The Two Kingdoms
Selected Scripture
The Kingdom of the Left
Genesis 9:5 ( ESV ) 6Whoever sheds the blood of man,by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.
Exodus 21:14 ( ESV ) 14But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
John 19:10-11 ( ESV ) 10So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?”11Jesus answered him,“You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
1 Peter 2:13-17 ( ESV ) 13Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme,14or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.15For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.16Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.17Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Romans 13:1-7 ( ESV ) 1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.2Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,4for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.5Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.6For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.7Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
The Kingdom of the Right
Matthew 26:51-53 ( ESV ) 51And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant£ of the high priest and cut off his ear.52Then Jesus said to him,“Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.53Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?
John 18:36-38 ( ESV ) 36Jesus answered,“My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered,“You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
Matthew 5:38-42 ( ESV ) 38“You have heard that it was said,‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’39But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.40And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic,let him have your cloak as well.41And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.42Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
Separation of the Kingdoms
Acts 5:27-29 ( ESV ) 27And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them,28saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
Matthew 22:15-21 ( ESV ) 15£Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his talk.16And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.£17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said,“Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?19Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.£20And Jesus said to them,“Whose likeness and inscription is this?”21They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them,“Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
The Lordship of Both Kingdoms
Isaiah 46:8-10 ( ESV ) 8“Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors,
9remember the former things of old;for I am God, and there is no other;I am God, and there is none like me,10declaring the end from the beginningand from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
1 Corinthians 8:5-6 ( ESV ) 5For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
Matthew 10:28 ( ESV )28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
The Christian as a Member of Both Kingdoms
Matthew 5:13-16 ( ESV ) 13“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.15Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Romans 12:17-21 ( ESV ) 17Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.18If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it£ to the wrath of God, for it is written,£“Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”20To the contrary,£“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.