Revision #15283
Luke 17:20–21
Localized for English-speaking readers
Status: approved
Changes from the previous English revision
= ## Context
- During the journey to Jerusalem, the Pharisees ask Jesus when the kingdom of God will come. Jesus answers that the kingdom of God does not come "with observation" (that is, accompanied by observable signs), and that no one will be able to say it is here or there: "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20–21). Immediately afterward, beginning in verse 22, he tells his disciples about the day when the Son of Man will appear like lightning. For this reason, the passage is read as treating side by side the kingdom that has already come and the kingdom that is yet to come.
+ During the journey to Jerusalem, the Pharisees ask Jesus when the kingdom of God will come. Jesus answers that the kingdom of God does not come "with observation" (that is, with observable signs), and that no one will say it is here or there: "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20–21). Immediately afterward, beginning in verse 22, he speaks to his disciples about the day when the Son of Man will appear like lightning. The passage is therefore read as treating the kingdom that has already come and the kingdom that is yet to come side by side.
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= ## Interpretation
- The key expression is the Greek *entos hymōn*. The basic meaning of *entos* is "within," but when used with the plural "you," it can also be rendered "among you" or "within your reach."
- - **The kingdom as inward**: This reading understands the kingdom of God as God's rule in the human heart. The rendering "within you" in the Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version (as in the KJV) suggests this reading, which has long been used in devotional literature and preaching.
- - **The kingdom as present among you**: Some observe that because Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, who did not believe in him, his words are unlikely to refer to their hearts. This reading therefore takes the verse to mean that the kingdom of God had already come into their midst through Jesus himself and his ministry (Luke 11:20). The New Korean Standard Version renders the phrase "among you."
- - **The kingdom as within reach**: Another view takes the verse to mean that the kingdom of God is close enough to be responded to now.
+ The key expression is the Greek *entos hymōn*. The basic meaning of *entos* is "within," but with the plural "you" it can also be rendered "among you" or "within your reach."
+ - **The kingdom as inward**: This reading understands the kingdom of God as God's rule in the human heart. It has long been used in devotional literature and preaching. Among Korean Bible translations, the rendering "within you" in the Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version suggests this reading.
+ - **The kingdom as present among you**: Some point out that because Jesus was addressing the Pharisees, who did not believe in him, his words are unlikely to refer to their hearts. This reading therefore takes the verse to mean that the kingdom of God had already come into their midst through Jesus himself and his ministry (Luke 11:20). The Korean New Standard Version renders the phrase "among you."
+ - **The kingdom as within reach**: Another view takes the verse to mean that the kingdom of God is near enough to be responded to now.
=
= ## Debates and Issues
- This verse is frequently cited in eschatological discussions of whether the kingdom of God is a present reality or a future event. Critics note that nineteenth-century liberal theology, which understood the kingdom of God solely as an inward moral influence, made frequent use of this verse. Conversely, to those who emphasize only the future Second Coming, others respond that the verse is a reminder of a kingdom that has already arrived. Today the theology of many denominations holds both aspects together within an "already but not yet" framework.
+ This verse is frequently cited in eschatological discussions of whether the kingdom of God is a present reality or a future event. Critics note that nineteenth-century liberal theology, which understood the kingdom of God solely as an inward moral influence, made frequent use of the verse. Conversely, against views that emphasize only the future Second Coming, others point out that the verse calls attention to a kingdom that has already arrived. Today the theology of many denominations holds both aspects together within an "already but not yet" framework.
=
- It is also widely known that the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy took this verse as the title of a book, *The Kingdom of God Is Within You*, in which he emphasized nonviolence and inward faith.
+ It is also widely known that the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy took this verse as the title of a book emphasizing nonviolence and inward faith.
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= ## Related Passages
…
Jesus' reply to the Pharisees when they asked when the kingdom of God would come. A central question in both translation and interpretation is whether "the kingdom of God is within you" refers to a kingdom within the heart or to a kingdom already present among those he addressed.
Luke 17:20–21 records Jesus' reply to the Pharisees when they asked when the kingdom of God would come. A central question in both translation and interpretation is whether "the kingdom of God is within you" refers to a kingdom within the heart or to a kingdom already present among those he addressed.
Full revision
Luke 17:20–21 records Jesus' reply to the Pharisees when they asked when the kingdom of God would come. A central question in both translation and interpretation is whether "the kingdom of God is within you" refers to a kingdom within the heart or to a kingdom already present among those he addressed.
Context
During the journey to Jerusalem, the Pharisees ask Jesus when the kingdom of God will come. Jesus answers that the kingdom of God does not come "with observation" (that is, with observable signs), and that no one will say it is here or there: "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20–21). Immediately afterward, beginning in verse 22, he speaks to his disciples about the day when the Son of Man will appear like lightning. The passage is therefore read as treating the kingdom that has already come and the kingdom that is yet to come side by side.
Interpretation
The key expression is the Greek entos hymōn. The basic meaning of entos is "within," but with the plural "you" it can also be rendered "among you" or "within your reach."
- The kingdom as inward: This reading understands the kingdom of God as God's rule in the human heart. It has long been used in devotional literature and preaching. Among Korean Bible translations, the rendering "within you" in the Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version suggests this reading.
- The kingdom as present among you: Some point out that because Jesus was addressing the Pharisees, who did not believe in him, his words are unlikely to refer to their hearts. This reading therefore takes the verse to mean that the kingdom of God had already come into their midst through Jesus himself and his ministry (Luke 11:20). The Korean New Standard Version renders the phrase "among you."
- The kingdom as within reach: Another view takes the verse to mean that the kingdom of God is near enough to be responded to now.
Debates and Issues
This verse is frequently cited in eschatological discussions of whether the kingdom of God is a present reality or a future event. Critics note that nineteenth-century liberal theology, which understood the kingdom of God solely as an inward moral influence, made frequent use of the verse. Conversely, against views that emphasize only the future Second Coming, others point out that the verse calls attention to a kingdom that has already arrived. Today the theology of many denominations holds both aspects together within an "already but not yet" framework.
It is also widely known that the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy took this verse as the title of a book emphasizing nonviolence and inward faith.
Related Passages
- Luke 11:20
- Luke 17:22–24
- Matthew 6:10
- Romans 14:17