GOD’S EARTHLY KINGDOM

By Gary Ray Branscome

It is important to distinguish between God’s heavenly kingdom, the kingdom that “is within you,” and His earthly kingdom (Luke 17:21). Although God’s earthly kingdom began as the nation of Israel, because of wickedness, the children of Israel were carried captive into Babylon – where congregational worship began. And, the development of congregations [synagogues] made it possible for Jews to spread throughout the Mediterranean area without losing their identity. That is why, by the day of Pentecost, there were, “Devout Jews from every nation under heaven, present in Jerusalem” (Acts 2:5). Many of those Jews were the first Christians, and the congregations that they started were patterned after the synagogues they were familiar with. Furthermore, just as each synagogue, irregardless of the country it is located in, is part of the nation of Israel, every Christian congregation is part of God’s earthly kingdom – and Christ is our king.

While it is possible for a person to come to faith in Christ without being the member of any church organization, God does not want it to stay that way. For that reason, God instituted baptism as a way of joining every new believer to His earthly kingdom. No one can baptize himself (at least it would not be valid if he did). So we must all be baptized by someone who is already a member of a Christian congregation, and baptism joins us to that congregation.

On the day of Pentecost, over three thousand Jews came to faith in Christ, and the words, “The Lord added to the congregation daily those who were being saved,” tell us that after Pentecost God continued to add believers to that congregation (Acts 2:47). The words, “To God’s congregation in Corinth, to those who have been set apart in Christ Jesus,” tell us that those whom God adds to the congregation have been set apart from the world through faith in Christ (1Corinthians 1:2). And, the words, “Take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, that He has purchased with His own blood,” tell us that God gathers believers into congregations, and provides them with pastors, in order to feed them spiritually (Acts 20:28). [See John 21:15-17 and 1Corinthians 3:6.]

The words, “They came to some water: and the eunuch said, Look, here is water; what prevents me from being baptized? And Philip said, If you truly believe, you may,” tell us that every church member should be a believer (Acts 8:36-37). Nevertheless, the words, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went his way,” tell us that Satan will sow falsehood and unbelief within the church (Matthew 13:24-25). However, the fact that the words, “Do you want us to pull the weeds up?” were answered with the words, “No; lest while you are pulling up the weeds, you root the wheat up with them,” tell us that even though unsaved people should not be members of a Christian congregation, more souls will be lost it we try to root them out than if we just leave them be (Matthew 13:28-29).

At the same time, the words, “Expel that wicked man from your congregation,” tell us that we dare not condone the wickedness of those who are openly immoral or allow them to corrupt others in the congregation (1Corinthians 5:13). The Bible clearly teaches the importance of church discipline. However, the authority in all discipline must be the Word of God. And, the purpose of church discipline is not to make everyone bow to the will of the leaders, or accept their interpretations, but to warn the unrepentant of God’s judgment.

The words, “Put out of your fellowship the man who did this,” // “If he refuses to hear the church [repent], let him be to you as a heathen man and a publican,” tell us that we are “Not to associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler,” we should, “Not even eat with such a man” (1Corinthians 5:2, Matthew 18:17, 1Corinthians 5:11).

Notice that the Apostle Paul did not excommunicate the unrepentant man, but called on the congregation to do it. That tells us that spiritual discipline is the responsibility of the local congregation (1Cor. 5).