Least Man in Matthew 5:19

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Matt. 5:19 : 

Matt. 5:19 “Whoever therefore may loose one of these commands -- the least -- and may teach men so, least [man] he shall be called in the reign of the heavens, but whoever may do and may teach them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens.”  (Matt. 5:19, YLT.)

“Commands” in Matt. 5:19?the Law or the Prophets : 

“Commands” in Matt. 5:19?the Law or the Prophets 17 Do not suppose that I came to throw down the Law or the Prophets -- I did not come to throw down, but to fulfill;  18for, verily I say to you, till that the heaven and the earth may pass away, one iota or one tittle may not pass away from the law, till that all may come to pass.

Law Loosener = Least Man : 

Law Loosener = Least Man Whoever “loosens” the “commands” of the Law (Torah) will be called by those in the kingdom of heaven the “Least man.”

The “Least man” in Matt. 5:19 : 

The “Least man” in Matt. 5:19 In Greek, “anthropous elechistos” means “Least Man.” In Latin, a name of a man meaning “Least (man)” was Pauxillus . In Latin, the shortened form of “of Pauxillus” is “Paulus.” “Paulus” when transliterated into Greek was “Paulos”.

Paul Plays On Meaning of His Name : 

Paul Plays On Meaning of His Name “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” (1 Cor. 15:9)

Scholars Thus Admit : 

Scholars Thus Admit Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary on 1 Cor. 15:9 point out the meaning of Paul's true Latin name: "The name, "Paulus," in Latin, means "least.” Farrar, The Life and Work of St. Paul (E.P. Dutton, 1880) at 200 explains the meaning of Paul's name: "Paulus, a contraction of Pauxillus, means 'least.'" (Citing a reference in Augustine's Sermons 169:5. SeeWorks of St. Augustine: A Translation for 21st Century (1992) at 225.]

Yes, It Explains : 

Yes, It Explains “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” (1 Cor. 15:9)

But It Also Explains : 

But It Also Explains Jesus’ identification of A Law loosener Called by those in the kingdom of heaven The “Least Man.” A man called “of Pauxillus” or “Paulus” for short.

Is This Positive? : 

Is This Positive? Those who teach opposite of the Law Loosener, the Least Man, Jesus says will be called “Great in the reign of the heavens.” – Points to NO. The Law Loosener is not in heaven. Rather in the Greek, as the YLT shows, those “in the kingdom of heaven call” the Law Loosener the “LEAST MAN.” – Grammar points to No. The next verse, 5:20, says the listener’s righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees to “enter the kingdom of heaven.” A shallow righteousness, Jesus equates with a lost condition. – Third point to No.

Famous Bultmann Notes The Issue : 

Famous Bultmann Notes The Issue Bultmann acknowledged that Matthew 5:19 (with its reference to "least" for the Law-loosening teacher) is a reference "perhaps to Paul himself." (Rudolf Bultmann, Theology of the New Testament (Trans. Kendrick Grobel)(N.Y.: Charles Scribner's & Sons, 1972) at 349 /Id., (1951) at 54.)

David Hill Notes The Issue : 

David Hill Notes The Issue David Hill in The Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981) notes: "Many have found in this verse an attack on the work and teaching of Paul" (Id., at 119), and "it is claimed the term 'least' is a reference to Paul." Id.

Bromily’s Encyclopedia : 

Bromily’s Encyclopedia Bromily in the International Bible Standard Encyclopedia (Eerdman's 1995) mentions some make the "argument that the warning in Mt. 5:19 about the man who 'relaxes one of these least commandments and teaches men so' is a covert attack by stricter Jewish Christians on Paul." Id., at 823.

D.C.Sim Adds This To A List : 

D.C.Sim Adds This To A List D.C. Sim, "Matthew’s anti-Paulinism: A neglected feature of Matthean studies," HTS 58(2) 2002 at 767 et seq. mentions Matthew 5:19 among several anti-Paul statements in Matthew.

Conclusion : 

Conclusion For believers who follow Jesus, this is not a statement inserted into Matthew by a disgruntled legalist follower of Jesus / Yeshua. Instead Matthew 5:19 is the living word of Jesus / Yeshua Himself which was deliberately hard to see at first. Jesus / Yeshua intended for those who have “EARS TO HEAR” to have to think hard, just like when He spoke in parables, to unlock the meaning and truth of this prophecy.

The Warning : 

The Warning Hence, Jesus / Yeshua prophesied about Paul in Matthew 5:19 --- telling us of a coming Law Loosener whose name would mean “Least Man” as indeed Pauxillus, the long form of the name “Paulus” in fact means. Our duty now is to trust Yeshua / Jesus as the SOLE TEACHER. (Matt. 24:8, 10.) For more proofs why Christians must follow “Jesus’ Words Only,” please visit our website jesuswordsonly.com