My teaching is not My own,In this phrase, Jesus emphasizes the divine origin of His teachings. This statement reflects the humility and submission of Jesus to the Father, highlighting the unity and distinct roles within the Trinity. It contrasts with the teachings of the religious leaders of the time, who often relied on human tradition and interpretation. This assertion also aligns with the prophetic role of Jesus as the ultimate prophet, as foretold in
Deuteronomy 18:18, where God promises to raise up a prophet who will speak His words.
Jesus replied.
The context of this reply is crucial. Jesus is responding to the astonishment and questioning of the Jewish leaders and the crowd during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. His response is a direct answer to their skepticism about His authority and the source of His wisdom. This setting in Jerusalem, a central place of Jewish worship and learning, underscores the significance of His declaration and the challenge it posed to the established religious order.
It comes from Him who sent Me.
Here, Jesus identifies God the Father as the source of His teachings, reinforcing His divine mission and authority. This statement is consistent with the theme throughout the Gospel of John, where Jesus frequently refers to being sent by the Father (e.g.,John 5:23-24, 6:38-39). It underscores the intimate relationship between the Father and the Son and the divine mandate of Jesus' ministry. This phrase also connects to the broader biblical narrative of God sending messengers and prophets to His people, with Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of this pattern.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
JesusThe central figure in this passage, Jesus is addressing the crowd during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. He emphasizes the divine origin of His teachings.
2.
The CrowdThe audience to whom Jesus is speaking. They are questioning His authority and the source of His teachings.
3.
JerusalemThe city where this event takes place, specifically during the Feast of Tabernacles, a significant Jewish festival.
4.
The Feast of TabernaclesA Jewish festival commemorating the Israelites' wilderness journey, during which Jesus is teaching in the temple courts.
5.
God the FatherReferred to as "Him who sent Me," indicating the divine source of Jesus' teachings.
Teaching Points
Divine Authority of Jesus' TeachingsJesus' teachings are not merely human wisdom but are divinely inspired, coming directly from God the Father. This underscores the authority and reliability of His words.
The Importance of DiscernmentBelievers are called to discern the source of teachings they receive. True teachings align with the character and will of God as revealed in Scripture.
Humility in TeachingJesus models humility by attributing His teachings to the Father. As followers of Christ, we should also acknowledge God as the source of wisdom and truth in our lives.
Obedience to God’s WillJesus’ submission to the Father’s will serves as an example for believers to seek and follow God’s will in their own lives.
The Role of Scripture in Understanding God’s WillEngaging with Scripture is essential for understanding and aligning with God’s will, as it is the primary means through which God communicates His truth.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of John 7:16?
2.How does John 7:16 emphasize Jesus' teaching authority as coming from God?
3.What does Jesus' statement in John 7:16 reveal about His divine mission?
4.How can we discern teachings that align with God's will, as in John 7:16?
5.How does John 7:16 connect with Jesus' obedience to the Father in John 5:30?
6.How can we apply Jesus' example in John 7:16 to our daily lives?
7.What does Jesus mean by "My teaching is not My own" in John 7:16?
8.How does John 7:16 challenge the authority of religious leaders?
9.Why is divine origin of Jesus' teaching significant in John 7:16?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from John 7?
11.Is the argument dismissed due to its origin?
12.What did Jesus mean by 'Ask and You Shall Receive'?
13.John 7:15 – How did Jesus teach with apparent expertise without formal rabbinic training?
14.What question does 'Jesus is the answer' address?What Does John 7:16 Mean
“My teaching”Jesus immediately focuses attention on the content He brings.
• He is not offering personal speculation but divine revelation, echoing the truth that “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14).
• Throughout the Gospels the crowds marvel that He “taught as one who had authority” (Matthew 7:28-29), setting His words apart from mere rabbinic commentary.
•Hebrews 1:1-2 reminds us God now speaks “by His Son,” underscoring that every doctrine Jesus imparts carries the full weight of heaven’s authority.
“is not My own”Here Jesus highlights both humility and perfect obedience.
• Though fully divine (John 1:1), He chooses not to act independently, illustrating the Son’s voluntary submission to the Father—“the Son can do nothing by Himself” (John 5:19).
• This statement rebukes any notion that truth is subjective or self-generated; ultimate authority resides outside human opinion.
• By distancing Himself from self-originated ideas, Jesus provides a model for believers: we are stewards, not inventors, of God’s word (1 Corinthians 4:1-2).
“Jesus replied”The setting matters.
• In the temple courts during Tabernacles (John 7:14-15), religious leaders question His credentials. His response cuts through their skepticism.
• Each “reply” of Jesus in John carries revelation (cf.John 3:3; 4:10). He meets questions with truth, inviting listeners to judge rightly (John 7:24).
• The scene illustratesProverbs 26:4-5 in action: He answers in a way that exposes folly while imparting wisdom.
“It comes from Him”Jesus points to the Father as the exclusive source.
• The phrase mirrorsJohn 12:49: “I have not spoken on My own; but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say.”
• Every word is divine in origin, confirming the inerrancy and trustworthiness of Scripture (Psalm 119:160).
• This dependence also showcases the unity of the Trinity—distinct Persons, one purpose (John 10:30).
“who sent Me”The mission motif surfaces again.
• Over thirty times John records Jesus saying He was “sent” by the Father (e.g.,John 4:34; 6:38), tying His teaching to His redemptive assignment.
• “Sent” conveys authority (Matthew 28:18) and love (1 John 4:10): the Father commissions the Son to reveal, redeem, and reconcile.
• Because the Sender is perfect, the message is perfect; rejecting the message is therefore rejecting God Himself (Luke 10:16).
summaryJohn 7:16 affirms that Jesus’ doctrine originates in the Father, not in human creativity. His humble dependence and divine commissioning guarantee that His words are both authoritative and life-giving. Trusting and obeying them is synonymous with trusting and obeying God.
(16)
My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.--The answer carries them once more to the words uttered by Him. (Comp.
John 5:19;
John 5:30.) Then he had again and again referred to the Father who sent Him (
John 7:24;
John 7:36-38), and claimed as His own work the doing of the Father's will (
John 7:30). In the Capernaum synagogue, in the hearing of some of these Jews, He had declared that all who were taught of God, and heard and learned the lesson, would come to Him (
John 6:45). There is, then, no ground for their present wonder. The teaching which is His in relation to them, is not His of original source. He claims to be in His humanity as a messenger, carrying the message of Him that sent Him. He is the Word by whom the mind of God is spoken. . . .
Verse 16. -
Jesusthereforeanswered them and said, etc. He met this particular allegation as follows:
My teaching is not mine. The "my" refers to the teaching itself, the "mine" to the ultimate authority on which it rests. I am not a self-taught Man, as though out of the depths of my own independent human consciousness I span it. I do not mean you to suppose that my mere human experience is the sole source of my instructions (ch. 5:31). If you have sat at the feet of those who taught you, I, too, am a Representative of another;
but (the
ἀλλά after
οὐκ is not equivalent to
tam...quam. It introduces here the absolute source of all his teaching) it is the teaching
of him who sent me. I have not learned in your schools, but am uttering the thoughts that come from an infinitely deeper source. "He who sent me" gave them to me. I have been in intimate communion with HIM. All that I say is Divine thought. I have drawn it all from the Lord of all. I came from him, and represent to you the will of God. This is a lofty prophetic claim, more urgent, more complete, than that made by Moses or Isaiah. Special messages, oracles, and burdens were delivered by the prophets with a "Thus saith the Lord." But Jesus says
his thoughts are God's thoughts, his ways God's ways,
his teachings not his own, but altogether those of him who sent him.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
“MyἘμὴ(Emē)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Feminine 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1699:My, mine. From the oblique cases of ego; my.teachingδιδαχὴ(didachē)Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1322:Teaching, doctrine, what is taught. From didasko; instruction.isἔστιν(estin)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510:I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.notοὐκ(ouk)Adverb
Strong's 3756:No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.My own,”ἐμὴ(emē)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Feminine 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1699:My, mine. From the oblique cases of ego; my.JesusἸησοῦς(Iēsous)Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424:Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.replied.Ἀπεκρίθη(Apekrithē)Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 611:From apo and krino; to conclude for oneself, i.e. to respond; by Hebraism to begin to speak.“[It comes]ἀλλὰ(alla)Conjunction
Strong's 235:But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.from Him whoτοῦ(tou)Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.sentπέμψαντός(pempsantos)Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3992:To send, transmit, permit to go, put forth.Me.με(me)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473:I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.
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NT Gospels: John 7:16 Jesus therefore answered them My teaching (Jhn Jo Jn) 
