MR. ANDERSON then spoke as follows:-
It is a fact that there is a universal Kingdom of God, and the Scriptures refer to it. It is a fact that the Jewish kingdom and dispensation are called a Kingdom of God. It is another fact that there is a kingdom into which the apostles got, and that was just at hand in the days of John the Baptist. But Mr. Nisbet's main point has been to jumble them all up together, and say they are all the same kingdom. And when dealing with these different aspects he wanted to put it like this - There is a kingdom now that will cease to be then. I suppose he will hand it up to the Father after it has ceased to be.
MR. NISBET. - I rise to a point of order. When Mr. Anderson is saying that I make a confusion between handing over and a thing ceasing, I had nothing to do with that, but was asking a question upon his view.
MR. ANDERSON. - Mr. Nisbet was dealing with different
aspects of the kingdom; and it was Jesus who taught that the
kingdom had different aspects. Jesus said, "The Kingdom
of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bringing
forth the fruits thereof." He did not mean that the
Jewish nation as a Jewish nation would be taken from them and
handed over to somebody else, and that God has two kingdoms
at one time upon the earth. There was the Jewish dispensation
that was called the Kingdom of God while it existed. Then
when Christ comes again there will be a change: the
everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour. In each
dispensation, severally, there is a kingdom and each is
called the Kingdom of God. When he would hand up the kingdom
to the Father I had to have the absurdity pressed upon me -
Did he hand over a thing that was previously out of
existence, and because I did not give a "Yes" or
"No" I was out of order, and Mr. Nisbet called that
contradictory. I am as anxious to find the truth as any man,
but I want the thing to go as straightforward as I can. You
can read Colossians 1:13, and try to find if these things are
confined to the apostles and them only. I have pointed out
that Christ sits on the throne with all power there handed
over to him, and Mr. Nisbet has not denied that. I have shown
that principalities and powers are subject to Christ. Now
that cannot be denied. I have shown that the word he has
spoken will judge you in the last day, that shows power and
reign. That only was at hand in the days of Jesus and John
the Baptist and the Twelve as they preached through
Palestine. I said there was something at hand coming. The
parable of the wheat and tares suits this dispensation. We
have the children of God now on earth, and the children of
the wicked with them, and the parable says it is like that,
but both have to go together to the harvest. Then will the
righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their
Father. That is, there is a kingdom when the wheat and tares
grow together. It is a kingdom after the separation has taken
place; it is a kingdom in both aspects, but not the same
aspect. Call it two kingdoms or aspects, it is a matter of no
comment to me. But it does not suit the kingdom of Mr.
Nisbet, and he hands it back to the days of the Jews. If that
is not an absurdity, it is as near it as anything I know.
Jesus Christ and the apostles said the kingdom was at hand,
and put down its principles, and in that sense the kingdom
did come to them, and the principles were put down and
promulgated. That parable will suit now, and it will suit the
future. I have given proof and put down reasons for
everything I have said concerning the kingdom. Mr. Nisbet has
put the apostles as in the kingdom, John in the kingdom, and
companions in the kingdom. He has a kingdom of rulers without
subjects. There was a kingdom in the days of the apostles,
and it went out of existence with the apostles. Did ever
anybody read the New Testament and think that this was based
on a solid footing? The words of the apostles are binding
today. If not, there is no heaven. If the apostles have gone
out of power there is no heaven for anybody, no gospel on the
face of the earth, and yet Christianity was sent to all the
world and to every creature. Jesus Christ, by all power of
heaven and earth, is sending it to all creatures. That
kingdom, which was at hand then, is here now, and believers
are being translated into it now as then, and it is a higher
and greater kingdom than ever was in the days of Solomon or
David.
Mr. Nisbet then concluded the debate as follows:-
We have arrived at the end of the first night's debate. Let me endeavour to recapitulate my position, so that my position in relation to Mr. Anderson's may be made more apparent. We have agreed that the Kingdom of God has always existed, does now exist and always will exist. I differed with Mr. Anderson that a Kingdom of God, once having existed, can go out of existence. Mr.Anderson feels a little sore at my questions on that particular point. He had evidently in view that passage in 1st Corinthians 15:48. There is not much going out of existence there. He must reign until he has put all enemies under His feet. What does He do when He accomplishes that? He hands over the kingdom to God, even the Father, that God may be all in all. There is no distinction then between the rulers and the ruled, that distinction having obtained up till that time. We are agreed the kingdom was in existence with Christ at its head on earth, and the nations the subjects, the saints the rulers; and he quotes this passage to show the passing out of existence of the previous kingdom. That is nonsense, because the kingdom never passes out of existence; it only ceased to operate in certain spheres, according to His will. There has only been one kingdom. I asked Mr. Anderson what was meant by a manifestation, but I did not get it.
MR. ANDERSON. - To manifest a thing is to make it plain.
MR. NISBET. - The kingdom was to be made manifest from the commencement of the day of Pentecost. That kingdom which was seen existed then, and that kingdom, he says, is to cease to exist; but he did not say whether it was to be destroyed, or what was to be done with it. But he confounded another passage with the end of the dispensation. The Kingdom of God was not out of existence; it simply ceased to be manifest among men that God wields that power by which it is manifest and seen. Mr. Anderson did not give us a particle of proof to show that the Kingdom of God came into existence in the days of Pentecost. I have brought forward proof from the mouth of Jesus in support of my contention that the Kingdom of God existed here when Jesus was on earth, and that He gave proof of it in His statements by pointing to the works He had done. That was demonstrative proof that a Kingdom of God existed, that the powers of that coming age when it shall exist on the earth were manifest in the healing of the sick, raising the dead, etc. The authority quoted by Mr. Anderson gives a commandment from Jesus - "to be made known amongst all nations" for the establishment of - a kingdom? No; for the obedience of the faith. And that was all; there was never a promise of that that Jesus mentioned of an entrance at once into the Kingdom of God, but the ordinary believers of the gospel were promised entrance into the coming Kingdom of God, when it did come. But they were not in the kingdom then. The apostles were in it. John wrote to the officials in the kingdom - to the messengers of the churches. At the beginning we are told that he would make things known concerning things which were to come to pass. These things were written about and made known to the church through the officials of the church. But Mr. Anderson has not proved that the ordinary believers were in the kingdom. He has only shown that they were in the church; but I know his people distinguish between the kingdom and the church. He has told us tonight that the Kingdom of God came into existence on Pentecost, and he has not given us the least vestige of proof. I agree that the church existed, that there were prophets, apostles, and pastors and teachers until the perfect day came. But to say that was the Kingdom of God, composed of ordinary believers and those who had the rule over them, is to say something for which you have no proof. Passing to Colossians 1:3, "We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you." Verse 7. - Notice the "ye," "As ye also learned," etc. Verse 8. - "Who also declared unto us." There is an "us" which does not include the "you." The "us" we are told something about and the "you." And he says (verse 9) - " We also did not cease to pray for you." "Who delivered us." Mr. Anderson can't get "you" there. It is not "who delivered you," but "us," from the power of darkness and translated "us" into the Kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption. It was not the redemption of the ordinary believers; it was for their redemption.