On John 10:16 A Case of Wrong Grammar or Not Understanding Biblical Prophecy

A CASE OF WRONG GRAMMAR OR NOT UNDERSTANDING BIBLICAL PROPHECY?

On John 10:16

An INC Detractor said:

“Iglesia ni Cristo doesn't know grammar. They are saying, they are the "other sheep" but what did Jesus really say? He said:" I HAVE other sheep.." I HAVE is present tense, clearly indicating those sheep existed while He was speaking. Not sheep that will emerge in 1914. If so, grammatically correct would have been:" I WILL have other sheep." Iglesia ni Cristo's fantasy of being the "other sheep" is based on their ignorance of correct grammar. And Jesus, for sure, knew correct grammar. He said: " I HAVE.." and NOT "I WILL have''. Amen”

PRISTINE TRUTH ANSWERS:

THIS DETRACTOR IS trying to explain and understand biblical passage with grammar. For him, because John 10:16 reads “I have other sheep” and that “I have” is present tense, thus these “other sheep” existed while the Lord Jesus spoke this statement. Hence, FOR THIS DETRACTOR, JOHN 10:16 IS NOT A PROPHECY.

IF SO, THEN JOHN THE BAPTIST IS IN GREAT TROUBLE. When asked about his authority to preach, John the Baptist replied:

 “Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’ And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ And he answered, ‘No.’ Then they said to him, ‘Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?’ He said: ‘I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Make straight the way of the LORD,' as the prophet Isaiah said." (John 1:19-23 NKJV)

When he was asked about his authority to preach, John the Baptist answered, “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness.” John claimed that He was the fulfillment of Prophet Isaiah’s prophecy written in Isaiah 40:3. This is what actually written in isaiah 40:3:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3 NKJV)

 

Prophet Isaiah said, “The voice of one CRYING in the wilderness.” Take note that “crying” is in present tense. Following the detractor’s argument (“I HAVE is present tense, clearly indicating those sheep existed while He was speaking. Not sheep that will emerge in 1914”), thus, because “crying in the wilderness” is in present tense, thus the one prophesied by Prophet Isaiah already existed while he spoke this statement!

So, for this detractor, Isaiah 40:3 is not a prophecy and it is impossible that John the Baptist is the fulfillment of this passage. Hence, this detractor will also conclude that it was only the fantasy of John the Baptist when he said that he was the fulfillment of “The voice crying in the wilderness,” and his fantasy is based only on his ignorance of correct grammar.

NOT ONLY JOHN THE BAPTIST, BUT THIS ARGUMENT OF  OUR DETRACTOR ALSO PUTS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN BIG TROUBLE. Proving His authority as God’s messenger, this what the Lord Jesus Christ did:

“And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:15-21 NKJV)

After reading Isaiah 63:1-3, the Lord Jesus Christ said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” This is what actually written in Isaiah 61:1-3:

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1-3 NKJV)

Oh no! “The Spirit of the Lord God IS upon Me” is in present tense (if future, it should be “WLL BE upon Me”), and “The Lord HAS ANNOINTED Me” is in past tense. Following the detractor’s argument, thus Isaiah 61:1-3 is not a prophecy and will make the Lord Jesus statement addressed to the people of Nazareth saying "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" WRONG because the statement in Isaiah 61:1-3 stating “The Spirit of the Lord God IS upon Me” is in present tense and “The Lord HAS ANNOINTED Me” is in past tense. SURELY, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST KNOWS CORRECT GRAMMAR, BUT HE ALSO UNDERSTAND BLIBLICAL PROPHECY.

This detractor did not quoted the whole passage of John 10:16 and focused only on the first part of the verse. Let us see why:

 “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold (PRESENT TENSE); “them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice (FUTURE TENSE); and there will be one flock and one shepherd. (FUTURE TENSE).” (John 10:16 NKJV)

Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ said “other sheep I have” not because they already existed as he was speaking, but BECAUSE THEY ARE ALSO OF CHRIST, THEY ARE ALSO HIS SHEEP, but as He said “which are not of this fold” but he will also bring them, they will hear His voice, and there will be one flock.

Truly, this verse was fulfilled with this detractor:

“This is what he says in all his letters when he writes on the subject. There are some difficult things in his letters which ignorant and unstable people explain falsely, as they do with other passages of the Scriptures. So they bring on their own destruction.” (II Peter 3:16 TEV)

BIBLICAL PROPHECY SHOULD NOT BE INTERPRETED THROUGH HUMAN WISDOM LIKE GRAMMAR:

“And my teaching and message were not delivered with skillful words of human wisdom, but with convincing proof of the power of God's Spirit. Your faith, then, does not rest on human wisdom but on God's power.” (I Corinthians 2:4-5 TEV)

BIBLICAL PROPHECY MUST NOT BE INTERPRETED PRIVATELY:

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” (II Peter 1:20 KJV)

“Above all else, however, remember that no one can explain by himself a prophecy in the Scriptures.” (II Peter 1:20 TEV)

THE INC DETRACTOR’S ARGUMENT ON JOHN 10:16 – A CASE OF WRONG GRAMMAR OR A CASE OF NOT UNDERSTANDING BIBLICAL PROPHECY? INDEED, IT’S A CASE OF NOT UNDERSTANDING BIBLICAL PROPHECY.