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Almost all Bible scholars think that it would often be better for English Bibles to use the phrases “reign of God” or “rule of God” rather than “kingdom of God.” The Greek word that gets translated as “kingdom” in our Bibles is basilea, which describes an action: the act of someone ruling or reigning over someone or something else. People who rely on English Bibles may get an impression that the “kingdom of God” Jesus speaks about is a location – a place where God lives with all the angels and where people get to live with God after they die. This is not completely wrong; sometimes, the Bible does talk about a place in heaven or in the future where God is completely in charge. We may call that place the “kingdom of God” if we like, but the term refers not to the location itself but to the reality of God ruling. While we may associate that reality with some otherworldly realm in heaven or in the future, Jesus insists that it can also be found on earth, in everyday lives, here and now.
This message is excerpted from the Bible study “The kingdom of God: Beautiful feet” (Session one) by Mark Allan Powell in the January/February 2022 Gather magazine. Today is the 18th Sunday after Pentecost.