The writer stressed that John vigorously repudiated any suggestion that he might be the Messiah. "Christ" (Gr. Christos) is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew "Messiah" or "Anointed One." John"s ministry consisted of pointing the Messiah out to others so they would follow Him. Therefore it would have been counterproductive to allow anyone to confuse him with the Messiah. [source][source][source]
Context Summary
John 1:14-28 - The Voice Of Promise
Note that the Revised Version changes the words was made to became, John 1:14. Evidently Jesus had existed before this becoming; and evidently there was a process of self-limitation. Dwelt, that is, tabernacled. As the Shechinah light was veiled by the curtain of the Tabernacle, so the divine essence in Jesus was veiled by His humanity, though it shone out at the Transfiguration. He was full of grace, the unmerited love of God; full of truth, coming to bear witness to it; full of glory, that of the only begotten Son. There are many sons, but only one Son.
What a beautiful testimony John the Baptist gave! He was not the Christ, not Elijah (except in spirit), not the expected prophet, but just a voice, announcing the Christ and dying away. He was content to decrease before the greater whom he had been taught to expect and was sent to herald. There is a sense in which the preacher of repentance must always precede the Christ. There must be a putting away of known sin, previous to the recognition of the Lamb of God. But how great must Christ be, when so noble a man as the Baptist felt unworthy to unloose His sandals! [source]
Chapter Summary: John 1
1The divinity, humanity, office, and incarnation of Jesus Christ 15The testimony of John 39The calling of Simon and Andrew, Philip and Nathanael
Greek Commentary for John 1:20
And he confessed [και ωμολογησεν] The continued paratactic use of και kai (and) and the first aorist active indicative of ομολογεω homologeō old verb from ομολογος homologos Negative statement of same thing in Johannine fashion, first aorist middle indicative of και ωμολογησεν arneomai another Synoptic and Pauline word (Matthew 10:33; 2 Timothy 2:12). He did not contradict or refuse to say who he was. And he confessed (Εγω ουκ ειμι ο Χριστος kai hōmologēsen). Thoroughly Johannine again in the paratactic repetition. I am not the Christ (οτι Egō ouk eimi ho Christos). Direct quotation again with recitative ο Χριστος hoti before it like our modern quotation marks. “I am not the Messiah,” he means by ho Christos (the Anointed One). Evidently it was not a new question as Luke had already shown (Luke 3:15). [source]
He confessed and denied not [] John's characteristic combination of a positive and negative clause. See on John 1:3. Both verbs are used absolutely. [source]
I am not the Christ [] According to the proper reading, ἐγὼ , I, stands first in the Baptist's statement, the ὅτι having the force merely of quotation marks. It is emphatic: “I am not the Christ, though the Christ is here.” Some were questioning whether John was the Christ (Luke 3:15; Acts 13:25). Note the frequent occurrence of the emphatic I: John 1:23,John 1:26,John 1:27,John 1:30,John 1:31,John 1:33,John 1:34. On the Christ, see on Matthew 1:1. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 1:20
Matthew 7:23Profess [ὁμολογήσω] The word which is used elsewhere of open confession of Christ before men (Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:9); of John's public declaration that he was not the Christ (John 1:20); of Herod's promise to Salome in the presence of his guests (Matthew 14:7). Here, therefore, of Christ's open, public declaration as Judge of the world. “There is great authority in this saying,” remarks Bengel. [source]
John 1:3That was made [ὁ γέγονεν] Rev., more correctly, that hath been made, observing the force of the perfect tense as distinguished from the aorist ( ἐγένετο ) The latter tense points back to the work of creation considered as a definite act or series of acts in the beginning of time. The perfect tense indicates the continuance of things created; so that the full idea is, that which hath been made and exists. The combination of a positive and negative clause (compare John 1:20) is characteristic of John's style, as also of James'. See note on “wanting nothing,” James 1:4. [source]
John 1:3All things [παντα] The philosophical phrase was τα παντα ta panta (the all things) as we have it in 1 Corinthians 8:6; Romans 11:36; Colossians 1:16. In John 1:10 John uses ο κοσμος ho kosmos (the orderly universe) for the whole. Were made (egeneto). Second aorist middle indicative of γινομαι ginomai the constative aorist covering the creative activity looked at as one event in contrast with the continuous existence of ην ēn in John 1:1 and John 1:2. All things “came into being.” Creation is thus presented as a becoming By him By means of him as the intermediate agent in the work of creation. The Logos is John‘s explanation of the creation of the universe. The author of Hebrews (Hebrews 1:2) names God‘s Son as the one “through whom he made the ages.” Paul pointedly asserts that “the all things were created in him” (Christ) and “the all things stand created through him and unto him” (Colossians 1:16). Hence it is not a peculiar doctrine that John here enunciates. In 1 Corinthians 8:6, Paul distinguishes between the Father as the primary source Without him Old adverbial preposition with the ablative as in Philemon 2:14, “apart from.” John adds the negative statement for completion, another note of his style as in John 1:20; 1 John 1:5. Thus John excludes two heresies (Bernard) that matter is eternal and that angels or aeons had a share in creation. Not anything “Not even one thing.” Bernard thinks the entire Prologue is a hymn and divides it into strophes. That is by no means certain. It is doubtful also whether the relative clause “that hath been made” (ο γεγονεν ho gegonen) is a part of this sentence or begins a new one as Westcott and Hort print it. The verb is second perfect active indicative of γινομαι ginomai Westcott observes that the ancient scholars before Chrysostom all began a new sentence with ο γεγονεν ho gegonen The early uncials had no punctuation. [source]
John 3:28I said [eipon)] As in John 1:20,John 1:23. He had always put Jesus ahead of him as the Messiah (John 1:15). Before him “Before that one” (Jesus) as his forerunner simply. I am sent Periphrastic perfect passive indicative of apostellō f0). [source]
Greek Commentary for John 1:20
The continued paratactic use of και kai (and) and the first aorist active indicative of ομολογεω homologeō old verb from ομολογος homologos Negative statement of same thing in Johannine fashion, first aorist middle indicative of και ωμολογησεν arneomai another Synoptic and Pauline word (Matthew 10:33; 2 Timothy 2:12). He did not contradict or refuse to say who he was. And he confessed (Εγω ουκ ειμι ο Χριστος kai hōmologēsen). Thoroughly Johannine again in the paratactic repetition. I am not the Christ (οτι Egō ouk eimi ho Christos). Direct quotation again with recitative ο Χριστος hoti before it like our modern quotation marks. “I am not the Messiah,” he means by ho Christos (the Anointed One). Evidently it was not a new question as Luke had already shown (Luke 3:15). [source]
John's characteristic combination of a positive and negative clause. See on John 1:3. Both verbs are used absolutely. [source]
According to the proper reading, ἐγὼ , I, stands first in the Baptist's statement, the ὅτι having the force merely of quotation marks. It is emphatic: “I am not the Christ, though the Christ is here.” Some were questioning whether John was the Christ (Luke 3:15; Acts 13:25). Note the frequent occurrence of the emphatic I: John 1:23, John 1:26, John 1:27, John 1:30, John 1:31, John 1:33, John 1:34. On the Christ, see on Matthew 1:1. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 1:20
The word which is used elsewhere of open confession of Christ before men (Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:9); of John's public declaration that he was not the Christ (John 1:20); of Herod's promise to Salome in the presence of his guests (Matthew 14:7). Here, therefore, of Christ's open, public declaration as Judge of the world. “There is great authority in this saying,” remarks Bengel. [source]
Rev., more correctly, that hath been made, observing the force of the perfect tense as distinguished from the aorist ( ἐγένετο ) The latter tense points back to the work of creation considered as a definite act or series of acts in the beginning of time. The perfect tense indicates the continuance of things created; so that the full idea is, that which hath been made and exists. The combination of a positive and negative clause (compare John 1:20) is characteristic of John's style, as also of James'. See note on “wanting nothing,” James 1:4. [source]
The philosophical phrase was τα παντα ta panta (the all things) as we have it in 1 Corinthians 8:6; Romans 11:36; Colossians 1:16. In John 1:10 John uses ο κοσμος ho kosmos (the orderly universe) for the whole. Were made (egeneto). Second aorist middle indicative of γινομαι ginomai the constative aorist covering the creative activity looked at as one event in contrast with the continuous existence of ην ēn in John 1:1 and John 1:2. All things “came into being.” Creation is thus presented as a becoming By him By means of him as the intermediate agent in the work of creation. The Logos is John‘s explanation of the creation of the universe. The author of Hebrews (Hebrews 1:2) names God‘s Son as the one “through whom he made the ages.” Paul pointedly asserts that “the all things were created in him” (Christ) and “the all things stand created through him and unto him” (Colossians 1:16). Hence it is not a peculiar doctrine that John here enunciates. In 1 Corinthians 8:6, Paul distinguishes between the Father as the primary source Without him Old adverbial preposition with the ablative as in Philemon 2:14, “apart from.” John adds the negative statement for completion, another note of his style as in John 1:20; 1 John 1:5. Thus John excludes two heresies (Bernard) that matter is eternal and that angels or aeons had a share in creation. Not anything “Not even one thing.” Bernard thinks the entire Prologue is a hymn and divides it into strophes. That is by no means certain. It is doubtful also whether the relative clause “that hath been made” (ο γεγονεν ho gegonen) is a part of this sentence or begins a new one as Westcott and Hort print it. The verb is second perfect active indicative of γινομαι ginomai Westcott observes that the ancient scholars before Chrysostom all began a new sentence with ο γεγονεν ho gegonen The early uncials had no punctuation. [source]
As in John 1:20, John 1:23. He had always put Jesus ahead of him as the Messiah (John 1:15). Before him “Before that one” (Jesus) as his forerunner simply. I am sent Periphrastic perfect passive indicative of apostellō f0). [source]
Better, confess. See on 2 Corinthians 9:13, and comp. 1 Timothy 6:12. Not loudly and publicly profess (as Huther), but confess as opposed to deny (John 1:20); comp. Hebrews 11:13; Romans 10:9, Romans 10:10. [source]
It is characteristic of John to express the same idea positively and negatively. See John 1:7, John 1:8, John 1:20; John 3:15, John 3:17, John 3:20; John 4:42; John 5:24; John 8:35; John 10:28; 1 John 1:6, 1 John 1:8; 1 John 2:4, 1 John 2:27; 1 John 5:12. According to the Greek order, the rendering is: “And darkness there is not in Him, no, not in any way.” For a similar addition of οὐδείς notone, to a complete sentence, see John 6:63; John 11:19; John 19:11. On σκοτία darknesssee on John 1:5. [source]