Christ Triumphant

Biblical Perspectives on His Church and Kingdom

Author

Raymond O. Zorn

Category Theology Books

Look Inside Price

500 in stock

Weight	1.00 lbs
Dimensions	8.8 × 5.75 × 0.75 in
ISBN	9780851516967
Binding	Cloth-bound
Topic	The Church
Original Pub Date	1962
Banner Pub Date	Dec 1, 1997
Page Count	264
Scripture	Whole Bible
Format	Book

Book Description

Christ Triumphant is an important exposition of the biblical teaching on the kingdom of God and its relationship to the church. With the care of the scholar and the devotion of the pastor, Raymond Zorn deals with important issues: What is the connection between the New Testament church and ancient Israel? Is there a difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Christ? What about the millennium? Should Christians be theonomists? In addition he draws out the implications of his exposition of the nature of the kingdom for the life of the individual, the family, the state, and society as a whole.

The most thrilling aspect of this book, however, is its constant emphasis on the absolute supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ at present on his Father’s glorious throne throughout eternity.

The earlier version of this study, Church and Kingdom, was first published in 1962 and has been unobtainable for a new generation of Christians. The republication of the material in this new and revised version will be widely welcomed. It is a significant work for all who think seriously about the message of the New Testament and its implications.

Table of Contents Expand ↓

	INTRODUCTION	xi
	PART I
	THE CHURCH IN RELATION TO THE KINGDOM
I.	The Kingdom of God Defined	1
	1. Its etymological definition	1
	2. Is it only future?	2
	3. Its present aspect	4
	4. May the kingdom be identified with the church?	6
	5. The demand of the kingdom of God	7
II.	Old Testament Israel	10
	1. Israel’s place in the world	10
	2. Its king	12
	3. Its role as the people of God	13
	4. Its promises and expectations	15
	5. True Israel	17
	a. As alone the people of God	17
	b. As a church	20
III.	The New Testament Church (successor and embodiment of true Israel)	22
	1. Because the Lord’s Messiah is her king	22
	a. The New Testament interpretation of Psalm 110:1	22
	b. Christ’s present reign	23
	(1) Over the cosmos	26
	(2) Over the powers of darkness	28
	(3) Over God’s people	29
	2. Because the church has become possessor of Israel’s promises and status	30
	a. Jesus’ own teaching	31
	b. Jesus’ choice of twelve apostles	33
	c. The establishment of the new covenant	36
	3. Because the church is her Lord’s redemptive instrument (gospel preaching and kingdom membership)	38
	a. Christ as the personification of the kingdom	39
	b. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of Christ	41
	c. Christ as head of his church	43
	d. The church as the body of Christ	47
	Exegetical Excursus on Texts which Relate the Kingdom of Christ and of God	50
IV.	The Church as Distinguished from the Kingdom	66
	1. In what way allied?	68
	2. In what way different?	71
	PART II.
	CHURCH AND KINGDOM IN ESCHATOLOGICAL FULFILMENT
V.	The Merging of Church and Kingdom (the removal of antithesis)	77
	1. The realization of eschatological principles already present	77
	2. The completion of the body of Christ	80
	3. Cosmic renovation	82
VI.	A Millennial Rule?	86
	1. Preliminary considerations	86
	2. The teaching of the Old Testament	90
	3. The teaching of the New Testament	98
	4. The teaching of Revelation 20	102
	a. When does death’s final defeat occur?	106
	b. Do the battles of Revelation 19 and 20 signify the same event?	106
	c. When is Satan bound?	108
	d. When do the martyred saints live and reign?	110
VII.	Victory of Christ	113
	1. The totality of Christ’s mediatorial rule	120
	a. Over the world	113
	b. Over the devil	114
	c. Over the flesh	116
	d. Over death	118
	2. The termination of Christ’s mediatorial rule	120
	a. The second advent of Christ	120
	b. The handing over of the kingdom to the Father	122
	3. God is all in all	123
	a. The eschatological goal (to make the revealed and secret will of God coincide with each other)	123
	b. The settled, permanent state of the eternal order	126
	PART III.
	THE TASK OF THE CHURCH IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD
VIII.	The Church Versus the Kingdom of Darkness	133
	1. The battle against invisible foes	135
	2. The battle against visible embodiments of enmity against the kingdom of God	137
	a. In connection with the church	137
	b. As opposed to the church	137
IX.	The Church and the Individual	141
	1. Reconciliation with God	141
	2. Continuance in the apostolic doctrine	146
	3. Discipline in the community of God’s people	147
X.	The Church and the Family	151
	1. The distinction of the family from the church	151
	2. The dependence of the family on the church	153
XI.	The Church and the State	160
	1. The separation of the church from the state	161
	2. The rule of the state by Christ	167
	a. The state as a world-power	167
	b. The state as subservient to Christ	168
	3. The relationship of church and state	170
	a. The duties of the church to the state	171
	b. The duties of the state to its subjects (including the church)	174
	Excursus: Another Look at Theonomy	180
	1. Are Old Testament case laws to be enforced today?	181
	2. What does “fulfil” in Matthew 5:17-20 mean?	186
	3. Theonomy’s attempt to make Moses still binding after all	192
	4. The relevance of the already/not yet aspect of the present era	193
	5. Divine law in relation to the present era	195
XII.	The Church and Society	202
	1. Preserving and propagating redemptive truth	202
	a. Preserving redemptive truth	203
	b. Propagating redemptive truth	204
	2. Nurturing the diversity of gifts	205
	a. Gifts of common grace	208
	b. Maximizing the gifts of common grace	211
	c. Cultivating special gifts of grace	212
	3. Transforming society	215
	4. Bearing witness to and directing toward the true utopian goal	221
	BIBLIOGRAPHY	225
	INDEX OF AUTHORS	231
	INDEX OF SELECTED SUBJECTS	233
	INDEX OF SCRIPTURE REFERENCES	235