Charles Spurgeon Commentary John 1:21

"And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered, No." — John 1:21 (ASV)

Are you that prophet?

The long-expected prophet foretold by Moses?

And he says, I am not.

For, though indeed he was the true spiritual Elijah who was to come as the forerunner of the Messiah, yet, in the sense in which they asked the question, the only truthful answer was, "I am not."

And they asked him, What then? Are you Elias?

"Are you Elijah come back to earth?"