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Quotes & Notes on:
John 3:30
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John Wesley's Notes:
He must increase, but I must decrease-So they who are now,
like John, burning and shining lights, must (if not suddenly eclipsed)
like him gradually decrease, while others are increasing about them; as
they in their turns grew up, amidst the decays of the former generation.
Let us know how to set, as well as how to rise; and let it comfort our
declining days to trace, in those who are likely to succeed us in our
work, the openings of yet greater usefulness.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:
* must increase. Ps 72:17-19; Isa 9:7; 53:2,3,12; Da 2:34,35,44,45; Mt
13:31-33 Re 11:15
* but. Ac 13:36,37; 1Co 3:5; 2Co 3:7-11; Col 1:18; Heb 3:2-6
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Adam Clarke's Commentary:
He must increase] His present success is but the beginning of a most
glorious and universal spread of righteousness, peace, truth, and good
will among men.
I must decrease.] My baptism and teaching, as pointing out the coming
Messiah, must cease; because the Messiah is now come, and has entered
publicly on the work of his glorious ministry.
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Family Bible Notes:
He; Christ. Must increase; in influence and honor. It is a high
spiritual attainment to be willing that others should excel us in
usefulness and honor.
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1599 Geneva Bible Notes:
(No comment on this verse)
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People's New Testament Commentary:
(No comment on this verse)
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Robertson's Word Pictures:
Must (dei). It has to be (see Joh 3:14). He is to go on
growing (present active infinitive auxanein) while I go on decreasing
(present passive infinitive elattousthai, from comparative elattôn,
less). These are the last words that we have from John till the
despondent message from the dungeon in Machaerus whether Jesus is after
all the Messiah (Mt 11:2; Lu 7:19). He went on to imprisonment,
suspense, martyrdom, while Jesus grew in popular favour till he had his
via dolorosa. "These last words of St. John are the fulness of religious
sacrifice and fitly close his work" (Westcott).
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Albert Barnes' Commentary:
He must increase. His authority and influence among the people
must grow. His doctrine shall continue to spread till it extends through
all the earth.
I must decrease.
"The purpose of my ministry is to point men to him. When that is done my
work is done. I came not to form a party of my own, nor to set up a
religion of my own; and my teaching must cease when he is fully
established, as the light of the morning star fades away and is lost in
the beams of the rising sun."
This evinced John's humility and willingness to be esteemed as nothing
if he could honour Christ. It shows us, also, that it is sufficient
honour for man if he may be permitted to point sinners to the Lord Jesus
Christ. No work is so honourable and joyful as the ministry of the
gospel; none are so highly honoured as those who are permitted to stand
near the Son of God, to hear his voice, and to lead perishing men to his
cross. Comp. Da 12:3.
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Jamieson-Faussett Brown:
(No comment on this verse)
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Spurgeon Commentary:
(No comment on this verse)
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William Burkitt's Notes:
(No comment on this verse)
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Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary:
(No comment on this verse)
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The Fourfold Gospel:
He must increase, but I must decrease. Noble words! "He must
increase"--because the divine law has ordered it, and prophecy has
foretold it (Isa 52:13), and because the very divinity of his nature
absolutely requires it. "I must decrease"--in popularity, in power, in
following. The Christian minister finds the increase of his work the
same as the increase of Christ's kingdom; but with the Baptist the case
was different. He was a Jewish prophet, and as the power of the New
Dispensation, under Christ, gained headway, the Old Dispensation, of
which he was a part, waxed old, and was ready to vanish away.
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