I believe that this has been touched on before: Protestants want to say that every verse that supports their particular belief is of equal value and simply disregard the rest. Duelling verses, I call it.
If you don’t believe that every word from the mouth of the Lord is more important than any word from the mouth or pen of a man, then what kind of Christian do you profess to be?
Context, context, context.
John 7:
1 After this, Jesus moved about within Galilee; but he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him.
2
But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near.
3
So his brothers 2 said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing.
4
No one works in secret if he wants to be known publicly. If you do these things, manifest yourself to the world.”
5
For his brothers did not believe in him.
6
3 So Jesus said to them, “My time is not yet here, but the time is always right for you.
7
The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I testify to it that its works are evil.
8
You go up to the feast. I am not going up 4 to this feast, because my time has not yet been fulfilled.”
9
After he had said this, he stayed on in Galilee.
10
But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, he himself also went up, not openly but (as it were) in secret.
11
The Jews were looking for him at the feast and saying, “Where is he?”
12
And there was considerable murmuring about him in the crowds. Some said, “He is a good man,” (while) others said, “No; on the contrary, he misleads the crowd.”
13
Still, no one spoke openly about him because they were afraid of the Jews.
The footnotes from the NAB:
1 [John 7-8] These chapters contain events about the feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth, Ingathering: Exodus 23:16; Tents, Booths: Deut 16:13-16), with its symbols of booths (originally built to shelter harvesters), rain (water from Siloam poured on the temple altar), and lights (illumination of the four torches in the Court of the Women). They continue the theme of the replacement of feasts (Passover, John 2:13; 6:4; Hanukkah, John 10:22; Pentecost, John 5:1), here accomplished by Jesus as the Living Water. These chapters comprise seven miscellaneous controversies and dialogues. There is a literary inclusion with Jesus in hiding in John 7:4, 10; 8:59. There are frequent references to attempts on his life: John 7:1, 13, 19, 25, 30, 32, 44; 8:37, 40, 59.
2 [3] Brothers: these relatives (cf John 2:12 and see the note on Mark 6:3) are never portrayed as disciples until after the resurrection (Acts 1:14). Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3 give the names of four of them. Jesus has already performed works/signs in Judea; cf John 2:23; 3:2; 4:45; 5:8.
3 [6] Time: the Greek word means “opportune time,” here a synonym for Jesus’ “hour” (see the note on John 2:4), his death and resurrection. In the wordplay, any time is suitable for Jesus’ brothers, because they are not dependent on God’s will.
4 [8] I am not going up: an early attested reading “not yet” seems a correction, since Jesus in the story does go up to the feast. “Go up,” in a play on words, refers not only to going up to Jerusalem but also to exaltation at the cross, resurrection, and ascension; cf John 3:14; 6:62; 20:17.
Context: Jesus is telling the Apostles that he isn’t going to go because the Jews will kill him. He goes anyway, in secret. The Jews are looking for him but don’t see him there BECAUSE the Apostles obviously tell them that He isn’t there.
When He starts teaching in the middle of the feast, there isn’t the chance to kill Him because He is in the middle of the crowd. That line is for the Apostles.
Further, to put it with some previous Scripture that has been mentioned, those who are self indulgent and sin are not going to want to hear His message. The Apostles already knew this and that makes this misdirection work so well.
The boys have an
Ooopps, I MUST pay more attention whilst proofreading...
Well, I'm glad that you admit the world hates our Lord as much as you tried to spin this one. Here are some others:
Joh 15:18 "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.