He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light.
that one was not the Light, but--that he might testify about the Light.
He was not the light, but that he might witness concerning the light.
John — The Gospel of sevens and signs. Seven signs, seven 'I AM' sayings, a prologue and an epilogue — written 'that ye might believe' (20:31).
The verses this one reaches7
He did not refuse to confess, but openly declared, “I am not the Christ.”
You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’
In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall.
For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.
But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished.”
Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread — the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.
Voices4
The Baptist having esteemed desert-abodes above the haunts of the cities, and having shown forth an unwonted persistence in exercise of virtue, and having mounted to the very summit of the righteousness attainable by man, was most rightly wondered at, and even by some imagined to be Christ Himself. And indeed the rulers of the Jews led by his achievements in virtue to some such notion, send some to him bidding them to inquire if he be the Christ.
Cyril of Alexandria· Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book 1, 444patristic
He was not that light,....
John Gill· Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)reformed
Note, It is very comfortable to a minister to have the testimony of his conscience for him that he set out in his ministry with honest principles and sincere intentions, with a single eye to the glory and honour of Christ. Now what he had then said he applies to this Jesus whom he had lately baptized, and who was so remarkably owned from heaven: This was he of whom I spoke.
Matthew Henry· Commentary on the Whole Bible, 1710puritan
Had John pretended to be that light he had not been so much as a faithful witness of that light. Those who usurp the honour of Christ forfeit the honour of being the servants of Christ; yet John was very serviceable as a witness to the light, though he was not that light.
Matthew Henry· Commentary on the Whole Bible, 1710puritan
The walk8
Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first — the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.
Through
John 1:20He did not refuse to confess, but openly declared, “I am not the Christ.”
leads to
I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and…
Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’
Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
And he began to proclaim: “After me will come One more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
Through
John 3:28You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’
leads to
Through
Acts 19:4Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
leads to
For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Then I remembered the word of the Lord, as He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
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