John the Obfuscator?

[Athetotheist]

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. (Malachi 4:5)

And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. (Matthew 11:14)

He will also go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah...(Luke 1:17)

And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not." (John 1:21)

When John the Baptizer's questioners ask him if he is Elijah, he must know that they are referring to Elijah the prophet whose coming is prophesied in Malachi. If that's who he is, why does he tell them it isn't? If Luke's "spirit and power" explanation is the answer, why doesn't John himself explain it that way for clarification? By stating flat-out that he isn't Elijah, he merely places himself among everyone else who isn't Elijah. And since his questioners know from their scripture that Elijah is supposed to come before the Messiah, when John tells them that he isn't Elijah he's telling them, in effect, that the one coming after him (Jesus) won't be the Messiah.

John claims to be a voice crying, "Make straight the way of the Lord!", but how does he "make straight the way of the Lord" by being Elijah and bluntly denying it when he's asked? Why would Elijah play such an ambiguous game?

[JehovahsWitness]

When John the Baptizer's questioners ask him if he is Elijah, he must know that they are referring to Elijah the prophet whose coming is prophesied in Malachi.

But He wasn't Elijah the Prophet, he was John the Baptist, son of Zechaariah. So when he denied being Elijah he wasnt lying. Because he wasnt Elijah.


Logic,


JW

[JehovahsWitness]

If Luke's "spirit and power" explanation is the answer, why doesn't John himself explain it that way for clarification?

JOHN 1:22-23 NWT

So they said to him: “Who are you? Tell us so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?� He said: “I am a voice of someone crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make the way of Jehovah straight,’ just as Isaiah the prophet said.�

ISAIAH 40: 3:
A voice of one calling out in the wilderness: “Clear up the way of Jehovah! Make a straight highway through the desert for our God.

MALACHI 3:1 NWT
Look! I am sending my messenger , and he will clear up a way before me. And suddenly the true Lord, whom you are seeking, will come to his temple� says Jehovah of armies" -
Malachi 3:1

John applied Isaiah 40:3 word for word to himself, thus explaining his role in prophecy. I cannot see how that makes him an "obfuscator"

OBFUSCATION

The obscuring of the intended meaning of communication by making the message difficult to understand, usually with confusing and ambiguous language.

JW

[Athetotheist]

When John the Baptizer's questioners ask him if he is Elijah, he must know that they are referring to Elijah the prophet whose coming is prophesied in Malachi.

But He wasn't Elijah the Prophet, he was John the Baptist, son of Zechaariah. So when he denied being Elijah he wasnt lying. Because he wasnt Elijah.


Logic,


JW

If he wasn't Elijah the Prophet, then he wasn't the one whose coming was prophesied in Malachi, which means that Jesus was mistaken when he identified John as "Elijah who is destined to come".

[Red Wolf]

When John the Baptizer's questioners ask him if he is Elijah, he must know that they are referring to Elijah the prophet whose coming is prophesied in Malachi.

But He wasn't Elijah the Prophet, he was John the Baptist, son of Zechaariah. So when he denied being Elijah he wasnt lying. Because he wasnt Elijah.


Logic,


JW

Matthew 11:14 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
14 And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.

But didn't Jesus SAY John was Elijah?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 5 by Red Wolf]

Yes he did. And John said he wasn't Elijah, what are we to make of all this?

[JehovahsWitness]

When John the Baptizer's questioners ask him if he is Elijah, he must know that they are referring to Elijah the prophet whose coming is prophesied in Malachi.

But He wasn't Elijah the Prophet, he was John the Baptist, son of Zechaariah. So when he denied being Elijah he wasnt lying. Because he wasnt Elijah.


Logic,


JW

If he wasn't Elijah the Prophet, then he wasn't the one whose coming was prophesied in Malachi, which means that Jesus was mistaken when he identified John as "Elijah who is destined to come".

Either that or you have presented false dichotomy. Do you think that is a possibility? If not, why not?




JW

[Athetotheist]

When John the Baptizer's questioners ask him if he is Elijah, he must know that they are referring to Elijah the prophet whose coming is prophesied in Malachi.

But He wasn't Elijah the Prophet, he was John the Baptist, son of Zechaariah. So when he denied being Elijah he wasnt lying. Because he wasnt Elijah.


Logic,


JW

If he wasn't Elijah the Prophet, then he wasn't the one whose coming was prophesied in Malachi, which means that Jesus was mistaken when he identified John as "Elijah who is destined to come".

Either that or you have presented false dichotomy. Do you think that is a possibility? If not, why not?

What----and where----specifically is your argument that I have presented a false dichotomy?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 8 by Athetotheist]

I didnt say you had presented a false dichotomy.

I asked you if in your opinion was a false dichtomy a possibility and if not, why not?

[Athetotheist]

[Replying to post 8 by Athetotheist]

I didnt say you had presented a false dichotomy.

I asked you if in your opinion was a false dichtomy a possibility and if not, why not?

Consider this syllogism:

Malachi says that Elijah the prophet is to come.

John says that he is not Elijah the prophet.

Therefore,

John says that he is not the one who is to come.

Since a thing cannot both be and not be at the same time in the same respect, how can that dichotomy be false?