He must increase, but I must decrease.
What does John 3:30 mean?
John was fully satisfied with the place and work assigned him; but Jesus came on a more important work.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside John 3:29-30 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on John 3:30
his doctrine shall continue to spread until 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 honor Christ.
Context in John 3
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John 3 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as prologue and book of signs. John presents Jesus in contemplative, symbolic, and theological richness as the Word, Lamb, Light, Bread, Shepherd, Resurrection, Way, Vine, and Son. Read this chapter with the wider themes of incarnation, life, and light in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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