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To: blue-duncan; Forest Keeper; Quix; Kolokotronis; Dr. Eckleburg; HarleyD; kosta50; wmfights

I can only repeat what the scripture and the Catholic Liturgy say. There are references to the Kingdom as something inside the believer, and there are references to it as a Second Coming of Christ.

During Mass, the priest calls us, “let us pray for the coming of the Kingdom as Jesus taught us”, and in response we say “Our Father”. Exorcisms are an extreme example of the daily work of sanctification to which we are called, individually and communally: “... Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven ... deliver us from [the] evil [one]”. The individual work of the Holy Spirit is not separated from the redemptive work of Christ in this prayer, which is fittingly addressed to the Father.

The immediate context of Matthew 12:28 reflects this duality of the individual and the communal. The context preceding the verse is individual acts of exorcisms. But following the verse, the context turns to the redemptive work of Christ Who bound Satan (v. 29, and also see the discourse on the “sign of Jonas” that follows).

I have a feeling I am not answering to your satisfaction, but not out of avoidance, feel free to press and elaborate. Perhaps, this has to do with the lack of shared eschatology. As Catholic, I believe that the tribulation is what we are in for the past 2,000 years; we do not think that it is a period that is yet to start. We are Church Militant, and we combat Satan, every day, internally and communally.


13,245 posted on 04/21/2007 4:45:40 PM PDT by annalex
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To: blue-duncan; Forest Keeper; Quix; Kolokotronis; Dr. Eckleburg; HarleyD; kosta50; wmfights
Here's Chrysostom on this verse:

"But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come unto you."

What means "the Kingdom"? "My coming." See how again He conciliates and soothes them, and draws them to the knowledge of Himself, and signifies that they are warring with their own good, and contentious against their own salvation. "For whereas ye ought to rejoice," says He, "and leap for joy, that One is come bestowing those great and unutterable blessings, hymned of old by the prophets, and that the time of your prosperity is at hand; ye do the contrary; so far from receiving the blessings, you do even speak ill of them, and frame accusations that have no real being."

Now Matthew indeed says, "If I by the Spirit of God cast out"; but Luke, "If I by the finger of God cast out the devils:" Luke 11:20 implying that to cast out devils is a work of the greatest power, and not of any ordinary grace. And He means indeed that from these things they should infer and say, If this be so, then the Son of God is come. This, however, He says not, but in a reserved way, and so as not to be galling to them, He darkly intimates it by saying, "Then the kingdom of God is come unto you."

Do you see exceeding wisdom? By the very things which they were blaming, He showed His presence shining forth.

Then, to conciliate them, He said not simply, "The Kingdom is come," but, "unto you,"as though He had said, To you the good things are come; wherefore then feel displeased at your proper blessings? why war against your own salvation? This is that time, which the prophets long ago foretold: this, the sign of that advent which was celebrated by them, even these things being wrought by divine power. For the fact indeed, that they are wrought, yourselves know; but that they are wrought by divine power, the deeds themselves cry out. Yea, and it is impossible that Satan should be stronger now; rather he must of absolute necessity be weak. But it cannot be, that he who is weak should, as though he were strong, cast out the strong devil.

Now thus speaking He signified the power of charity, and the weakness of separation and contentiousness. Wherefore He was Himself also continually charging His disciples, on every occasion, concerning charity, and teaching them that the devil, to subvert it, leaves nothing undone.

Homily 41 on Matthew


13,246 posted on 04/21/2007 4:51:34 PM PDT by annalex
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