New International Version Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, New Living Translation But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, English Standard Version It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, Berean Standard Bible It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, Berean Literal Bible It will not be this way among you⁺. But whoever may want to become great among you⁺, he will be your⁺ servant; King James Bible But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; New King James Version Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. New American Standard Bible It is not this way among you, but whoever wants to become prominent among you shall be your servant, NASB 1995 “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, NASB 1977 “It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, Legacy Standard Bible It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, Amplified Bible It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, Berean Annotated Bible It shall not be this way among you⁺. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you⁺ must be your⁺ servant {diakonos}, Christian Standard Bible It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, Holman Christian Standard Bible It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, American Standard Version Not so shall it be among you: but whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister; Contemporary English Version But don't act like them. If you want to be great, you must be the servant of all the others. English Revised Version Not so shall it be among you: but whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister; GOD'S WORD® Translation But that's not the way it's going to be among you. Whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant. Good News Translation This, however, is not the way it shall be among you. If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest; International Standard Version That's not the way it should be among you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, NET Bible It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, New Heart English Bible It will not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you must be your servant. Webster's Bible Translation But it shall not be so among you: but whoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; Weymouth New Testament Not so shall it be among you; but whoever desires to be great among you shall be your servant, Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleBut it shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, World English Bible It shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionbut not so will it be among you, but whoever may will among you to become great, let him be your servant; Berean Literal Bible It will not be this way among you⁺. But whoever may want to become great among you⁺, he will be your⁺ servant; Young's Literal Translation but not so shall it be among you, but whoever may will among you to become great, let him be your ministrant; Smith's Literal Translation But it shall not be so among you; but whoever should wish to be great among you, let him be your attendant; Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleIt shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be the greater among you, let him be your minister: Catholic Public Domain Version It shall not be this way among you. But whoever will want to be greater among you, let him be your minister. New American Bible But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; New Revised Standard Version It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleLet not this be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you, let him be a minister to you; Aramaic Bible in Plain English “It will not be so among you, but whoever wants to be great among you, let him be one who waits on you.” NT Translations Anderson New TestamentIt shall not be so among you. But whoever will be great among you, let him be your minister. Godbey New Testament Haweis New Testament But thus shall it not be with you. But whosoever will be a great man among you, let him be your servant; Mace New Testament but it must not be so among you: on the contrary, whoever would rise among you, let him be your minister. Weymouth New Testament Not so shall it be among you; but whoever desires to be great among you shall be your servant, Worrell New Testament Worsley New Testament Additional Translations ... Audio Bible (Voice ▾ Musical ▾) Context A Mother's Request…25But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave—… Cross References It shall not be this way among you. Mark 10:43 But it shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, Luke 22:26 But you shall not be like them. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves. 1 Peter 5:3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you Mark 9:35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all.” Luke 9:48 And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he is the greatest.” Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. must be your servant, Luke 22:27 For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines? But I am among you as one who serves. Galatians 5:13 For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love. 1 Peter 4:10 As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another. John 13:14-15 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. / I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you. Philippians 2:5-7 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: / Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, / but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. 1 Corinthians 9:19 Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. Matthew 23:11-12 The greatest among you shall be your servant. / For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. John 12:26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another. Ephesians 5:21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Treasury of Scripture But it shall not be so among you: but whoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; it. Matthew 23:8-12 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren… Mark 9:35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. Mark 10:43,45 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: … minister. Matthew 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Matthew 27:55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: Ezekiel 24:13 In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee. Jump to Previous Amongst Desire Desires Great Instead Minister Ministrant Servant Wants Way WishesJump to Next Amongst Desire Desires Great Instead Minister Ministrant Servant Wants Way WishesMatthew 20 1. Jesus, by the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, shows that God is debtor unto no man;17. foretells his passion; 20. by answering the mother of Zebedee's children, teaches his disciples to be humble; 29. and gives two blind men their sight. It shall not be this way among you. Jesus contrasts the patterns of Gentile rulers, who often displayed greatness through authority and control, with the order of His kingdom. The disciples had been influenced by common expectations of rank and privilege, especially after the request that James and John receive the highest places beside Him. Mrk 10:43 But it shall not be this way among you. Instead,… Instead, whoever wants to become great among you Greatness is not forbidden, but it is measured differently in Christ’s kingdom. Honor does not rest on position, influence, or public recognition, but on faithful devotion to the good of others. Mrk 9:35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said… must be your servant, Jesus makes service the path to greatness. His followers are not to seek authority for personal advantage but to place themselves at the disposal of others. He would soon embody this standard fully by giving His life for many. Luk 22:27 For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table… Persons / Places / Events 1. Jesus ChristThe central figure in this passage, Jesus is teaching His disciples about the nature of true greatness in the Kingdom of God. 2. Disciples The immediate audience of Jesus' teaching, they are being instructed on the values of humility and service. 3. The Kingdom of Heaven The broader context of Jesus' teaching, emphasizing the upside-down nature of God's Kingdom compared to worldly standards. 4. James and John Earlier in the chapter, their mother requests positions of honor for them, prompting Jesus' teaching on servanthood. 5. The Gentile Rulers Referenced by Jesus as a contrast to the way His followers should lead, highlighting the worldly pursuit of power and authority. Teaching Points The Nature of True GreatnessTrue greatness in the Kingdom of God is measured by one's willingness to serve others, not by status or power. Servanthood as Leadership Leadership in the Christian context is defined by servanthood, following the example of Jesus who came to serve. Counter-Cultural Values The values of the Kingdom of Heaven often stand in stark contrast to worldly values, calling believers to a different standard. Humility as a Path to Honor Humility and service are pathways to honor in God's eyes, as opposed to self-promotion and ambition. Imitating Christ's Example Believers are called to imitate Christ's example of humility and service in their daily lives. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Matthew 20:26?2. How can we embody being a "servant" as described in Matthew 20:26? 3. What does Matthew 20:26 teach about leadership in a Christian context? 4. How does Matthew 20:26 connect to Jesus' example in John 13:14-15? 5. Why is humility essential for greatness according to Matthew 20:26? 6. How can church leaders apply the principle of servanthood from Matthew 20:26? 7. How does Matthew 20:26 challenge traditional views of leadership and authority? 8. What does Matthew 20:26 reveal about the nature of true greatness? 9. How does Matthew 20:26 align with Jesus' overall teachings on servanthood? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Matthew 20? (26) Whosoever will be great.--Better, whosoever wisheth to be great. The man who was conscious, as the disciples were, of the promptings of ambition was at once to satisfy and purify them by finding his greatness in active service; not because that service leads to greatness of the type which natural ambition seeks for, but because it is in itself the truest and highest greatness.Verse 26. - It shall not be so among you. There is good authority for reading "is" instead of "shall be." The new order of things was already prepared. In Messiah's kingdom a contrary rule holds good. There the governors rule solely for the good of the flock, with no self-seeking, and serving no private interests. Whosoever will be (ο{ς ἐὰν θέλη... γενέσθαι: whosoever would fain become) great among you... minister (διάκονος). Taking for granted that there will be ranks and gradations of office in the Church, Christ lays down the rule that men become governors therein in order that they may serve their brethren, be the ministers of those who are subject to them. So the pope, in his official documents, with a verbally proper humility, terms himself, "Servus servorum Dei." Jesus rejects worldly power structures for His disciples, offering a four-step paradigm: refuse domination, embrace an alternative, pursue sanctified greatness, and walk the downward path of servanthood. In doing so, believers follow the Savior “who did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Parallel Commentaries ... Greek It shall not beἔσται (estai) Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. this way οὕτως (houtōs) Adverb Strong's 3779: Thus, so, in this manner. Or (referring to what precedes or follows). among ἐν (en) Preposition Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc. you. ὑμῖν (hymin) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou. Instead, ἀλλ’ (all’) Conjunction Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise. whoever ὃς (hos) Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that. wants θέλῃ (thelē) Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 2309: To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design. to become γενέσθαι (genesthai) Verb - Aorist Infinitive Middle Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude. great μέγας (megas) Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 3173: Large, great, in the widest sense. among ἐν (en) Preposition Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc. you ὑμῖν (hymin) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou. must be ἔσται (estai) Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. your ὑμῶν (hymōn) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou. servant, διάκονος (diakonos) Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 1249: Probably from an obsolete diako; an attendant, i.e. a waiter; specially, a Christian teacher and pastor. Additonal Resources Matthew 20:26 Blue Letter BibleMatthew 20:26 Bible Gateway Matthew 20:26 Bible.com Matthew 20:26 NIV |
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