We believe that the kingdom and the church are one and the same, and that the borders of the kingdom do not extend beyond the Church of Christ. (Mat 16:18-19; 1 Cor 15:24; Col 1:12-13).
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matt. 16:18, 19).
The popular thinking of the religious world today is that the terms “church” and “kingdom” are not necessarily the same thing. Most of the denominational world is still looking for the kingdom to come.
According to the predominant Premillennialist mindset, many view the church as an afterthought that God came up with in response to the Jews rejection of Jesus. They believe that the church will be replaced by the Kingdom when Christ comes back to set up his Kingdom on earth for a thousand years.
One of the most effective ways to demonstrate that Premillennialism is false is to show that the kingdom and the church are one and the same. The are not two different institutions for two different purposes. If it can be shown from the Bible that they are the same then the doctrine that requires them to be different is found to be false.
See the charts inside for a powerful parallel between the church and the kingdom, showing them to be one and the same.
From Barnes’ Bible Charts
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