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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - John 3:25 - 3:30
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh_3:25-30
25Therefore there arose a discussion on the part of John's disciples with a Jew about purification. 26And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him." 27John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. 28"You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent ahead of Him.' 29"He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. 30"He must increase, but I must decrease.
Joh_3:25 "there arose a discussion on the part of John's disciples with a Jew" "Discussion" (NASB, NRSV, NJB) is a strong term for "controversy" or "confrontation." Some Greek manuscripts have the plural "Jews." The ancient Greek manuscripts are equally divided. Because the singular is more unusual (i.e., MSS P25, à 2, A, B, L, W), it is probably original. UBS4 gives it a "B" rating (almost certain). The tendency of the ancient scribes was to harmonize and smooth out the text. It is also interesting to note that John's disciples probably instigated this argument.
NASB, NKJV,
NRSV, NJB "about purification"
TEV "the matter of ritual washing"
There have been several theories about the focus of this dispute (NKJV).
1. it is possible that John's followers were discussing the relationship between the baptisms of John and Jesus as they related to the Jewish tradition of washings; the same term is used in Joh_2:6.
2. some believe it relates to the immediate context where Jesus was teaching that His life and ministry totally fulfilled Judaism
a. Joh_2:1-12, the wedding feast of Cana
b. Joh_2:13-22, the cleansing of the temple
c. Joh_3:1-21, the discussion with Nicodemus, the ruler of the Jews
d. Joh_3:22-36, the washings of the Jews and the baptisms of John the Baptist and Jesus.
The fact that the context does not expand specifically on this particular discussion highlights the fact that it gave another opportunity for John the Baptist to witness about the supremacy of Jesus of Nazareth.
Joh_3:26 "to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him" The disciples remembered John's earlier testimony about the Lamb of God (cf. Joh_1:19-36), and they are apparently a little envious over the success (hyperbole) of Jesus. Jesus was also sensitive to any spirit of competition (cf. Joh_4:1).
Joh_3:27 "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven" This is a very straightforward affirmation that there is no competition in spiritual matters. Everything believers have is given to them by the grace of God. However, there has been much discussion as to the meaning of "it" and "him."
1. some say "him" refers to the believer and "it" refers to one coming to Christ for salvation (God initiates, humans can only respond, cf. Joh_6:44; Joh_6:65)
2. others believe the "him" refers to Jesus and the "it" refers to believers (cf. Joh_6:39; Joh_10:29; Joh_17:2; Joh_17:9; Joh_17:11; Joh_17:24)
The difference between these two views would be that the term "given" refers either to the salvation of the individual believer or that all believers themselves are a gift from God to Jesus (cf. Joh_17:2).
Joh_3:28 "I am not the Christ" John the Baptist affirms specifically, as he did in Joh_1:20, that he is not the Messiah, but the forerunner. This is an obvious allusion to the prophetic passages of Mal_3:1; Mal_4:5-6, combined with Isaiah 40 (cf. Joh_1:23). See note on "Messiah" at Joh_1:20 and Special Topic at Joh_4:25.
Joh_3:29 "He who has the bride is the bridegroom" It is striking that there are so many OT allusions to this marriage metaphor describing the relationship between God and Israel (cf. Isa_54:5; Isa_62:4-5; Jer_2:2; Jer_3:20; Eze_16:8; Eze_23:4; Hos_2:21). Paul also uses it in Eph_5:22 ff. Christian marriage may be the best modern example of a covenant relationship.
▣ "So this joy of mine has been made full" The noun "joy" and verb "rejoice" are used three times in this verse. Instead of having a competitive spirit, John the Baptist obviously recognized his place and rejoiced in Jesus.
Joh_3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease" The term "must" (dei) here is significant. It has already been used in Joh_3:14; Joh_4:4. It is a strong affirmation of John's understanding of himself as simply a forerunner of the greater and more significant ministry of Jesus.