The Kingdom of Christ
"The scepter shall not depart from Judah ... until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples."
GENESIS 49:10 (according to Luther's translation)
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The Kingdom of Christ
This golden text should be specially noted. It says that the kingdom of Christ will not be like the kingdom of David, which, of course, endured up to the time of Christ. . .. Therefore the kingdom which was governed by arms, the sword, and violence has now ceased, and the kingdom of ["Shiloh"], which followed, is not violent or bloody but consists in hearing and obeying or believing the Word by which it is administered. . . . Thus Christ says: "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation" (Mark 16:15). For that Word is most powerful. It is able to save from the hands of death and the devil as well as from the power of hell, and to translate into the kingdom of God. To this king, then, the nations shall listen; that is, they will be ruled by the Word. The work will be done through preaching. This will be the mark distinguishing the kingdom of Christ from the empires of the world, which are ruled by the sword and physical might. "The weapons of our warfare," says Paul, "are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4). "I absolve you; I baptize you; I declare you to be a child of the kingdom; I announce to you the remission of sins; I promise and offer you victory over the devil. Believe, and you will be saved."
GENESIS 49:10 (according to Luther's translation)
+
The Kingdom of Christ
This golden text should be specially noted. It says that the kingdom of Christ will not be like the kingdom of David, which, of course, endured up to the time of Christ. . .. Therefore the kingdom which was governed by arms, the sword, and violence has now ceased, and the kingdom of ["Shiloh"], which followed, is not violent or bloody but consists in hearing and obeying or believing the Word by which it is administered. . . . Thus Christ says: "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation" (Mark 16:15). For that Word is most powerful. It is able to save from the hands of death and the devil as well as from the power of hell, and to translate into the kingdom of God. To this king, then, the nations shall listen; that is, they will be ruled by the Word. The work will be done through preaching. This will be the mark distinguishing the kingdom of Christ from the empires of the world, which are ruled by the sword and physical might. "The weapons of our warfare," says Paul, "are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4). "I absolve you; I baptize you; I declare you to be a child of the kingdom; I announce to you the remission of sins; I promise and offer you victory over the devil. Believe, and you will be saved."
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