When Jesus said there is ...

[theroc]

when Jesus said there is no greater man born of a women then John....what is he saying. I was asked this by a women tonight as I was witnessing to her, I basically said you had to use correct hermeneutics etc and dodged the question and went back to so what would that make you lol...but really so I can answer that question next time...what was Jesus saying?

[Beth O]

when Jesus said there is no greater man born of a women then John....what is he saying. I was asked this by a women tonight as I was witnessing to her, I basically said you had to use correct hermeneutics etc and dodged the question and went back to so what would that make you lol...but really so I can answer that question next time...what was Jesus saying?

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.

I wasn't sure, so i checked some commentary.


Mat 11:11

Verily I say unto you,… What Christ had before said, he proved from a testimony of Scripture; what he was about to say depending on his word, he asseverates in the most solemn manner:

among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist. The phrase, "them that are born of women", is a "periphrasis", of men born into the world by ordinary generation; see Job 14:1 and the sense is, that of all the prophets that have been in the world, since the beginning of it, Moses himself not excepted, there has not been raised up by God a greater prophet than John, the first administrator of baptism; were but considered, the uncommonness of his birth, his being filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb, his exemplary life, the excellency of his doctrine; and especially, his work and office, as the harbinger of Christ, and the preparer of his ways.

Notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven, is greater than he; which is to be understood, not of Christ, who was younger in age, and a junior preacher, and less in the esteem of the Pharisees, being greater than he, in nature and office, nor of the saints in heaven, where he that was least, the meanest, and most abject, when on earth, is more happy than John, who was then in prison; nor of all the believers under the Gospel dispensation; but of the apostles of Christ, and the least among them, who were then the kingdom of heaven, or the visible Gospel church state. These had a better opportunity of conversing with Christ, and of seeing and hearing the things they did, than John had; they had the power of performing miracles, which John had not; were immediately sent forth by Christ, to preach the Gospel, and had a clearer insight into the truths of it, than John; especially, after the Holy Ghost was in such an extraordinary manner poured forth upon them, on the day of Pentecost; particularly after the death and resurrection of Christ, they were able to preach him, not only as come in the flesh, but as having suffered and died, and obtained eternal redemption: they could speak of his blood being shed, of his righteousness being wrought out, and of his sacrifice and satisfaction as made, which John could not; and besides, were more successful in the conversion of sinners, both Jews and Gentiles, than ever he was. The comparison does not lie so much between their persons, as their several different degrees of light and doctrine.

[Beth O]

The phrase, "them that are born of women", is a "periphrasis", of men born into the world by ordinary generation;

I wasn't sure what periphrasis was, so I looked it up. It's the same as periphrase.

Webster's 1828 Dictionary [K-Z]
periphrase
PER'IPHRASE, n. s as z. Gr. about, and to speak. Circumlocution; a circuit of words; the use of more words than are necessary to express the idea; a figure of rhetoric employed to avoid a common and trite manner of expression.

PER'IPHRASE, v.t. To express by circumlocution.

PER'IPHRASE, v.i. To use circumlocution.

[Jany]

when Jesus said there is no greater man born of a women then John....what is he saying. I was asked this by a women tonight as I was witnessing to her, I basically said you had to use correct hermeneutics etc and dodged the question and went back to so what would that make you lol...but really so I can answer that question next time...what was Jesus saying? John was recognized as the foreordained forerunner of the Saviour, and technically, the last OT prophet.

The expression, them that are born of women means mortal men, the idea being that the greatest of all in this life cannot be compared with the glory of the life to come <><