The terminology of God’s kingdom is prominent in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), but less so in Paul’s writings. The word for kingdom
occurs 121 times in the Synoptic Gospels, but only 14 times in Paul's letters.
In modern English usage, kingdom
refers to a place or realm (like when we speak about the Kingdom of Swaziland), but in the New Testament kingdom
is a dynamic concept, and almost always refers to God’s kingly rule—God’s dominion—rather than to a place.1,2 In the Synoptic Gospels, the kingdom has a present aspect because it has been inaugurated by Jesus (e.g., Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15), but also a future aspect that is yet to be realized (e.g., Matthew 7:21; Matthew 8:11). These two perspectives are present in Paul’s writing as well, although the future aspect is much more prominent. Paul speaks of the kingdom as a present reality in Romans 14:17 and 1 Corinthians 4:20; the future perspective is found in 1 Corinthians 6:9–10; Galatians 5:21; 2 Thessalonians 1:5; 2 Timothy 4:1. Here in 1 Thessalonians 2:12, Paul is referring to the kingdom as God’s perfect future reign, which will be inaugurated at the return of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:19).3,4,5 This kingdom is the goal of our salvation, and will be experienced as the end result of a life lived in Christ and under the reign of God’s grace, a life in which we are enabled by God to bear fruit in every good work (Romans 5:21; Romans 6:22–23; Colossians 1:9–12).
12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.