No, He said, “The Kingdom of God is in the midst of you . . ." (imardmd1)
I happen to believe within you makes more sense. (ravenwolf)
Well, your understanding of Jesus' use of the preposition "entos" rather than just "en" (which would have yielded your sense) does not make sense contextually because He was specifically addressing a group of Pharisees, using the second person plural "you"; and for sure, all these "yous" had--both individually and as a group policy--rejected the Kingdom of Heaven as well as the Kingdom of God, of which the Messiach was both King and Ambassador. Therefore, the Kingdom was not within any of the Pharisees in this context. They were in the presence of both the King and the Kingdom which He embodied, so the Kingdom of God was in their midst.
Since this point bears upon the discussion of the thread, I must ask you to give credit to the above, and to that which appears in Vincent's "Word Studies" (a set of 3 volumes discussing the Greek meanings of words as used in particular passages of the NT):
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Luke 17:21
Within
Better, in the midst of. Meyer acutely remarks that "you" refers to the Pharisees, in whose hearts nothing certainly found a place less than did the ethical kingdom of God.” Moreover, Jesus is not speaking of the inwardness of the kingdom, but of its presence. “The whole language of the kingdom of heaven being within men, rather than men being within the kingdom, is modern” (Trench, after Meyer).
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The Kingdom of God is present amongst worldlings only inasmuch as a regenerated follower and ambassador of Christ is in their presence, be it in a secular setting or a religious one. IMHO
I hope you will find yourself able to modify your belief on this point, through application of the grammar and context of the Scripture.
I hope you will find yourself able to modify your belief on this point, through application of the grammar and context of the Scripture
The most popular older translations has it within you but one word would not change it any way.
Luke 17
20
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
John 3
5
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Meaning any one who is born of the spirit can see it including the Pharisees.
They would have to try and change more than one word to change the meaning.
Jesus also said The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Meaning it has to be within you, you have to be born of the spirit to see it.
Jesus is also explaining this to his disciples, not just the Pharisees.
23
And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
Jesus then goes on to explain the destruction of Jerusalem and compares it to the destruction in Noah`s day and also Sodom.
Luke 17
24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
37
And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
Meaning there will be no body.
Mathew 16
28
Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
The kingdom either came at that time or there are some of them still standing there waiting for it.
People today are doing exactly what Jesus told them not to do, they are following the people who tell them it is going to be here or there at a specific time .
Luke 17:23
See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
The Kingdom of God either came or there are some two thousand year old men still standing around waiting for it.