MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD (JN 18:36)
What We Can Learn about Jesus From the Historical Background of His Teaching on the ‘Kingdom of God’
Keywords:
KINGDOM, GamlaAbstract
The Kingdom of God is a key theme in the New Testament preaching. It is the point of departure that clears many a concept in Jesus’ pronouncements. The present article begins by asking what distinguished the teachings of Jesus from that of the socio-political and religious figures of his time. In the first part, it briefly goes through the lexicography of the terms regarding the Kingdom both in Hebrew and Greek. The article then goes on to reflect on the socio-political and historical context of the first century Israel-Palestine, with a special emphasis on four geographical entities: Caesarea Maritima, Tiberias, Gamla and Capernaum. Each of these specimens reveals certain aspects of the volatile life-situation of the time. The comparison and contrast among these representative places sheds light on what distinguished the message of Jesus from many others and made it unique.
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