Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

§12.5 The Kingdom of God
Matt. 12.24-26
24 But when the Pharisees
heard it, they said, 'It is only by
Beelzebul. the ruler
of the demons, that this man
casts out the demons'.
25 He knew their
thinking and said to them.
'Everv kingdom divided against
itself is laid waste,
and no city or house
divided against itself
will stand.
26 If Satan casts out Satan, he
is divided against himself: how
then will his kingdom stand?'
Matt. 12.27-28
27 If i cast out the demons bv Beelzebul, bv
whom do vour sons cast them out? Therefore thev
will be vour judges. 28 But if it is bv the Spirit of
God that I cast out the demons, then has the
kingdom of God come upon vou.
Matt. 12.29
29 Or how can one enter into a
strong man's house and plunder
his goods, without first tving up
the strong man? Then indeed he
will plunder the house.
Mark 3.22-26
22 And the scribes who came
down from Jerusalem said, 'He
has Beelzebul, and bv the ruler
of the demons he
casts out the demons'.
23 And he called
them to him, and spoke to them
in parables, 'How can Satan cast
out Satan? 24 And if a
kingdom is divided against
itself, that kingdom cannot
stand. 25 And if a house is
divided against itself, that house
will not be able to stand. 26
And if Satan has risen up
against himself and is divided,
he cannot stand, but his end has
come'.
Mark 3.27
27 But no one can enter into a
strong man's house and plunder
his goods without first tying up
the strong man. Then indeed he
will plunder the house.
Luke 11.15-18
15 But some of them said, 'By
Beelzebul. the ruler
of the demons, he
casts out the demons'. 16
Others, to test him, kept
demanding from him a sign
from heaven. 17 But he knew
their thoughts and said to them.
'Everv kingdom divided against
itself becomes a desert,
and house falls on house.
18 If Satan also is divided
against himself. how
will his kingdom stand? for
you say that I cast out the
demons by Beelzebul'.
Luke 11.19-20
19 If I cast out the demons bv Beelzebul, bv
whom do vour sons cast them out? Therefore thev
will be vour judges. 20 But if it is bv the finger of
God that I cast out the demons, then has the
kingdom of God come upon vou.
Luke 11.21-22
21 When a strong man. fullv
armed, guards his manor, his
property is safe. 22 But when
one stronger than he attacks and
overpowers him, he takes away
his armour in which he trusted
and divides the spoils.
All three are clearly linked by a common theme: Jesus' success as an exorcist
signals the triumph of God's kingdom over Satan's. A large consensus of contemporary
scholarship accepts that such an emphasis must have been a feature of
Jesus' teaching. The consensus regarding (2) and (3) is particularly strong. 355
355. The Jesus Seminar give a positive verdict with regard to the Q version of (1) (Luke
11.17-18), and also to (2) ('His remarks are witty and frustrate expectations') and (3) ('The
analogy of the calculating and powerful robber suits Jesus' style: it is a surprising comparison
and indulges in exaggeration') (Funk, Five Gospels 52, 185-86, 329-30, 493). Becker assumes
the attack in (1) is historical, has no doubts on (2), but attributes (3) to the church (Jesus 108-
10, 184-85). Lüdemann regards (2) and (3) as 'authentic' {Jesus 25, 337). On (1) Kollmann
draws attention particularly to the lack of christological explication (Jesus 182). On (2): 'universally
acknowledged' (Beasley-Murray, Jesus and the Kingdom 75); 'one of the assured re-
457