Locating the Kingdom of God within the Writings of Clement of Alexandria and Origen

Abstract

The single theological phrase associated with Jesus of Nazareth is the metaphorical expression — the “kingdom of God.” The significance of this theological metaphor becomes clearer when it is considered in reference to Jesus’ own Jewish background. The expression the “kingdom of God” is relatively rare in the Jewish context represented by the Tanakh, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, Targums, and the Rabbinic literature of the Mishnah and Talmud.1 The Jewish material reveals a preference for declarative statements that proclaim “God is king” or verbal constructions that speak about God’s activity as king.2 Therefore, Jesus’ own proclivity for the “kingdom of God,” represents a departure from the Jewish context and indicates a distinctive theological view. The importance of the “kingdom of God,” as Jesus’ distinctive theological expression is supported by its prominence within the Gospel literature. The “kingdom of God” is found ninety-three times in the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke. However, this distinctive theological expression of Jesus is found only eighteen times throughout the remainder of the New Testament, and its usage continues to decline in the patristic literature. However, this shift is gradual and the “kingdom of God,” and its equivalent expression “kingdom of heaven,” are still found in the writings of Clement of Alexandria and Origen. In other words, Jesus’ distinctive theological expression is part of the foundational theology of the Coptic Church.