Hello, and welcome to Bible Snack Time with Rob. I'm Rob Congdon, director of CMI TV. Recently, in one of my Connecting the Dots classes at our church, I was asked a question about Colossians 113, and specifically the use of the word kingdom in that verse. I thought this would be a good question to answer during our snack time. As we begin our study, first let's read the verse, beginning with verse 12 in Colossians chapter 1. Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet our fit, to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. As we study the use of the word kingdom in verse 13, we must always remember there are three important rules of interpretation when studying a specific verse, word, passage. Rule number one, we need to understand it in its normal sense. As we would read a newspaper, when it says raining cats and dogs, we recognize this is a figure of speech, meaning heavy rains, and not literal cats and dogs coming out of the sky. Rule number two, we need consider the grammatical constraints and controls in the verse, remembering that God created the grammar to give us his very words and to understand the exact meaning of what he is saying. Rule number three, we need to consider the context of the word when choosing the best English word of several choices to represent the original single Greek word. Additionally, never allow our own thoughts or ideas to alter the meaning supported by the context. In addition, we must recognize that there may be several possible interpretations of the Greek word, osileia, that's kingdom, in this verse. One interpretation, a spiritually thorough kingdom in our hearts with Jesus Christ ruling us as king from David's throne in heaven. This view is held by many, once by me, and also includes most Reformed and Calvinistic groups. A second rule of interpretation, a literal, physical, future thousand-year kingdom upon the earth with Jesus Christ ruling as king from David's throne in Jerusalem after the seven-year tribulation. This view has the church-age believers, those saved from Acts chapter 2 to Pentecost, the catching up of his bride, just before the start of the tribulation. This view is held by Biblicists, Dispensationalists, and me. Our third rule of interpretation. Finally, a different choice of an English word for the Greek word basileia from that of kingdom, with a king, a realm, and subjects, and the exercise of rule. Perhaps some other word. Keep in mind, many Greek words have varying shades of meaning when constrained by grammar and context. As we look at this verse, we see immediately a parallelism between two phrases. The phrase, delivered us from the power of darkness, and the phrase, translated us into the kingdom of his dear son. As I said in other classes, God created grammar, remember that, he created it, and various sentence constructions, all to help us to understand his exact word. For never forget that Paul, who wrote Colossians, was inspired by God in his writings. So here we have, in a sentence, a structure in literature called parallelism. That means balancing words, phrases, ideas to make them of equal importance and having some relationship between them. In other words, tying the two phrases together. In this case, the two phrases have the same subject, that's God the Father. carrying out two parallel actions or verbs upon the same object, the believer. So God is acting upon the believer. The parallel actions are delivered. Now, don't get too worried about grammar here. Delivered is in the aorist. I'll explain this. Passive and indicative meaning. We're not going to go into much grammar, but we're going to need to understand what God is saying. So here we read that God rescued, that's really the meaning of the word delivered, rescued believers from the sphere of darkness because of our unbelief in his son. The action speaks of a total completed rescue accomplished in a single point of time. That's what Aorist is in this case. Parallel to rescuing us, God translated believers, meaning to transfer from, to change position, to be conveyed into a new sphere at the moment one accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior. God then uses two little prepositions, from, ek, and into, Greek, ais, to clearly picture the process that takes place when one is saved. The meaning of all Greek prepositions are illustrated in a humorous way, considering a piece of cheese and a little mouse that goes in and out. In the statement, delivered, or rescued us from the power, the preposition from, now that's ek in Greek, a simple little word, means to come out of something. For example, the mouse coming out of a piece of cheese. In our passage, a piece of cheese represents the sphere of darkness, the sinister forces in the world of the unsaved. For darkness is defined as the mastery, authority, one who controls you, in the original Greek. Paul expanded on this in Ephesians chapter 2, verses 1 through 3. And we read, And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sin? wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, literally this world system, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and we're by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Notice carefully here, this fear of Satan, the prince of the power of error over you, is the course of this world system. We believers are told that we once were under his authority and were children of disobedience. That is, we obeyed Satan, certainly not God. Paul then continues by presenting a parallel sphere, representing a different authority, as he continues in Ephesians 2 verses 4. But God, who rich in his mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace are ye saved, and hath raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Here, as in the first phrase, it is God the Father doing the action. He transfers us from being dead in our sins to living together with Christ. We are now seated together with Christ Jesus in heaven. This is speaking of our new and ongoing sphere of life in Christ Jesus. We are now under His authority and no longer under Satan's power. Obviously, until we physically die, we're not now in heaven, but our entire being is in Christ and His control. Now back in Colossians, in verse 12, God tells us that we are believers We are saints in the notice, the light. God contrasts this same light that he speaks of in Colossians and Ephesians in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verses 4 and 5, where we read, But ye, brethren, ye are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day. We're not of night nor of darkness. So you see, when God rescues us out of the sphere of darkness, Satan's sphere of control, we are a new mouse. Now we come out of the cheese, if you will, and into our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. We're a new creation in Christ Jesus. As we read in 1 Corinthians 5.17, and he, our Lord, moves us into the light. So in our verse, verse 13, God explains how we are transferred out of, that's the mouse coming out of the sphere, out of the system, our sphere of darkness, that was controlling and influencing us as unbelievers, into a new sphere, where in contrast to Satan, Jesus Christ, the son of God's love, controls and influences us. And that little preposition is now into, so the mouse goes into the cheese, we go into the sphere of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Colossians 1.13, it's not about physical or ethereal kingdoms, but about the sphere of control you choose to place yourself under. That is, whose authority do you choose to follow? When delivered, we move from spiritual darkness into God's light by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and accepting His redemption. For verse 14 tells us, in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of his sins. And back in Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9, Paul tells us how a person is redeemed by that blood. For by grace are ye saved through faith, that not of yourself. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. So how do we explain the choice of the English word kingdom back in Colossians chapter 1 verse 13? If it's not a literal kingdom with a king and citizens that he's ruling, As we have seen, the context is clearly about the authority we choose to be under, Satan in our old nature or Jesus Christ in our new nature. The grammar tells us that we are rescued from the evil sphere of control to the righteous sphere of control of our Lord. Further, a survey of the word kingdom in both the Old Testament, where the Hebrew equivalent word is used, and the New Testament word indicated that the word kingdom, basileia, can mean either a physical kingdom, a kingship, a domain, a rule, a ruler, or an authority. And it stresses that when it is speaking of authority, it is not to be confused with an actual physical kingdom. or even an ethereal kingdom, but rather the right by the one with the authority to rule. And finally, it speaks of the sphere in which at any given time one's authority is acknowledged. You know, this last definition reflects the probable origin of the Greek word basileia or kingdom. Historically, the term basileia in the Greek developed from the recognition of some person as really having authority over others. It's a yielded recognition to their authority. This authority was acknowledged by giving them a title of respect, reflecting their position or our acknowledging of their authority. Thus the titles of kings and governors are used in a governmental use of authority. The term schoolmaster or tutor are used with personal relationships. And the term Lord is used in both groupings. But in the latter grouping it speaks of a very close personal loving relationship of a husband to a wife. Therefore, I conclude that the use of Kingdom in Colossians 1.13 is conveying the idea of Jesus Christ as being our chosen authority, our leader, and holding power over us both now and for eternity. Thus, it is the personal relationship meaning of the word and not that of the governmental use. Do you look to the Lord Jesus Christ to lead you, to guide you, to protect you, and provide for you? Or do you want Satan and his evil forces directing you? The choice is yours to make as to whose authority you want to be under. If you choose the Lord Jesus Christ, God will transfer you into His kingdom or into His authority to be under a loving Lord instead of an evil one. who, by the way, Satan only uses you. He doesn't really care about you. He doesn't take care of you. He doesn't provide for you. He doesn't want a relationship with you. No, he only wants to use you for his purposes against God. I prefer to be under my Lord, for that term reflects our loving relationship, like that of a bride to her bridegroom. Scripture gives us this exact picture when it speaks of us as the Bride of Christ in John 3.29 and Romans 7.14 and in several places in Revelation. Now, if you sit back and don't make a choice for Christ, or you reject God's offer of salvation through Jesus Christ, Satan remains in authority over you. Would you rather be under an evil ruler or under a loving Lord, your bridegroom. I hope this Bible time has helped you as it's helped me to better understand what God wrote in Colossians chapter 1 verse 13. Perhaps it also has helped to remind us how to carefully consider grammar and context in studying Bible passages. Now until our next time together, May the Lord bless you mightily and I will either see you here or in the air.