John 3:28
in John 3You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him.
KJV
Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
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This verse in John 3
Commentary
15 notes on this verseHe brings his disciples to the recollection of the words which they have already often heard, partly reproving them rightly, as steeped in forgetfulness of things profitable, and slumbering in respect to this so most dread doctrine, partly persuading them to remember the Divine Scripture, as having been nourished in zeal for the knowledge of these things; Whom it preaches as the Christ to come, whom again as the Baptist the forerunner.
This site's exposition
A man can receive only what is given him from heaven
on John 3:27-28
John takes the complaint back to its source: every office a man holds is handed down from heaven. His own place and the greater place of Jesus come from the same hand. He points his disciples to what they had already heard him say at 1:20 and 1:23.
This site's exposition
am sent ahead of Him
John makes his disciples his witnesses, recalling 1:20. Cyril of Alexandria hears a rebuke for forgetting and a call to remember the Scriptures, which foretell both the Christ and His forerunner. Albert Barnes draws the plain inference: a man sent ahead ranks below the One he announces.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
A commentator
CyprianTreatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews · Written before 258.
proposed
That Christ is the Bridegroom, having the Church as His bride, from which spiritual children were to be born. In Joel: "Blow with the trumpet in Sion; sanctify a fast, and call a healing; assemble the people, sanctify the Church, gather the elders, collect the little ones that suck the breast; let the Bridegroom go forth of His chamber, and the bride out of her closet." Also in Jeremiah: "And I will take away from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of the joyous, and the voice of the glad; the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride." Also in the eighteenth Psalm: "And he is as a bridegroom going forth from his chamber; he exulted as a giant to run his course. From the height of heaven is his going forth, and his circuit even to the end of it; and there is nothing which is hid from his heat." Also in the Apocalypse: "Come, I will show thee the new bride, the Lamb's wife. And he took me in the Spirit to a great mountain, and he showed me the holy city Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God." Also in the Gospel according to John: "Ye are my witnesses, that I said to them who were sent from Jerusalem to me, that I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him. For he who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom is he who standeth and heareth him with joy, and rejoiceth because of the voice of the bridegroom." The mystery of this matter was shown in Jesus the son of Nave, when he was bidden to put his shoes from off him, doubt less because he himself was not the bridegroom. […]
"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."
"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.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then follows the difference of their offices, when he says, You yourselves are witnesses. As if to say: From the testimony which I bore to him, you can know the office committed to me by Christ: for You yourselves are witnesses, i.e., you can testify, …
"You yourselves," he says, "know that I testified about Him that He is greater than me." So then, if you fully accept my testimony, then know that He is more honorable than me, and my joy consists in everyone coming to Him.
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
"You yourselves bear me witness that I said: I am not the Christ": in chapter 1: "And he confessed, that I am not the Christ." "But that I am sent before him," as a voice before the Word; in chapter 1: "I am the voice …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Let it not be said that all Christ's followers are unlearned and ignorant men. The principles of the Pharisees, and the peculiarities of their sect, were directly contrary to the spirit of Christianity; yet there were some in whom even those high thoughts were cast down and brought into obedience to Christ. The grace of Christ is able to subdue the greatest opposition.
Ye yourselves bear me witness,.... In what they now said, and referred to, in describing Christ, as he to whom John bore witness; and he appeals to them for what he said in their presence, and before all the people in that testimony: that I said I am not the Christ; see Joh 1:19; wherefore, if he, who is the Christ, is now come, and teaches, and baptizes, and has the greatest number of followers, it is not to be wondered at; and much less to be envied; but rather to be rejoiced at.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Bear me witness - You remember that at first I told you I was not the Messiah. As he had been “witness” to Jesus - as he came for no other end but to point him out to the Jews, they ought not to suppose that he was his superior.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Ye bring me glad tidings of great joy. He must increase, but I must decrease; this, my joy, therefore is fulfilled." A man can receive, &c.--can assume nothing, that is, lawfully and with any success; that is, Every man has his work and sphere appointed him from above. Even Christ Himself came under this law (Heb 5:4).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
The one who comes from heaven is superior to all. He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. The one who has accepted his testimony has confirmed clearly that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit sparingly. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
The one who comes from heaven is superior to all. He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. The one who has accepted his testimony has confirmed clearly that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit sparingly. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him. On one account, this passage deserves the special attention of all devout readers of the Bible. It contains the last testimony of John the Baptist concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. That faithful man of God was the same at the end of his ministry that he was at the beginning. the same in his views of self—the same in his views of Christ. Happy is that church whose ministers are as steady, bold, and constant to one thing, as John the Baptist! We have, firstly, in these verses, a humbling example of the petty jealousies and party-spirit which may exist among professors of religion. We are told, that the disciples of John the Baptist were offended, because the ministry of Jesus began to attract more attention than that of their master. "They came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with you beyond Jordan, to whom you barest witness, behold the same baptizes, and all men come to him." The spirit exhibited in this complaint, is unhappily too common in the Churches of Christ. The succession of these complainers has never failed. There are never lacking religions professors who care far more for the increase of their own party, than for the increase of true Christianity; and who cannot rejoice in the spread of religion, if it spreads anywhere except within their own denomination.
The words behind it
18 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| αὐτοὶ | autoi | Yourselves | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὑμεῖς | humeis | you yourselves | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| μοι | moi | to me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| μαρτυρεῖτε | martureite | bear witness | G3140 → | 76 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| εἶπον | eipon | I said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| ὅτι· | hoti | that: | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | Not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| εἰμὶ | eimi | am | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἐγὼ | ego | I myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χριστός, | christos | Christ, | G5547 → | 523 times |
| ἀλλ᾽ | all᾽ | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | for | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| ἀπεσταλμένος | apestalmenos | sent | G649 → | 132 times |
| εἰμὶ | eimi | I am | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἔμπροσθεν | emprosthen | before | G1715 → | 48 times |
| ἐκείνου.¶ | ekeinou | Him. | G1565 → | 260 times |
αὐτοὶYourselves
autoiG846 →5565 times
ὑμεῖςyou yourselves
humeisG4771 →2973 times
μοιto me
moiG3165 →1936 times
μαρτυρεῖτεbear witness
martureiteG3140 →76 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
εἶπονI said
eiponG2036 →925 times
ὅτι·that:
hotiG3754 →1292 times
οὐκNot
oukG3756 →1664 times
εἰμὶam
eimiG1510 →2333 times
ἐγὼI myself
egoG1473 →839 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
χριστός,Christ,
christosG5547 →523 times
ἀλλ᾽but
all᾽G235 →635 times
ὅτιfor
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ἀπεσταλμένοςsent
apestalmenosG649 →132 times
εἰμὶI am
eimiG1510 →2333 times
ἔμπροσθενbefore
emprosthenG1715 →48 times
ἐκείνου.¶Him.
ekeinouG1565 →260 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 1:23John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
it leads to
- Isaiah 40:3–5
A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.
- Mark 1:3
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
- Matthew 3:3
This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
- Luke 3:4–6
as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.
- Luke 1:16–17
Many of the sons of Israel he will turn back to the Lord their God.
- Isaiah 40:3–5
Through
John 1:25asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 18:18
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.
- Deuteronomy 18:15
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.
- Deuteronomy 18:18
Through
John 1:20He did not refuse to confess, but openly declared, “I am not the Christ.”
it leads to
- Matthew 3:11–12
I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and…
- Matthew 3:11–12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies25
- Born of the Spirit
- The Bronze Serpent
- Entering the Kingdom
- Eternal Life
- Grumbling, the Opposite of Thanks
- Hard Questions in the Old Testament
Show the next 6 titles
About John
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on John 13; Bonaventure, Commentary on John, Chapter 3; Cyprian, Treatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews; Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book 2; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Gospel according to John; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of John 29; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on John and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John.