“Whom think ye that I am?”
The full verse · Acts 13:25 · KJV
his , he , think that ? he. , , there cometh , of his I to .
Asked by
John the Baptist: the prophet who "first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel," quoted here by Paul (Acts 13:24-25)
Asked to
Crowd: "all the people of Israel" who heard John's preaching of repentance (Acts 13:24)
The Scene
In the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia, Paul preaches to the men of Israel and those who fear God, and he quotes John the Baptist's words near the end of John's ministry (Acts 13:14-16, 24-25).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionJohn asked this to turn attention away from himself. Paul has just said that God raised up "a Saviour, Jesus" from David's seed (Acts 13:23), and he brings in John as a witness. Luke's Gospel explains the situation: "all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not" (Luke 3:15). John's question raises what people were already wondering, so that he can answer it himself. Gill explains John's "I am not he" as "that is the Messiah." Paul uses John's words so that his hearers will see that even the great prophet pointed beyond himself to Jesus.
The Response
What Scripture recordsJohn answers his own question at once: "I am not he." Then he points to Another: "behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose" (Acts 13:25). Paul applies it to his hearers in the next breath: "to you is the word of this salvation sent" (Acts 13:26).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsPaul preached on the sabbath. After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue invited the visitors to speak a "word of exhortation" (Acts 13:15). Paul traced Israel's history from Egypt to David, then moved to Jesus and to John (Acts 13:17-25).
Barnes explains "fulfilled his course": "His ministry is called a course or race; that which was to be run or completed." He also notes that Paul is not quoting a single recorded sentence word for word: "These are not the precise words which the evangelists have recorded, but the sense is the same." The Gospels record John saying, "I am not the Christ" (John 1:20), and that he was not worthy to unloose or bear the Coming One's shoes (Matthew 3:11; John 1:27).
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyGod sent John to prepare the way, and part of that work was to step aside. Paul says John preached "before his coming" (Acts 13:24), and the question "Whom think ye that I am?" is the hinge between the forerunner and the One he announced. John's ministry was a course with a finish line, and it ended in pointing to Jesus.
Paul uses this testimony because his hearers knew John's reputation. If even John said "I am not he," then they should look to the One John pointed to. Paul goes on to preach that through Jesus "is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins" and that "by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:38-39).
Look Closer
Why did John raise the question "Whom think ye that I am?"
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Father, when people look at me, how can my life point them past me to Jesus?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- John could have accepted people's high opinion of him but chose to say "I am not he." What makes it tempting to let others think more of you than is true?
- Who in your life has pointed you to Jesus rather than to themselves? What did they do that helped?
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
John knew who he was and who he was not, and he fulfilled his course (Acts 13:25). You do not have to be the answer to people's deepest questions. Your calling, like John's, is to point to the One who is.
This is not false modesty. John spoke plainly about his own role: he preached "the baptism of repentance" and fulfilled his course (Acts 13:24-25). Humility does not mean pretending your work does not matter. It means making sure your work points to Christ.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“Who art thou?”
“Who art thou? What sayest thou of thyself?”
“Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?”
“I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?”