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NASB | John 1:21 They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he *said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 1:21 They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the [promised] Prophet?" And he answered, "No." [Deut 18:15, 18; Mal 4:5] |
Bible Question: If the Pharasees and Levites are priests then are they considered to be wise and knowledgable? Are they respected as we would respect holy people that are close to God? What is the situation sourounding these poeple who seem to give John such a hard time with questions. I would like to know what is the reason they ask John if He is Elijah, the Prophet, or Christ? Are they asking if He is one who's understanding and closeness to God is at the same hight, the same level of knowledge as theirs and if this is the case, then wouldn't a holy priest recognize this if they understand and know what Elijah and the prophets know? |
Bible Answer: Mary, just because someone holds the title of a priest, does not make them any more wise than the next man. The Pharisees were respected in their culture because they held authority. Yet this authority did not mean they did not abuse authority. This does not mean that they were holy and certainly they were not close to God. Also, I think you might be confusing the Levites with the Sadducees, but that is o.k. here, we are all here to learn. John the Baptist saw the Pharisees and Sadducees arriving at the site of a baptism and, in Matt 3:7, "...he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? " The baptist discerned that they were not there to be baptised, but possibly to stir up trouble, such as through attempting to corrupt John's influence. In John 8:13 the Pharisees are seen questioning Jesus's authority: "Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true." And in John 8:37-59, we see Jesus discussing their own lineage and authority as He says, "I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you." Jesus knew that they were racially mixed and yet claimed Israelite heritage going back to Abraham. While this is too broad of a subject to discuss in detail here, there are a few points that should prove that the Pharisees and Sadducees were not meeting John for the baptism of repentance. 1). Pharisees revered the traditions of the elders over God's holy Word. They were in competition with the Sadducees for power and influence. They came to observe John baptize and witness his influence. 2). The Sadducees were of humanist beliefs, they were wealthy, and of high position who lived for one life only and rejected the resurrection. As with the Pharisees, the Sadducees were watching John. They also were not coming for the baptism of repentance, and had no desire to repent of anything. They would never give up their wealth and position to follow Jesus. He required those who followed Him to seek first the “Kingdom of God” and not the kingdoms of the world. (cf Matt 6:33) |
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Questions and/or Subjects for John 1:21 | Author | ||
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Ray | ||
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Makarios | ||
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Ivory313 | ||
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sweet | ||
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gbennett76 | ||
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tobi6334 | ||
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Mary Ann D | ||
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keliy | ||
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Mary Ann D | ||
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keliy |