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John 1:30 Means The Lamb Was Slain Before John!
John 1:30 Does Not Prove that Jesus Pre-existed!
***What Does John 1:30 TRULY mean?
Here is John 1:30 from the KJV. “This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.”
Now, church TRADITION “interprets” this verse to mean that since the Son of MAN, Jesus, was BORN AFTER John the Baptist, then John saying that Jesus was BEFORE him MUST, without fail, mean that Jesus pre-existed as God the Son in the eternity past.
In other words, some Trinitarian Christians dogmatically insist that John 1:30 cannot mean anything other than Jesus pre-existed as God the Son in the eternity past.
But this is NOT the God intended meaning of this verse of Scripture.
For, you see, in the CONTEXT in verse 29, John is talking about the Lamb of God. And the Lamb of God was SLAIN in the mind and plan of Almighty God before John the Baptist was every born.
That is the simple and true sound Biblical meaning of John 1:30, but I believe that there is a deeper meaning as well.
To read the CONTEXT, please click the BLUE links.
To read the STUDY and the context, please scroll down.
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Jesus is Our FORERUNNER who is BEFORE us!
What Does John 1:30 TRULY Mean?
The TRUE sound Biblical meaning of both John 1:15 and John 1:30 is that Jesus is our FORERUNNER who entered into glory BEFORE us, according to Hebrews 6:20.
But as I said in the introduction, the simple sound Biblical meaning is that John is talking about the Lamb of God who will take away the sin of the world.
And thus, it is the Lamb SLAIN from the foundation of the world who was BEFORE John the Baptist.
Again, there is a deeper meaning as well, which we will cover in this Verse Study concerning Jesus becoming the firstborn from the dead, the firstborn among many BRETHREN, which means that Jesus is our FORERUNNER who entered into glory BEFORE John the Baptist and also before us.
Let us go ahead and read Hebrews 6:10-20, the promise that Almighty God made to everyone of the HEIRS of the PROMISE.
And, according to Romans 8:17, we are JOINT HEIRS WITH Jesus, who entered into glory BEFORE us, before Abraham, and before John the Baptist, according to Hebrew 11:39,40.
Hebrews 6:10-20.
“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which you have shown toward His NAME, in that, you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. (Please read the two part study of the NEW NAME that was GIVEN to Jesus AFTER the cross and resurrection!
But for now, let us continue this verse study)
Hebrews 6:11. And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
Hebrews 6:12. That you be not slothful, but FOLLOWERS of them who through faith and patience INHERIT the promises. (Again, we who believe FOLLOW Jesus, who is the first HEIR of the PROMISES, and we are JOINT-HEIRS WITH Jesus.
For, you see, Jesus entered into the Holy of Holies BEFORE us, and ALSO BEFORE John the Baptist, and BEFORE Abraham, and before everyone who is saved in Jesus, according to Hebrews 11:39.40)
Hebrews 6:13. For when God made PROMISE to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself, (Now, if a so-called God the Son pre-existed WITH God in the eternity past, then God could have certainly made an oath of promise by His Son.
For, you see, according to the doctrine of the Trinity, God the Son, the second PERSON of the Godhead Trinity God is EQUAL with God the Father in every way.
But this verse says that God swore an oath by Himself and not swore and oath by God the Son who, according to the doctrine of the Trinity, has always existed by the right hand side of Almighty God the Father.
However, we do not see any verses of Scripture saying that God exists in three separate persons.
So, the TRUTH of the matter is that there was no God the Son who was WITH God in the eternity past.
Thus, God could only sware by Himself as the one who would perform the PROMISE to every one of the HEIRS of the SEED of Abraham to bring what He promised to pass.
And Jesus is an HEIR, the FIRST heir of the SEED of Abraham, according to Galatians 3:16)
Hebrews 6:14. Saying, Surely, blessing I will bless you, and multiplying, I will multiply you.
Hebrews 6:15. And so, after he had patiently ENDURED, he OBTAINED the PROMISE. (Speaking of Jesus, when he ENDURE the cross for the joy that God SET before him, according to Hebrews 12:2, he OBTAINED the PROMISE to INHERIT eternal life and to be SEATED at the right-hand of the Father.
And Hebrews 1:4 teaches us that the Son of MAN, Jesus, OBTAINED a more excellent NAME than the angels)
Hebrews 6:16. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
Hebrews 6:17. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the HEIRS of PROMISE the immutability of His counsel, (Or His unchanging WILL) confirmed it by an oath:
Hebrews 6:18. That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: (And our hope that God gave to Jesus is this same hope that Jesus set before us is to be given the SAME GLORY that Almighty God GAVE to the Son of MAN, Jesus, according to John 17:22, which is the joy that God set before Jesus to endure the cross, according to Hebrews 12:2)
Hebrews 6:19. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which ENTERS into THAT within the veil; (Speaking of the GLORY of Almighty God that our FORERUNNER, the Son of MAN, Jesus, entered into when God GLORIFIED him and gave him eternal life, after the cross and resurrection, according to John 7:37-39, and Luke 24:25-27)
Hebrews 6:20. Whither the FORERUNNER is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”
In other words, Jesus INHERITED the PROMISE of God to be GLORIFIED BEFORE us, and also BEFORE Abraham and BEFORE John the Baptist, and everyone who believes.
For you see, according to Hebrews 11:39,40, all who believe will be made HEIRS at the same time, together, at the coming of Jesus.
For we are all JOINT-HEIRS with Jesus. And that is the true sound Biblical meaning of the words written by the Apostle John, concerning what John the Baptist said about Jesus being BEFORE him.
And Jesus being BEFORE John the Baptist ALSO means ABOVE John the Baptist, as in, Jesus was made the HEAD of the church, the called out ones.
For you see, the Greek word “opisō” that is “translated” as AFTER in both John 1:15 and John 1:30, ALSO means to FOLLOW AFTER.
In other words, Jesus was a disciple who followed after John the Baptist for a short time, until the day of his baptism.
Then John the Baptist DECREASED and Jesus INCREASED, and the disciples of John began following after Jesus.
And that is what the Apostle John INTENDED his words to mean.
Jesus came into the ministry AFTER John the Baptist and was PREFERRED ABOVE John, because he was ABOVE John the Baptist.
Jesus was BEHIND John the Baptist FOLLOWING AFTER John the baptist.
Jesus was a PROPHET and a SERVANT of God, who became the CHIEF or HEAD cornerstone as the fulfillment of prophecy, according to, Matthew 21:42, Ephesians 2:20-22, and 1 Peter 2:5-7.
In other words, the Son of MAN, Jesus, was the FIRST LIVING stone in the building of God’s house or God’s Temple.
And we ALSO are living stones fit together as the TEMPLE of Yahweh, His place of REST that He desires for His HABITATION, according to Psalm 132:13,14.
Let us read John 1:30 in its context with the Greek word “opisō” translated as “FOLLOW AFTER”, instead of just the one word “after”.
John 1:25-37.
“And they asked him, and said unto him, (Or the Jews sent by the Pharisees said to John the Baptist) Why baptize you then, if you are not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? (For, you see, the Scriptures prophesied that the Messiah would be an ANOINTED PROPHET and SERVANT of God, according to Deuteronomy 18:15-18, and Isaiah 42:1-9, plus many more passages of Scripture.
But yet, there is not a single prophecy, no not even ONE prophecy of a so-called God the Son being sent down from heaven to BECOME flesh)
John 1:26. John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there stands one among you, whom you know not;
John 1:27. He it is, who coming after me is PREFERRED before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. (In other words, John the baptist is saying that there is a man coming after my ministry is finished.
And he is PREFERRED BEFORE me. For God will glorify him before we are glorified at his return.
Again, in the LIGHT of the CONTEXT of being the LAMB of God, John is saying that Jesus will be GENERATED from the DEAD to be GLORIFIED in front or before John is CHANGED from mortal to IMMORTAL)
John 1:28. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John 1:29. The next day John sees Jesus COMING UNTO him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. (The Greek words translated as Jesus “coming unto” John the Baptist are the SAME Greek words use by Jesus in John 6:65.
Jesus said, no man can COME UNTO me unless the Father draws him.
And the Father DREW Jesus to COME UNTO John the Baptist to be baptized in water.
And that baptism by John the Baptist was the baptism for the remission of sins, according to Mark 1:4,5 where those being baptized CONFESSED their sins)
John 1:30. This is he of whom I said, AFTER me comes a MAN (Or FOLLOWING me comes a MAN) which is PREFERRED before me: for he was BEFORE me. (The Messiah was PROPHESIED to become the CHEIR corner stone.
Thus, the word “PREFERRED” is referring to the Son of MAN being generated form the dead and HIGHLY EXALTED before John the Baptist.
In other words, this verse is concerning the Lamb being slain to be found WORTHY to become the head of the called out ones, the church.
To say this another way, the Son of MAN, Jesus, was not before John to be preferred above John, until after the Son of God was GLORIFIED to become or to be made by God ABOVE John or CHIEF over John.
This verse does not say or even imply that Jesus EXISTED before John in TIME.
First of all, the Apostle John wrote the gospel of John AFTER Jesus was GLORIFIED.
And that is why the past tense of the verb “was” is used.
The Son of Man, Jesus was not actually the HEAD of the church, until AFTER the cross and resurrection, which was WHEN God MADE Jesus both Lord and Christ, according to Acts 2:36)
John 1:31. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest (Or better understood in the light of the whole word of God, Jesus was made clearly KNOWN as being the Christ, the anointed one of God) to Israel, therefore. am I come baptizing with water.
John 1:32. And John bare record, (Of God ANOINTING His Messiah) saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
John 1:33. And I knew him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the Same said unto me, Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. (I highlighted the pronoun “he” in blue to show that the Son of MAN, Jesus, was not given the power and authority to GIVE the Holy Spirit, until AFTER God GLORIFIED him, according to John 7:37-39 and Luke 24:25-27)
John 1:34. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. (Again, the Son of MAN, Jesus, was DECLARED to be the Son of God with POWER, according to the spirit HOLINESS, by the RESURRECTION, according to Romans 1:3,4.
And Revelation 5:12 clearly teaches us that the Lamb SLAIN was FOUND WORTHY to RECEIVE POWER, glory, honor, and other blessings.
Thus, it was after the cross and resurrection that the Son of MAN, Jesus, was GIVEN all power and AUTHORITY, according to Matthew 28:18.
In other words, the Son of MAN, Jesus learned OBEDIENCE to do all of the WILL of his God and Father to walk in righteousness and holiness to OVERCOME the wicked one in order to OBTAIN the PROMISE to INHERIT the DIVINE NATURE of IMMORTALITY, according to Philippians 2:8-11)
John 1:35. Again, the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
John 1:36. And looking upon Jesus as he walked, (Or, and CLEARLY DISCERNING that Jesus is the Lamb of God, as Jesus FOLLOWED John the Baptist) he said, Behold the Lamb of God! ( Notice that John did NOT say, behold God the Son, or behold Yahweh Himself in the flesh.
But rather, John said, behold the LAMB of God! And if you remember, in Genesis 22:7,8, Isaac asked his father Abraham, where is the LAMB.
And Abraham told his son, Isaac, Yahweh will provide Himself a Lamb)
John 1:37. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.”
Plain and simple, Jesus is the LAMB of God that was SLAIN in the mind and plan of God from the foundation of the world.
Thus, Jesus is the FULFILLMENT of Prophecy that came out from the mouth of God. And then, Almighty God PERFORMED His spoken word of prophecy to bring it to pass,
And that is how Yahweh PROVIDED Himself with His Lamb to be slain for the sin of the world.
In the following verses of Scripture, the Apostle John uses the SAME Greek word that is translated as AFTER in John 1:15 and John 1:30.
Now, church TRADITION “interprets” the words “AFTER me” to mean that Jesus was BORN after John the Baptist.
But that is NOT the God intended meaning of these verses of Scripture.
Yes, it is true that Jesus was born after John, but John meant that Jesus was FOLLOWING AFTER John as a disciple, when John needed to be baptized by Jesus.
Plain and simple, this Greek word does NOT mean AFTER in TIME as church tradition CLAIMS.
It means to FOLLOW AFTER as the disciples of Jesus, follow after Jesus.
The meaning of BORN after Jesus is read into that verse of Scripture.
So, please consider the following verses of Scripture clearly teach us how the Greek word with the Strong’s number G3696 is used in other verses of Scripture.
Matthew 4:19.
“And he said unto them, FOLLOW G3694 me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
In other words, Jesus is saying, FOLLOW AFTER him and he will make us fishers of men.
Matthew 10:38.
“And he that takes not his cross, and FOLLOWS AFTER G3694 me, is not worthy of me.”
As you can see, this Greek word cannot be dogmatically made to say, “AFTER John was BORN”, as being the only possible meaning.
Again, that Trinitarian meaning is read into John 1:30. For you see, Jesus was already BORN and he was following after John, walking and coming closer, when John said, “AFTER me COMES a MAN”, speaking about the Lamb of God who WOULD take away the sin of the world.
Matthew 16:24.
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come AFTER G3694 me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
Again, NOT AFTER in TIME, but rather, to come after in the sense of FOLLOWING AFTER, as a DISCIPLE.
Mark 8:34.
“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come AFTER G3694 me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
Sames as all of these verses, it means to FOLLOW after and not to be BORN after in time.
Again, that Trinitarian understanding of John 1:30 that Jesus was BORN after John is read that verse, so that they can argue that the words “BEFORE me” must, without fail, mean “before John was BORN.
Can you not see that the Trinitarin teachers are MAKING a LIE out of John 1:30, and Revelation 22 warns that whosoever LOVES and MAKES a LIE will be cast out into outer darkness?
Revelation 22:15.
“For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever LOVES and MAKES a lie.”
I know in my heart that Trinitarian Christians truly and sincerely LOVE Jesus, but they are MAKING a LIE by confessing that God BECAME a MAN.
For, you see, Almighty God clearly and plainly states as a FACT with no interpretation needed, that He is not a MAN and neither is He the Son of MAN, in Numbers 19:23 and Hosea 9:11.
Luke 9:23.
“And he said to them all, If any man will come AFTER G3694 me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
John 1:30.
“This is he of whom I said, AFTER G3694 me comes a MAN which is preferred before me: for he was before me.”
John 1:15.
“John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spoke, He that comes AFTER G3694 me is preferred before me: for he was before me.”
Plain and simple, John was told by Yahweh that the MAN following after him, would be before John after John decreased, and the Lamb of God was clearly manifested or made know to Israel.
And being a prophet of Yahweh, God told John to PROPHESY these words in John 1:15 and in John 1:30 about the SLAIN Lamb being BEGOTTEN to be CHIEF or ABOVE him
And not just above John, but also preferred BEFORE or above the rest of the HEIRS who will yet be BEGOTTEN or GENERATED from mortal to IMMORTAL.
Therefore, to me, what I have written in this Verse Study is the TRUE sound Biblical meaning of John 1:30 that does NOT contradict any verses of Scripture.
Also, please read the related Verse Study on John 1:15.
Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
Once Christians, Jews, Muslims, and even atheists understand the REASON that Yahweh CREATED the Son of MAN, Jesus, was to have DOMINION over the work of Yahweh’s hands.
And after you understand that the REASON that Yahweh did that is to STILL His ENEMIES, Satan and the fallen angels.
Then you can understand that God made His human Son to become “a” Lord, “a” King, and “a” God, under and subject to his God and Father in order to JUDGE Satan and the fallen angels.
For a deeper understanding of this WAR that Lucifer and one third of the angels waged against the throne of Almighty God, please read the studies under the subject category called ** Q-0 Why Are We Here? Is God at WAR? **.
More studies are coming in this SHORTER Biblical Unitarian view of who Jesus is according to the WHOLE word of God.
If you have a PARTICULAR verse of Scripture that you would like to know the sound Biblical Unitarian meaning, then please email me at MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail.com and let me know.
For further and more in-depth studies on this subject of Jesus being created to STILL the enemies of Yahweh, please read the studies called D-25. A NEW LOOK at JOHN 1:1, In the BEGINNING!
And also read the study called D-28. The PRE-ADAMIC LUCIFERIAN FLOOD!
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Thanks again for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
And again, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading ** D-0 The BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of Jesus! **
And for the SUBJECT on the true foundation of the church, please click on the subject heading ** C-0 The TRUE FOUNDATION of the Church! **
This way you can just send ONE link to those who you want to share the TRUE sound Biblical FOUNDATIONAL teachings of the church that Jesus and his Apostles taught in the first century church.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,
Brother Mark.
My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century.
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