2006-08-31 01:55:42 · 17 answers · asked by tina 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
John the Baptist was according to Jesus the greatest prophet who was "filled" with the Holy Spirit even from birth. A person who is a member of the Kingdom of Heaven has been "sealed" by the indwelling Holy Spirit for all eternity and has been adopted into God's family. Everyone who has the indwelling Spirit is a "saint" in God's eyes like these people to whom the Apostle Paul was writing.
"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:1-14
even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:5-7
It's like when Jesus was here on earth in a human body and He said that his Father was greater than him (John 14:28) but now He is at the Father's right hand in the Heavenly realm.
2006-08-31 02:05:48 · answer #1 · answered by Martin S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
John The Baptiser who baptized Jesus, was also a good man. Yet Jesus said:in Mathew:11:11 "A personthat is a lesser one in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he is." This is so because John the Baptizer will not go to heaven. When Jesus was on earth, which was over 4000 years after the rebellion of Adam and Eve, he said: "No man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man(John3:13)
Therefore according to Jesus own words, no man had gone to heaven for all those 4000 years of human history down until his day. David, Job, and John the Baptizer will receive a resurrection to life on earth, not in heaven, They will be resurrected to become some of the earthly subjects of God's kingdom(Psalm72:7,8 Acts17:3)
2006-08-31 09:20:29 · answer #2 · answered by I speak Truth 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Jesus merely meant that anyone who came into his kingdom, the church he was going to establish my his upcoming crucifixion would be in a position better than John, even though John was great, he was beheaded before the kingdom was established. In other words, no longer male or female, slave or free but all equal...
Added: to millonario, you had a good answer going there until you threw in the "like illegal immigrants." Do you remember that Jesus also said something on the order of "follow the law, pay your taxes (customs) and pray for the leaders"? Do you really see any connection between the legal residents of that world, and illegal aliens?
2006-08-31 09:05:25 · answer #3 · answered by oklatom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Same verse fromthe Oxford Annotated Bible:
Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he
Basically everyone is equal once they get to heaven
Blessed Be!
2006-08-31 09:04:06 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Notice how it says, "amoung those born or woman there has been none greater" -- the exact wording is importaint.
When Mary visited Elizabeth, Jesus was in the womb of Mary and John was in the womb of Elizabeth. When John leeped in the womb, it was saying that he was Baptized. John was thus born already forgiven of original sin. Thus, in that since, no man was born greater.
However, baptism does not return one fully to the same state as in the Garden of Eden. The kingdom of Heaven is where one gets that full return.
2006-08-31 09:11:11 · answer #5 · answered by crm451 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Matthew 11:10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Matthew 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
This scripture is describing John the baptist who was sent before Jesus to prepare the people for the coming of Jesus who is the messiah. My advice to you would be to pray to God about this so He may clarify it for you.
2006-08-31 09:08:39 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Great and Greater are left and right in law law heavens, on "high'. Greatest(never faileth) is in "heaven": "above" such law law, "higher than the heavens", "above a servant".
http://www.godshew.org/GodShew.htm#Greatest
http://www.godshew.org/RevelatorySermons21.html
http://www.godshew.org/AboveAServant.htm
Which things are an "allegory" with an over-all more-all:
My "grace is sufficient" for thee meaneth no law is req'd.
Pst - "mind not high things" (Rom 12:16) and "be not highminded" (Rom 11:20; 1Tim 6:17) since highmindead things are among what's "unholy" in 2Tim 3. From such "turn away", for being highmindead is akin to being doublemindead. And NOTHING is what the doublemindead get from God in heaven.
TgooLJCwya. Amen.
2006-08-31 09:14:32 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Matthew 11.11 "For sure, I tell you, of those born of women, there is no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the least in the holy nation of heaven is greater than he." An angel is not born of woman but Avram, Moise, etc are.
2006-08-31 09:12:23 · answer #8 · answered by eaismeg 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
John the Baptist still had to be faithful until he dies to enter Heaven and not yet perfect. Those who have entered Heaven already have been faithful to the end and are now perfect.
2006-08-31 09:39:15 · answer #9 · answered by tim 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
After Jesus' death things were to change such that a sinner would be forgiven of his sins easily through personal repentance in prayer then baptism compared to before where atonement for sin required sacrificing of animals and the priests back then would pray on your behalf to God.
so yes,John the Baptist was a prophet and did things according to God's will but the sacrifice which Jesus made,improved human standing in God's eyes.Jesus acted as a mediator to plead for us humans.(Hebrews 9:14,15)
2006-08-31 09:38:04 · answer #10 · answered by kart 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means that Jesus's understanding of the kingdom of heaven is more challenging and revolutionary than John's, because the Baptist was too mucho into diengaging from the world while Jesus was into the opposite: engaging the world to connect the the downcast, disempowered people (like the illegal immigrant of today).
2006-08-31 09:04:44 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋