Tonight we will continue our series on “What, Where, Why, When?”, while I attempt to answer your questions about God, the Bible, and the church.
Let’s go straight to our email question for this evening
Email:
Hi Pastor Shane,
Luke 17:20-21 specifically, can you expound on verse 21b (For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.) I’ve been doing some reading on this and would like to get a deeper understanding.
Norina
I’ll tell you right off the bat, there is a whole lot of discussion out there on this passage with opinions floating all over the place.
But, let’s start by reading the passage in question and go from there.
Luke 17:20-22
Then Jesus goes into a prophetic teaching for the disciples on the last days and end times.
The NIV lumps this all together as if it were one teaching. While in context they do have much in common, there is a clear distinction of two thoughts here.
He starts out answering a question of the Pharisees. In verse 22 we see Him turn His attention to His disciples. This could have happened at the same moment or there may be a time lapse between the two.
Either way, there is a distinction between them as to the context in which they were said.
On the one hand Jesus is answering a question, on the other hand He is speaking of things to come in revelation to His disciples.
The verbs are different, even though in translation into English they seem similar. In His answer to the Pharisees, Jesus uses present tense and to the disciples He uses future tense. So, again, this extended portion does not answer the question at hand.
A careful study of the Gospel accounts shows us that Jesus often spoke in mystery to the Pharisees and religious leaders which we find in Luke 8:10.
Some would suggest then that this passage in Luke 17 in Jesus speaking in mystery to the Pharisees and then explaining it more to the disciples. That the term “the days of the Son of Man” is synonymous with “Kingdom of God.”
This is possible of course, but not supported in that would be a very narrow view of the Kingdom of God as existing only in the last days that Jesus is talking about in verses 22-37.
Let’s look at verses 20 and 21 as a stand alone statement.
The controversy among theologians about this passage is over one little word. In the NIV and the KJV that word is translated “within” with a footnote “or among”.
The NLT says “among you,” the CEV states it as “is with you.”
The RSV uses the phrase “in the midst of you”
The Greek word in question that is causing all this fuss is “entos” which literally means “see inside”
The only other use of this word in the NT is Matthew 23:26 speaking of cleaning out the inside of a cup or dish.
There also is not a parallel account of this exact exchange with the Pharisees in any of the other Gospels so we can’t look there for further clarification.
This has left scholars and theologians to figure out the intent Jesus had in using the preposition entos
A brief look at some of the arguments:
On the one hand there are those who are adamant that the proper translation is within, not among.
This would imply that the Kingdom of God exists solely in the hearts of people, specifically those who follow Jesus.
The problem with this argument is the fact that Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, a group who was quite opposed to Jesus. So, how could He say the Kingdom is within them.
To suggest that He was not speaking to them, but had turned His attention to His disciples or others listening is not supported by the text, specifically verse 22 which shows the distinction of His attention.
Supporters of this argument contend that Jesus was correcting the Pharisees for their faulty thinking on the Kingdom of God and so it was proper for Him to say within you.
Citing the case that Jesus was speaking of the way Kingdom does exist spiritually and beyond normal human existence.
They claim that Jesus was letting the Pharisees know that their hope of a political Messiah was not going to happen and that if they wanted to experience the Kingdom of God they were not going to find it in any outward form until they first discovered it in their own hearts.
The other side who stands for the translation of “among you” put forth that Jesus was speaking of Himself.
They base it on the intent of the question from the Pharisees. The Pharisees were asking about the Messiah and His Kingdom.
They were looking for the Messiah to reestablish the earthly reign of the throne of David and to overthrow the Roman rule.
Supporters of among over within argue the case that Jesus was telling the religious leaders that the Kingdom was right there in front of them and was not political but instead the establishment of a new covenant.
In this interpretation, the covenant Jesus was establishing with His life, death, and resurrection is the Kingdom and Christians today are the “New Israel” because they rejected Him as Messiah.
These two arguments over the word entos both have validity and can both be supported by other scripture, both Old and New Testament
Truth is, “within you” and “among you“ are equally valid translations.
Since there are no parallel accounts in scripture to shed light on which is correct, and the context does not make it clear, even ancient translations fail to bring it into clear focus, the proper thing to do is look at both and not use this passage to prove a point. It is good as a secondary reference or supporting passage, but it is not conclusive in and of itself.
As we study the Kingdom of God itself, which is really what this about there is much we can learn.
Too often in the Christian community, we spend too much time on semantics and not enough time on what the real point is.
I believe that both sides of the argument over the word entos are at least partially right.
I get that from a look at the Kingdom of God throughout scripture and what it actually is.
The Kingdom of God is within the hearts of man, it is among us in the working of God’s plan, it is around us as all things were created by Him and He reigns over all, it is in the existence of the new covenant formed by Christ, and it is in the reality of Jesus as the Messiah the Son of the Living God.
Put simply the Kingdom of God is any place and any point of time the sphere in which God’s rule is acknowledged.
God has not relinquished His sovereignty in spite of the rebellion, both human and demonic.
He has declared His intent to establish His Kingdom both in the now of human existence and throughout all eternity transcending time and space.
God has called all mankind regardless of race, location, gender to live in surrender to Him and His Word and thus to be in His Kingdom
God’s Kingdom cannot be observed with natural powers as does an earthly government
The Kingdom of God has no borders, no limits
It is not constrained by time, by nature, by an outside force, or even by our understanding
The Kingdom of God is only discerned spiritually and only experienced within the scope of God’s plan
There are two generalities in modern understanding for the Kingdom of God.
The first is viewed as present and involves suffering for those who enter into it as we identify with Christ and His suffering on the cross
The second is future and refers to the reward and eternal glory for those who persevere the present Kingdom
Looking back to our text, if we use the RSV and read, “the kingdom of god is in the midst of you,” we can then put arguments aside and boldly proclaim that where the King is, there is the Kingdom.
Right now, in this present time on earth, the King resides and is acknowledged in the hearts of His believers first, and then in the body of Christ, the church.
The way into the Kingdom is through new birth, salvation because nothing that man attains to or achieves through any form of self-culture can avail in the spiritual realm
As those in the new birth live out their obedience to the will of God, they will one day enter into His Kingdom – the future hope and promise of glory and eternity with Him in a new and yet unknown physical realm
In the Lord’s prayer we see an expounded understanding of the Kingdom when Jesus instructed us to pray, “your kingdom come” using the point tense. This precluding the notion of gradual progress and development of His Kingdom within us and implying a sudden catastrophe as the spiritual Kingdom of God meets the natural realm as declared in 2 Thes. 2:8
Concerning the reality of now, man does not exist in the Kingdom of God through any physical observance of ordinances, tradition, or anything external and material, but in the deeper matters of the heart and spirit which are essential as we see in Romans 14:17 “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
The Kingdom of God is God expressing Himself powerfully through His works: whether salvation, prophecy, miracles, healings, however He chooses to manifest Himself.
While God’s Kingdom and power are evident and a part of our daily reality, God’s rule and power are not yet fully realized.
The Kingdom of God is both now and in the future. It is both physical in that is over all as Lord and Creator and it is spiritual in that it is realized in the hearts of those who acknowledge Him as Lord.
Simply put, the Kingdom of God exists wherever God is.
