According to matt 11:14 ''jesus said if ye will receive it, this is elias which was to come''.
But in john 1:21 when john was asked if he was elias who was to come he said NO.
can somebody help me understand these two verses?

Ozegbe: According to matt 11:14 ''jesus said if ye will receive it, this is elias which was to come''.
But in john 1:21 when john was asked if he was elias who was to come he said NO.
can somebody help me understand these two verses?

PLEASE Sir/Ma Ozegbe, patiently read my text:It should be noted that three different & distinct question were posed to John The Bastist and to which he gave three emphatic "NO'S" as an answer, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. In the new testament time, we find that the jews were expecting the fulfilment of three prophecy.{JOHN 1:19-21-25} AND THIS IS THE RECORD OF JOHN,WHEN THE JEWS SENT THE PREIST AND LEVITES FROM JERUSALEM TO ASK HIM WHO ARE THOU? AND HE CONFESSED,AND DENIED NOT:BUT CONFESSED I AM NOT THE CHRIST.AND THEY ASKED HIM,WHAT THEN?ART THOU ELIAS? AND HE SAITH, I AM NOT.ART THOU 'THAT PROPHET'? AND HE ANSWER NO.(25) AND THEY ASKED HIM,AND SAID UNTO HIM,WHY BAPTIZEST THOU THEN,IF THOU BE NOT THAT CHRIST,NOR ELIASE,NEITHER 'THAT PROPHET?} when jesus claimed to be the Messiah of the jews,the jews began to enquire as to where was Elias? The jews had a parallel prophecy that before the coming of the Messiah,Elias must come first in his second coming, JESUS Confirms this jewish belief: {'AND JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO THEM,ELIAS TRULY SHALL FIRST COME,AND RESTORE ALL THINGS.BUT I SAID UNTO YOU,THAT IS COME ALREADY AND THEY KNEW HIM NOT...THEN THE DISCIPLES UNDERSTOOD THAT HE SPOKE UNTO THEM OF JOHN THE BAPTIST(MAT 17: 11-13)}. Furthermore The jews underwent great difficulties in order to find their true Messiah:{AND THIS IS THE RECORD OF JOHN,'WHEN THE JEWS SENT PRIESTS AND LEVITES FROM JERUSALEM TO ASK HIM WHO ART THOU? AND HE CONFESSED AND DENIED NOT:BUT CONFESSED,I AM NOT THE CHRIST.'(JOHN 1-19:20)}. THIS WAS ONLY NATURAL BECAUSE THERE CAN'T BE 2 MESSIAHS(D JEWS WERE EXPECTING A SINGLE MESSIAH NOT TWO) AT THE SAME TIME. IF JESUS WAS CHRIST THEN JOHN COULDN'T BE THE CHRIST.JOHN THE BAPTIST CONTRACTS JESUS.JESUS SAYS THAT JOHN IS 'ELIAS' AND JOHN DENIES THAT HE IS WHAT JESUS ASCRIBES HIM TO BE. WE MUSLIMS KNOW JOHN THE BAPTIST AS HAZRUT YAHYAA ALAI-HIS-SALAAM(PEACE BE UPON HIM).WE REVERE HIM AS A TRUE PROPHET OF ALLAH.THE HOLY PROPHET JESUS KNOWN TO US AS HAZRUT ISAA ALAI-HIS-SALAAM(PEACE BE UPON HIM),IS ALSO ESTEEMED AS ONE OF THE MIGHTIEST MESSENGERS OF THE ALMIGHTY.HOW CAN WE MUSLIM INPUTE LIES TO EITHER OF THEM? ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE, GOD FORBID! IS DEFINITELY NOT SPEAKING THE TRUTH! WE LEAVE THIS PROBLEM BTW JESUS&JHON 4 d Christian to solve.4 their'SACRED SCRIPTURES' abound in discrepancies which they have been glossing over as the dark saying of Jesus(pbuh). The JEWS WERE WAITING 4 TheFULFILMENT OF THERE PROPHECIES ONE d Coming oF CHRIST, two, d comimg of ElIAS and 3 the coming of THAT PROPHET. {a,NOT THAT CHRIST.b,NOR ELIAS. c,NEITHER THAT PROPHET.(JOHN 1-25)}{HAVE U EVER PONDER ABOUT D last QueSTION. I REALLY APPRECITE YOUR CONCERN ABOUT YOUR RELIGION THIS SHOWS HOW DEVOTED YOU'RE TO YOUR RELIGION{..NEAREST AMONG THEM IN LOVE TO THE BELIVER WILT THOU FIND THOSE WHO SAY'WE ARE CHRISTIAN' BECAUSE AMONGST THESE ARE MEN DEVOTED TO LEARNING AND MEN WHO HAVE RENOUNCED THE WORLD AND THEY ARE NOT ARROGANT.(QURAN 5-82)}.REF= WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT MOHAMMED {P B U H}.BY AHMED DEEDAT.

Who is lying? The OP of course. Who else?

both

Well I am not Christian but I can offer you the standard christian excuse to this matter: it goes as follows: Jesus was not really saying John was Elias, he was only speaking metaphorically, that John will have the "spirit and power" of Elias. As such he was not contradicting John when John said he was not Elias.

That is normal Christian escapism. Anything that chritians dont accept in scripture, they call metaphorical, whilst anything that tallies with their beliefs is called literal.

I will urge you review the different arguments on this thread on Reincarnation in the Bible -

https://www.nairaland.com/385353/reincarnation-deepsight-lets-talk-here

Deep Sight: Well I am not Christian but I can offer you the standard christian excuse to this matter: it goes as follows: Jesus was not really saying John was Elias, he was only speaking metaphorically, that John will have the "spirit and power" of Elias. As such he was not contradicting John when John said he was not Elias.

That is normal Christian escapism. Anything that chritians dont accept in scripture, they call metaphorical, whilst anything that tallies with their beliefs is called literal.

I will urge you review the different arguments on this thread on Reincarnation in the Bible -

https://www.nairaland.com/385353/reincarnation-deepsight-lets-talk-here

I'm very sorry, i don't think there should be standard excuses for the fulfilment of any PROPERCY. The CONTRADICTION IS VERY CLEAR.

pls read the link

Deep Sight: pls read the link

my brother that link dint answer my question in anyway.

I dont quite see any contradiction. the prophet elijah is supposed to come as a sign that the rulership of the wicked is over and to usher in the rulership of the righteous. so these israelites who are going through hell are waiting impatiently for elijah. and every prophet who comes to them, they quickly ask are you the elijah who will signify the end of our oppresion by these damn heathens. so what jesus is telling them is that john the baptist is the person who will reincarnate ( see reincarnation is real ) into elijah in the last days to signify the end of gentile rulership. however john the baptist is not privy to this information that he will reincarnate into elijah in the future. as far as he knows, he is john the baptist. hence why he says, no i am not elijah.

@ Op, you can do well by asking your question without sensationalizing the title.

Maxymilliano: @ Op, you can do well by asking your question without sensationalizing the title.

...and a better title would be?

buzugee: I dont quite see any contradiction. the prophet elijah is supposed to come as a sign that the rulership of the wicked is over and to usher in the rulership of the righteous. so these israelites who are going through hell are waiting impatiently for elijah. and every prophet who comes to them, they quickly ask are you the elijah who will signify the end of our oppresion by these damn heathens. so what jesus is telling them is that john the baptist is the person who will reincarnate ( see reincarnation is real ) into elijah in the last days to signify the end of gentile rulership. however john the baptist is not privy to this information that he will reincarnate into elijah in the future. as far as he knows, he is john the baptist. hence why he says, no i am not elijah.

All your exposition sound very well,but they're of no real CONSEQUENCE. YOU ONLY DEDUCE,REASON AND PUT 2 & 2 TOGETHER ACCORDING TO YOU 'THEY QUICKLY ASKED ARE YOU THE ELIJAH...' CAN'T YOU SEE THAT THE JEWS ARE EXCEPTING THE FULFILMENT OF THREE PROPHECIES.{READ FROM JOHN 1:19-25} AND THEY ASKED HIM,AND SAID UNTO HIM,WHY BAPTIZEST THOU THEN,IF THOU BE NOT THAT CHRIST,NOR ELIAS,NEITHER THAT PROPHET.(JOHN 1-25) I URGE YOU TO READ MY EARLIER POST FOR FULL EXPLAINATION.

Ozegbe:
...and a better title would be?

'NEITHER THAT PROPHET' Since the learned men of Christendom somehow only see two questions implied here.(the Chris&the Elias?).

Ozegbe:
my brother that link dint answer my question in anyway.

DOES MINE.

Ozegbe: According to matt 11:14 ''jesus said if ye will receive it, this is elias which was to come''.
But in john 1:21 when john was asked if he was elias who was to come he said NO.
can somebody help me understand these two verses?

Let me help you sir.

None of them was lying. They both spoke from the scripture and revelation at the time they said what was said.

You have to travel back to Malachi 4:5-6 nkjv

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse."

Now with this in mind, when the Angel announced the birth of John the Baptist, the Angel said, John would go before Jesus "in the spirit and power of Elijah.

"And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. "He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Luke 1:16-17 nkjv

The Luke account can be referenced with Malachi as having same content of the ministry of John the Baptist. This is thus indicating that John the Baptist "like" Elijah but not literally Elijah himself was fulfilling this prophecy. It means John the baptist and Elijah had same ministry and similar personality (Check 2 Kings 1:8 with Matt 3:4)

Hence, Jesus statement was referring and pointing to that of the prophecy in Malachi and "in the spirit and power of Elijah in Luke 1:17) while John was answering NO, pointing or referring to that fact that he (John) himself is NOT "literally" Elijah himself.

I hope this explains the confusion to you sir.

Gbamar: All your exposition sound very well,but they're of no real CONSEQUENCE. YOU ONLY DEDUCE,REASON AND PUT 2 & 2 TOGETHER ACCORDING TO YOU 'THEY QUICKLY ASKED ARE YOU THE ELIJAH...' CAN'T YOU SEE THAT THE JEWS ARE EXCEPTING THE FULFILMENT OF THREE PROPHECIES.{READ FROM JOHN 1:19-25} AND THEY ASKED HIM,AND SAID UNTO HIM,WHY BAPTIZEST THOU THEN,IF THOU BE NOT THAT CHRIST,NOR ELIAS,NEITHER THAT PROPHET.(JOHN 1-25) I URGE YOU TO READ MY EARLIER POST FOR FULL EXPLAINATION.

your earlier post is too long and has no paragraphs. lol. but ermm if you read the apocrypha this is fully explained in it. none of this is assumptions or deductions. up till today we are still waiting on elijah.
refer to Goshens post for the verse where it says he will send elijah before the dreadful day of the lord ( meaning the armageddon that precedes regime change on earth as described in daniel 2 vs 44 )

buzugee: your earlier post is too long and has no paragraphs. lol. but ermm if you read the apocrypha this is fully explained in it. none of this is assumptions or deductions. up till today we are still waiting on elijah.
refer to Goshens post for the verse where it says he will send elijah before the dreadful day of the lord ( meaning the armageddon that precedes regime change on earth as described in daniel 2 vs 44 )

If you're still waiting for the ELIJAH THEN PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS (A)WHAT'S D POST OF JOHN. (B) AND WHO IS 'THAT PROPHET'. I didn't paragraph my text becos i'm using my phone notwithstanding try to read it.

Goshen 360, thank you sir. I believe he's clear now. He should be able to interprete other parts of the Bible with this illustration.
I pray God help him.

Gbamar: If you're still waiting for the ELIJAH THEN PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS (A)WHAT'S D POST OF JOHN. (B) AND WHO IS 'THAT PROPHET'. I didn't paragraph my text becos i'm using my phone notwithstanding try to read it.

i believe john was the forerunner to christ. ahhh mobile phones. you know thaat thing can cause brain damage right ?

thanks for all your reply, but from what i have read so far i can safely deduce that JOHN didnt know he was elijah who was to come. Is this what you guys are trying to say?

Ozegbe: thanks for all your reply, but from what i have read so far i can safely deduce that JOHN didnt know he was elijah who was to come. Is this what you guys are trying to say?

just go thru goshens explanation again and stop looking for an argument. Your question has already been answered.

John is not elijah in person, but was aware of his mission on earth. John 1:19-down

oiseworld: Goshen 360, thank you sir. I believe he's clear now. He should be able to interprete other parts of the Bible with this illustration.
I pray God help him.

DOES THA T MEAN A LAY-MAN CAN'T PICK UP BIBLE TO READ SINCE IT REQUIRE THE INTERPRETATION OF LITERALIST.'THE TRUTH IS CLEAR THERE IS CONTRADICTION.

Gbamar: DOES THA T MEAN A LAY-MAN CAN'T PICK UP BIBLE TO READ SINCE IT REQUIRE THE INTERPRETATION OF LITERALIST.'THE TRUTH IS CLEAR THERE IS CONTRADICTION.

There is NO Contradiction my brother. You have to have inquisitive mind as well as patience to interpret. Not everyone who reads understand. If it were so, we won't have the gift of teachers of the word in the body of Christ. However, when you don't understand, ASK is the key. Somebody somewhere understand more than you do. Nobody is an Island of Knowledge.

People I have a similar dilemma on another apparent contradiction concerning John the Baptist and Jesus. Can someone explain to me why a prophet like John who was already preaching about Jesus before his arrival, who actually witnessed the heaven opening and a Dove descending on Jesus's head and HEARING Gods own voice saying "This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased" who almost refused to baptize him saying its Jesus instead who should baptize him, then turn around just a couple pages later asking Jesus if its he who is the Messiah or if they should be expecting another.

Jack65: People I have a similar dilemma on another apparent contradiction concerning John the Baptist and Jesus. Can someone explain to me why a prophet like John who was already preaching about Jesus before his arrival, who actually witnessed the heaven opening and a Dove descending on Jesus's head and HEARING Gods own voice saying "This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased" who almost refused to baptize him saying its Jesus instead who should baptize him, then turn around just a couple pages later asking Jesus if its he who is the Messiah or if they should be expecting another.

This is your answer.

John the Baptist had earlier introduced Christ as One who will bring fierce judgment and chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire (matt 3:12). Some understandable turn of event took place such as, John himself was imprisoned BUT Jesus was carrying on a ministry of healing NOT judgment, in Galilee far from Jerusalem and NOT finding a completely warm reception there (Matt 8:34). Hence, John was asking the question above in your question "should" he had misunderstood Jesus' agenda. It will be wrong for us to interpret this statement or question as wavering of John's faith (Matt 11:7). I hope this answers your question sir.

Jack65: People I have a similar dilemma on another apparent contradiction concerning John the Baptist and Jesus. Can someone explain to me why a prophet like John who was already preaching about Jesus before his arrival, who actually witnessed the heaven opening and a Dove descending on Jesus's head and HEARING Gods own voice saying "This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased" who almost refused to baptize him saying its Jesus instead who should baptize him, then turn around just a couple pages later asking Jesus if its he who is the Messiah or if they should be expecting another.

goshen help out with this too cause i need to know too

Gbamar: DOES THA T MEAN A LAY-MAN CAN'T PICK UP BIBLE TO READ SINCE IT REQUIRE THE INTERPRETATION OF LITERALIST.'THE TRUTH IS CLEAR THERE IS CONTRADICTION.

I tire ooh. I even ask a pastor in my area and got a different answer entirely.

Ozegbe:
goshen help out with this too cause i need to know too

I already did sir

Goshen360:

This is your answer.

John the Baptist had earlier introduced Christ as One who will bring fierce judgment and chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire (matt 3:12). Some understandable turn of event took place such as, John himself was imprisoned BUT Jesus was carrying on a ministry of healing NOT judgment, in Galilee far from Jerusalem and NOT finding a completely warm reception there (Matt 8:34). Hence, John was asking the question above in your question "should" he had misunderstood Jesus' agenda. It will be wrong for us to interpret this statement or question as wavering of John's faith (Matt 11:7). I hope this answers your question sir.

Ehmm No Sir it did not, I think your answer is subjective or at best based solely on your own interpretation, but it failed. John the baptist have every reason to know that Jesus was the Messiah because he was his messenger, his prophet, the very person who announced him to the world even before Jesus was baptized and started doing his miracles. It was John who called Jesus "the Lamb of God" and remember John was born specifically for this. So this is an obvious contradiction and not to be taken lightly. John was clearly doubting that Jesus is the Messiah!!

Well! well, 'ELIAS' WAS'ELIJAH' 'ELIJA WAS ELIAS' WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF ELIAS( SOUND INCONVINCING). @GOSEN COULD YOU PLEASE CLARIFY THE LAST QUESTION.' THAT PROPHET'.

Jack65:

Ehmm No Sir it did not, I think your answer is subjective or at best based solely on your own interpretation, but it failed. John the baptist have every reason to know that Jesus was the Messiah because he was his messenger, his prophet, the very person who announced him to the world even before Jesus was baptized and started doing his miracles. It was John who called Jesus "the Lamb of God" and remember John was born specifically for this. So this is an obvious contradiction and not to be taken lightly. John was clearly doubting that Jesus is the Messiah!!

John the baptist was in jail and expected Jesus to come and free him hence the question he asked if Jesus was the messiah. That John had some doubt does not mean either Jesus or John himself was lying, no one was lying.


On the verses the poster quoted.
John said he was not Elijah.
And what Jesus meant when He said that John the Baptist was Elijah? We see in Malachi 4:5 this prophecy, "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord." Jesus is referring to the prophecy concerning Elijah. We see that the coming of Elijah was in the spirit of Elijah, which is so stated in Luke 1:13-17. The context is when Zecharias, John's father-to-be, was performing his priestly duties in the temple (Luke 1:8ff).

Jesus was talking about the spirit of elijah and not elijah himself.

jmoore:

John the baptist was in jail and expected Jesus to come and free him hence the question he asked if Jesus was the messiah. That John had some doubt does not mean either Jesus or John himself was lying, no one was lying.

Hey! wasn't me that said something about lying. What I just pointed out was an obvious contradiction (there are so many in the Bible) regarding John the Baptist'. Saying that John asked the question because he expected Jesus to come and save him is just your opinion and was not mentioned in the bible. And come to think of it why would Jesus abandon his own prophet and brother to die a horrible death when he can easily save him. Na waoo...