WHOEVER THEN
ANNULS ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE COMMANDMENTS, AND SO TEACHES OTHERS,
SHALL BE CALLED LEAST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN: hos ean oun luse (3SAAS)
mian ton entolon touton ton elachiston kai didache (3SAAS) houtos tous
anthropous, elachistos klethesetai (3SFPI) en te basileia ton ouranon
(Deuteronomy
27:26;
Psalms 119:6,128;
Galatians 3:10-13;
James 2:10,11)
(Mt
23:23;
Deuteronomy 12:32;
Luke 11:42)
(Mt
15:3-6;
23:16-22;
Malachi 2:8,9;
Romans 3:8;
6:1,15;
1 Timothy 6:3,4;
Revelation 2:14,15,20)
(Mt
11:11;
1 Samuel 2:30)
Whoever then - This phrase refers back to
what Jesus had just declared regarding the Law. This section emphasizes
that God’s law is a reflection of God’s holy, righteous and good
character (Ro 7:12) and is therefore changeless and eternal.
Annuls (3089)
(luo cf the compound kataluo = abolish, used by Jesus in
Matthew 5:17 [note]) means to break, set loose, release, dissolve, or even to melt.
The idea is that of reducing God's Law to nothing, making it
inoperative, in essence by loosing ourselves from its requirements and
standards.
Least (1646)
(elachistos is the superlative of mikrós = small) means
the least, minimal in magnitude, number and quantity. Jesus' point is
that in fact some of God's commandments are greater than others, but
irregardless they are all holy and all important and are not to be
disregarded. Jesus declares that He will hold those in lowest esteem who
hold His Word in lowest esteem. There are no insignificant or
non-inspired statements in the Bible.
Commandments (1785)
(entole from en = in, upon + téllo = accomplish,
charge) means an injunction or authoritative prescription which stresses
the authority of the one commanding.
ISBE has the following article
on commandments...
The commandments are, first of all, prescriptions,
or directions of God, concerning particular matters, which He wanted
observed with reference to circumstances as they arose, in a period when
He spake immediately and with greater frequency than afterward. They
were numerous, minute, and regarded as coordinate and independent of
each other. In the Ten Commandments, or, more properly, Ten Words, EVm (debharim),
they are reduced to a few all-comprehensive precepts of permanent
validity, upon which every duty required of man is based. Certain
prescriptions of temporary force, as those of the ceremonial and
forensic laws, are applications of these "Words" to transient
circumstances, and, for the time for which they were enacted, demanded
perfect and unconditional
obedience. The Psalms, and especially
Ps 119, show that
even under the Old Testament, there was a deep spiritual appreciation of
these commandments, and the extent to which obedience was deemed a
privilege rather than a mere matter of constrained external compliance
with duty. In the New Testament, Jesus shows in
Mt 22:37,40;
Mk 12:29,31;
Lk 10:27
(compare
Ro 13:8,10) their
organic unity. The "Ten" are reduced to two, and these two to one
principle, that of love. In love, obedience begins, and works from
within outward. Under the New Testament the commandments are kept when
they are written upon the heart (Heb
10:16). While in the Synoptics they are
referred to in a more abstract and distant way, in both the Gospel and
the Epistles of John their relation to Jesus is most prominent. They are
"my commandments" (Jn
14:15,21;
15:10,12); "my
Father's" (Jn
10:18;
15:10); or, many
times throughout the epp., "His (i.e. Christ's) commandments." The new
life in Christ enkindles love, and not only makes the commandments the
rule of life, but the life itself the free expression of the
commandments and of the nature of God, in which the commandments are
grounded. Occasionally the word is used in the singular collectively (Ex
24:12;
Ps 119:96;
1 Cor 14:37).
(Commandments)
Keeps and teaches -
Spurgeon comments on this phrase noting that...
It is vain to teach the
commandments without first doing them. The doing must always precede the
teaching. If a man’s
example cannot be safely followed, it will be unsafe to trust his words.
Teaches (1321)
(didasko) refers to imparting positive truth. It means to hold
discourse with others in order to instruct them.
How do we know that some of God's laws are "weightier"
("the least of")
than others
?
Matthew records the following
examples...
Teacher, which is the great
commandment in the Law?" 37 And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE
LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL
YOUR MIND.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39
"The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' 40
On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.
(Mt 23:36-40)
Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have
neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy
and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without
neglecting the others. (Mt 23:23)
What happens to those who reduce
the Law (even the least of the commandments) to nothing and teach others
to do the same? Will they lose their salvation? Clearly they are
those who are in the "kingdom of heaven" and therefore they are
believers. So Jesus is not saying one can lose his or her salvation.
What He is alluding to, is the fact that one can receive a lesser reward
in heaven (cf 1Cor 3:10-15, 2Cor 5:10) based upon how one handles
the commandments of God - Do you esteem them highly or take them
lightly, as shown by your thoughts, words and deeds? You are no longer
under the law (see note
Romans 6:14,
Galatians 5:18 ) under grace and subject to the law of
liberty (James 1:25). And yet liberty does not equate with
licentiousness (cf see notes
Romans 6:1;
6:2;6:3;
6:4) (which would be the equivalent of
"annulling" the commandments, of not keeping them).
John has a parallel warning in
his second epistle writing...
Watch yourselves (present
imperative
demands a continual personal
vigilance, not others but yourself!), that you might not lose what we
have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward (knowledge
that rewards worked for can be lost should promote faithful, loving
obedience). (2 John 1:8)
At the Judgment Seat of Christ
(2Cor 5:10), every believer will receive praise for Paul writes... (see
bema; see
also RBC booklet -
Just Before Heaven: The Judgment Seat
Of Christ)
Therefore do not go on passing
judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both
bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the
motives of men's hearts (This warning indicates that motives for service
and ministry will be clear to God and a major factor in His judgment);
and then each man's praise (literally "his praise") will come
to him from God. (1Cor 4:5)
James gives a special warning
to those who are formal teachers of God's Word...
Let not many of you become teachers,
my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter (greater -
this adjective supports the idea of degrees of treatment at the
judgment) judgment (the responsibility of teaching others the word of
God is an awesome task that should not be accepted without prayerful
consideration) (James 3:1)
MacDonald comments...
that Jesus anticipated a natural
tendency to relax God’s commandments. Because they are of such a
supernatural nature, people tend to explain them away, to rationalize
their meaning. But
whoever breaks one part of the law, and teaches other people to do the
same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. The wonder is that
such people are permitted in the kingdom at all—but then, entrance into
the kingdom is by faith in Christ. A person’s position in the kingdom is
determined by his obedience and faithfulness while on earth. The person
who obeys the law of the kingdom—that person shall be called great in
the kingdom of heaven. (MacDonald,
W., & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments.
Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
BUT WHOEVER
KEEPS AND TEACHES THEM, HE SHALL BE CALLED GREAT IN THE KINGDOM OF
HEAVEN: os d' an poiese (3SAAS) kai didache (3SAAS), houtos megas
klethesetai (3SFPI) en te basileia ton ouranon
(Mt
28:20;
Acts 1:1;
Romans 13:8-10;
Galatians 5:14-24;
Philippians 3:17,18;
4:8,9;
1 Thessalonians 2:10-12;
4:1-7;
1 Timothy 4:11,12;
6:11;
Titus 2:8-10;
3:8)(Mt
19:28;
20:26;
Daniel 12:3;
Luke 1:15;
9:48;
22:24-26;
1 Peter 5:4)
The two ways one can rightly (or
wrongly) handle the Word of God are by doing and teaching.
Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven should live like that is where they
are going and should uphold every part
of God’s law, both in their living and in their teaching...
For our citizenship is in
heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ (see note
Philippians 3:20)
(What we are "waiting for" [or "looking expectantly for"] should
determine what [Who] we are living for!)
At the end of Jesus' great
commission, He emphasizes that in going forth and making disciples we
are to be...
teaching them to observe all
that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of
the age." (Mt
28:20)
In his letter to the Roman saints,
Paul explained their relationship to the Law instructing them to...
Owe nothing to anyone except to
love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU
SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other
commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR
NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore
is the fulfillment of the law. (see notes
Romans 13:8-9;
13:10)
Writing to the saints in Galatia (who
were being tempted to keep the Law as a means of being "better
Christians" or to make themselves more acceptable to God) Paul reminds
them that...
you were called to freedom,
brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the
flesh (i.e., licentiousness), but through love serve one another for
the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." But if you bite and devour one another,
take care lest you be consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the
Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the
flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the
flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not
do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you
are not under the Law (The ritual or ceremonial law - sacrifices,
feasts, keeping of days, etc - has been fulfilled in Christ and
are no longer to be kept under grace. The moral law remains in place and
are meant for our good and to promote holiness. Their pull under the
leading of the Holy Spirit draws us into true freedom. To return to a
ritualistic expression of the Law enslaves us. The Holy Spirit will
guide us in the path of love to fulfill the law). (Galatians
5:13-24)
In a parallel passage in Paul's
letter to the Thessalonians presents his example of right doing of the
Word...
You are witnesses, and so is
God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you
believers just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and
imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that
you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own
kingdom and glory. (see notes
1Thessalonians 2:10;
2:11;
2:12)
Greatness in the Kingdom of heaven
will not be based on one's gifts but upon how one handles the word
of God. And although not everyone has a formal teaching gift, every
believer teaches in one way or another but the life and their actions.
John MacArthur echoes this
thought commenting that...
Greatness is not determined by
gifts, success, popularity, reputation, or size of ministry-but by a
believer’s view of Scripture as revealed in his life and teaching.
Jesus’ promise is not simply to great teachers such as Paul or
Augustine, Calvin, Luther, Wesley, or Spurgeon. His promise applies to
every believer who teaches others to obey God’s Word by faithfully,
carefully, and lovingly living by and speaking of that Word. Every
believer does not have the gift of teaching the deep doctrines of
Scripture, but every believer is called and is able to teach the right
attitude toward it. (MacArthur, J:
Matthew 1-7 Macarthur New Testament
Commentary Chicago: Moody Press)
Kingdom (932)
(basileia from basileus = a sovereign, king, monarch)
denotes sovereignty, royal power, dominion and refers therefore to the
territory or people over whom a king rules. The Kingdom of Heaven/God is
the sphere in which God is acknowledged as King (In hearts giving Him
obedience). In this sense (and as elaborated on below) the Kingdom has a
spiritual aspect, a present physical aspect, and a future eternal aspect
(beginning with the
millennium,
cf Mt 25:31,34), all of course depending on the context of the passage
in which basileia is found. Paul is careful to remind us that the
Kingdom of Heaven/God is not in observance of ordinances, external and
material, but in the deeper matters of the heart, which are spiritual
and essential (see note
Romans 14:17)
Click here
to study over 100 uses of the Kingdom most of which refer to
the Kingdom of Heaven/God. See ISBE article
.
See also related discussion on the
Kingdom of Heaven
Young's Literal has an
interesting literal translation...
"for the kingdom of heaven
belongs to them." (NET)
"because theirs
is the reign of the heavens" (YLT)
Alexander Maclaren writes
that
The ‘kingdom of heaven’ is
the rule of God through Christ. It is present wherever wills bow to Him.
It is future, as to complete realisation, in the heaven from which it
comes, and to which, like its King, it belongs even while on earth.
Obviously, its subjects can only be those who feel their dependence, and
in poverty of spirit have cast off self-will and self-reliance. ‘Theirs
is the kingdom’ does not mean ‘they shall rule,’ but ‘of them shall
be its subjects.’ True, they shall rule in the perfected form of it; but
the first, and in a real sense the only, blessedness is to obey God; and
that blessedness can only come when we have learned poverty of spirit,
because we see ourselves as in need of all things. (entire
sermon)
D Martyn Lloyd-Jones
explains the kingdom of heaven as follows..
You will find certain people saying
that there is a difference between the 'kingdom of heaven' and
the 'kingdom of God'; but my difficulty is to know what the
difference is. Why does Matthew talk about the kingdom of heaven rather
than the kingdom of God? Surely the answer is that he was writing
primarily for the Jews, and to the Jews, and his chief object, perhaps,
was to correct the Jewish conception of the kingdom of God or the
kingdom of heaven. They had got into this materialistic way of looking
at the kingdom; they were thinking of it politically and in a
military sense, and our Lord's whole object here is to show that
His kingdom is primarily a spiritual one. In other words He says to
them, 'You must not think of this kingdom primarily as anything
earthly. It is a kingdom in the heavens, which is certainly going to
affect the earth in many different ways, but it is essentially
spiritual. It belongs to the heavenly rather than to the earthly and
human sphere.'
What is this kingdom, then? It
means, in its essence, Christ's rule or the sphere and realm in which He
is reigning. It can be considered in three ways as follows. Many times
when He was here in the days of His flesh our Lord said that the kingdom
of heaven was already present. Wherever He was present and exercising
authority, the kingdom of heaven was there. You remember how on
one occasion, when they charged Him with casting out devils by the power
of Beelzebub, He showed them the utter folly of that, and then went on
to say, 'If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom
of God is come unto you' (Matt 12:28). Here is the kingdom of God.
His authority, His reign was actually in practice. Then there is His
phrase when He said to the Pharisees, 'the kingdom of God is within you,
or, 'the kingdom of God is among you' (NAS "is in your midst" Luke
17:21). It was as though He were saying, 'It is being manifested in
your midst. Don't say "look here" or "look there". Get rid of this
materialistic view. I am here amongst you; I am doing things. It is here.'
Wherever the reign of Christ is being manifested, the kingdom of God is
there. And when He sent out His disciples to preach, He told them to
tell the cities which received them not, 'Be ye sure of this, that the
kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.' (Luke 10:9, 11, cf Luke 19:11,
21:31)
It means that; but it also means
that the kingdom of God is present at this moment in all who are true
believers...In writing to the Colossians he gives thanks to the
Father 'who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath
translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son' (see note
Colossians 1:13). The
'kingdom of his dear Son' is 'the kingdom of God, it is 'the kingdom of
heaven', it is this new kingdom into which we have entered. Or, again,
in his letter to the Philippians he says, 'Our conversation is in
heaven,' or, `Our citizenship is in heaven.' We are here on earth, we
obey the powers that be, we live our lives in this way. Yes; but 'our
citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we wait for a Saviour' (see
note
Philippians 3:20). We who recognize Christ as our Lord, and in whose lives He is
reigning and ruling at this moment, are in the kingdom of heaven and the
kingdom of heaven is in us. We have been translated into the 'kingdom of
his dear Son'; we have become a 'kingdom of priests. (cf notes
1 Peter 2:9;
2:10,
Revelation 1:6,
Revelation 5:10)
The third and last way of looking at the kingdom is this.
There is a sense in which it is yet to come. It has come; it is coming;
it is to come. It was here when He was exercising authority; it is here
in us now; and yet it is to come. It will come when this rule and reign
of Christ will be established over the whole world even in a physical
and material sense. The day is coming when the kingdoms of this world
will have become 'the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, when
Jesus shall reign where'er the sun Doth his successive journeys run; His
kingdom stretch from shore to shore, Till moons shall wax and wane no
more. (Play Isaac Watts precious hymn -
Jesus Shall Reign
sing it out unto the Lord)
It will then have come, completely and entirely, and everything will be
under His dominion and sway. Evil and Satan will be entirely removed;
there will be `new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth
righteousness' (see note
2 Peter 3:13), and then the kingdom of heaven will have
come in that material way. The spiritual and the material will become
one in a sense, and all things will be subject to His sway, that 'at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in
earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father' (see notes
Philippians 2:10;
2:11). (Lloyd-Jones,
D. M.
Studies in the Sermon on the Mount)
(Bolding added)
