THE HISTORY OF THE KINGDOM'S TAKING

I would like to present my readers with the following work, in which I have pursued two key directions: biblical studies and a lesson in spiritual edification.

An essential lesson that I believe belonged to the teachings of Jesus is the practice of inner realization and entry into the Kingdom - something that takes place here, now, and forever. Jesus is the door that opens for our spirit right now. The God's kingdom becomes a reality, far more significant than anything you see and physically experience. The door must be open now and will remain open for the Kingdom forever. Beyond the boundaries of life and death, there will be no flow of time, and what was most precious to you - what became your ultimate reality - will be revealed in the afterlife in a new form of eternal existence. However, this can be stolen from you - seized into the future or displaced onto some distant, unattainable heaven - while you are told that the Kingdom will somehow come to you tomorrow.

As for the biblical study, I offer a comparison of three sources: the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Matthew, and the Gospel of Luke. The main topic here is which source is closer to the original sermon of Jesus. I demonstrate how the fundamental teaching of attaining the Kingdom is "taken" and transformed into a doctrine about a future arrival of the Kingdom from the outside. This was already the perspective of Matthew, who shaped his religious doctrine in line with Jewish traditions to meet the spiritual needs of his community. In contrast, Luke’s Gospel preserved the original foundational teaching. This is the perspective presented in my publication. It reflects my own position within the field of biblical studies - concerning the debate on whether Jesus was originally a teacher of wisdom, or whether he was later reframed as such by certain Gnostic traditions.

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Vlad Valberg
2023
vladvalberg@gmail.com

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