--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But the problem is that Jesus' kingdom…" description: "\"“But the problem is that Jesus' kingdom (and Paul's \"citizenship in heaven\") was about the real world, here and now. It was about allegiance. Jesus and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/shane-claiborne-960_real-world_but-the-problem-is-that-jesus-kingdom-an_937851.jpg" --- # But the problem is that Jesus' kingdom (and Paul's… ![“But the problem is that Jesus' kingdom (and Paul's "citizenship in heaven") was about the real world, here and now. It was about allegiance. Jesus and Paul were telling the people that they must live here with their identities as aliens. They must live by the rules of heaven amid the violent…” quote by Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/shane-claiborne-960_real-world_but-the-problem-is-that-jesus-kingdom-an_937851.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/shane-claiborne-960_real-world_but-the-problem-is-that-jesus-kingdom-an_937851.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/shane-claiborne-960_real-world_but-the-problem-is-that-jesus-kingdom-an_937851.jpg) > ““But the problem is that Jesus' kingdom (and Paul's "citizenship in heaven") was about the real world, here and now. It was about allegiance. Jesus and Paul were telling the people that they must live here with their identities as aliens. They must live by the rules of heaven amid the violent earthly powers. And to claim that one's citizenship is in heaven is to say that you pledge allegiance not to any of the kingdoms of the world but to Jesus and the body of those who take on his suffering, enemy-loving posture toward the world.”” [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jesus and Paul teach that believers must live now with heavenly allegiance, embodying alien identity and love toward a hostile world. **In simple terms:** Live now as heavenly citizens, loving enemies. Key Takeaway Embrace heavenly values in daily life. Themes faith allegiance identity love conflict Mood hopeful challenging Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - church community - political activism - personal ethics - social justice Key Concepts Kingdom theology citizenship alienation enemy love Questions to Reflect On - How do you practice heavenly allegiance amid worldly pressures? - What does enemy love look like in your life? A Different Perspective Such a stance can clash with societal norms and legal expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Real world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-world/) ## Related quotes > [Allegiance to Jesus and loving the truth are primary truths (2Thessalonians 2 v10). The Body of Christ must tolerate all religions in the sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-bickle/allegiance-to-jesus-and-loving-the-truth-are-primary-truths/) [Mike Bickle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-bickle/) > [The essence of Christian obedience is not do’s and don’ts but personal allegiance to Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-essence-of-christian-obedience-is-not-do-s-and-don-ts-but/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [To endure the cross is not tragedy; it is the suffering which is the fruit of an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/to-endure-the-cross-is-not-tragedy-it-is-the-suffering-which-is-the/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“With regard to eternal salvation, rather than speaking of belief, trust, or faith in Jesus, we should speak instead of fidelity to Jesus as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-w-bates/with-regard-to-eternal-salvation-rather-than-speaking-of-belief-trust/) [Matthew W. Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-w-bates/) > [“Our citizenship is in heaven. … The words were a physical comfort to Hannah as one after another Scriptures filled her mind. She was only passing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-kingsbury/our-citizenship-is-in-heaven-the-words-were-a-physical-comfort-to/) [Karen Kingsbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-kingsbury/) > [The Bible says that as long as we are here on earth, we are strangers in a foreign land. There are enemies to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-bible-says-that-as-long-as-we-are-here-on-earth-we-are-strangers/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Christians have a dual citizenship - on earth and in heaven - and our citizenship in heaven ought to make us better people here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-w-wiersbe/christians-have-a-dual-citizenship-on-earth-and-in-heaven-and-our/) [Warren W. Wiersbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-w-wiersbe/) > [While we appreciate our ancestry as Americans or even our ethnic ancestry and our color of skin, we believe that our real citizenship is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/while-we-appreciate-our-ancestry-as-americans-or-even-our-ethnic/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“The Bible tells us we are pilgrims, strangers, aliens and ambassadors working far from home. Our citizenship is in Heaven. But we’ve become so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/the-bible-tells-us-we-are-pilgrims-strangers-aliens-and-ambassadors/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [“You and I are part of the colony of heaven. Right now, we may reside here on earth, but our passport indicates that our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-r-hunt/you-and-i-are-part-of-the-colony-of-heaven-right-now-we-may-reside/) Allen R. Hunt > [“Christians should carry spiritual green cards to remind us that our citizenship is in heaven.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zondervan-publishing/christians-should-carry-spiritual-green-cards-to-remind-us-that-our/) [Zondervan Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zondervan-publishing/) > [“Once again we may ask—how is it that Jesus assumed an authority and reign that he did not previously possess? The answer is found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-prentiss-waters/once-again-we-may-ask-how-is-it-that-jesus-assumed-an-authority-and/) Guy Prentiss Waters > [Jesus proclaimed, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. .. He is saying that a whole new order is about to enter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-wallis/jesus-proclaimed-repent-for-the-kingdom-of-heaven-is-at-hand-he-is/) [Jim Wallis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-wallis/) > [“THE INCARNATION AND THE “UPSIDE-DOWN” ASPECT OF THE GOSPEL Because Jesus was the king who became a servant, we see a reversal of values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-incarnation-and-the-upside-down-aspect-of-the-gospel-because/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Jesus' kingdom was not like the popular expectation. He used the phrase 'kingdom of God' with a different meaning. His kingdom was not of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-harpur/jesus-kingdom-was-not-like-the-popular-expectation-he-used-the-phrase/) [Tom Harpur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-harpur/) ## More by Shane Claiborne > [“we can live without sex, but we cant live without love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-can-live-without-sex-but-we-cant-live-without-love/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [We're not church planters. We are community planters and, as we work in our communities, we join local churches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-re-not-church-planters-we-are-community-planters-and-as-we-work-in/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [There are some - called 'death fatigue' - people who just grow so tired of death, so they don't want to keep perpetuating death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/there-are-some-called-death-fatigue-people-who-just-grow-so-tired-of/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [Every 70-year-old needs a young person in their lives to mentor, and every 20-year-old needs a senior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/every-70-year-old-needs-a-young-person-in-their-lives-to-mentor-and/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [I just have a more holistic sense of what it means to be for life, knowing that life does not just begin at conception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/i-just-have-a-more-holistic-sense-of-what-it-means-to-be-for-life/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [It's not that hard to say slavery is wrong after we've abolished it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/it-s-not-that-hard-to-say-slavery-is-wrong-after-we-ve-abolished-it/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [We think of justice sometimes as getting what you deserve, you know - what crime was committed and what is the punishment for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-think-of-justice-sometimes-as-getting-what-you-deserve-you-know/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [Mother Theresa said it is not how much we give that is important but how much love you put into doing it. So it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/mother-theresa-said-it-is-not-how-much-we-give-that-is-important-but/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [No one has seen God, but as we love one another, God lives in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/no-one-has-seen-god-but-as-we-love-one-another-god-lives-in-us/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [“If you find yourself climbing the ladder of success, be careful or else on your way up you might pass Jesus on his way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/if-you-find-yourself-climbing-the-ladder-of-success-be-careful-or/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [We need good laws, but no law can change a human heart - only God can do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-need-good-laws-but-no-law-can-change-a-human-heart-only-god-can-do/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [We're remembering each other's heroes, too. We are learning each other's songs. We are reminding ourselves that we are a global family praying together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-re-remembering-each-other-s-heroes-too-we-are-learning-each-other/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [There is a certain power when old and young come together - we can do more together than we can on our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/there-is-a-certain-power-when-old-and-young-come-together-we-can-do/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [You can't really learn God's hope like you learn the logic of an argument or the details of a story. It's more like learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/you-can-t-really-learn-god-s-hope-like-you-learn-the-logic-of-an/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [“Clarence Jordan, co-founder of Koinonia Farm, wrote, “The Good News of the resurrection is not that we shall die and go home with him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/clarence-jordan-co-founder-of-koinonia-farm-wrote-the-good-news-of/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) [Explore all 319 Shane Claiborne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) ## More Real world quotes > [The real world out there isn't nearly as nice as some people prefer it to be, so don't swallow everything your high-born teachers tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-world-out-there-isn-t-nearly-as-nice-as-some-people-prefer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [We're wired to expect the world to be brighter and more meaningful and more obviously interesting than it actually is. And when we realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/we-re-wired-to-expect-the-world-to-be-brighter-and-more-meaningful/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [Part of life is doing stuff that you don't want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-who-does-not-wish-to-be-named/part-of-life-is-doing-stuff-that-you-don-t-want-to-do/) One Who Does Not Wish To Be Named > [It's really hard coming of age in today's society, where society wants you to make the decision of what you want to do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/it-s-really-hard-coming-of-age-in-today-s-society-where-society-wants/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [“This has nothing to do with realism (even if it explains also realism). A completely real world can be constructed, in which asses fly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/this-has-nothing-to-do-with-realism-even-if-it-explains-also-realism/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [ \[In science any model depends on a pre-chosen taxonomy\] a set of classifications into which we divide the enormous complexity of the real world...… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/in-science-any-model-depends-on-a-pre-chosen-taxonomy-a-set-of/) [Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/) > [“All Hell is smaller than one pebble of your earthly world: but it is smaller than one atom of this world, the Real World.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/all-hell-is-smaller-than-one-pebble-of-your-earthly-world-but-it-is/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“we shouldn’t surrender our real world perception to a false reality too much or we may suffer the inevitable consequences of deluded thinking. Technology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-p-neary/we-shouldn-t-surrender-our-real-world-perception-to-a-false-reality/) M.P. Neary > [Science manipulates things and gives up living in them. It makes its own limited models of things; operating upon these indices or variables to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-merleau-ponty/science-manipulates-things-and-gives-up-living-in-them-it-makes-its/) [Maurice Merleau-Ponty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-merleau-ponty/) > [Philosophy is to the real world as masturbation is to sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/philosophy-is-to-the-real-world-as-masturbation-is-to-sex/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [I go to the real world, not the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zendaya/i-go-to-the-real-world-not-the-internet/) [Zendaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zendaya/) > [All novels are about crime. You'd be hard pressed to find any novel that does not have an element of crime. I don't see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hiaasen/all-novels-are-about-crime-you-d-be-hard-pressed-to-find-any-novel/) [Carl Hiaasen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hiaasen/) > [Just leaving the brotherhood I have made at Georgia, the staff and all my coaches. They've prepared me for the real world. I'm really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-green/just-leaving-the-brotherhood-i-have-made-at-georgia-the-staff-and-all/) [A. J. Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-green/) [Browse all 1,982 Real world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-world/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But the problem is that Jesus' kingdom (and Paul's \"citizenship in heaven\") was about the real world, here and now. It was about allegiance. Jesus and Paul were telling the people that they must live here with their identities as aliens. They must live by the rules of heaven amid the violent earthly powers. And to claim that one's citizenship is in heaven is to say that you pledge allegiance not to any of the kingdoms of the world but to Jesus and the body of those who take on his suffering, enemy-loving posture toward the world.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shane Claiborne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/but-the-problem-is-that-jesus-kingdom-and-paul-s-citizenship-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Real world" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/but-the-problem-is-that-jesus-kingdom-and-paul-s-citizenship-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/shane-claiborne-960_real-world_but-the-problem-is-that-jesus-kingdom-an_937851.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/shane-claiborne-960_real-world_but-the-problem-is-that-jesus-kingdom-an_937851.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/shane-claiborne-960_real-world_but-the-problem-is-that-jesus-kingdom-an_937851.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But the problem is that Jesus' kingdom (and Paul's \"citizenship in heaven\") was about the real world, here…” — Shane Claiborne", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Shane Claiborne", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But the problem is that Jesus'...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/but-the-problem-is-that-jesus-kingdom-and-paul-s-citizenship-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/but-the-problem-is-that-jesus-kingdom-and-paul-s-citizenship-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```