Subjects Index:


The Gospel of the Kingdom


Scriptures Referenced on This Page:
Mt. 6:10 π Mt. 6:33 π Mt. 13:41-42 π Jn. 7:17 π Acts 17:30 π 1 Cor. 15:24 π Phlp. 2:9 π Heb. 5:9 π Rev. 12:10

Jesus barely used the word ekklesia (this is the Greek word which in English is often mis-rendered “church”) – using the word only three times, all in one gospel and two in one verse! Since Jesus most likely spoke only Hebrew (perhaps Aramaic), there is an excellent likelihood that He never used the Greek word at all in His whole lifetime – it was added by Matthew at a later time! Jesus did not preach a “gospel of the church” – He preached the gospel of the kingdom. So did all the apostles and preachers in the New Testament. So where do we find the justification for a message that says merely, “Come to church and stay if you like”?

The gospel of the kingdom is the message that there is a King, the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom every knee must bow. ( Phlp. 2:9 ) The King commands all men everywhere to repent of their sins and wicked, self-centered lives ( Acts 17:30 ) and, to those who believe in His name and obey His commands, He becomes the source of their eternal salvation. ( Heb. 5:9 ) The kingdom, the realm that belongs to the King, is wherever God’s will is sought and done ( Mt. 6:10 ) – and only those who desire to know and do God’s will can and will know whether the message being presented to them genuinely comes from God or the speaker speaks only from his own authority and resources. ( Jn. 7:17 ) And only those who seek God’s will, His kingdom and His righteousness (what is right and good in God’s eyes) first and foremost can hope to receive the things need for life as a pilgrim in this world. ( Mt. 6:33; top )

At the end of the age, the King will send forth His angels (spiritual messengers and servants) to remove from His kingdom “all things that offend [stumble, cause offense], and those who practice lawlessness [what is right in their own eyes], and will cast them [the sons of the devil who have merely posed as or pretended to be sons of the King] into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” ( Mt. 13:41-42 ) After that, the King will hand the kingdom up to God, the devil will be cast down from the heavens to the earth and thus the end will come. ( 1 Cor. 15:24 , Rev. 12:10; top )

The following articles and writings explore various aspects of God’s will and His kingdom:

All articles are formatted as simply as possible and should print directly from your web browser.

  1. The Bread of Life - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Jesus said He was the bread of life. What did He mean by that?

  2. By the Numbers - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) God’s choice of the number “one” to describe Himself is no accident.

  3. Carnal Followers and Lawless “Theologians” - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) If we are to come out of lawless churchianity, we must first recognize the hidden sin of the leaders and spiritual fathers who contributed to the making of it.

  4. The Duplicity of Popularity - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) The success of a “pastor” or “church” is measured almost entirely in its popularity but is this a good standard by which to judge a man or “ministry”?

  5. Ekklesia or the Kingdom of God - Neil Girrard The kingdom of God is simply not the exact same thing as the ekklesia and the confusion that results by assuming that they are has caused many difficulties for the people of Christ.

  6. Enemies of the King - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Far too often we do not take seriously just who and what is considered the enemy of God.

  7. The Eternal Gospel - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Sometimes when we read the book of Revelation we can easily miss some detail or fail to grasp the profound significance of some sparsely described event – even about something as important as the eternal gospel of Christ.

  8. The Father’s Business - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) As sons of we need to be about our Father’s business – but what is that?

  9. A Fine Line - Neil Girrard The believer who wants to obey God must constantly choose between righteousness and lawlessness – but few seem to know what lawlessness really is.

  10. Follow Me - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Jesus makes it abundantly clear what it takes to gain eternal life.

  11. Friends of the King - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) When a king of a realm gives a command and it is disobeyed, the crime against the king is called treason and betrayal – and the penalty is almost certain to be death.

  12. Furthering the Kingdom - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Practical steps toward seeing the kingdom of God established among us.

  13. God the Judge of All - Neil Girrard The New Testament clearly says that God is to be the Judge of all men – so why does the “church” teach exemption from judgment for their attendees? And just what are the standards by which we shall all be judged?

  14. The Gospel of the Kingdom Page - Neil Girrard The gospel of the kingdom is the message that there is a King, the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom every knee must bow.

  15. The Great Treasure - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) With great treasure comes great responsibility.

  16. In the Way - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) The parable of the wheat and the tares holds a unique place in the New Testament.

  17. The Keys of the Kingdom - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) With knowledge of the keys to the kingdom of God, one must certainly possess eternal life – right?

  18. The Kingdom Is the Key - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) An accurate understanding of the kingdom of God is the key to understanding the collection of writings we commonly call the New Testament.

  19. Kingdom Now? - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Is the kingdom of God something we need to be concerned about today?

  20. The Kingdom of God Is at Hand - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) With the proclamation that the kingdom of God was at hand, Jesus ushered in a new phase in the work of redemption that God had purposed before the creation of the world.

  21. Kingdom or Church? - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Did Christ come to found and institute the church or did He come to bring forth the kingdom of God among men?

  22. The Message of the Kingdom - Neil Girrard Everyone knows the parable of the sower and the seed – so what really does the seed represent?

  23. Mighty in the Scriptures - Neil Girrard William Beck, a translator of the New Testament, called for men like Apollos who were mighty in the Scriptures. But will that really help us?

  24. A Part of Christ - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) The people who are “the Church,” are part of Christ, right?

  25. The Passing Darkness - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) The reason mainline denominations are dying out is blatantly obvious for those who have eyes to see.

  26. A Picture of the Kingdom - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, He showed His glory to His disciples – and left us a detailed “snapshot” of what His kingdom would be like after His death and before His return.

  27. Presenting the King - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Do you know what it means to have a King? Many people don’t.

  28. Pressing Into the Kingdom - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) The kingdom of God differs from the law and the prophets – why is that important?

  29. Provision, Power and Presumption - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) The temptations of Christ are more intricately intertwined in the life of the genuine believer than we are normally taught at “church.”

  30. The Purpose of Parables - Neil Girrard Parables serve a much more precise purpose in the teachings of Jesus than most people realize.

  31. The Right Answer - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) How we answer the question “Who do you say that I am?” effects everything about how we will go about practicing the way of following Christ.

  32. Simplicity in Christ - Neil Girrard The simplicity that Christ calls us to walk in applies also, believe it or not, to how we are to assemble.

  33. The Standard of Perfection - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Jesus said that we should be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect – so why aren’t we perfect?

  34. Still Close at Hand - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) The call to repent because the kingdom of God is close at hand is still sounding because man is still wicked and sinful.

  35. Strong Delusion - Neil Girrard When God sends strong delusion on all who take pleasure in unrighteousness, who can stand?

  36. A Tangled Web - Neil Girrard If knowing and doing the will of God is such a central part of following Christ, why do some claim that God’s purposes and will are unknowable?

  37. The Test of Obedience - Neil Girrard Our obedience to Christ’s commands is still a requirement to attain to eternal salvation.

  38. A Thing of Bronze - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) The bronze serpent Moses raised in the wilderness some 3500 years ago holds more implications for us today than most realize.

  39. The Time of Lawlessness - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) The one who does things he knows to be sinful or wrong is not the one the New Testament calls lawless.

  40. Triumphant Overcoming - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) If there is one word that has fallen from common usage in “Christian” circles, it would be the need to overcome.

  41. The True Tabernacle - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Scripture says there is a true tabernacle of Christ. What are the differences between the true one and the false ones?

  42. The Voice of God - Neil Girrard Hearing the voice of God has more to do with following Christ than most seem to realize.

  43. What Do You Seek? - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Most people who are confronted with this question at least know that they want, even need, an answer in life. But where do we look?

  44. Who Do You Say That I AM? - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Asking the right question – and even giving the “right answer” – does not mean we have the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

  45. Who Is My Neighbor? - Neil Girrard Jesus’ story of “the good Samaritan” has more to do with life today than many people realize.

  46. Whose Kingdom Is It Anyway? - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Perhaps the most accurate, over-arching view of the intricate workings of the kingdom of God ever given to men was that given to Ezekiel.

  47. Why Do We Meet - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) The modern “church” is so confused that few, if any, seem to remember or even know what the mission of the genuine ekklesia is.
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