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NASB | Matthew 11:11 "Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 11:11 "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater [in privilege] than he. |
Subject: "Least in the kingdom of God"? |
Bible Note: Hi VictorA, Hmm, your opinion is very interesting...! Your starting point is the same as mine but I think have to disagree with your conclusion: maybe that is what you call 'justice' but to me it certainly isn't! Did Moses, or John the Baptist, or you or me decide for ourselves whether we wanted to be born BC or AC? I doubt... Does God then privilige some people by causing them to be born AC? Ezekiel 33:20 "Yet, O house of Israel, you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But I will judge each of you according to his own ways." So He will judge according to our own ways ('ways' is not the same as 'works'), not whether He chose us to be born BC or AC... Personally I think it cannot 'fully rewarding' for faithful servants of God like John the Baptist or David that they would become 'earthly subjects' to 'co-heirs' with Christ, simply because of the date of their birth... I believe Jesus died to save the whole world, not just the people who come after Him; I do not like the idea of 'limiting' God to our earthly way of looking at time. Also, please see Luke 13:28 and Matt 8:11: Jesus did say that the old prophets would enter the Kingdom: Luke 13:28 "There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out." Matthew 8:11: "I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven." I have found no direct Biblical reference stating that the people born before Christ would not enter the Kingdom or that they would be subject to the people who have lived after Christ - and forming additional assumptions is usually not the best idea. This is one of the reasons why I think that this interpretation is maybe mistaken altogether... God bless you, Zsuzsi |