₦airaland Forum

Tfbaby:
Sir I don't really understand this question especially what you mean by it wasn't Jesus.

jesusjnr:
Today everyone who follows or professes Christ is called a Christian, as is the faith of those who follow or profess Christ called Christianity.

However it was an entirely different scenario while Jesus was here in the Earth, as His followers were called His disciples, while the faith called the Kingdom of God.

For the teachings of Jesus, was also known as the gospel of the Kingdom of God, because He was always talking about the Kingdom of God, and the things pertaining to it.

And here is a few excerpts of the teachings of Jesus that buttress this:

Mark 1:14-15 (KJV)

14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Mark 4:11 (KJV)

11 And he said unto them,
Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

Mark 9:1 (KJV)

1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

Luke 11:20 (KJV)

20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

Matthew 24:14 (KJV)

14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Now this is only but a few or the occasions where the Kingdom of God was mentioned with respect the gospels of Jesus that were recorded in the Bible.

For Jesus was all about the Kingdom of God while He was on Earth, for that was the very purpose for which He had come to the Earth, even for the Kingdom of God to come upon the Earth, as it is heaven.

And this was the basis upon which He founded His church, for the church was meant to be an extension or branch of the Kingdom of God that was in heaven, on Earth, hence He founded it upon the standard of the Kingdom of God.

But today it is very different with the church, as you'd hardly hear much talk about Kingdom of God as it was with Jesus, but instead it's Christianity, Christianity, and Christianity again, which He never mentioned once while He was here on Earth.

So what's all the fuss about, and what difference does it make?

The difference in standard!

Yeah, that's why it's such a huge deal.

Because while it was the Kingdom of God that Jesus that brought, Christianity is what man has made of the Kingdom of God that Jesus brought to bring it down to his level.

And that's why despite that Christians often say that "Jesus is Lord" with their lips and mouths, and usually inscribe those words in most of their church buildings or sign boards, they comfortably go contrary to the standard of the Kingdom of God that Jesus brought, in the justification of following the teachings of the Bible, especially that which is tied to Judaism, a much lower standard.

Hence I see Christianity as more of a hybrid of the Kingdom of God and Judaism, but heavily tilted in the favor of Judaism.

And it's easy to understand why, because the standard of Judaism is more suitable for man, and hence much easier for him to observe, than the standard of the Kingdom of God which Jesus brought.

And one instance I would use to illustrate this difference is that of the young rich man that came to Jesus, and asked him what he needed to do to inherit the eternal life.

And I would try break the encounter into two parts, to enable me achieve that.

And the first is this when Jesus told him to observe the standard of Judaism:

Matthew 19:18-20 (KJV)

18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

No probs, for it appeared easy and comfortable for the rich young man's to do that.

But this was when Jesus now told the same man to observe that of the kingdom of God.

Matthew 19:21-24 (KJV)

21 Jesus said unto him,If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

So the difference in the two reactions of same man to the different standards of the Judaism and the Kingdom of God respectively, explains why men would rather have the standard of Christianity, than the standard of the Kingdom of God that Jesus brought.

For had it been the standard of Christianity instead of that of the Kingdom of God that Jesus had told the man to observe at the second part, It's very obvious that the rich young man would not have had much issues with it and become as sorrowful as he was, since it doesn't require him observing the standard of the kingdom of God, even same as it applies with the standard of Christianity.

Therefore the rich young man's reaction to the standard of christianity would have been the same as it was when Jesus had told Him to observe the standard of Judaism, since he just pretty has to do the same thing that he said he had done since his youth, but just add "Jesus is Lord" to it(which he had already done in a sense by the "Good Master" that he called Jesus), and he automatically scales the standard of Christianity.

So even though he wasn't able to follow Christ, he would be able to follow Christianity, and Christianity wouldn't have had any problem with that, however the reaction of Christ to the reaction of the rich young man in that respect, showed that that would not be good enough for Him.

For it was said

Matthew 19:21-24 (KJV)

23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

So Jesus was not happy at all with the fact that the rich man had not passed the standard of the Kingdom of God, and i'm sure that if He were here in person, He would not be happy whenever anyone of the church is able to observe the standard of Judaism, but not able to observe that of the Kingdom of God, as is the norm in Christianity.

Now this is why the standard of the Kingdom of God was so important to Jesus with respect to those who follow Him and His church, for that is the only standard that could guarantee that the gates of hell does not prevail against His church.

For that was the rock upon which He built His church that made it to be so powerful and to be able to withstand all that Satan could possibly muster against it, for the standard of the Kingdom of God guaranteed that Satan could not prevail against His church.

And today many wonder why this church is only but a shadow of that church which Jesus founded upon the standard of the Kingdom of God, but the truth is that if Jesus had founded His church upon the standard of Christianity, it wouldn't have been much different from what today's church is.

For the standard of Christianity is simply not good enough for the church, as it is not the rock that is able to give the church that guarantee that it requires for the gates of hell not to be able to prevail against it.

Hence Satan is able to prevail against today's church to the extent he's doing, because the standard of Christianity makes him to be more powerful than the church, and he would yet remain more powerful than the church, unless the standard of the Kingdom of God that Jesus used to found His church, that made it to be more powerful than Satan at the time, is brought back to the church.

Many are angry with God, and ask Him, "why no much works, or greater works, no miracles, no signs and wonders that you said would follow any one that believed etc. etc.?"

God never said any signs would follow those that believed in Christianity but that signs would those that believe in Christ.

For those that believe in Christ would follow Christ and the standard of the Kingdom of God that Christ brought.

And it's by following that standard of the Kingdom of God which Christ brought, that those signs and wonders would now follow those that believe in Christ.

All the promises of God with respect to those of those of the church are tied to the extent to which they follow Christ and the standard of the Kingdom of God which He brought.

But this is not in any way saying that the standard of Christianity is bad or not good, no, not at all. For the standard of Christianity is good, just as the standard of Judaism is also good, but the hard truth is that it is not good enough for the church to be able to serve the purpose for which it was founded by Jesus, and for the gates of hell to be unable to prevail against it.

So today's church have to choose whose standard it shall follow this day, that of Christianity, or that of Christ?

titigenius:
Jesus did men only gave it the name just like God made the animals and man called it sheep, goat etc

jesusjnr:
You're entitled to your own opinion, but I beg to differ because what Jesus brought already had a name, and it was called the Kingdom of God.

So it wasn't nameless as the example you used there, moreover the Kingdom of God which Jesus brought and Christianity are different in terms of the standard, so christianity couldn't be the same thing as the Kingdom of God that Jesus brought.

jesusjnr:
You're entitled to your own opinion, but I beg to differ because what Jesus brought already had a name, and it was called the Kingdom of God.

So it wasn't nameless as the example you used there, moreover the Kingdom of God which Jesus brought and Christianity are different in terms of the standard, so christianity couldn't be the same thing as the Kingdom of God that Jesus brought.