said:

AMillenniumism is a discredited theory, the reality of our situation today proves that.

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You are so ignorant. What he described is Premillennialism and he referenced the beliefs of premillennialist George Eldon Ladd.

Amillennialism is a doctrine that you have failed miserably to refute repeatedly.

Aussie52 said:

Ladd was an Historic Premillennialist not an Amillennialist.

The Kingdom of God was inaugurated by Jesus during His ministry on Earth. It is a spiritual rule or reign within the heart of the believer in the present now. The Kingdom of God with find its future earthly fulfillment as I wrote in the above post, during the Millenium and New Heavens and New Earth. So, we can truly say, the Kingdom is 'already but not yet'.

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He respected amillennialism because he shared the "already, but not yet" view of the kingdom of God that amillennialists have (but most premillennialists do not) and also strongly rejected and opposed dispensationalism, as amillennialists do.

Aussie52 said:

The Kingdom of God was inaugurated by Jesus during His ministry on Earth.

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Correct. Beginning in the hearts of believers.

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

The Kingdom of God has not come yet as far as being over the nations of the world. That will not happen until Jesus returns to this earth.

Douggg said:

Correct. Beginning in the hearts of believers.

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

The Kingdom of God has not come yet as far as being over the nations of the world. That will not happen until Jesus returns to this earth.

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According to Paul the gospel went into all the world.
Romans 10:18
But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

Romans 1:8
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed all over the world.

Colossians 1:5the faith and love proceeding from the hope stored up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God.

Mark 16:15
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Colossians 1:23
if indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Aussie52 said:

I have recently been reading a number of the late George Eldon Ladd's books, especially his 'Gospel of the Kingdom of God'. I found his idea that the Kingdom of God was not postponed as the Dispensationalist insist, but rather it belongs to the present as well as the future very informative. His pithy phrase that is, 'already but not yet' captures what I believe is the teaching of Scripture.
So, the Kingdom or reign of God is present in the hearts of true believers at this present time and will find its fulfillment in the Millenium and New Heavens and New Earth. So, the Kingdom is for today and for tomorrow.

Click to expand...

Yes, I was fascinated by Ladd and read his books in the late 70s. I actually wrote him a letter and learned he had died! Great mind and very fair to those with different positions! I had some slight disagreements with his position--I just can't remember what they were just now.

The idea that for Jesus the Kingdom was present with the earthly presence of the King over that Kingdom sounds pretty reasonable. But as he said, the eschatological reality remains future, as well. I would have to revisit, and may still have his book "The Presence of the Future" somewhere?

Oh yea, I did have a problem with his notion of the Kingdom "advancing by force," as opposed to the Kingdom "suffers violence." I think on that particular verse, it is referring to how God's Kingdom and the saints who are inheriting it are suffering from those who wish to force their way into the Kingdom. For example, the Pharisees and Saducees were trying to forcibly control Israel's religion in Jesus' time. And in Christian times, corrupt Christians have tried to control Christian countries.

I don't think it's wrong, but it's not exactly right either

I think it's right b/c the Promise is as good as now, 'we are sealed'. I think it's wrong b/c it can pretend everything is good now (sin is still here) & downplay or ignore a literal future Resurrection & 2nd Coming.

DragonFox91 said:

I don't think it's wrong, but it's not exactly right either

I think it's right b/c the Promise is as good as now, 'we are sealed'. I think it's wrong b/c it can pretend everything is good now (sin is still here) & downplay or ignore a literal future Resurrection & 2nd Coming.

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I agree. The Kingdom was not inaugurated in Jesus' earthly ministry. To this day the Kingdom has been "near," as the Scriptures say.