The Kingdom and The Church

Ridderbos says,

“The basileia is the great divine work of salvation in its fulfillment and consummation in Christ; the ekklesia is the people elected and called by God and sharing in the bless of the basileia.” The kingdom “… represents the all-embracing perspective, it denotes the consummation of all history, brings both grace and judgment, has cosmic dimensions, fills time and eternity. The ekklesia in all this is the people who in this great drama have been placed on the side of God in Christ by virtue of the divine election and covenant. They have been given the divine promise, have been brought to manifestation and gathered together by the preaching of the gospel, and will inherit the redemption of the kingdom now and in the great future” (354-355).

Looking for more material on the Kingdom of God? I’d read the following:

1. Herman Ridderbos, The Coming of the Kingdom (Philadelphia: P & R, 1962)
2. Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel and Kingdom (Exeter, Paternoster, 1981)
3. Leonhard Goppelt, Theology of the New Testament (2 vols; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981)