John 3:28

You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’

World English Bible

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Other translations

WEBBE

You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’

BSB

You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’

KJV

Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

ASV

Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him.

BBE

You yourselves give witness that I said, I am not the Christ. What I said was, I am sent before the Christ.

Original Greek

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αὐτοὶ autoi Yourselves G846 ὑμεῖς humeis you yourselves G4771 μοι moi to me G3165 μαρτυρεῖτε martureite bear witness G3140 ὅτι hoti that G3754 εἶπον eipon I said G2036 ὅτι hoti that G3754 ἐγώ egō I myself G1473 οὐκ ouk Not G3756 εἰμὶ eimi am G1510 ἐγὼ egō I myself G1473 ὁ ho the G3588 χριστός christos Christ G5547 ἀλλ all᾽ but G235 ὅτι hoti for G3754 ἀπεσταλμένος apestalmenos sent G649 εἰμὶ eimi I am G1510 ἔμπροσθεν emprosthen before G1715 ἐκείνου.¶ ekeinou Him G1565

The early church

"Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him." "If then ye hold to my testimony, (and ye even now produce it when ye say, 'to whom thou barest witness,') He is not only not diminished by receiving my witness, but rather is increased by it; besides, the testimony was not mine, but God's. So that if I seem to you to be trustworthy, I said this among other things, that 'I am sent before Him.'" Seest thou how he shows little by little that this Voice was divine? For what he saith is of this kind: "I am a servant, and say the words of Him that sent me, not flattering Christ through human favor, but serving His Father who sent me. I gave not the testimony as a gift, but what I was sent to speak, I spake. Do not then because of this suppose that I am great, for it shows that He is great. He is Lord of all things."

John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on John

"Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ." Thou art not the Christ; but what if thou art greater than He since thou didst baptize Him? "I am sent:" I am the herald, He is the Judge.

Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Tractates on John

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 22–36

John was fully satisfied with the place and work assigned him; but Jesus came on a more important work. He also knew that Jesus would increase in honour and influence, for of his government and peace there would be no end, while he himself would be less followed. John knew that Jesus came from heaven as the Son of God, while he was a sinful, mortal man, who could only speak about the more plain subjects of religion. The words of Jesus were the words of God; he had the Spirit, not by measure, as the prophets, but in all fulness. Everlasting life could only be had by faith in Him, and might be thus obtained; whereas all those, who believe not in the Son of God, cannot partake of salvation, but the wrath of God for ever rests upon them.

Read Matthew Henry on John 3 →

Cross-references

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Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.