Results 1 - 5 of 5
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | "Least in the kingdom of God"? | Matt 11:11 | Zsuzsi | 122613 | ||
Do you think that Jesus could have been referring to Himself by "the least in the kingdom of God" in Luke 7:28/Matt 11:11? Personally do I believe He was, although I read many other interpretations which are not even similar to mine... Cv. Phil 2:6-11... God bless you, Zsuzsi |
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2 | "Least in the kingdom of God"? | Matt 11:11 | Emmaus | 122614 | ||
Zsuzsi, i don't think Jesus is referring to himself as the least in the Kingdom of God. he is the King, the King of Kings. What he is doing is comparing the Old Covenant and the new Covenant and saying John the baptist is the greates of the Old Covenant saints. But those prophets and saints of old looked forward to the New Covenant and did not participate fully in its blessings (Matt 13:17; 1 peter 1:10-12). So even the least in the Kingdom of the new Covenant is greater than the greatest of the Old covenant, not because of themselves but because of Jesus whose blood is the blood (life)of the New Covenant (Matt 26:27)and those in the New Covenant partake in that life (John 6:53). Yet still the saints of the Old Covenant were saved by faith in the coming of the Messiah and the New Covenant. I hope this helps some. Emmaus |
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3 | "Least in the kingdom of God"? | Matt 11:11 | Zsuzsi | 122648 | ||
Hi Emmaus, Thanks for your replies... Yes, this is the interpretation that I have found most often. But I must admit that this is very hard for me to accept! Here are my reasons: 1) VictorA was actually faster with making this point, but let me repeat it: did John get to the kingdom? If he did, then Jesus' statement does not make sense; if he didn't, what about Lk 13:28 and Mt 8:11 where He states that all the great prophets would enter the Kingdom? (See my reply to Victor A) 2) Do you distinguish between the kingdom of the New Covenant and the kingdom of the Old Covenant? Are born AC people really more priviliged or blessed than born BC people in this sense? (How is that in agreement with God's justice?) 3) To me that interpretation does not seem to fit well into the contexts of Luke 7 and Matt 11, into Jesus comparing Himself with John. John notes in Luke 7:29-30 that "...even the tax collectors.. acknowledged God's justice... But the Pharisees ... rejected God's purpose for themselves" According to this interpretation, how does God's justice come in here, and what is God's purpose for the Pharisees and experts in the law? Also, In Matt 11:12, Jesus states: "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force." What exactly does He mean by this? 4) Fourthly, the Greek 'mikroterov', i.e. 'smallest/least' is interpreted in a negative way, but it actually carries a positive meaning ('humble')... Jesus uses the same word (its noun form) for the little ones He loves so much, for example in Mt 18:6, and He prefers to use 'elaxistov' with its definitely negative sense for 'the least in the kingdom of heaven' in Mt 5:19... If we take that Jesus was referring to Himself, the rest of these two chapters is also more easily understood: first He confirms that He is the Messiah, then confirms the greatness of John, even telling that John is greater than a prophet; but He explains that John is only a forerunner of the Messiah! Although John is the greatest human ever born, the Son of Man is greater than him, even if He has now 'made Himself nothing' (Phil 2:17), becoming the least in heaven and came to earth as a fully human person to suffer and die for sinners. This is why the Kingdom 'suffers' (c.v. "The kingdom of God is within/among you" Lk 17:21).. John's disciples testified of God's Truth, for John himself had told them long ago: "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all." (Jn 3:31), but the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, which was to believe that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. (This is usually the very thing in Jesus' teachings that the Pharisees did not want to accept!) It took the utmost, ultimate sacrifce and supreme humility of Jesus to become a human like us and submit to suffering and death! Remember how He humbled Himself when He was baptized by John (Matt 3:13-15)? And that He even washed the feet of His disciples? "Do you understand what I have done for you?" (John 13:12) - His question is the same to us! Please read Phil 2:6-11 (I have quoted it to Angel as well), I believe it summarizes my viewpoint very well. Hope this explains my thoughts about this... God bless you, Zsuzsi |
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4 | "Least in the kingdom of God"? | Matt 11:11 | Emmaus | 122653 | ||
Zsuzsi, Look at John 1:12-13 in this context of being born of a woman or born of the Spirit. It is the the Spirit that give birth to etrnal life in the new Covenant. Yes, the OT saints were saved by faith, but thgat was only realized after the cricifixion of Christ when the New Covenant in his blood was established. His Kingdom was esatablishe with the Ascension and all the references to his dominion are mentioned in Daniel 7:13,26-27; 22:69 Acts 7:56. It is the least in the Kingdom that are identified with Christ because they are in Christ and rule with Him as we see in Daniel 7:26-27, Matt 25:45 and various places in the book of Revelation. I think you are on the right track, in the sense that jesus allowed himself to become one of us, but I still beleieve in the passages in question, i.e Matt 11:11 He is referring to his disciples in the Kingdom (Church) who are identified with Him and so greater than those of the OT who were identified with Moses (Romans 10:20). the Pharises were unwilling to stop identifying with Moses and start identifying witrh Jesus. That is a lot of what Romans and hebrews is all about. John the batizer was the greatest of the OT saints becasue he share more fully than any of them in the Messiah's mission even though he died before its consumation on the cross. He was filled with the Holy Spirit even in his mother's womb in order to prepare him for his mission as the forerunner (Luke 1:15,41. It is Jesus Himself who contrasts the Old and new Covenants in various places succh as the anaology of the Old and new Wineskins. He inaugurates His mission by changing water into wine. It is He who called it the New Covenant in Matt 26:28. I am now off the point of the "least" but found it har to stop connection the jots and tittles. Praying you have a Spirit filled Pentecost. Emmaus |
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5 | "Least in the kingdom of God"? | Matt 11:11 | Zsuzsi | 122662 | ||
Emmaus, We are not diverging... :-) I agree with what you said about identifying with Jesus or Moses, and also that John the Baptist was the greatest of all the OT saints. I find your comments about being born of the Spirit very important as well. There are Biblical references that the same Holy Spirit was given to people BC and AC as well: (I will only mention NT examples since the OT was written mostly in Hebrew) -David spoke of the Messiah by the Holy Spirit (Mk 12:36) -The Holy Spirit ascended to Mary at His conception (Matt 1:18,20) -The Holy Spirit ascended onto His shoulders when He was baptized (John 1:32) -The Holy Spirit filled Zecchariah (Luke 1:67) -The Holy Spirit would give the words to the believers' mouth in times of tribulation (Mk 13:11) The Greek word is 'pneuma' in all of these cases - so the Holy Spirit, the very same Spirit Whom Jesus also had, was given to people BC, while Jesus was on earth and also AC. That makes me arrive at the conclusion that the OT saints who trusted in the salvation of the Messiah, were saved in the same way as we are... They also received the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth - the prophets prophesied about Jesus, and they actually desired to see the coming of the Messiah (Matt 13:17)! They did not see Him, just like we do not see Him now, but they had the chance to believe in Him and be reborn, just as we have the chance to believe in Him and be reborn... Jesus was, is and always will be the Rock of all ages.. That is the Gospel! But that was only possible in the New Covenant, through the blood of the Lamb, in which He, the Greatest, did become the least in the Kingdom for the time He was on earth... Although John was the greatest person ever born of women, Jesus, even if at the time He was the least (i.e. most humbled) in heaven, was/is/will be greater than him. Therefore I still think He was referring to Himself... As I see we basically agree, even though we do start from two completely different interpretations of the passage - now that's not bad at all. :-) As I have told Angel, I was really touched by this passage some time ago and since then I appreciate the sacrifice Jesus made for us more than ever. And I am ever so glad to have such a wonderfully loving Lord! Have a blessed Pentecost. Zsuzsi |
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