The book we call ‘John’ was not written by the Disciple John.
How do we know? Many reasons
- Difference on whether John the Baptist is Elijah or not
- Different length in ministry
- The True Scriptures, Genesis to the 3rd Gospel have man seeing God. John says no one has
- Jesus saying he would raise the temple in 3 days.
- In John the resurrected Jesus says not to touch him, in the true Gospels they held him by the feet.
1. In John, John the Baptist says he is not Elijah.
John 1.21 “And they asked him, ‘What then? Art thou Elijah?’ And he saith, ‘I am not.'”
In the Synoptics Jesus says he is Elijah:
The Angel, Quoting the Prophecy in Malachi said to John’s father concerning John:
“And he shall go before him with 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“.
Jesus further makes it clear that the wicked killed Elijah when they killed John:
Mark 9:11 – 9:13
“And they asked him[Jesus], saying, ‘Why say the scribes that Elijah must come first?’
And he answered and told them, ‘Elijah verily comes first, and restores all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nothing.
But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they wanted, as it is written of him.'”
Matthew 11.11-15
“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Matthew 17.11-13
“Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.”
Also, John the Baptist and Elijah both wore a leather belt and a hairy shirt.
Matthew 3:4 KJV – And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
2 Kings 1:8 ESV – They answered him, “He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”
Common rebuttal is, “John was Elijah metaphorically”.
Answer: When Jesus says Elijah has come and they did to him whatever they wanted, it can’t be a metaphor. John was beheaded in reality, not metaphorically. When it says John came “with the spirit….of Elijah”, Elijah only has one spirit. This “spirit” is not used like people use it today, metaphorically, It means his actual spirit.
“That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they wanted, as it is written of him.”-Jesus
To be clear, if Elijah didn’t come before Jesus, then Jesus is not the Messiah.
2. Jesus’ ministry in John was 3 years:
We know this because there are 3 Passovers. In the Synoptic Gospels Jesus Ministry is one year. In each one there is one passover.
Also the length of One Year was prophesied. In the 3rd Gospel ‘Luke’ Jesus quotes prophecy and says:
Luke 4.18 “The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to…preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” – Jesus
3. The True Scriptures, Genesis to the 3rd Gospel have men seeing God. John says no one has.
Genesis 12:7 And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.
Genesis 48:3 And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me.
Exodus 24:10 And they saw the God of Israel: and [there was] under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in [his] clearness.
Numbers 12:8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
Deuteronomy 5:4 The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,
Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe [is] me! for I am undone; because I [am] a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
Matthew 5:8 Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Matthew 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
John:
John 1:18 KJV – No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
4. Did Jesus say he would raise the Temple in 3 days?
Synoptics call it “false testimony”, ‘John’ has it coming from Jesus’ mouth.
Another contradiction between the 3 True Gospels and the added text called ‘John’: In the True gospels the narrator calls it false testimony that Jesus said he would raise the temple up in 3 days:
Matthew 26:59-61 NASB Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’”
Mark 14:57-58 NASB Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying, “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’”
But whoever wrote ‘John’ (along with not knowing John the Baptist is Elijah), PUTS THIS FALSE TESTIMONY INTO THE MOUTH OF JESUS:
Jesus answered them,
John 2:19 KJV Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
5. In John the resurrected Jesus says not to touch him, in the true Gospels they held him by the feet
Matthew 28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.
John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God.
Other more minor points should be noted here. There are explanations for anything, but with the many contradictions, every difference between the 3 should be considered. We’ve not included everything by far. Anyone reading John honestly and not with the intention of finding reasons to support it, will come away knowing the Jesus in John is much different.
A warning from Jesus:
Mark 13:6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am; and shall deceive many.
NOTE: Most translations add “Christ”, “I am Christ”, but the word “Christ” is not there in Mark 13:6. The same goes for John 13:19.
John 8:58 – Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was. I am.
John 13:19 – Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am.
There are many other problems with the book called ‘John’. The text is completely different than the three Gospels. The humble Jesus who says, “why do you call me good? There is one who is good and that is God”, is replaced with a very self-promoting Jesus who says “I am the light of the world” , in the three Jesus says “you are the light of the world”. In John “I am the resurrection and the life”, “I am the bread of life”, etc.
“Born from Above” [Born again in the KJV] is not mentioned. This is odd because being Born from Above is said to be the way people enter the Kingdom of God. Its odd that the three wourldn’t mention this.
The words “it is finished”, which Christian theologians have used for 1700 year to destroy the law, are not found in the three Gospels.
