I have just learned of the passing of Robert Shank, 88, who died peacefully at his home in Mount Vernon, Missouri on October 16, 2006, ten days after suffering a debilitating stroke. His death concluded an earthly pilgrimage of humble conviction and quiet scholarship, bringing to an end more than 60 years of faithful ministry as a Christian pastor, preacher, author, lecturer and teacher. Following in the footsteps of his Baptist minister father, Shank himself began pastoring Southern Baptist churches in 1941, also serving as teacher and president of a Bible academy. The same year marked his … [Read more...]

During the 1930's and 1940's, a group of congregations were pushed out of the mainstream of the Churches of Christ because they believed that when Jesus returns, he will reign for 1,000 years on the earth. Most Churches of Christ interpret the "millennium" in Revelation 20 figuratively rather than literally. A gracEmail subscriber in Tennessee asks how this church division might now be set right. * * * The history of Christianity has included some horrendously unchristian behavior -- Catholics and Protestants killing each other, Calvinists and Lutherans persecuting Anabaptists, and … [Read more...]

A brother in England and a sister in America, from different parts of the universal Church, inquire about the meaning of "the millennium." * * * "Millennium" means "one thousand years." The Bible specifically mentions a thousand-year reign of Christ in one passage (Rev. 20:1-6). In a vision, John there observes Christian martyrs come to life and then rule with Christ for 1,000 years. Jesus earlier warned of "ten days" of persecution which would include martyrdom for some (Rev. 2:10). Here Jesus rewards "ten days" of suffering with "1,000 years" beside him on the throne -- both time periods … [Read more...]

As the New Testament opens, we see John the Baptist announcing the Kingdom "at hand," as do Jesus and his first disciples (Matt. 3:1-2; 4:17; 10:7). Jesus heals the sick, casts out devils, teaches about God's kingdom and forgives sinners, claiming to do it all by God's direct and immediate power. Jesus' ministry thus embodies God's kingdom on earth in a way more complete and concrete than it had been seen since before sin first entered Eden (Luke 11:14-23; Matt. 12:22-29). In the person of Jesus, God's kingdom comes with tumult and force, waging unrelenting assault on the fortresses and … [Read more...]

A gracEmail subscriber from Hawaii asks what the Bible means when it speaks of the kingdom of God. * * * The Hebrew and Greek words translated "kingdom" in the Bible both essentially mean "reign," "rule" or "dominion." In the most fundamental sense, God's kingdom exists throughout all time and encompasses the entire universe. The psalmist declares: "The LORD has established his throne in the heavens and his sovereignty rules over all" (Psalm 103:19). About 1,000 B.C., God associates his own divine reign in a special way with the dynastic kingdom of David, whom God took from among the … [Read more...]

A gracEmail subscriber asks: "Jesus came preaching that the kingdom (rule) of God was at hand, apparently in contrast to the power of Caesar and of Rome. How would you respond to the claim that Jesus preached a political message and call to living under God's rule rather than the traditional Christian message of avoiding hell in eternity by trusting Christ now?" * * * Mark's Gospel summarizes Jesus' preaching like this: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). Many influential Christian teachers today, from the scholarly N. T. … [Read more...]