John 3:30-31 NIV

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:22-36

6. The swanlike song of the Baptist. read more

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:23-30

The relation between our Lord and his forerunner. Jesus seems to have followed in the footsteps of John, who was still at large, baptizing disciples in the southern borders of Judaea. I. THE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THE JEWS AND JOHN 'S DISCIPLES . The subject of dispute. "About purifying." It was caused by the competition of the two baptisms, and turned upon the best mode of true purification. 1 . The Jews might ascribe greater efficacy to Jesus ' baptism than to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:25-30

The Bridegroom's friend true to the last. Notice— I. THE DISCIPLES ' COMPLAINT . It is the embodiment of a blind and angry zeal. And. as such: 1 . It is ever disparaging in its language. "He that was with thee beyond Jordan." They address their own master as "Rabbi," but speak of Jesus as "he that was," etc., as if he had no name; and, if he had, it was not worth mentioning compared with their master's. The memory of angry zeal is very shaft, and its respect for... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:27-32

(2) The earthly and heavenly commission. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:30

He must— by a Divine necessity of things (cf. John 3:7 , John 3:14 ; John 9:4 ; John 10:16 ; John 20:9 ; Revelation 1:1 ), he must— increase ; augment in power and following and great joy. He must win eventually all hearts. His enemies must become the footstool of his feet. His is the beginning of an eternal blessedness. I must decrease; not become annihilated, though through the very completion of the purpose of my calling of God, my scope must, by the nature of the case,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:30

John and Jesus. We have here— I. A MAN PUTTING SELF IN ITS PROPER . PLACE . John is a man ready to say, "I must decrease." If he had not been a man ready to say it, he would never have got the chance of saying it. Ability to speak in this spirit does not spring up all at once. Much in John's position was very tempting to self. It is easily seen how painful it might have been to hear friends coming to say that the crowds once wont to flock round John were now flocking... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:31

He that is coming from above is above all. Now, it is obvious that Jesus had spoken of the Son of man as having come down from heaven ( John 3:13 ), and of his own power to speak of heavenly things ( i.e. of causes and measures of Divine operations); and he contrasts these with the "earthly things" of which he too had spoken—"earthly" they were because they dealt with experiences felt and witnessed and realized on earth. Now, John is represented, on the occasion of the baptism of our... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:31-36

A large number of commentators of all schools hold that the remaining verses of this chapter give us the reflections of the evangelist rather than a continuous discourse of the Baptist. Strauss, Weisse, Reuss, and Bretschneider, who make the supposed proof of this Johannine appendix to the Baptist's words an evidence of inhistoricity throughout the Gospel, and the school of Baur, which finds in the entire representation simply an artistic endeavour on the part of a second century falsarius ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:31-36

The Baptist's confirmation of his statement respecting the superiority of Christ. He gives several reasons why Jesus must increase, and he himself must decrease. I. THE ORIGIN OF JESUS . "He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth." 1 . Jesus belongs to heaven ; the Baptist to the earth. 2 . Jesus is above all servants of God ; the Baptist is one of his servants. 3 . Jesus must ever eclipse all his... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - John 3:30

He must increase - his authority and influence among the people must grow. 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... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:22-36

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:23-30

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:25-30

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:27-32

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:30

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:30

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:31

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:31-36

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:31-36

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - John 3:30

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