It is a general tendency for the Kingdom of God to be understood as God's rule. Yet there can be the following two problems in this inclination. First, that it is easy for the Kingdom of God to be confused with God's general rule according to His prov...
It is a general tendency for the Kingdom of God to be understood as God's rule. Yet there can be the following two problems in this inclination. First, that it is easy for the Kingdom of God to be confused with God's general rule according to His providence. In fact, God governs over the present world with absolute power. This government is also His rule. In thsi case, it can be said thate the Kingdom of God is the same as His general rule over the world. The other problem can be traced in missio Dei (mission of God), which is emphasized in the Ecumenical theology of mission. For the aim of missio Dei is the establishment of shalom (peace) on earth by sesolving social problems. Yet the Ecumenical theology of mission emphasize this establishment of shalom as the Kingdom of God. When the Kingdom of God is stressed in this way, the Kingdom of God cannot be understood as the establishment by the works of the Church, but as by everything that God is directly doing in the world. This understanding is also from the tendency that God's general rule, according to His providence, is the Kingdom of God. Yet if the Ecumencial theology of mission stressed the Kingdom of God as God's special rule, it might not exclude the works of the Church in establishing the Kingdom of God.
This thesis aims to emphasize that the Kingdom of God is not God's general rule, but His blessed special rule which is working in reconciliation through the redemption of Jesus Christ. The following aspects can be presented as the reasons why the Kingdom of God must be understood God's special rule. (1) The fact that the proclamation of the Kingdom of God includes the demanding of repentance. (2) The fact that Jesus teaches the Kingdom of God as His blessed rule through redemption. (3) The fact that the Good News means the news of God's blessed rule. (4) The fact that Jesus Christ is the founder of the Kingdom of God, came to this world as a propitiation in His blood. (5) The fact that there are some people who cannot enter into the Kingdom of God, even though they are under God's rule. By these biblical considerations, the Kingdom of God is not God's general rule, but His special rule in relation with the Christologicl foundation. This understanding of the Kingdom of God must be the foundation of the Christian theology and of missionary works.