Kingship of Christ

Definition and Meaning

The kingship of Christ is the teaching that Jesus Christ, as King, rules over his people and the world. Protestant theology commonly describes the work of Christ in terms of three offices—prophet, priest, and king—known as the threefold office (munus triplex). Kingship is one of these offices. The title "Christ" means "the anointed one," and the kings of the Old Testament were likewise installed through anointing.

Biblical and Historical Background

In the Old Testament, the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-16), which promised that a descendant of David would receive an everlasting throne, is read as anticipating the reign of the Messiah. Psalm 2, Psalm 110, and Isaiah 9:6-7 are read in the same way. The New Testament testifies as follows:

• Jesus was born as the one who would inherit the throne of David (Luke 1:32-33).
• After his resurrection he received all power in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18).
• At the end he appears as "KING OF KINGS" (Revelation 19:16).

At the same time, Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). This statement is understood to mean that his rule differs from worldly power.

The threefold distinction is generally credited to John Calvin, who systematized it in the Institutes of the Christian Religion. It was later incorporated into the Heidelberg Catechism and the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The Shorter Catechism describes Christ's work as King as follows: he subdues his people to himself, rules and defends them, and restrains and conquers his enemies.

Traditions differ on how far Christ's rule presently extends.

• The Lutheran doctrine of the two kingdoms distinguishes between the governance of the church and that of the state.
• The Reformed theologian Abraham Kuyper argued that Christ's sovereignty extends over every sphere of life.
• In eschatology, dispensationalism emphasizes an earthly thousand-year reign following the Second Coming.
• Amillennialism holds that Christ has already been reigning since his Ascension.

In 1934 the Barmen Declaration of the German Confessing Church appealed to the lordship of Christ in resisting the Nazi regime's interference in the church (see German Church Struggle). In the Catholic Church, Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King in 1925.

Practice in Korean Churches

Presbyterian denominations base their teaching on the Westminster Confession of Faith, which states that there is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly, Presbyterians teach that Christ is the true head of the church and that church officers serve under his authority. The Shorter Catechism is also used as a textbook for catechumen and baptismal instruction.

Some denominations and congregations that follow the church calendar observe the Sunday immediately before Advent as "Christ the King Sunday" or "Kingdom Sunday." The refusal to participate in Shinto shrine worship during the Japanese colonial period is sometimes understood as a confession that Christ alone is the true King. Today the doctrine is frequently invoked in discussions of the relationship between church and politics and the scope of social engagement.