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[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by boxcar

I have written recently that often in the Gospels the phrases "kingdom of God" or "kingdom of heaven" are personified. The kingdom is personified in its King. And in one of the links I posted in 1780 earlier today, the writer argues that many theologians believe this is the case with the kingdom. Here is an excellent, powerful, unmistakably clear example of this very thing. Christ is personifying the kingdom in Himself! This right out Luke's Gospel:

Luke 11:20-22
20 "But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own homestead, his possessions are undisturbed;[/i] 22 [b]but when SOMEONE stronger[b] than he attacks him and overpowers him, HE takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied, and distributes his plunder.
NASB

The "strong man" is Satan. The "someone stronger" is Christ the King. This is precisely what Christ and his disciples very often did with these kingdom phrases. They personified them and I explained why yesterday, giving three biblical reasons.

Did Jesus refer to himself as "the King"...or was this title bestowed upon him posthumously...by those who presumed to know him even better than he knew himself?