The Kingdom of God Is Not of This World

This passage has been used by scholars and lay folks alike to justify socialism, communism, or some sort of politically utopian society that has the veneer of socialism or communism. This isn’t the case at all. Jesus couldn’t have been clearer when he said, prior to the events of Acts 2, “my kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). The kingdom of God is not to be identified with any political or socio-economic system that guides statecraft. The concerns of God’s kingdom are other than those of an earthly state. Consequently, Acts 2:42-47 cannot legitimately be used to tell the state how to conduct its business. Such is not the concern of God’s kingdom. The political systems of men are to be evaluated by Biblical theology’s opposition to the coercive abuse of power and the sanctity and dignity of human life reflected in biblical teaching and divine law.