<p>3:30- see on Eph. 3:8.</p><p><i>He must increase but I must decrease</i>- John is surely alluding to the LXX of Is. 9:7: &quot;Of the increase of his kingdom and peace there shall be no end, sitting upon the throne of David&quot;. John naturally hoped that Israel would indeed accept the Lord Jesus, and thus the glory could come to Zion over the road John the Baptist had prepared. This was not to be, although ultimately the eternal increase of His Kingdom shall indeed come upon this earth. And the prospect of that Kingdom should lead us to proclaim with thankfulness that &quot;I must decrease&quot;. The things of His Kingdom and Name, which we profess faith in through accepting the Gospel, shall then be all and in all. Whilst we as persons shall eternally exist in our own unique form, the &quot;I&quot;, the unpleasant ego, shall be no more. John was deeply mindful of his weaknesses and perhaps he had this ego in view.</p>