Why did John the Baptist have a following?

Nihilist Virus said:

OK, but how does that make it hypothetical of me to ask you to give it a try?



The fact that it hasn't happened yet does not mean you cannot demonstrate it.



You said there's no difference between knowing Jesus in the spirit or in the flesh. John said he didn't know Jesus.



See above.



It says,

And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

Did Jesus send John to baptize, and then tell John, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit’?



And literally right before that, John says he did not know Jesus. And you said that knowing Jesus in the flesh is the same as knowing him in spirit. And you said that John knew Jesus spiritually. Now please, square this circle.

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Here you go. I learned some very useful things yesterday by what The Holy Spirit was showing me as I was conversing with a person who had no Christian knowledge at all. So I am more about emphasising that John the Baptist was likewise able to learn from the spirit of Messiah outside of the words that Jesus physically spoke, and not going so far as to say that there is nothing that he could have learned from hearing Jesus speak that he wouldn't have learned elsewhere - but as I have said, there are more complicated factors in the reason why he didn't follow Jesus around, (despite him saying that his joy was made full by beholding Jesus' ministry) - and the biggest reason, as I have said, is the one of accessibility. There is two anointed teachers, heavyweights, and what you are suggesting is to take one of them out so that everyone would only be learning from Jesus. This is not what God wants, it is in fact the opposite, as Jesus said in John 4:21-23 and what Adonai has said in Jeremiah 31:33 and Isaiah 11:9.

Nihilist Virus said:

The latter.

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The former would have actually been more useful! .. anyhow, I think this should contain the answer you need:

"until you are able to understand that the spirit of Messiah is a Christian's personal companion and teacher wherever we go (Matthew 23:8-10), you will not be able to understand that John the Baptist was in fact following Messiah even though being physically separated from Jesus."