Restitutio

Like all kingdoms, God’s kingdom is political in nature. As a result, the kingdom requires allegiance from its citizens. By examining Jewish messianism and Roman political sensibilities, you’ll come to better see how early Christians prioritized their allegiance to the age to come over their local and national allegiances. This is lecture 9 of the Kingdom of God class, originally taught at the Atlanta Bible College.  To take this class for credit, please contact ABC so you can do the work necessary for a grade. Notes: two parts: Jewish Messianism Roman Allegiance politics and religion were not separate realms in antiquity Other leaders of messianic movements: Athronges (4 bc) Judah the Galilean (ad 6) the Samaritan Prophet (ad 36) Theudas (ad 45) the Egyptian Prophet (ad 58) Simon bar Giora (ad 69) Simon ben Kosiba (ad 132) the Roman empire always perceives the leaders of Jewish messianic movements as threats and moves decisively to eliminate them I bring up these leaders of messianic and quasi-messianic movements to contextualize Jesus he knows what he’s doing and he’s smart about it   Messianic Secret messianic secret: Jesus kept the fact that he claimed to be the messiah a secret Jesus had been extremely careful up to this point casting out many demons Luke 4.40-41 40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.  41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. Peter’s Confession (Mark 8.27-30) Matthew 16.15-20 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven…20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.   until…the Triumphal Entry Mark 11. 7-11 7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields.  9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” 11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. three coded actions riding the donkey waving palm branches called “Son of David”   Riding the Donkey By riding the donkey Jesus provocatively fulfilled Zechariah’s prophecy.[1] Zechariah 9.9-10 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.  10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from

Are you interested in online ministry?  Would you like to reach more people?  Ryan Maher shares what he’s learned about combining his love for God and graphic design into his bible lock-screen app.  Once Instigram came out, he jumped on board and developed a following that numbers around a million people.  In this interview Maher talks about his journey of faith, how he’s found success in reaching people online, as well as some tips on how to be more effective on social media. Notes and Links: Get more info about Ryan Maher’s bible lock screen app Check out his daily encouragement blog at ryanmaher.net Subscribe to his podcast Follow him on twitter @RyanMaher Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

How does your belief in the God’s coming kingdom affect your life now? Now that we’ve looked at the kingdom as hope (what we look forward to) and gospel (what we preach to others), we’ll examine how God calls us to embody the kingdom now.  Taking our cue from Jesus’ kingdom-saturated ministry, we’ll see how he enacted the future in the present as a testimony and a taste of what’s to come. This is lecture 8 of the Kingdom of God class, originally taught at the Atlanta Bible College.  To take this class for credit, please contact ABC so you can do the work necessary for a grade. Notes: three dimensions of the kingdom kingdom hope (including, judgment and restoration) kingdom gospel (message preached) kingdom way (lifestyle, motivation, allegiance)   Jesus was obsessed w/ the kingdom we’ve already established that Jesus was a kingdom preacher that Jesus believed he was messiah—God’s anointed king of the kingdom that Jesus chose 12 disciples and promised them 12 thrones in the kingdom his parables were all about the kingdom parable of the sower: responding to the “word of the kingdom” seed parable of the tares & wheat: righteous and wicked grow together until the kingdom age when judgment occurs parable of the minas: teaches how to steward what God has given you so as to be rewarded in the kingdom parable of the sheep and the goats: treat those in need well so when the son of man sits upon his throne he will grant you entrance to kingdom you wanna tell me you can understand Jesus w/o understanding the kingdom? he was obsessed with it it was his hope, his destiny, his dream, his sermon, he gave his life for it (Rev 5.9-10) he called the kingdom a treasure in a field and a pearl of great price (Mt 13.44-46)—something worth selling everything to get as for priorities, Jesus said, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Mt 6.31-33) (on quiz: in what verse does Jesus tell his disciples to seek first his kingdom?) but, he doesn’t stop here his whole ministry, including preaching, healing, exorcisms, dinner parties all enacted the kingdom I want to look at three incidents his inaugural sermon his answer to John’s delegation an exorcism   inaugural sermon Luke 4.16-21 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.  17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,  18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,  19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Isaiah 61.1-11 1 The Spirit of the Lord G

J. Dan and Sharon Gill are part of a growing movement of bible students who have concluded that the Father of Jesus is the only true God.  They’re so passionate about this truth that in 2008, they launched their website, called Twenty-First Century Reformation (21stcr.org).  To date they’ve received over 700,000 views on YouT ube, not to mention visitors to the site.  In this interview you’ll here a bit about the Gill’s journey of faith from oneness to one, why they decided to launch 21st century reformation, how Sharon became “the most tech savvy grandma in America,” how they came up with the name, and their vision for the future. Notes and Links: Visit 21st Century Reformation Subscribe to 21st Century Reformation’s YouTube channel Get J. Dan Gill’s book, The One: In Defense of God Also check out these audios, featuring J. Dan Gill One God, One Message  (sermon) Is the Trinity Necessary for Salvation? (interview) From Oneness to One (testimony) Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

What is the gospel of the kingdom of God? It’s not about Jesus dying for your sins or going to heaven when you die. In fact, Jesus’ gospel of the kingdom is not new at all; it’s the message the prophets of old proclaimed–that one day God was going to make everything wrong with the world right and extend his reign from heaven to earth. In this lecture, you’ll see how John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, the twelve, the seventy, and Philip the evangelist, and Paul the Apostle all preached about God’s coming kingdom. This is lecture 7 of the Kingdom of God class, originally taught at the Atlanta Bible College.  To take this class for credit, please contact ABC so you can do the work necessary for a grade. Notes: first off, what is the gospel? τό εὐαγγέλιον (to evangelion): good message holding this message results in salvation 1 Corinthians 15.1-2 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you– unless you believed in vain. 2 Timothy 1.10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, Romans 1.16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. thus, getting the gospel wrong is huge! since believing in the gospel results in salvation, getting the gospel right is absolutely paramount!   begin by looking at an interesting incident (why did Jesus rebuke peter?) Matthew 16.21-23 21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.  22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”  23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Why in the world did Peter rebuke Jesus? he had told him he was going to suffer and die Why was this so shocking to Peter? Surely he had heard Jesus preaching the gospel! note v. 21: “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples…” this was the first time they heard about it how did they react? outrage if he didn’t talk about his crucifixion prior to this, what was he preaching for 16 chapters!?!?!?   John the Baptist preached the kingdom gospel Matthew 3.1-2 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,  2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” what is the “kingdom of heaven?” (same as kingdom of God) heaven probably substitutes as a circumlocution for God or else it derives from Dan 2.44 “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed” this OT verse may account for the two phrases (kingdom of heaven AND kingdom of God)   Jesus preached the kingdom as gospel Mark 1.14-15 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospe

Sir Anthony Buzzard has led a fascinating life.  He grew up in the Church of England in the 1930s and 40s.  While at Oxford, he attended a “get saved” meeting and went forward.  Next he joined Herbert Armstrong’s Worldwide Church of God, but then left and studied with the Christadelphians, before joining the Church of God General Conference.  He’s written seven books, publishes a monthly magazine, co-founded the annual Theological Conference, initiated a thriving mission in Africa, trained dozens of current pastors, launched a radio program, and produced nearly a thousand YouTube videos.  He’s tirelessly promoted Jesus’ gospel of the kingdom and the simple truth that the Father is the only true God (biblical unitarianism).  In this interview, you’ll learn about Buzzard’s journey of faith as well as his hopes for the future of the movement. Notes and Links: Visit Sir Anthony Buzzard’s website: focusonthekingdom.org Subscribe to Restoration Fellowship’s YouTube channel Check out Podcast 71: What Good Is Jesus without His Gospel? Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

What happens when you die? Is there an intermediate state? What does the bible teach about the dead before resurrection? These questions are important for our study of the kingdom of God.  If you go straight to heaven when you die, you’re not going to care very much about what happens when Jesus returns.  You may find it marginally interesting, but it’s what’s next for you.  In this way, the doctrine of heaven-at-death eclipses Jesus’ gospel of the kingdom.  However, as it turns out, the bible teaches that the dead are asleep until the resurrection on the last day.  In this lecture you’ll learn the primary texts that support conditional immortality and you’ll see how this Hebrew notion compares to what other cultures and religions say about the afterlife. This is lecture 6 of the Kingdom of God class, originally taught at the Atlanta Bible College.  To take this class for credit, please contact ABC so you can do the work necessary for a grade. Notes: difference between conditional immortality and natural immortality natural means immortality is part of nature conditional means immortality is conditioned on God giving it death is sleep (sleep = not awake) RIP = rest in peace sleep is the dominant metaphor the bible uses to talk about death David slept with his fathers 1 Kings 2.10 10 Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. Solomon slept with his fathers 1 Kings 11.43 43 And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place. Jeroboam slept with his fathers 1 Kings 14.20 20 And the time that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years. And he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his place. death is lying down, quietly in sleep, and at rest Job 3.11, 13-14, 17, 19 11 “Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire?…13 For then I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept; then I would have been at rest, 14 with kings and counselors of the earth who rebuilt ruins for themselves…17 There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary are at rest…19 The small and the great are there, and the slave is free from his master. the dead know nothing and do nothing Ecclesiastes 9.5, 10 5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten…10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going. no remembrance or praise of God in sheol Psalm 6.4-5 4 Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love.  5 For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? help me or else I’ll sleep the sleep of death Psalm 13.3 Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, the dead do not praise the LORD Psalm 115.17 The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence. breath [ruach/spirit] departs, return to earth, plans perish Psalm 146.3-4 3 Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.  4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Jesus calls Lazarus asleep when he is dead John 11.11-14 11 After saying these things, he said to them, R

Nicholas Hlifka grew up as an atheist until a Christian teacher shared his faith with him in high school.  While attending the State University of New York at Fredonia, he took a class with Dale Tuggy.  When he found out that Tuggy was a biblical unitarian, he was immediately wary of such a heretical belief.  Over time, he challenged Tuggy, his best trinitarian proof-texts to him.  Tuggy explained the various texts and eventually Hlifka felt compelled to follow the evidence where it was leading.  Next, in an online coversation with Kegan Chandler, he learned about how God plans to establish his kingdom on earth (rather than going to heaven at death).  Once again Hlifka didn’t balk at the challenge, but embraced the biblical teaching. Notes and Links: Other faith stories from Theological Conferences More information about Restoration Fellowship’s Theological Conference available here. Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

After a bad divorce, Chad Hoffman became a Christian.  He attended a number of different churches and something didn’t sit right at each.  In 2006, he was diagnosed with a inoperable tumor on his brain stem.  After some treatment it shrank and grew back.  During this tumultuous time, he started considering what he believed about the afterlife.  He took some seminary courses to get more information and learned about hermeneutics (how to interpret the bible).  Armed with these tools, he began understanding that the bible taught that the dead are asleep until resurrection.  He continued in his studies and discovered more about God’s nature and his coming kingdom.  He still battles cancer, but since this recording a recent mri has revealed this his tumor is currently stable.  Please pray for the Hoffmans as they continue in the walk with the Lord.   Notes and Links: Other faith stories from Theological Conferences More information about Restoration Fellowship’s Theological Conference available here. Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Steve and Phyllis Carouthers have attended many churches throughout their Christian journey.  A couple of years ago Phyllis was researching the gifts of the spirit and came across an article on the Truth or Tradition website and saw that they were biblical unitarians.  Initially she found this quite disturbing as she associated all unitarians with the very liberal Unitarian Universalist denomination.  However, after learning that biblical unitarians actually hold to the inspiration and authority of scripture, she began considering the idea that the Father is the only true God.  She searched around online and began watching the free classes from Living Hope International Ministries.  After much study she came to agree that Jesus is not God the Son, but the Son of God.  She shared this with her step son, Thomas Brewer who had been studying with the Jehovah’s Witnesses for a year.  (He could never quite bring himself to join them because of their opposition to blood transfusions.)  He came to see the light and attended the Theological Conference in 2016.  This year the whole family came.   Notes and Links: Other faith stories from Theological Conferences More information about Restoration Fellowship’s Theological Conference available here. Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.