CHRIST AND HIS BROTHERS

READ IT AGAIN
by Professor E.M.Blaiklock MA, D.Litt

XXXI.
CHRIST AND HIS BROTHERS.
John 7.
In John 7:8 where the Lord says, "I go not up to this feast," does He deceive His Brethren? In the next verse he appears to go. There is no deception.
Christ described Himself as Truth incarnate.
No lie or subterfuge ever marred the white honesty of His character. We can start from this point.
If He appears in this one passage to contradict His nature, the passage must be wrongly reported or wrongly read. There are two possible explanations. First emphasise "this" and then suppose that the ensuing narrative is highly condensed. Perhaps, as David Smith maintains, the Lord did not go up to "this" feast, but set out behind His brethren on the leisurely journey which was to bring Him to the Passover Feast months later. Verse 14 refers to the Passover Feast. Or perhaps the minority of manuscripts which read "not yet" retain the correct reading. If we could read,
"I go not yet
up to this feast," the whole difficulty is immediately removed. It is probable that the former explanation is to be preferred.