How you make the statement that the church and the kingdom are the same, while the Bible teaches that flesh will not enter the kingdom.<\/p>\n\t
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption<\/em>” (I Corinthians 15:50).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
In this context, Paul is speaking of life after death. He argues that we will have new, spiritual bodies and not physical bodies after death. “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body<\/em>” (I Corinthians 15:44).<\/p>\n
That Paul was discussing heaven is also seen in his use of the word “inherit.” “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory<\/em>” (Ephesians 1:13-14). When we become Christians, we are declared to be children of God and have a promise of inheritance with God in heaven. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise<\/em>” (Galatians 3:26-29).<\/p>\n
Thus, we are still speaking of God’s called-out (the church), but we are referring to the time when the church enters heaven. The kingdom is just another term for the same group of people, seen from a different perspective. Where “church” speaks of the people who respond to God’s call to come out of the world and to assemble as His people, the word “kingdom” sees these same people as citizens of a nation ruled by Christ. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,\u00a0a holy nation<\/strong>, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who\u00a0called you out<\/strong>\u00a0of darkness into His marvelous light<\/em>” (I Peter 2:9).<\/p>\n
The kingdom is not reserved as a future term. “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins<\/em>” (Colossians 1:13-14). Notice the past tense. When we are saved, we enter the kingdom. Just a few statements later Paul said, “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18). Paul hadn’t changed topics. To Paul being in the kingdom and in the church was the same thing.<\/p>\n\t
Question:<\/h2>\n
Thanks for the quick reply Jeff. So every baptized believer, which God added to the church, will enter the eternal kingdom.<\/p>\n\t
Answer:<\/h2>\n
If they remain faithful to the king, yes. “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life<\/em>” (Revelation 2:10).<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: How you make the statement that the church and the kingdom are the same, while the Bible teaches that flesh will not enter the kingdom. Answer: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption” (I Corinthians 15:50). In this context, Paul is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[448,345],"class_list":["post-40078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-church","tag-kingdom"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17017,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-you-explain-the-three-glories-found-in-i-corinthians-1541-43\/","url_meta":{"origin":40078,"position":0},"title":"Can you explain the three glories found in I Corinthians 15:41-43?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 14, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I ran into your web page about Mormons and the three heavens. Paul makes it clear in I Corinthians 15:41-43 that there are three states, or degrees of glory that happen in the resurrection \"There is one glory\u00a0of the sun, and\u00a0another glory\u00a0of the moon, and\u00a0another glory\u00a0of the stars;\u00a0for one\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9651,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-will-our-spiritual-bodies-be-like\/","url_meta":{"origin":40078,"position":1},"title":"What will our spiritual bodies be like?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 3, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Do you have articles on \"Our spiritual bodies after death and more specifically after the resurrection?\"\u00a0 Please send information.\u00a0 Thanks, your web site is great. Answer: John stated, \"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":32190,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-are-flowers-sent-at-funerals\/","url_meta":{"origin":40078,"position":2},"title":"Why are flowers sent at funerals?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 18, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: The Apostle Paul mentioned our bodies, like seeds, will die, and then the raised spirit sprouts like a flower from the dead seed. Which scripture is this? I thought that was a beautiful explanation. Is this why flowers are sent when death occurs? Answer: I believe you are thinking\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9202,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-people-physically-go-to-heaven-or-hell\/","url_meta":{"origin":40078,"position":3},"title":"Do people physically go to heaven or hell?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 1, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Where is paradise? Is it above the earth or below? When Jesus was raised, how can he be lifted up in the flesh? By flesh, will a man go to heaven or hell? When Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus in what form did they appear, flesh or spirit?\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":42515,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-christ-no-longer-of-flesh-now-that-he-is-in-heaven\/","url_meta":{"origin":40078,"position":4},"title":"Is Christ no longer of flesh now that he is in heaven?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 8, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: If the Word was God and became flesh when he came to the earth, did the reverse happen on his return? Answer: \"So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9070,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-jesus-is-god-how-is-it-that-he-had-a-body\/","url_meta":{"origin":40078,"position":5},"title":"If Jesus is God, how is it that he had a body?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 20, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Sir, Let me ask you some questions about the identity of Jesus and may you let the Scriptures answer. May God use you in this task. Here are the questions: If Jesus is God, how is it that he had a body? 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