(vii.) Xatiijnal or Universal ? — The same i)rin- ciple holds good throughout the whole of this analysis of the idea of the Kingdom. The aptest figure to exjiress it is that of r/rowth. It is a germ, secretly and silently iiiK-nuatcil, and secn-ily and silently %vorking until it puts forth (irsl the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in tlie ear. It is a mistake to cut a section of thai which is thus cea.seles.sly expanding, and to label it with a name which might be true at one particular moment but would not be true at the next. Tl:e King(h)m of God is not the theocracy of the OT, nor the eschatological Kingdom of the Apocalypses, nor the Christian Church of the present ilay, or of the Middle Ages, or of the Fathers. These are phases through which it passes ; but it outgrows one after the other. For this rea-son, because He foresaw this inevitable and continuous growth, the chief Founder and permanent Vicegerent of the Kingdom showed Himself, as we might think, in- different to the precise degree of extension which
JESUS CHRIST
JESUS CHRIST
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it \va.s to receive during His life on earth ; He was content to say tliat He 'was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel' (Mt li>-*), ihoufth witliin a {generation His gospel was about to be carrieil to the ends of the then known earth. It was enough that the seed was planted — planted in a soil suited to it, and under conditions that ensured its full vitality, 'like a tree by the streams ()!' water, that bringeth forth its fruit in its .sea.son, wliose leaf also doth not wither.' It is character- istic of God's i)roces.ses that there is no hurry or iiiipatience about them ; the Ma.ster was not so anxious to reap immediate fniit a.s the disciple (Uo !'^), and therefore He calmly left it to His followers to .see 'gieatcr things' than He saw lliin-:elf (.In 14'^); but these 'greater things' are none the less virtually His own.
{'■i) The Mernhers of the Kingdom. — Asihe ' Reiirn of (iod.' the jia<Ti\tla toO ffeoD denotes certain Divine forces or laws which are at work in the world ; ;>s the Kingdom of (Jod it was at most stages a •society, but at all .stages a definite sphere or area, into which men might enter, and, by entering, become partakers of the .same Divine forces or subject to the same Divine laws. It was therefore a matter of nuich moment what were tiie condi- tions of entrance into the Kingilom, and what was the character impressed upon its members. The two things run into each other, because it was rei|uiied of those who entered that they should )iossess at least the germs of the character to be developed in them.
(i.) Ciinilitiiins of Entrance. — These are clearly laiil down: 'Except ye turn, and become as little cliililren, ye .';liall in no wi.se enter into the king- dom of heaven ' (.Mt 18'). There was to be a definite change of mind, a break with the sinful past. This w,as to be ratilieil by submission to the rite of baptism, which, in the discour.se with N'icodenuis, is described as a new birth of ■ water and Spirit' (.In 3'). The entrance into the Kingdom is something more than a deliberate act of the mail himself, it is a self-surrender to Divine influences. The response on the part of God is forgiveness, which is the permanent concomitant of baptism, not only that of John, but al.so that in the name of Christ (.Mk 1* I, comp. with Ac 'J™, Lk 24*' etc.).
(ii.) The Vhurncle.r of the Mcmbirs. — The typical character of the nn-mbers of the Kingdom is that of a 'little child,' in svhich the prominent features are innocence, siinplicit}' of aim, absence of self- assertion, trustfulness, and openness to intluences from above. A sketch of such a character is given in the Beatitudes (Mt ii*-'-' ; the || in Lk O-""--"! refers rather to conditions or circumstances suited to the character). The Christian ideal here depicted stands out in marked contrast to most other ideals of what is admirable in man. The qualities com- meniled (' poor in spirit ' — ' where the iMatthiean glo.ss is in any ca.se right in sense, — 'meek,' 'merci- fid,' 'pure in heart,' 'peacemakers') are all of the gentle, submissive, retiring order. And this is fully borne out by other sayings, the cheek turned to the sniiter, the litigant forestalled, the requlsi- tion of labour offered freely, .and even doubled ; .\It iV*-" ;|), enemies to be loved, persecutors to be prayed for (i7(. xv.*^ *'), the sword to be sheathed (.Mt ■Jii'"''), the duties of charity strongly inculcated (Lk 11)^"-^), the duty of forgiveness of injuries (Ml 1»'="'), service greater than authority (Lk Ti-'"). An<l it is noticcal)U' that the same type of character is prai.sed by St. I'aul (Ho I'J-' 'lie not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good' ; cf. ch. 1.'!). The whole duty of man is summed up in love to (Jod and love to one's neighbour (again cf. Ko i:}"-'"). We observe, too, that the ethical teaching of Jesus is almost contined to that siile of ethics which touches upon religion. Allusions to