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Selected Verse: John 1:20 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Joh 1:20 |
Strong Concordance |
And [2532] he confessed [3670], and [2532] denied [720] not [3756]; but [2532] confessed [3670], [3754] I [1473] am [1510] not [3756] the Christ [5547]. |
| |
King James |
And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
| confessed, &c.--that is, While many were ready to hail him as the Christ, he neither gave the slightest ground for such views, nor the least entertainment to them. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
| I am not the Christ - This confession proves that John was not an impostor. He had a wide reputation. The nation was expecting that the Messiah was about to come, and multitudes were ready to believe that John was he, Luk 3:15. If John had been an impostor he would have taken advantage of this excited state of public feeling, proclaimed himself to be the Messiah, and formed a large party in his favor. The fact that he did not do it is full proof that he did not intend to impose on people, but came only as the forerunner of Christ; and his example shows that all Christians, and especially all Christian ministers, however much they may be honored and blessed, should be willing to lay all their honors at the feet of Jesus; to keep themselves back and to hold up before the world only the Son of God. To do this is one eminent mark of the true spirit of a minister of the gospel. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
He confessed and denied not
John's characteristic combination of a positive and negative clause. See on Joh 1:3. Both verbs are used absolutely.
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 (Luk 3:15; Act 13:25). Note the frequent occurrence of the emphatic I: Joh 1:23, Joh 1:26, Joh 1:27, Joh 1:30, Joh 1:31, Joh 1:33, Joh 1:34. On the Christ, see on Mat 1:1. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| I am not the Christ - For many supposed he was. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
| He confessed, and denied not; but confessed - A common mode of Jewish phraseology. John renounces himself, that Jesus may be all in all. Though God had highly honored him, and favored him with peculiar influence in the discharge of his work, yet he considered he had nothing but what he had received, and therefore, giving all praise to his benefactor, takes care to direct the attention of the people to him alone from whom he had received his mercies. He who makes use of God's gifts to feed and strengthen his pride and vanity will be sure to be stripped of the goods wherein he trusts, and fall down into the condemnation of the devil. We have nothing but what we have received; we deserve nothing of what we possess; and it is only God's infinite mercy which keeps us in the possession of the blessings which we now enjoy. |
15 And [1161] as the people [2992] were in expectation [4328], and [2532] all men [3956] mused [1260] in [1722] their [846] hearts [2588] of [4012] John [2491], whether [3379] he [846] were [1498] the Christ [5547], or not [3379];
1 The book [976] of the generation [1078] of Jesus [2424] Christ [5547], the son [5207] of David [1138], the son [5207] of Abraham [11].
34 And I [2504] saw [3708], and [2532] bare record [3140] that [3754] this [3778] is [2076] the Son [5207] of God [2316].
33 And I [2504] knew [1492] him [846] not [3756]: but [235] he that sent [3992] me [3165] to baptize [907] with [1722] water [5204], the same [1565] said [2036] unto me [3427], Upon [1909] whom [3739] [302] thou shalt see [1492] the Spirit [4151] descending [2597], and [2532] remaining [3306] on [1909] him [846], the same [3778] is [2076] he which baptizeth [907] with [1722] the Holy [40] Ghost [4151].
31 And I [2504] knew [1492] him [846] not [3756]: but [235] that [2443] he should be made manifest [5319] to Israel [2474], therefore [1223] [5124] am [2064] I [1473] come [2064] baptizing [907] with [1722] water [5204].
30 This [3778] is he [2076] of [4012] whom [3739] I [1473] said [2036], After [3694] me [3450] cometh [2064] a man [435] which [3739] is preferred [1096] before [1715] me [3450]: for [3754] he was [2258] before [4413] me [3450].
27 He [846] it is [2076], who [3739] coming [2064] after [3694] me [3450] is preferred [1096] before [1715] me [3450], whose [3739] [846] shoe's [5266] latchet [2438] I [1473] am [1510] not [3756] worthy [514] to [2443] unloose [3089].
26 John [2491] answered [611] them [846], saying [3004], I [1473] baptize [907] with [1722] water [5204]: but [1161] there standeth one [2476] among [3319] you [5216], whom [3739] ye [5210] know [1492] not [3756];
23 He said [5346], I [1473] am the voice [5456] of one crying [994] in [1722] the wilderness [2048], Make straight [2116] the way [3598] of the Lord [2962], as [2531] said [2036] the prophet [4396] Esaias [2268].
25 And [1161] as [5613] John [2491] fulfilled [4137] his course [1408], he said [3004], Whom [5101] think ye [5282] that I [3165] am [1511]? I [1473] am [1510] not [3756] he. But [235], behold [2400], there cometh one [2064] after [3326] me [1691], whose [3739] shoes [5266] of his feet [4228] I am [1510] not [3756] worthy [514] to loose [3089].
15 And [1161] as the people [2992] were in expectation [4328], and [2532] all men [3956] mused [1260] in [1722] their [846] hearts [2588] of [4012] John [2491], whether [3379] he [846] were [1498] the Christ [5547], or not [3379];
3 All things [3956] were made [1096] by [1223] him [846]; and [2532] without [5565] him [846] was [1096] not [3761] any thing [1520] made [1096] that [3739] was made [1096].