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NASB | Matthew 5:20 ¶ "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 5:20 ¶ "For I say to you that unless your righteousness (uprightness, moral essence) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. |
Bible Question: How is the Kingdom of God different from the Kingdom of Heaven in Matt? Covenant scholars claim that they are the same thing, while dispensational scholars (Scofield) claim that they are distinctive. So, I'm not sure when I read Matt if I should see them as the same or different. |
Bible Answer: Greetings Robert! Searcher gave you a good answer, but allow me to help you start of study process. Matthew is the only person who uses the phrase "kingdom of Heaven" in all of Scripture. He only uses the phrase "kingdom of God" three times: Mt. 12:28, 19:24, 21:31 and 21:43. He uses the phrase "kingdom of their Father" once, Mt. 13:43. There is strong contextual evidence that the phrases 'Kingdom of Heaven' and 'Kingdom of God' mean the same thing. 1) Matthew uses the two phrases interchangeably in Mt. 19:23 and 24. 2) Mark and Luke use the phrase 'Kingdom of God' in contexts where Matthew uses 'Kingdom of Heaven.' Some have argued that Matthew is reluctant to use the the phrase 'Kingdom of God' because his gospel was written primarily for a Jewish audience and they would have been reluctent to use the name 'God'. I hope this helps! Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |