Shining a light on the weekly Bible Lessons published in the Christian Science Quarterly®
Soul and Body
Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God.
In the Greco-Roman world, secret cults or mystery religions were common. Their core beliefs were unknowable except to initiates. Against this backdrop, early Christians described knowledge of God as “mysteries” made plain by Christ Jesus (see other examples in Romans 16:25–27; Ephesians 3:1–4, 9; Colossians 4:2–4).
“Kingdom of God” and “kingdom of heaven” appear well over one hundred times in the New Testament. Their frequent use in the synoptic Gospels places this heavenly kingdom at the very center of Jesus’ message—elevating the concept from a geographical or political entity to a spiritual realm “at hand” and “within you” (see, for instance, Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15; Luke 17:21).
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Resources cited in this issue
RR: Barclay, William. The Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Matthew. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew, 1955. Revised and updated by Saint Andrew, 2001. Reprinted as The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Matthew. Vol. 1. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2001–04; Mounce, Robert H. New International Biblical Commentary—Matthew. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1991.
Cit. 2: Keck, Leander E., et al., eds. The New Interpreter’s Bible: A Commentary in Twelve Volumes. Vol. 4, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Introduction to Hebrew Poetry, Job, Psalms. Nashville: Abingdon, 1996–2001; THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, represented by Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
Cit. 12: Anderson, F.R. Singing God’s Psalms: Metrical Psalms and Reflections for Each Sunday in the Church Year. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2016.
COPYRIGHT
Scriptural quotations marked Contemporary English Version are taken from the Contemporary English Version, copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.
Scriptural quotations marked New International Reader’s Version™ are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version™, NIrV™. Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scriptural quotations marked Amplified® Bible (AMP) are taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. lockman.org
Scriptural quotations marked New Living Translation are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
© 2024 The Christian Science Publishing Society. The design of the Cross and Crown is a trademark owned by the Christian Science Board of Directors and is used by permission. Bible Lens and Christian Science Quarterly are trademarks owned by The Christian Science Publishing Society. Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptural quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
