Bible Discussion Thread

For many years of my life, whenever I read the phrases kingdom of God or kingdom of heaven in the Scriptures my mind automatically assumed the Bible was speaking of eternal life heaven. Entering into the kingdom was the idea of getting saved. Thus I assumed verses such as the one below were references to salvation and possessing eternal life. Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven Matthew 5 20 . I now realize how terribly wrong I was in my former interpretation, and I am ashamed to think I put words in Jesus mouth. I have since come to understand that Jesus is not talking to those who are lost about salvation from eternal condemnation. He is talking to those who are already saved about sanctification and the need to prepare for the kingdom. Incidentally, Matthew 5 48 is the goal, or standard, by which we will be judged at the Bema. That means the kingdom of heaven in this context is not eternal life heaven, but rather the coming millennial kingdom. James Hollandsworth