It is common to hear in many sermons that the kingdom of God is in our hearts. It is said to be spiritual because it is how it is implied in Luke 17:20-21.

Luke 17:20-21 (King James Version)
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.

While it is now mainstream belief that the kingdom of God is not a visible territory but the rule of God in our lives, there are still some proponents who disagree with this doctrine.

While it is understandable to insist that the kingdom of God is spiritual because it is written as “within us” in the popular KING JAMES VERSION (KJV) bible, it is surprising to see that many modern bible versions disagree with this translation and has written that the kingdom of God is “among us” or “in the midst of us”.

To have a brief review of the translation differences, listed below are bible versions grouped according to how Luke 17:21 is presented:

Bible versions using “within you”

1. 1. King James Version (KJV) … the kingdom of God is within you.
   2. New King James Version (NKJV) … the kingdom of God is within you.
   3. American Standard Version (ASV) … the kingdom of God is within you.

Bible versions using “among you” or “in your midst”

1. 1. Christian Standard Bible (CSB) … the kingdom of God is in your midst.
   2. English Standard Version (ESV) … the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.
   3. Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) … the kingdom of God is among you.
   4. International Standard Version (ISV) … the kingdom of God is among you.
   5. Lexham English Bible (LEB) … the kingdom of God is in your midst.
   6. New English Translation (NET) … the kingdom of God is in your midst.
   7. New International Version (NIV) … the kingdom of God is in your midst.
   8. New Living Translation (NLT)… the Kingdom of God is already among you.

Though the translation difference seems to be petty, the location of the kingdom of God in Luke 17:21 does make a significant difference. If a bible version uses “within you”, we find the kingdom in our hearts. But if a bible version uses “among you” or “in your midst”, the kingdom of God is not inside of us.

If the location is considered significant, which bible version has made the correct translation?

To determine the location accuracy of the kingdom in Luke 17:21, we also need to look at the following biblical truths that speak about the kingdom of God:

• 1. It is an inheritance.
  2. It is made up of people.
  3. It is still in heaven.
  4. It will come down to earth.

INHERITANCE. We are to inherit the kingdom of God (Matthew 25:34; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). If it is an inheritance, it means that we own it but we do not have it yet. We are only able to have this kingdom during that day of the resurrection when we are changed from perishable to imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:50, 42). If we do not have yet this kingdom, how then can it be in our hearts?

PEOPLE. The believers will be what the kingdom of God will consist of – a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:6, 5:10). It is a promise that was made since the time of Moses (Exodus 19:5-6). We are to be the priests while our Lord Jesus Christ is the great high priest (Hebrews 4:14, 10:21). If it is us who will be making up the kingdom of God, how then can it be in our hearts?

HEAVEN. A kingdom has citizens or its own people. As members of the kingdom of God, Paul said that we are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20) all because the kingdom of God is still in heaven. If the kingdom of God is in our hearts, Paul would have said that we are “citizens of our heart”. How then can the kingdom of God be in our hearts if it is still in heaven?

EARTH. By the words of Jesus Christ during the last supper, the kingdom of God is still to come (Luke 22:18). He even prayed in the famous Lord’s prayer that the kingdom of God would come from heaven to earth (Matthew 6:10). This coming down of the kingdom would be a fulfillment of Revelation 5:10. If it is to come, then how could the kingdom of God be in our hearts?

Based on the four biblical truths provided above, it puts into doubt bible translations that wrote “the kingdom of God is within us”. These translations are in error because of the Greek word “entos” which can be translated as  “within” or “among” or “midst”. This difficulty of choosing the proper translation has led to differing Luke 17:21 statements:

… the kingdom of God is within (entos) you.
… the kingdom of God is among (entos) you.
… the kingdom of God is in the midst (entos) of you.

To determine which English word is the correct translation, we have to analyze every segment of Luke 19:20-21 and logically connect its context to biblical truths. Listed below is an analysis of this passage:

• • The kingdom of God is not for the unrighteous (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
  • The Pharisees are unrighteous people (Matthew 5:20, Luke 12:1).
  • Jesus was talking & referring to the Pharisees in this passage (Luke 17:20).
  • Being unrighteous, the Pharisees cannot have the kingdom of God. Even if we consider the kingdom of God as the rule of God, it cannot be within them because of their wickedness.
  • If the kingdom of God is not “within” the Pharisees, then the correct translation of the Greek word “entos” is “among” them or in the “midst” of them.

Since we have determined that the kingdom of God is not “within” the Pharisees but “among” them or in their “midst”, how could this be possible if the kingdom of God is still in heaven?

The kingdom of God was really “among” or in the “midst” of the Pharisees because Jesus was referring to himself. Jesus is not the kingdom of God but the very representation of this kingdom because he is its King (John 18:36-37). Just as an ambassador would officially reflect the identity of the nation that sent him, so is Jesus reflecting the very identity of the kingdom of God.

When Jesus said that the kingdom of God will arrive in ways that cannot be observed (Luke 17:20), he was not talking about a spiritual kingdom. Instead, he was referring to the expectation of the Pharisees of the kingdom of God to arrive in pomp or in a splendid display.

Representing the kingdom of God, Jesus arrived in unpretentious ways – born in a manger instead of a magnificent palace (Luke 2:7), and entering Jerusalem on a donkey instead of an elegant horse (John 12:12-15). Yet despite the humility, the kingdom of God announced its presence through the powers Jesus displayed (Luke 11:20).

As it is now clear that the kingdom of God was not “within” the Pharisees but was “among” or in the “midst” of them, the coming of the kingdom through Jesus Christ can also be described as two fullness of times:

• 1. The first “fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4). This is the commencement or the beginning of the coming of the kingdom of God .
  2. The second “fullness of time” (Ephesians 1:10). This will be the culmination or the final stage.