In the Question Chair

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 21, 1901

In the Question Chair

[Designed for the consideration of such questions as will be of interest and profit to the general reader. All correspondents should give their names and correct post-office address, that queries not replied to here may be answered by mail.]

(Continued from REVIEW of Nov. 2, 1897.)

799—THE LEAST IN THE KINGDOM

Will you please explain the last two clauses of Matt. 11:11? Who is meant by the words “least in the kingdom of heaven”? The text reads as follows: “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.” N. N. M., Felix, Ga.

Ans.— These are words of Christ concerning John the Baptist, and they follow words that set forth the exalted position of John, as quoted above. No one born of women before the days of John the Baptist, had arisen in the world greater than John the Baptist. In what respect was John great? It was not in wonder-working power; for the testimony concerning him is that “he did no miracle.” John 10:41. Jesus told the disciples of John, when they came to inquire of Him if He was the one that was to come, what wonderful things were then appearing in the world. He said: “The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” But these were wonderful works wrought through Christ, not by John the Baptist.

But there were points of greatness about John the Baptist that made it true of him that no one born of women had ever before risen who was greater than he. The first was his singleness of purpose in carrying out the work to which God had appointed him. No man had such a field for ambition open before him; the world was on tip-toe for some great event. Any man of piety and power might easily have gathered all the Jewish people about him, as their Messiah. Yet, amid all this, how blameless is the course of John; how simple-minded; how totally absent of self-regard and all visions of ambition, all pretensions to holiness or personal dignity. To testify of Christ was all his aim, and nothing could drive him from that.

Another point in his character was his boldness in rebuking vice. By the fearless testimony of Christian men almost all the improvements in society and opinions are accomplished.

Third: John is pointed out in prophecy as the messenger of the Lord, and is recognized by Him as such: “Behold I send my messenger before thy face.” In all these respects he was great. But how is it that he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist? Applying it to ordinary Christians, it would be hard to tell. But applying it in the Scripture, according to the subject evidently involved in the narrative, it seems to be plain. Here is a comparison between two personages: one is John the Baptist, and the other is Christ. A reference to the Greek shows that the word rendered “least” in the kingdom of heaven, is in the comparative degree, and should be rendered “less,” not “least.” This must refer to some definite individual and at some definite time. Who is it?—Our Lord himself. And what does He mean by “less in the kingdom of heaven” than John the Baptist? As the forerunner of Christ, John occupied a position of more prominence, for the time being, than our Lord himself. John was, for the time, the leading character in introducing the gospel among the people. But his own words in respect to Christ were: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Christ was greater than John. John spoke of Him as one “mightier than I,” and one “whose shoes I am not worthy to bear.” Matt. 3:11.

After expatiating on the greatness of John the Baptist, Christ said: “Notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven,” referring to himself, who was, for the time being, less than John the Baptist, “is greater than he.”

With this view all statements are consistent with each other, and all naturally fall into their proper place; whereas, as applied to a comparison between ordinary Christians, it would hardly seem possible to bring the mind to consent to its truthfulness or its consistency, either here or hereafter. In a word, then, Christ referred to himself, who, though greater in reality than John the Baptist, was for the time being less than he in the kingdom of heaven as then manifested here on the earth.