Was John The Baptist a False Prophet Or Did He Speak The Truth About Christ?
Was John the Baptist a false prophet or did he speak the truth about Christ? If what he said about Christ is true, what would that mean for me and you? In Matthew chapter 11 as Jesus talked to a crowd about John the Baptist, He said:.
"What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.
' Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.
" Not only does Christ refer to John as a prophet, but He also calls John the greatest of all the prophets.
Now, it seems to make sense that if a person is going to be called a prophet then the message they proclaim would have to be absolutely true.
Right? If what John proclaimed was not true, yet Jesus called him the greatest prophet, what would that say about Jesus? Please think it through.
If John wasn't spot on in His proclamations to the people he would not have been a prophet at all, much less the greatest of them.
If Jesus had called him the greatest among the prophets, but yet John was wrong in his prophesying, that would mean that Jesus was wrong.
If Jesus was wrong in his proclamations about John, what else might Christ be wrong about? What do you think? Was Jesus speaking truth about John? Was John the greatest prophet? Were his words about Christ true? Do you remember what John said about Christ? You find the message of John in John 1:29.
"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'" You've probably heard those words many times.
Do you believe them to be true? Do you believe that Christ is "the Lamb of God who TAKES AWAY the sin of THE WORLD? The word translated as world in our English translations is the word Kosmos.
Here's the way it is used in the King James Bible according to Strong's.
Kosmos: The world, the universe, the circle of the earth, the earth, the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family, the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ, world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly, the whole circle of earthly goods, any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort, the Gentiles as contrasted to the Jews.
That is an all-encompassing word of universal proportions! What was John's message? "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the Kosmos.
" Sounds like John is saying that Christ takes away the sin of all the inhabitants of the earth living and dead.
Is this true? Or was John a false prophet and Jesus just a guy who had no clue what he was talking about when He called John a prophet and said he was the greatest? The idea of Christ successfully taking away the sin of the Kosmos goes very much against the grain of institutionalized religion, tradition, and orthodox theology.
Therefore the simple straightforward message of John is denied by many.
It is so difficult for we puny humans to fathom the love of God being such that Christ would even take away the sin of those who hate Him and reject them.
What what greater display of mercy, grace, and love could there be than Christ doing that very thing? On the other hand, maybe the word translated as "takes away" actually mean something other than "takes away.
" After all, there are a few words in our English translations that have been poorly translated.
For instance the words that were translated as hell in the King James, and the word Aion which is wrongly translated as forever while at the same time being translated as an age with a definite ending.
However, when it comes to the word translated as "takes away" there is no error in translating.
The term "takes away" is translated from the word Airo.
Here is how it's defined in Strong's.
1) to raise up, elevate, lift up a) to raise from the ground, take up: stones b) to raise upwards, elevate, c) to draw up: a fish 2) to take upon one's self and carry what has been raised up, to bear 3) to bear away what has been raised, carry off a) to move from its place b) to take off or away what is attached to anything c) to remove d) to carry off, carry away with one e) to appropriate what is taken f) to take away from another what is his or what is committed to him, to take by force g) to take and apply to any use h) to take from among the living, either by a natural death, or by violence i) cause to cease Looks to me like it literally means "takes away.
" So, what do you think about the message of John? Is his proclamation true? Or was he a false prophet? If he was a false prophet who what would that make Jesus? Again, here is the message of John the baptizer.
Behold the Lamb of GOD, who completely lifts up, removes, carries away, takes upon himself, the sin of the world, the Kosmos, the universe, including those who are hostile to him.
I have heard way too many people explain it away and make it much less than what John says.
Are they correct in making John a false prophet? Or was Jesus correct in saying John is the greatest among prophets? These are important questions worth our consideration.
Perhaps the love and grace of God is far more sweet than you've ever imagined.
"What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.
' Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.
" Not only does Christ refer to John as a prophet, but He also calls John the greatest of all the prophets.
Now, it seems to make sense that if a person is going to be called a prophet then the message they proclaim would have to be absolutely true.
Right? If what John proclaimed was not true, yet Jesus called him the greatest prophet, what would that say about Jesus? Please think it through.
If John wasn't spot on in His proclamations to the people he would not have been a prophet at all, much less the greatest of them.
If Jesus had called him the greatest among the prophets, but yet John was wrong in his prophesying, that would mean that Jesus was wrong.
If Jesus was wrong in his proclamations about John, what else might Christ be wrong about? What do you think? Was Jesus speaking truth about John? Was John the greatest prophet? Were his words about Christ true? Do you remember what John said about Christ? You find the message of John in John 1:29.
"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'" You've probably heard those words many times.
Do you believe them to be true? Do you believe that Christ is "the Lamb of God who TAKES AWAY the sin of THE WORLD? The word translated as world in our English translations is the word Kosmos.
Here's the way it is used in the King James Bible according to Strong's.
Kosmos: The world, the universe, the circle of the earth, the earth, the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family, the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ, world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly, the whole circle of earthly goods, any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort, the Gentiles as contrasted to the Jews.
That is an all-encompassing word of universal proportions! What was John's message? "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the Kosmos.
" Sounds like John is saying that Christ takes away the sin of all the inhabitants of the earth living and dead.
Is this true? Or was John a false prophet and Jesus just a guy who had no clue what he was talking about when He called John a prophet and said he was the greatest? The idea of Christ successfully taking away the sin of the Kosmos goes very much against the grain of institutionalized religion, tradition, and orthodox theology.
Therefore the simple straightforward message of John is denied by many.
It is so difficult for we puny humans to fathom the love of God being such that Christ would even take away the sin of those who hate Him and reject them.
What what greater display of mercy, grace, and love could there be than Christ doing that very thing? On the other hand, maybe the word translated as "takes away" actually mean something other than "takes away.
" After all, there are a few words in our English translations that have been poorly translated.
For instance the words that were translated as hell in the King James, and the word Aion which is wrongly translated as forever while at the same time being translated as an age with a definite ending.
However, when it comes to the word translated as "takes away" there is no error in translating.
The term "takes away" is translated from the word Airo.
Here is how it's defined in Strong's.
1) to raise up, elevate, lift up a) to raise from the ground, take up: stones b) to raise upwards, elevate, c) to draw up: a fish 2) to take upon one's self and carry what has been raised up, to bear 3) to bear away what has been raised, carry off a) to move from its place b) to take off or away what is attached to anything c) to remove d) to carry off, carry away with one e) to appropriate what is taken f) to take away from another what is his or what is committed to him, to take by force g) to take and apply to any use h) to take from among the living, either by a natural death, or by violence i) cause to cease Looks to me like it literally means "takes away.
" So, what do you think about the message of John? Is his proclamation true? Or was he a false prophet? If he was a false prophet who what would that make Jesus? Again, here is the message of John the baptizer.
Behold the Lamb of GOD, who completely lifts up, removes, carries away, takes upon himself, the sin of the world, the Kosmos, the universe, including those who are hostile to him.
I have heard way too many people explain it away and make it much less than what John says.
Are they correct in making John a false prophet? Or was Jesus correct in saying John is the greatest among prophets? These are important questions worth our consideration.
Perhaps the love and grace of God is far more sweet than you've ever imagined.
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