John 1:22 (GNV)

Passage

Then said they vnto him, Who art thou, that we may giue an answere to them that sent vs? What sayest thou of thy selfe?

Nearby Context

John 1:20 And he confessed and denied not, and said plainely, I am not that Christ.

John 1:21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he said, I am not. Art thou that Prophet? And he answered, No.

John 1:22 Then said they vnto him, Who art thou, that we may giue an answere to them that sent vs? What sayest thou of thy selfe?

John 1:23 He said, I am the voyce of him that cryeth in the wildernesse, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the Prophet Esaias.

John 1:24 Nowe they which were sent, were of the Pharises.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "vnto", "thou", "giue", "answere", "sent", and "sayest". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "vnto", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "And they asked him What then Art..." into verse 23's "He said I am the voyce of...", so "said" and "vnto" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "said" and "vnto" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.