Throne by Teslacoils at www.sxc.hu
In the last post I shared what I learned from studying from Alexander Campbell. I wrote an article titled, “The King of the Kingdom” for FHU’s Kingdom journal. The article is based on an article written by Campbell called “The Kingdom of Heaven.”
I believe that the points Campbell made in 1834 about Christ as King should impact the church today. Here is a brief survey of the article and the points I believe apply to the church.
The King of the Kingdom in Campbell’s View:
- Campbell believed Christ was a “constitutional monarch” with his constitution being the New Testament. He is a monarch in that he has all authority and power. The government of the church is not a democracy but a “Christocracy!” God has given Jesus all authority and power (Mat. 28:18, Eph. 1:22-23).
- Christ began his rule on the day of Pentecost and will give up the kingdom to God at the end of time (Acts 2, 1 Cor. 15:24-27).
- Christ is an active, involved, benevolent, and peacemaking ruler. He is not far removed from his people, but is active as the King of his kingdom.
- All people should submit to the rule of the King.
How Christ being the King of the Kingdom should Impact the Church Today
- Christ being the King of the Kingdom should remind the church of the authority of Jesus. The church today tends to focus on the example of Jesus and a personal relationship with Him. We also need to recognize his kingship and dominion.
- Christ as King of the kingdom should help the church to place a greater emphasis upon the church and its connection with Christ. The religious world today too easily separates Christ from His church or the King from His Kingdom. The church and Christ are connected and must not be separated.
- Christ as King of the kingdom should help the church in considering its role and relationship with the government. Campbell practiced pacifist ethics and viewed the secular government as a kingdom of the world. The teaching of Christ as King calls Christians to put a priority on Christ’s cause and church over the political and social causes of the day. We should place our trust not in government, but in the active Lordship of Jesus Christ.
- Christ as King of the kingdom calls the church to allegiance and loyalty. God has a stake in human history. He has acted all through history, and acted decisively in the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We should be optimistic and hope-filled because we serve the true King of kings. It could be that the church has lost its distinctiveness, and blended into the broader culture, because it no longer understands, yeah even truly grasps the concept, of devotion and allegiance to a living and reigning King who is with us with a stake in the events and future of human history.
For a fuller treatment of this theme you will have to check out the article when it comes out in Kingdom along with the other articles on the kingdom theme.
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Sources:
Campbell, Alexander. “The Kingdom of Heaven.” Millennial Harbinger Extra VII.5 (1834): 388-444.
Scriptures to Consider:
Isa 9:6, 40:10, 42:1-7, 55:4; Pss 2:6-8, 72:5-8, 110:1-4; Zech 9:10
Matt 11:27; Luke 10:22; John 3:34, 5:27; Acts 2:33, 13:47; Heb 5:6, 7:17; 1 Pet. 3:22; Rom 14:9
