Least in the Kingdom is greater than John the Baptist?

[MostRadicalManEver]

What does Jesus mean by saying the 'least in the kingdom of God' being greater than John the Baptist?
For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
Luke 7:28 KJV

 

[Mr. M]

What does Jesus mean by saying the 'least in the kingdom of God' being greater than John the Baptist?
For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
Luke 7:28 KJV

Luke 7:19. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying,
“Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

After all that was revealed unto him, is he now questioning the Messiah?
Luke 7:23. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

We cannot let our own expectations mislead us. John and his followers were expecting a king.

 

[Andrewn]

What does Jesus mean by saying the 'least in the kingdom of God' being greater than John the Baptist?
For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
Luke 7:28 KJV

Cambridge commentary gives the following explanation:

"The simple meaning of these words seems to be that in blessings and privileges, in knowledge, in revealed hope, in conscious admission into fellowship with God, the humblest child of the new kingdom is superior to the greatest prophet of the old; seeing that, as the old legal maxim says, 'the least of the greatest is greater than the greatest of the least.' The smallest diamond is made of more precious substance than the largest flint. In the old dispensation “the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified,” John 7:39. Of those ‘born of women* there was no greater prophet than John the Baptist, but the members of Christ’s Church are 'born of water and of the Spirit.'"

 

[com7fy8]

I now think of this > the great prophets could tend to not have much company.

But a little child of Jesus has all of us for caring and sharing family. This would be greater than being more or less isolated.

 

[Rachel20]

'the least of the greatest is greater than the greatest of the least.'

I was thinking that one is a subset of the other, so that, positionally, John is part of the group called "prophets" but also of that called "bride" (this being the greatest). But he seems to deny this when he calls himself a "friend of the bridegroom" in John 3:29.

 

[MostRadicalManEver]

Luke 7:19. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying,
“Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

After all that was revealed unto him, is he now questioning the Messiah?
Luke 7:23. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

We cannot let our own expectations mislead us. John and his followers were expecting a king.

I was thinking that might be a problem. The problem of doubt. Especially after all that he had witnessed first hand. Kind of like the children of Israel doubting God after all the miracles they witnessed first hand. Many of them died in the wilderness.

 

[MostRadicalManEver]

"The simple meaning of these words seems to be that in blessings and privileges,

I saw in the amplified bible that privileges was in the text. I found that interesting.

“the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified,” John 7:39.

For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
(Luk 1:15)

I felt that was relevant. John the baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost even from the mother's womb.

 

[WhatAmIdoinhere]

What does Jesus mean by saying the 'least in the kingdom of God' being greater than John the Baptist?
For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
Luke 7:28 KJV

Simple everybody prior to Christ comming and dying was not born again they died without Holy Spirit , so all people even the prophets are lesser tier than lowest tier carnal Christian who was born again of Spirit of God.

Thats why one has to be born again of Spirit.

And next time I'd pray and ask Holy Spirit for explanation rather than looking thru multiple Bibles and trying to find something your eyes and ears want to see and hear , since man's heart is wicked and the interpretation of will be most likelly twisted /incorrect.

 

[pescador]

Simple everybody prior to Christ comming and dying was not born again they died without Holy Spirit , so all people even the prophets are lesser tier than lowest tier carnal Christian who was born again of Spirit of God.

Thats why one has to be born again of Spirit.

And next time I'd pray and ask Holy Spirit for explanation rather than looking thru multiple Bibles and trying to find something your eyes and ears want to see and hear , since man's heart is wicked and the interpretation of will be most likelly twisted /incorrect.

There are several errors here...

Quite a few people in the Old Testament, particularly prophets, had the Holy Spirit, otherwise they could not have prophesied the Word of God. That doesn't mean that they were born again but that the Holy Spirit enabled them to speak the very words of God.

The Bibles that we have today are the translated Word of God. They, unlike clergy, are infallible and are therefore the reliable reference to God's thoughts, commands, and will. No born again Christian has a wicked heart; God prophesied through Ezekiel, "I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26

Your lack of belief that Christians can learn God's truths from the Bible is disheartening. I will pray that your spiritual eyes will be opened and that you will love Christians as God does, not judge us.

 

[WebersHome]

.

What does Jesus mean by saying the 'least in the kingdom of God' being greater than John the Baptist? Luke 7:28 KJV

John wasn't a member of the church about which the Bible speaks at Matt 16:18 and Eph 5:30-32. Consequently John wasn't a citizen of the kingdom of God, i.e. he was an outsider; whereas the members of Jesus' church are all insiders.

● Col 1:12-14 . . He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the son He loves.

Though no doubt John's piety was, and is, superior to many of Jesus' followers; their position in his church confers upon them a status superior to John's. In point of fact not only superior to John's, but all the prophets that preceded him too.
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