Kingdom Disciples

Jesus will arrive on the Day of the Lord when the dead are raised, the wicked are judged, and death will cease forevermore .  The coming of Jesus is not a major topic in Paul's letters to the Corinthians. But he does touch on several aspects of it, including its identification with the “ Day of the Lord ,” the consummation of God’s kingdom, the resurrection, the judgment, and the cessation of death .

In the interim between Christ’s ascension and return, God has granted humanity the opportunity to repent . Peter explains the apparent “delay” in Christ's return. God is merciful with no desire for anyone to perish, and, if anything, the conduct of the church may “ hasten ” its onset.  The relationship of men with God is dynamic, not static, and He responds eagerly to repentance.

The church’s mission between now and the return of Jesus is to announce the Good News of his Kingdom to all nations  – Matthew 24:14.  Jesus tasked his disciples with announcing his gospel to all nations, the message he summarized as the “ good news of the Kingdom of God .” In Christ, God’s rule is being established on the earth but in unexpected and paradoxical ways. By the day of his return, Jesus will establish his sovereignty over the nations and subdue all His “ enemies .”

He is the Son of Man foreseen by Daniel who has absolute authority from Yahweh over the earth .  After defeating Satan in the wilderness, Jesus began to proclaim the “ good news ” of the kingdom – “ The season is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel .” The term “ Kingdom of God ” is a summary statement that means different things to different people, but he identified his mission with the “ Son of Man ” in the book of  Daniel .

Is the Good News of the Kingdom of God a message of hope for only SOME nations, or for all?   Often in church history, the gospel has been perverted into good news for some nations, but bad news for others. This occurs when representatives of the church of the same Jesus who gave his life for the world associate his name and message with certain nations, races, cultures, and ideologies.