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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: Hello Zsuzsi, You say that my starting point is the same as mine that Jesus isn’t the lesser one in the Kingdom? And in your first post on this point you say, ((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…)) So I don’t understand which you are say that you agree with. Then you tell me, ((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? )) You do make a good point here and I agree it might seem unjust to us but we (mankind, in particular Adam) made things turn out the way they have). That’s the reason we see human suffering today. Is it God’s will for man to suffer? I believe not because man disobeyed and we’re Adam’s offspring. But to correct matters, time is allowed to show Satan’s assertion false once and for all time. Satan told Eve that she should decide for herself what is right and so she did. The result for both her but especially Adam’s choice is what has come about. God’s provision for rectifying this was his sending his Son to earth as a ransom for Adam’s sin so mankind could be redeemed back to God. God made the earth for man to live on forever and never dieing. Involved in this arrangement was not only Christ’s ransom but also his kingdom. Some humans have the special priviledge of ruling in heaven over the earth, but the vast majority will fulfill God’s purpose for the earth by populating it forever in perfection. ((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.")) Again, God’s reward of living on earth will fulfill man’s every desire, since man was made to live on the earth God’s original purpose for creating man. God created angels to live in heaven. 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 definitely see where you are coming from and I know you and I both want all the scriptures to stand harmoniously. I’ll begin with John 3:13, where it says that no man has gone to heaven, “13 Moreover, no man has ascended into heaven,” and then says that Jesus would go to heaven so that everyone believing in him may have everlasting life in verse 15. Those were Jesus’ words in the year 30 (A.D.) when he told Nicodemus that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not in heaven. (more) |