👑 He Who Is Least In The Kingdom of Heaven....

by Cold Steel 3 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Cold Steel

  Jesus said that of all those born of women, none were greater than John the Baptist. Nevertheless, he added, he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.

  Universally nearly all scholars have taken this to mean that because Jesus had taken upon himself the sins of the world, he had the last claim upon the Kingdom of Heaven. But because he was perfect and without sin, he was greater than John. Jesus also said the greatest of all is the servant of all. He, being the greatest of all, is the servant of all in that he died for us and brought salvation to all men.

  Now the WTS has the strange doctrine that because John the Baptist isn't of the Heavenly Class, those who are, even the least of them, will be greater than John. This means that every member of the Governing Body is greater than John. Even Aunt Edna, who takes the Memorial emblems each year, is greater than John the Baptist, one of the greatest prophets of all time.

  To those of you who are still active, does this really make sense?
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  Nicholaus Kopernicus

  Your succinct summary is demonstrative of the strongly entrenched eisegetical thinking of the GBoJW.

  That's why much of what they publish is about themselves - their perceived status and standing, their role in disseminating "truth", and the "privelege" others have in supporting them.

  Very little of what they publish is focussed on Jesus. Their output is increasingly banal. Their "spiritual estate" is undergoing a process of desertification such that there is "a famine in the land" for Christian teaching and encouragement. They have become the "dirty lollipop" depicted in their "Bible Really Teach" book.
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  biblexaminer

  Cold & Nicholaus... I love how you both write.

  I don't need to explain.
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  OutsiderLookingIn

  I've understood this passage as setting forth the necessity of being born again for salvation. Contrary to WT theology, it does not say go further and say that John the Baptist was excluded. The comparison is between those born of women (all humans) and those entering the kingdom of God. Kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven are interchangeable. And born again = born of the Spirit = born of God. The entirety of John 3 is about this requirement: John 3:3-5, Jesus telling Nicodemus you must be born again (born of the Spirit); John 3:15-17, believe in the Son for eternal life (also John 1:12-13).

  So Jesus was in effect saying: John the Baptist is the greatest among natural born men, but even he would not enter the kingdom of God if he was not born of the Spirit. Other passages show that John believed Jesus for salvation (e.g., when he baptized Jesus in Matthew 3 and when he reiterated the same requirement for salvation in John 3:25-36), so John was born of the Spirit.