Corpus-Paul

["Francisco Ramirez" <franramirez AT teo.upco.es>]

I'm actually working on the subject of Paul and the Kingdom of God. I'm
aware this is a huge theme, although Paul does not say too much about it.

I'm focusing now on Gal 5,21, and wondering wether we can be sure Paul is
here pointing to a pure future kingdom or not. Most of the scholars use to
think this way. But such an statement as "those who do such things will not
inherit the Kingdom of God" may be understood differently. Greek future not
always means temporal future. The "fleshly ones" can be hindered to
experience something that the believers have already experienced or
received; just like "the child of the slave will not share the inheritance
with the child of the free woman" (Gal 4,30). For Paul "to inherit" is more
the actual state of "being heirs" (=sons) and already "share the
inheritance" with the father, than the expectation of a future state or a
future land.