Matthew 11:11
“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
thats an oxymoron.. it contradicts itself..
so just what does the bold part mean, because i understand that after St. MAry, he is the greatest saint, but then what does the second haf of that verse mean?
Comments
the greatest man is st. john the baptist
Arnt humans GREATER than angels because we get to PARTAKE of GODs body while they can only worship it?
We are a part of God, they are not.
We are just flesh and blood and spirit whereas they are greater beings who have all the wordly knowledge (in theory, if you were to ask an angel a worldy question, they would be able to answer it).
They are in heaven, we are on earth. Again he who is the least in heaven is greatr than those who are born of women.
So, no, we are certainly not greater than angels unless we become angels ourselves by earning a spot in heaven.
God bless
1) This verse does not pertain to angels in its reference to the Kingdom of God.
a. The Kingdom of God was inaugurated by Christ during His ministry, and it is we – those faithful believers of the Church – who are of the Kingdom of God. St Cyril states: “The kingdom of God signifies, as we affirm, the grace that is by faith, by means of which we are accounted worthy of every blessing and of the possession of right gifts which came above from God. It frees us from all blame and makes us to be the children of God, partakers of the Holy Spirit and heirs of a heavenly inheritance. (Commentary on Luke, Homily 38). Furthermore, the Lord Christ Himself says “the Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21)
2) There is no contradiction.
a. The Lord Christ stated that no one had risen (i.e. until that time) that was greater than John. He thus refers to the period before His coming i.e. the Old Testament age. Those in the Kingdom of God, are those who receive the faith by the grace which came through Christ i.e. those of the New Testament age.
3) St John the Baptist was the greatest prophet of the Old Testament period according to three notable reasons:
a. His righteousness, for as St Cyril states: “no one had risen greater than him in the righteousness that is by the law…[he] attained the foremost place in legal righteousness and to incomparable praise” (Commentary on Luke, Homily 38)
b. He was the forerunner of Christ, announcing and proclaiming the advent of Christ in John 1:29, according to the prophecy of Malachi 3:1.
c. He baptised Christ.
4) Even though Christ was comparing St John’s greatness relative to those who had been born of women before him, we should note that those of the kingdom of God experience a spiritual birth, and hence are more appropriately considered born of God, which explains why they are greater.
a. St Cyril states: “He that is least, in the life according to the law, in the Kingdom of God is greater than John. How and in what manner is he greater? In that the blessed John, together with as many as preceded him, was born of woman, but they who have received the faith are no longer called the sons of women, but as the wise Evangelist [St John the Apostle] said, ‘are born of God.’” Here St Cyril alludes to John 1:12-13 which states: “Yet to all who received Him [i.e. Christ], to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.”
Matthew 11:11
“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
thats an oxymoron.. it contradicts itself..
so just what does the bold part mean, because i understand that after St. MAry, he is the greatest saint, but then what does the second haf of that verse mean?
Hello my fellow Christians,
I just would like to share with you a lesson that I have learnt from Fr. Bishoy Yassa - Sydney Australia.
* Please get your bibles ready on Mathew 11.
He adviced all people he served to stop holding on to one verse but instead to go through, link and learn the whole chapter.
To apply his advice on the matter we are before now, we will be lead to verse 26 of Mathew 11.
Remember that John the baptist doubted and sent people to ask Jesus if he is the one or should he wait for another. while Jesus told them (verse 4) and then (verse 6).
Then Jesus said what came in verse 11 which is in question now.
But after that Jesus started to remind each city or country he visited of his great works he showed them and ended his words with verse 25. Talking about the childeren. Where he originally meant to say that all the works of God was not made obviouse to the wise men but was given to children. In other words Jesus meant to say that even though there was no greater than John the baptist but the children will be even greater.
Jesus often spoken about how children have a very special place in his heart. That does not mean the young women and men have no place but Jesus often tried to teach us to be like children, love like them, think like them and behave in life with a child heart.
May we all have this grace of God in order to make us all like children and to have that very special place in his heart.
Love to you all.
Emad from Sydney
You have a valid point regarding taking the Bible in context, but we must be reminded as Orthodox Christians that a vital element to that context is the patristic interpretation of the Bible.
Your explanation runs counter to what the Fathers taught concerning this verse, since it suggests that it is the righteousness or goodness of the subject of the verse in question that makes that subject greater than John i.e. according to you, the subject of the verse is children, who are greater according to righteousness, for in their simplicity they exercise virtuousness and are far from sin.
As I explained in my post however, St Cyril explained that St John the Baptist is in fact the greatest by very virtue of his righteousness – which is why he is depicted many times as an angelic figure in iconography. It by virtue of the Grace that we receive from Christ subsequent to His Incarnation and the New Covenant– a grace that had not come in such a manner in the Old Testament age - that you, me, and every other baptised member of the Church – child or adult - can be considered greater than St Johh.