The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, Volume 4: M-P by Merrill C. Tenney & Zondervan

Author:Merrill C. Tenney & Zondervan [Tenney, Merrill C. & Zondervan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Dictionaries & Encyclopedias, Reference, Encyclopedias & Subject Guides, Bible Study & Reference, Religion, Religion & Spirituality, Christian Books & Bibles, Christian
ISBN: 9780310876991
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2010-08-10T00:00:00+00:00

B. The subjects of Christ’s kingship. Considerable differences of opinion have prevailed on this theme. There are those who hold that Christ is to rule over Israel, viewed as an earthly nation, while others think that Scripture does not give appropriate warrant for expecting a future renewal of this sort. This is hardly the place to give the details of the discussion. We may perhaps be content to note that, even if this type of kingship is to be envisioned, it will be at best a temporary one and does not need to retain our attention here in a primary manner.

The kingship of Christ over his church is the point of major emphasis in the NT. In addition to the passages mentioned above where the word “king” and its derivatives are used, we note the texts where Christ is presented as the HEAD OF THE CHURCH and the CHURCH as the BODY OF CHRIST (1 Cor. 11:3; 12:27; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:15; 5:23; Col. 1:18; 2:10, 19; in 1 Cor. 11:3 and Col. 2:10 the headship may have an even wider reference than the church). Another expression that deserves attention here is the term archēgos G795, “author, captain, pioneer” (Heb. 2:10; see AUTHOR). This word relates to the thought that Christ as the leader moves ahead while his disciples follow him (Matt. 4:19; 9:9; 16:24; 19:21 [and parallels]; Jn. 1:43; 10:27; 12:26; 21:22; 1 Cor. 11:1; Eph. 5:1-2; Heb. 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:21). Another element implicit in this language is the representation that Christ as the ruler leads his troops into battle and assumes for them the role of the champion who engages in the death-struggle for the sake of his people (Jn. 16:33; Eph. 6:10-17; Col. 2:15; 1 Tim. 6:12; Heb. 2:14-16; Rev. 6:2; 19:11-16). (Cf. on this general theme G. Aulén, Christus Victor [1931], and R. Leivestad, Christ the Conqueror [1954], where the element of victory in the atonement is stressed, although perhaps in too one-sided a fashion.)

Here also one must note the title LORD (Gk. kyrios G3261), which occurs scores of times in the NT. This term has a rich content, involving even an acknowledgement of deity when used in a religious sense (cf. B. B. Warfield, The Lord of Glory [1907], and W. Foerster and G. Quell in TDNT, 3:1039-1100), but what specifically concerns us here is that it implies dominion or kingly rule, and that it is a particularly appropriate expression of allegiance to Christ on the lips of those who acknowledge the sovereign authority of Christ as Lord (Jn. 20:28; 1 Cor. 12:3). These constitute precisely the company of the redeemed, the church of God: the kingship of Christ over his church is therefore clearly in view.

We find no trace in the Scripture of a distinction between accepting Christ as Savior and acknowledging him as Lord, as if some people could take the former step while refusing the latter. The full implications of the lordship of Christ, it is true, are not perceived at once

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