Is the Kingdom Within You?

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Is the Kingdom Within You?

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They base this on Luke 17:20-21, which says: "Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, 'The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, "See here!" or "See there!" For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.'"

But what did Jesus actually mean? The Greek word entos, translated "within," is better translated "in the midst of" (Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, "Within"). Several translations, including the Revised Standard Version, the Jerusalem Bible and the New English Bible, make this clear. Jesus could not have been telling the Pharisees here that God's Kingdom was something that existed within their hearts or minds—after all, they wanted to destroy Him (Matthew 12:14; Mark 3:6).

Instead, in this passage Christ was pointing out the paradox that the Pharisees did not have the spiritual discernment to recognize that the revelation of the Kingdom of God was at hand or being offered to them (Matthew 23:15-17). To punctuate this point, Jesus, referring to Himself, said "the kingdom of God is among you" or "in your midst." The spiritually blind Pharisees did not recognize Jesus as the divine Representative of that Kingdom.

Rather than telling the Pharisees that the Kingdom of God was something in their hearts, Jesus Christ warned them that they were so spiritually blind they couldn't recognize the very embodiment of that Kingdom in Him. There is no basis in this passage for believing the Kingdom of God resides in people's hearts.

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Comments

  • Donny4luv

    The following is my take on Jesus's life (and death):
    In my opinion, Jesus's main message to the Jews was where to find God. His words simply were..."the Kingdom Of God was within each of us." And so his words fell on deaf ears and dismissed because he refused to lead the people in a rebellion against the Romans, which is what the Messiah was clearly expected to do. How utterly disappointing, to say the least.

    And because it was the hopeful disciples who chose to address him as the Messiah and the King of the Jews (which Jesus himself never claimed to be), and that eventually became his death warrant.
    Ironically his ordered death would "conveniently" become the ultimate test for the disciples of Jesus's messianic authenticity. After all, to his believers, mere men couldn't possibly kill the messiah! Horrors!
    So because the disciples desperately needed Jesus to be the Messiah (foretold, remember?) and King of the Jews, to lead them against the Romans, and identifying him as such, this was intolerable to both the Sanhedrin and the Romans.
    Consequently, he became a heretic to the Jews (and not of his own choosing) and a potential trouble maker to the Romans. And heresy that time, meant certain death.
    And so Jesus was vilified by both his friends and his enemies yet each for different reasons.
    Finally, I am not a Christian in the normal sense of the word. However, I am eternally indebted to Jesus for leading me to God (and truth)...within me. And you.
    BTW, and make no mis-take...I mean no disrespect to anyone. And I ask no one to change their mind, agree with me or believe me. That would be to miss the point entirely.
    Donny Rothbardt

  • Norbert Z

    In my view conjecture is ok as long as it's stated and used as such, albeit its' use as a solid proof for something becomes somewhat diminished.

    Also if a person conciders that Luke 17:20 is one of four times and the only time within that gospel itself that "Pharisee(s)" is not cast in a negative light. Can it also not be convincing that there is a specific reason for that? It just maybe one time the Pharisees asked a good question without any indication of being negative towards Jesus.

    What I'm finding more interesting about that passage is verse 21 is how it compares to verse 23.

    Luke 17:21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

    Luke 17:23 Then people will say to you, ‘Look, there he is!’ or ‘Look, here he is!’ Do not go out or chase after them.

    How does changing the interpretation between "among" and "within" affect the whole passage? Perhaps in understanding the larger picture, the little details can be found.

  • Lena VanAusdle

    @Norbert Z,
    Luke 17:20 itself doesn't imply hostility, however, if you study the 4 gospels you will find a pattern of hostility toward Jesus Christ by most of the Pharisees (though not all).

    Matthew 3:7
    Matthew 12:14
    Matthew 15:12
    Matthew 23:13
    Mark 8:11-15
    Luke 6:7
    Luke 11:42-54
    Luke 20:20
    John 11:57
    John 12:42

  • Larry Walker

    While it is true that there is no contextual basis within Luke 17:20 that implies that these Pharisees were hostile, 86 of the 90 occurrences passages where "Pharisee" or "Pharisees" are mentioned cast them in a negative light. Only this and three others (none of which are in the book of Luke) do not. I would say that's pretty convincing.

  • Norbert Z

    Is there any basis from within Luke 17:20 itself that implies whether or not these Pharisees, beit all of them or just some of them were hostile in towards Jesus message? Is there conjecture goin on and something being read into this verse?

  • Ivan Veller

    "Some Pharisees asked Jesus when God's kingdom would come. He answered, 'God's kingdom isn't something you can see'" (Luke 17:20 CEV)---Christ is speaking to the Pharisees.

    "'No one will say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!''" (Luke 17:21a GNB)---see verses 23-24: "'People will tell you, 'Look, there is the Son of Man,' or 'Here he is,' but don't go out and follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of Man comes'" (Luke 17:23-24 NLT). In the future, when Christ's kingdom "shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:10b ESV), people "'will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, 'You should know the LORD.' For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know Me already,' says the LORD" (Jeremiah 31:34a NLT)---because "the land will be as full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is filled with water" (Isaiah 11:9b HCSB).

    "'For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst'" (Luke 17:21b LEB 2010)---"in the midst of you" (ESV), "here with you" (CEV/ERV), "among you" (NLT/ISV/HCSB), "in your midst" (NET/LITV/NIV 2011). NET Study Bible: "Jesus would never tell the hostile Pharisees that the kingdom was inside them. The reference is to Jesus present in their midst. He brings the kingdom. Another possible translation would be 'in your grasp.'"

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