Abstract
It would be entirely wrong to regard "kingdom of God" as the central motif of the New Testament. Matthew's kingdom depiction should be read against the backdrop of a (mainly) Jewish Christian community in the process of re-defining its own identity over against Jewish opposition, which was consolidating itself under Pharisaic-scribal leadership. The genitive "of God/of heaven" signifies the kingdom as God-determined, but God's transcendence is mitigated by Matthew's portrayal of him as the Father of believers. Kingdom of Godlheaven is a dynamic concept indicating God's active reign. The rule of God and righteousness, as its human correlate, are the key motifs in the Sermon on the Mount. Although the kingdom in Matthew involves a critical decision and the acceptance of strict entry requirements, it is not an entirely ethical concept, as is shown by the first beatitude. A growing correspondence between the kingdom motif and messiah christo logy can be traced. Modern churches in the process of losing their identity can benefit from a responsive reading of Matthew's kingdom message.
Highlights
The encounter between God and man, as reflected in the Bible, is so allencompassing that it cannot be compressed into the semantic scope of one single term
Matthew's kingdom depiction should be read against the backdrop of a Jewish Christian community in the process of re-defining its own identity over against Jewish opposition, which was consolidating itself under Pharisaic-scribal leadership
For instance, the covenant motif fulfils an important role in the Old Testament, this is not the case in the New Testament
Summary
The encounter between God and man, as reflected in the Bible, is so allencompassing that it cannot be compressed into the semantic scope of one single term. The "Jewish" character of Matthew's gospel has often drawn attention This is evident from, inter alia, the many quotations and allusions from the Old Testament, the Hebrew/Aramaic expressions which were left untranslated (e g raka in 5:22; korban in 17:6 - cf Mk 7: 11, where a translation is provided), his positive attitude towards the law (cf 5:17-18), his emphasis on righteousness (e g 3:15; 5:6,10,20; 6:1,33 etc), his special attention to Israel (10:5-6; 27:25), his portrayal of Jesus as the expected Messiah (1: 1-17 etc), and his respect for Jewish sensitivities as illustrated, for example, by his use of the divine passive (e g 5:4,6,7,9). At least some of Matthew's aims in writing his gospel were, to strengthen the spiritual disposition of his church, and to assist his readers in rediscovering their true identity (cfWhite 1991:238-9) He wanted them to realise their high status: they are the blessed ones to whom the kingdom belongs; as opposed to Jewish self-consciousness, they should realise that they are the new and true Israel of God (Trilling). We can proceed to explore the main contours of Matthew's kingdom preaching
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