Consider that the kingdom of Heavens is after all a body of people (who originated from the earth) and who wield political power ie it is a body of rulers with a fixed number of members.
Could the JWs be right in saying that there will be this ruling body, and another class that of the ruled, even though it is certainly very wrong to believe that they will live on this earth for ever and not have Jesus as their mediator and the annointing of the spirit.
Were the two proposed classes (1. the elite of all the elite and 2. the elite), gathered in parallel throughout Christian history rather than first one and then the other as the JWs claim?
The kingdom elite?
by greendawn 5 Replies latest jw friends
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greendawn
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Narkissos
Consider that the kingdom of Heavens is after all a body of people (who originated from the earth) and who wield political power ie it is a body of rulers with a fixed number of members.
I would question this very first assumption.
The phrase "kingdom of God / Heavens" is used in a number of ways in the NT -- none of them, I think, corresponding to the WT utilitarian definition of a "heavenly government".
There are a lot of interchangeable metaphors expressing the one Christian hope (admittedly varying according to the type of Christianity involved, but in each case intended as one hope); only very few of them involve an eschatological "ruling" (Romans 5:17; 1 Corinthians 4:8; 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 1:6; 5:10; 20:4,6; 22:5) which is sometimes defined as "judging" (Matthew 19:28// Luke 22:30; 1 Corinthians 6:2f; cf. Revelation 2:26f; 3:21). However, those expressions are clearly exceptional when compared to the overwhelming number of texts which attribute the ruling, or judging, exclusively to God or Christ (check any concordance). This imo suggests rather ad hoc metaphors (in line with Jewish apocalyptics) rather than a consistent belief. In any case, when the object of the "ruling" or "judging" happens to be defined (which is the exception within the exception) it is always referring to non-believers -- non-Christians, infidels etc.: the "twelve tribes of Israel" in the Q logion, "the world" or (fallen) "angels" in Paul, "the nations" or "the earth" in Revelation.
Bottom line: the idea of one Christian class ruling another Christian class is completely absent from the NT.
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greendawn
Narkissos thanks for the useful info, you have a broad knowledge basis.
Do you know BTW what major Christian religions eg the catholics consider the kingdom of heavens to be? Is it a state of the spirit or the heart? -
Narkissos
Here's a classic summary (almost one century ago):
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08646a.htm
In short, the "kingdom of God" is primarily God's rule.
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jaffacake
Greendawn
A good book I read recently would support Narkissos' understanding of NT teaching, although it approaches from a different perspective. What the Bible really teaches by Keith Ward (former Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford University). An eye opener for me personally, certainly made me think!
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greendawn
Thanks Jaffa I will try to find and read the book and let you know what I think about the nature of the kingdom.