施洗約翰在約旦河邊的活動使得眾人猜想他到底是誰 (路3:15)。甚至猶太權威人士也猜想他的真正身份。因此，根據約翰福音1:19–28，他們差了一個代表團去問他：「你是誰？」當代表團問他是否是以利亞，施洗約翰回答：「我不是」。這個答案相當令人驚訝，因為這似乎觝觸符類福音對他的描述。事實上，在馬可福音 1:6，他被描述成穿著像以利亞的衣服，在馬太福音11:14，耶穌說施洗約翰是「要來的」以利亞。為何約翰福音避免將施洗約翰等同於以利亞？解經書已經為這個問題提出許多解答。本文希望提供符合約翰福音神學的進一步的解答。筆者認為，施洗約翰之所以拒絕以利亞的角色，因為耶穌在約翰福音中被描述為新的以利亞。經過對七十士譯本和約翰福音中的以利亞經文的詳細比較，我們發現它們在主題、情勢、情節、甚至在字眼上有許多類似之處。最後同樣重要的是，就像以利亞，永活的、賜生命的雅巍的英雄，耶穌在約翰福音中被宣告為活的、賜生命的上帝的先知。

The activities of John the Baptist along the Jordan made the people wonder who John thought he really was (LK 3:15). Even the Jewish authorities speculated about his identity. And so, according to
John 1:19–28, they sent a delegation to question him, “Who are you?”When asked by that delegation whether he is Elijah, John the Baptist
replies, “I am not.” This answer is quite surprising, because it seems to
contradict what the Synoptic Gospels say about him. As a matter of
fact, in Mk 1:6 he is depicted as wearing clothing like Elijah, and in Mt
11:14 Jesus himself identifies him with Elijah who “is to come.” Why
does the Fourth Gospel avoid any identification of John the Baptist
with Elijah? Several solutions to this problem have been proposed by
commentators. This paper aims to propose a further solution which
seems to do greater justice to the theology of the Fourth Gospel. In the
present writer’s opinion, John the Baptist is made to refuse the role of
Elijah because in the Fourth Gospel it is Jesus himself who is going to
be depicted as the New Elijah. A close comparison between the Elijan
texts in the Septuagint and the Fourth Gospel reveals that there are
many similarities between them concerning the theme, situation, plot,
and even in words. Last but not least, like Elijah, the hero of the living
and life-giving Yahweh, in the Fourth Gospel Jesus is proclaimed as the
Prophet of the living and life-giving God.