John 7:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.

NIV: Jesus answered, 'My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.

NASB: So Jesus answered them and said, 'My teaching is not My own, but His who sent Me.

CSB: Jesus answered them, "My teaching isn't mine but is from the one who sent me.

NLT: So Jesus told them, 'My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me.

KJV: Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

NKJV: Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.

In John 5:17, Jesus claimed to be equal to God in His works. In John 5:30, Jesus claimed to be equal to God in His judgment. Here, Jesus claims to be equal to God in His teaching. Rather than Jesus' knowledge being grounded in some religious school or self-study, His teachings are given directly by God the Father. This is one reason He is able to discuss the Word of God with such skill, despite not being formally trained (John 7:15).

This represents an interesting and important distinction between Jesus' ministry, and that of Christians today. Jesus here claims that His teachings, specifically, are those of God Himself. Since what's written in Scripture is the Word of God, this makes sense. This also provides context for Jesus' later comment that only those who are willing to obey God can successfully determine whether or not these teachings are valid (John 7:17). Christian believers, on the other hand, can only appeal to the spiritual authority of the Bible, and not to our own teachings. While we have the Bible—the Word of God—we don't have the same divine authority which Jesus possessed.

John 7:14–24 is a strong spiritual challenge issued by Jesus against the religious leaders of Jerusalem. Jesus makes the point that obedience is a necessary aspect of learning. The resistance of the Scribes and Pharisees is ultimately a matter of rebellion, not knowledge. In the same way, Jesus criticizes their hypocritical attitude towards His miracles. This concludes with a powerful statement about the need to use ''right judgment,'' rather than shallow appearances.

Six months after the feeding of thousands, and the public debate which followed, Jesus plans to attend the Feast of Booths (Festival of Tabernacles). Rather than going publicly, He chooses to arrive privately, and after His family. While teaching and preaching there, Jesus once again comes into conflict with local religious leaders. The crowds take note of His profound words, history of miracles, and the inability of the religious leaders to silence Him. This causes the people to openly question their spiritual leaders. This embarrassment is a milestone in the effort to permanently silence Jesus.

John chapter 7 is the beginning of the end of Jesus' public ministry. The feeding of thousands in chapter 6 was the pinnacle of His earthly popularity. That enthusiasm was dampened when Jesus explained the true meaning of His ministry. Here, in chapters 7 and 8, Jesus will confront His critics at a major Jewish festival, using metaphors drawn from ritual celebrations to highlight themes from His preaching. The following chapters include additional miracles and teachings from Jesus, as His eventual crucifixion draws nearer.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.