Is the Church the Kingdom of God?
by Charles Reed
1. Offenses and scandals
2. Darkness, Ignorance and Bad Decisions
3. Inconstancy, Cowardice
4. Hypocrisy
5. Laziness, Negligence, Cowardice.1. Offenses and scandals
Objection. It would seem that the church is not the kingdom of God. For inside the church are offenses and scandals, that cause great damage to the faithful. The kingdom of God must be all holy, pure and without spot and wrinkle (Eph.)
Answer. The son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom, all offenses and scandals, and all evildoers. Mt. 13.41. If there were no offenses in his kingdom, how could it be written, they will gather out of his kingdom?
2. Darkness, Ignorance and Bad Decisions.
Objection. Christ said his disciples and church are the light of the world. His kingdom is all light, all purity, all holy knowledge, and only good decisions can be made there. No one can make ignorant or stupid decisions.
Answer. The kingdom of heaven is like ten virgins. Five were wise and five were foolish.
Example. Bishop Cauchon gave a death sentence to Joan of Arc, a horrible injustice. a foolish decision. He was in darkness.
3. Inconstancy, Cowardice
Objection. It would seem the church is not the kingdom of God, for his kingdom is of those who are loyal, faithful, who persevere until death, even a death of torture and martyrdom. In his kingdom are only those who receive the word and bear fruit in silence (Mt. 13).
Answer. It is written: some receive the word of God with joy, but in time of persecution fall away and are unfaithful and apostate (Mt. 13:20) and inconstant. Only those who persevere until the end will be saved in his everlasting kingdom. Scripture.
4. Hypocrisy
Objection. God hates hypocrisy and lying. He rebuked the Pharisees for their ugly hypocrisy and injustice and oppression and foolishness. Mt. 23. He is all holy and all pure and truthful, and there can be no lying in his kingdom.
Answer. It is written: The kingdom of God will be taken from you (Pharisees) and will be given to a people who will bear the fruit thereof. (Mt. 21:43). The kingdom of God could not be taken from them, unless they really possessed it. Therefore the Jewish high priests and rulers and Pharisees really did possess the kingdom of God, and it was taken away from them at the moment when the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. And then Christ and his 12 apostles had full authority to rule and command and teach in his church, assembly, congregation, the kingdom of God on earth.
Example. Ananias and Saphira told lies, and were punished by death. They were in the kingdom but were cast out, because of their mortal sins. The minister of the kingdom, Peter, executed the sentence.5. Laziness, Negligence and Cowardice
Objection. It would seem the kingdom of heaven could not be the church, because in it we observe so much laziness, and negligence. Solomon said that laziness causes a field to be overgrown with weeds. Sometimes the church seems to have more weeds and ugly plants than healthy trees and good fruit. God would never allow such abominable weeds and plants and rotten fruit in his kingdom.
Answer. The kingdom of heaven is like ten virgins. Five were diligent and five were lazy, not having oil in their lamps and were expelled from the kingdom. The kingdom of heaven is like three stewards, two were diligent and the third was lazy and cowardly, and did not work for his master and wasted all his gifts. (Mt. 25).Note. According to some, the oil in the lamps of the virgins, signifies good works and love. According to Seraphim of Sarov, the oil signifies the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. See conversation of Seraphim of Sarov with Motovilov.
Example. Because of the laziness, negligence and cowardice of many Catholics, the Protestant reformation happened, that caused so many divisions in the church, contrary to the will of Christ who prayed that his disciples be one (John 17). and united.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = == = = = = =Question. The parables of the kingdom speak of the rightous (just souls). But are we not all miserable offenders?Romans 3 says that all are sinners. But the Scripture says that Joseph was a just man, righteous, that Zacharias and Elizabeth were irreprochable and without blame. Is not this a contradiction?
Answer. There are two kinds of actual sin. mortal and venial. All are guilty of venial sins. But only some are guilty of unrepented mortal sins. Therefore Solomon says that the just man falls seven times a day. That there is no just man, who does not sin.But John says that there is a sin unto death (1 Jn.) That if we say we do not sin, we lie. But he also says that he who is born of God does not sin. Is this not a contradiction?
No, because he writes in one case of unrepented mortal sin, in another of repented venial sin. Not all sins are equal. Christ himself said that the sin of the Jews was greater than the sin of Pilate.
See Baltimore Catechism. Actual Sin.
= = = = = = = = === = ========== = = = = = = = =
http://drbo.org/cat/ -- See chapter named Actual Sin.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =( This is a draft.)
ssays in Reflections
Essays not in Reflections
Novel. Mount Zion Revisited.
Anthologies
Translations
Note about Mount Zion Revisited
The character named Little Bear in ch. 13, is based on three persons, in order to condense much informtion into a small space. The face of one of them bore no resemblance to the face of a bear. (He is now deceased, probably in Paradise with his mother). The other two, still living, have the face of a teddy bear. This is not an exaggeration.
Mt. Zion is a narration of a shipwreck that was not total. Just as Robinson Crusoe and Man Friday came of their shipwreck alive and kicking, so these precious little souls came out of the crucible of sorrow, shining like gold (Job 19), and at least two of them are now praising God forever, in the heavenly Zion.
And the redeemed of the Lord will come into Zion with praise.
Sorrow and mourning will flee away,
And everlasting joy shall be upon their heads.
Isaiah 35
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Similarity with other novels.
Brideshead Revisited, by E. Waugh. The effects of grace, on a group of characters.
Robinson Crusoe, by Defoe. What to do when a shipwreck happens, and everything disintegrates, falls apart, and you are faced with a chaotic situation.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = == = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =