The Right of Self Determination/Seeking The Kingdom of Heaven

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Permalink Reply by Joseph Phillips on September 22, 2009 at 9:40am

When Jesus told Pilate that His Kingdom was not of the “world” we see one of five different Greek words found in the Biblical text which have all been translated into the word “world”. The word was kosmos, and it is defined in Strong's Concordance as an “orderly arrangement” and in another Greek concordances it is defined as “an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government.”5

The word kosmos in the Greek and Roman view at the time, “... meant originally the discipline of an army, and next the ordered constitution of a state.”6 The word came from the Greek “komizo” meaning “to care for, take care of, provide for” or “carry off what is one’s own.” Kosmos did not mean planet, inhabitable place, or age.

Jesus was not saying that His kingdom was not on this planet nor that it was not at hand in spirit and truth. He was simply telling Pontius Pilate, who was seated as a ruling judge of a Roman court,7 that Jesus Kingdom was not a part of Pilate's constitution, order, government or state and Pilate had no jurisdiction to judge Jesus as king of the kingdom God had given him

Ron Kellington said:

Isn't it wonderful that we're not of this world? Neither is our Lord. There are Gentiles and there are Jews and then there is us, the ekklesia.. the third race..(1Cor.10:32)..who is from Him and in Him. Amazing what humanism and individualism has wrought in the minds of fallen men.

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Permalink Reply by David Evans on September 22, 2009 at 2:07pm

Jesus made references to his disciples taking up arms and angels being sent to fight on His behalf IF His kingdom was of this world. How does that fit into your interpretation of what He told Pilate?

Joseph Phillips said:

When Jesus told Pilate that His Kingdom was not of the “world” we see one of five different Greek words found in the Biblical text which have all been translated into the word “world”. The word was kosmos, and it is defined in Strong's Concordance as an “orderly arrangement” and in another Greek concordances it is defined as “an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government.”5

The word kosmos in the Greek and Roman view at the time, “... meant originally the discipline of an army, and next the ordered constitution of a state.”6 The word came from the Greek “komizo” meaning “to care for, take care of, provide for” or “carry off what is one’s own.” Kosmos did not mean planet, inhabitable place, or age.

Jesus was not saying that His kingdom was not on this planet nor that it was not at hand in spirit and truth. He was simply telling Pontius Pilate, who was seated as a ruling judge of a Roman court,7 that Jesus Kingdom was not a part of Pilate's constitution, order, government or state and Pilate had no jurisdiction to judge Jesus as king of the kingdom God had given him

Ron Kellington said:

Isn't it wonderful that we're not of this world? Neither is our Lord. There are Gentiles and there are Jews and then there is us, the ekklesia.. the third race..(1Cor.10:32)..who is from Him and in Him. Amazing what humanism and individualism has wrought in the minds of fallen men.

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