Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that breaks out in hives whenever someone sends unsolicited YouTube videos.
Greetings!
If you missed last week’s article, check it out here. It contains a new spoken message on a topic that I find riveting.
Since 2017, I’ve been tightly focused on proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and teaching God’s people what it is and why it’s critical.
Especially for our time.
I’ve spoken in conferences about it (most of which were recorded and are part of the Everlasting Domain Master Class).
Wrote a 400-page book on it (Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom).
Started two podcasts about it (The Insurgence Podcast and The Deeper Journey Podcast).
Added a playlist on it for our YouTube channel.
And wrote a blog series about it.
(By the way, I deserve an “A” in writing incomplete sentences.)
If you’d like to access any of the above, you can find all of it at TheInsurgence.org – just look at the top menu.
It’s fascinating to read the epistles of Paul with an eye to seeing his intense focus on the gospel of the kingdom.
The book of 1 Thessalonians is a classic example.
In Acts 17, Luke rehearses the story of how the ekklesia in Thessalonica was born.
Paul was banished from the city because he was preaching a rival king.
They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, named Jesus!
~ Acts 17:7
In essence, Paul was proclaiming that Jesus was the true King, the real Emperor, and the authentic Savior and Caesar was not.
He, Silas, and those who followed them were defying the loyalty oath given to Caesar, and such acts of disloyalty were to be reported and the violators hunted down.
The claim that there was another king was both outrageous and seditious. And if Paul were caught by the authorities (which he wasn’t since he escaped the city in time), the penalty was death.
It’s not surprising, then, that Paul’s first and second letters to the Thessalonians are peppered with imperial language, all demonstrating that the Roman Empire and its emperor are counterfeits.
Here are some examples:
Gospel (good news) – this is the word used for Caesar’s message to the empire.
Salvation – the Roman Empire bragged about bringing salvation to all of its citizens.
Savior – every Caesar since Augustus carried this title as well as “deliverer.”
Son of God – Augustus was regarded to be God’s son, and all Caesars were regarded to be divine.
Lord – another common title for Caesar. Paul declares that Jesus is the actual reigning Lord.
Grace – the inhabitants of the Roman Empire were granted grace (or favor) by their beloved benefactor, Caesar.
The coming of the Lord – when Paul speaks about the coming of Jesus, He uses the word parousia. This term and adventus in Latin were used for the arrival of Caesar when he visited a place.
Meet the Lord in the air – the word translated “meet” was reserved for the civic welcome of a king or dignitary. The people in a given city would go out to meet the dignitary and then escort him into their city.
The brightness of His coming – the word translated “brightness” or “splendor” is where we get the terms “epiphany” and “manifest.” Caesar was honored as “the god manifest.”
Peace and security – this was Rome’s slogan, shorthand for the Pax Romana. But Paul declares that Rome promises a false security and peace, and it will be followed by destruction. Only Jesus, the true Lord of the world, brings peace and security. (In this regard, Jesus trumps Caesar — no pun intended – on his own chess board.)
There’s more, but understanding the gospel of the kingdom sheds fresh light on Paul’s writings as well as the rest of the New Testament.
Throughout his epistles, Paul regularly transfers the honorific titles and conventions for Caesar to Jesus.
To contextualize this, whenever people put their trust in and give their loyalty to a particular country (nationalism), a corporate world government (globalism)[1], a political party (Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, etc.), a certain politician or a political/social philosophy (capitalism, socialism, communism, etc.) they are out of step with gospel of the kingdom, despite their rhetoric.
The resources I’ve listed above unpack that statement in detail.
After observing people’s reactions to the gospel of the kingdom over the years, I’ve noted that the filtering mechanisms that dilute and emasculate the message are enormously powerful.
When those filters are dismantled, the gospel of the kingdom – WHEN PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD — infuriates both the Left and the Right, the progressives and the conservatives, the socialists and the capitalists, the nationalists and the globalists.
It simply refuses to fit into any of those categories.
GO HERE to listen to the new message – A Tale of Two Seeds. It’s related.
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[1] Globalism is corporate world government which in effect is worldwide colonialism. I’ve addressed the problem with globalism as well as nationalism in episode 74 of The Insurgence Podcast – “The Kingdom vs. Nationalism and Globalism.” If you haven’t yet heard it, you ought to.
The Drama of the Seed
Thanks a million Frank. It’s amazing to note or realize that the the Bible as a whole is imperial writings and not mere religious work.
Jesus is a King not a religious leader. From your earlier writings I came to this conclusion earlier than now and that shaped my recent understanding of the Bible. Thanks a million one more time.
Love this! You are right, a person has to read the book and the podcasts to really get the message. It’s so different from what we’ve been taught yet so true.
Oh man!!!!! ????????????
Never heard most of these phrases couched in this context before. Frank, I can’t wait for your revamped “Untold Story.” For many reasons, I know you discount this book as one of your “least.” But for me, it’s been one of the “greatest.”
If this kind of research and prep for that book is leaking through now in your other blogs, emails…
❤️❤️????
Can. Not. Wait.
Right on target Frank. Thanks for publishing this!
Excellent article Frank! I loved the message on the two seeds. Powerful.
Thanks Frank, I had never seen these things about Paul’s words of the gospel before.
I have seen according to Galatians 1 “removed from HIM … to another gospel” so I believe Paul’s gospel was more than a mere message, but Jesus came out of his mouth as well! Today’s preachers should learn from this! Is Jesus proceeding forth from us? Well, that is another burning question.
Also I have seen in the past that “God will judge the secrets of men according to my gospel” (Romans 2 I think). In any case, it’s obvious there is so much more to this gospel than many have ever noticed. But the fact that we must have our foremost allegiance to King Jesus, well THAT is also awesome good news freeing us from associations we should not be too glued to. Not being the servants of such being primary. thanks again.
Powerful and timely.
This is the good, good news!
Thank you.