Kingdom Of God
Discussion Questions
DISCUSSIONAL QUESTIONS #1
What was at the center of the gospel preached by Jesus Christ?
2 What do you think was the main point in the quotation
from C. S. Lewis?
What were the two words used frequently by Christ in his preaching of
the gospel? Do they have any dispensational
significance?
4. How would you explain the linguistic variation between
the
Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God?
5. Did Paul preach the Kingdom of
God?
How about the big word “apotelesmatic?” Can you define it?
How does it relate to prophesy?
What can be concluded from the fact that there is no definition in the
Bible of the phrase, “The Kingdom of God?
Do you see any relation between Isaiah 9:6, 7; Jeremiah 23:5, 6 to Luke
1:30-33; 23:38, 51?
What practical lessons can be learned from Matthew 6:33?
Would you say that a study of the biblical teaching about the
Kingdom of God is important?
DISCUSSIONAL QUESTIONS #2
1. What inevitably happens when other academic disciplines try
to
explain what is meant by the Kingdom of God?
Does truth really exist?
What are the two broad approaches to the concept of the imminent coming
of the Kingdom of God?
What lies behind the difference in the above question?
What made Augustine identify the Kingdom with the church?
What made Hans Kung disagree with Augustine?
Can you explain what we have called “the via media?”
How should the words, “at hand” be interpreted?
Can a calendar date for the coming of the Kingdom be established?
What has happened to every attempt to do so?
How would you explain the concept of the kingdom?
What can be learned from Matthew 19 about entrance into the
kingdom of God?
Do you see any connection between inheriting eternal life and
entering into the kingdom? Was the preaching of eternal life
in the Gospels different than the eternal life preached by Paul?
DISCUSSIONAL QUESTIONS #3
Can you define the nature of systematic theology?
What about biblical theology?
What are the implications in the contention that Jesus was wrong in his
“at hand” emphasis?
Did Jesus teach that the kingdom would come during his lifetime?
If the kingdom of God is yet future what about passages such as Matthew
12:28, and Luke 17:21?
What about the context of Luke 17:21 and the fact that the Aramaic
language has no future tense? What about the fact that
there are hundreds of passages that clearly depict the kingdom as being
a future hope?
According to passages such as 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, and 2
Thessalonians 2:1, believers are to be caught up to meet Christ in the
air when he returns. What reason can you give for this
phenomenon? Could Romans 5:9 and 1 Thessalonians 5:9 throw light
on this question? What will happen when Christ returns (2 Thess.
1:7-10)?
Will there be any possibility of doubt about whether it is the real
Christ when he does come? What Scriptures would make this clear?
Is there any sense in which it could be said that the kingdom was
present in some way during Christ’s earthly
ministry?
DISCUSSIONAL QUESTIONS #4
Why is John 1:1-3, 14 so important?
What significance do you attach to Jesus being the Messiah?
How did the nation of Israel respond to the ministry of John the
Baptist, the Lord Jesus, and his disciples
Where and how does the ministry of Paul fit into the response of the
nation of Israel to the gospel of the kingdom?
What is the significance of the word “mystery” with regard to Paul’s
ministry?
Can you give a biblical definition of the nature of the mystery?
Do you think that Ephesians 3:6 relates to your definition?
What was so significant about Peter going to the household of
Cornelius? Compare Acts 10:34, 35; 11:18.
Will believing Gentiles reign with Christ in the kingdom? Cf.
Revelation 5:9, 10; 7:9-17. Cf. also Acts 26: 17, 18.
How do you understand Paul’s answer to the Philippian jailor?
Cf. Acts 16:30,31.
What is implied in the idea that the Acts of the Apostles is a
transitional book?
A dispensational approach to the Bible, when intelligently
apprehended, fits hand in glove with the principle of progres-sive
revelation. This opinion and contention should be discussed at
great length. It will help immensely in coming to a better
understanding of the Bible.
DISCUSSIONAL QUESTIONS #5
How would you answer the question: “As far as God’s great plan of
salvation is concerned, what is happening in the world today?
What is implied by calling the Acts of the Apostles a
transitional book?
3. How would you explain the difference between the church
and the kingdom?
4. What are some synonyms for the word church? What
does
Greek word eeklesia mean?
5. What does the word “Christ” signify?
What do the words “binding” and “loosing” mean?
7. Can you explain the difference between the church of God
Paul persecuted and the church of God to which he wrote?
How would you explain Romans 14:17?
9. Did Paul write to the kingdom of God? Did he
preach the church of God?
10. When did the church of God
begin? Give scripture.
11. Can you define the words
“dispensation” and “age?”
12. How did you become a member of the church of God?
DISCUSSIONAL QUESTIONS #6
What is the main difference between Israel and the church?
What is the difference between the church and the kingdom?
How many churches of Christ are there?
Review Paul’s commission in Acts 26:17-20. With whom do the
Gentiles become heirs? Who are the sanctified ones? Would
Ephesians 3:6 have any relation here?
What is the significance of the metaphor, “the body of Christ?”
How does this relate to the church of God?
Did Paul persecute the church of God? Did he persecute
Israel? Was the early church primarily Jewish?
Could Israel be considered to be a church? If the word church
(ekklesia) is not a technical word, what would be the significance of
speaking of Israel as being a church?
What about Acts 7:38?
Is the church of God then identical with Israel?
Are there then two different churches of God?
To which church did Barnabas and Silas belong?
Can Gentiles believers be called the children of Abraham?
DISCUSSIONAL QUESTIONS #7
How would define “repentance?”
Did Paul preach “repentance?” (Cf. Acts 26:20)
What did Peter preach? (Acts 2:38).
What was symbolized by water baptism? (Acts 22:16)
How can “faith” and “works” be reconciled?
How does one demonstrate faith? (Cf. James 2:14-16)
What about Ezekiel 14:6; 18:30, 31? Can these passages be applied
in anyway today?
Are “Parables” easy to understand? Why did many Jews in that day
fail to understand them? Can the disposition of faith have any
relation to this phenomenon?
Can the parable of “The Sower” be applied today? How?
How do you interpret “The Parable of the Prodigal Son?”
What about The Parable of the Good
Samaritan?
Is the doctrine of universal salvation taught in the Bible?
What about universal submission? (Cf. Phil. 2:9-11)
What about verses such as John 3:16, 36; Matthew 25:46; 2
Thessalonians 1:7-10; and Revelation 20:10-15?
DISCUSSIONAL QUESTIONS #8
What can be learned from Romans 15:4?
2. How valid is the distinction between horizontal and
vertical truth?
3. How can you build character in people without absolute
truth? Can you grow flowers without roots?
4. Is the Sermon on the Mount an abrogation of the O.T?
5. In what sense could the S on the M be called the Magna Charta
the Kingdom?
6. Does the S on the M have any application today?
What do you think of the paraphrase “Wonderful news for
the poor in spirit for yours is the kingdom of
God!” ?
Can it be supported that Paul reflects the teaching of
the
S on the M? (E.g. cf. Rom. 12:14, 17; 14:13). What can be
concluded from the words of Paul in 1 Timothy 6:3?
9. What can be learned from the use of the imperfect tense
in
Matthew 5:1, 2?
What does it mean to be poor in spirit?
How would you relate Romans 3:23 to Matthew 5:3?
The big question is: How should the S on the M be interpreted by
Christians today?
DISCUSSIONAL QUESTIONS #9
Explain the statement: “There can be only one interpretation but
m many applications.”
What did you think about the quotation from the book “A Few Buttons
Missing?”
How about the quotation from Billy Graham about the clown who was
disconsolate?
What do you think was the average reaction to the S on the M?
Do you see any connection between Matthew 5:3 and Isaiah 57:15, and
66:1, 2?
How would you explain the oxymoron which speaks about the blessedness
of mourning? Would you see any connection with the prayer in
Daniel 9?
How would you define biblical meekness?
What does the expression “pure in heart” mean? Does it speak of
sinlessness perfection?
Is there anything in the S on the M that would make you question the
message of the TV health and wealth preachers?
What would you say to the claim that the S on the M contains the
greatest spiritual teaching found among men?
How would you explain the controversy that exists over its
interpretation?
DISCUSSIONAL QUESTIONS #10
Can you explain the purpose behind the S on the M?
What could be the meaning of the analogy concerning being the salt of
the earth?
How can a person’s righteousness exceed the quality of righteousness
possessed by the Pharisees?
What did Christ mean when he declared: “It has been said, but I say
unto you?” Again, it might be asked, was he abrogating the Old
Testament laws? Was he introducing a new system of ethics?
How do you understand the proposition that the so-called Lord’s Prayer
was a pattern prayer? Did he intend that it be repeated verbatim
at every religious service? What about the context?
What does it mean to pray, “Thy kingdom come?”
How would you tie Ephesians 4:30-32 to Matthew 6:12?
What was meant by getting one’s priorities straight?
“Me firstism” is rampant in our culture today. What is the nature
of the biblical ethic?
In the light of its context, how would you interpret the words,
“Judge not, lest you be judged?”
Give some thought and discussion to the need to build the right kind
of foundation.
DISCUSSIONAL QUESTIONS #11
What are the main themes of the Old Testament Prophets?
What is the main emphasis of the Synoptic Gospels?
Why did the disciples raise the question found in Acts 1:6?
How do you understand Acts 3:19-21?
How would you explain the claim that Paul did not preach the kingdom of
God? (Cf. Acts 20:24, 25; 28: 23, 30, 31)
Is there an “unbridgeable” gap between the ministry of Paul and that of
the Lord Jesus Christ?
Did Luke 21:20 have reference to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D.
70? How then can it be associated with the last days and the
second coming of Christ?
How do you understand the phrase, “the times of the Gentiles?”
What about Luke 21:24?
How would you explain the prolongation of time with regard to the
coming of the kingdom? (Cf. 2 Pet. 3:8-16)
Can you give a definition of the word “dispensationalism?’
Does your understanding of prophecy allow any prophecy to be
fulfilled after the revelation of the mystery?
Is the truth of the mystery found in the Old Testament? (Cf. Eph.
3:5, 8, 9; Col. 1:26)
DISCUSSIONAL QUESTIONS #12
What does it really mean to be a Berean? (Cf. Acts 17:11).
Can you define “Progressive Revelation?”
Can you summarize the quotation from Dr. Herman Hoyt?
What are the two main features of the “day of the Lord?”
Would the contexts of Isaiah 2:12, 17, and Zechariah 14:9 shed any
light on the preceding question?
What do think of Professor Richard Baukham’s view of the content of the
Revelation?
Do you think that the Revelation is one uninterrupted series of visions
without any parenthetical interludes?
Were there any Church Fathers who believed in a literal millennial
reign of Christ?
What can you conclude from the first chapter of the Revelation
concerning the overall content of the book?
What do you think of the suggestions of Pastor Hudson with regard
to his interpretation of chapter 1:10?
Can you explain what happened to John in !:10, and 4:2?
Why would any commentator claim that 4:2 is the rapture of the
whole church? (i.e. 1 Thess. 4:13-17)
Why does the premillenarian view of the coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ make more sense?