He who comes after me is above me because He existed before me. We have
all received of His fullness, grace for grace. For the law was given by
Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man has seen God at
any time. The only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has revealed
Him.
And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites
from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? He confessed and did not deny,
I am not the Christ. They asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? He
said, I am not. Art thou that prophet? He answered, No. Then they said
to him, Who art thou that we may give an answer to those who sent us?
What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in
the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as was said by the
prophet Isaiah. Those sent by the Pharisees asked him, Then why do you
baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elias or that prophet?
John answered, I baptize with water, but one stands among you whom you
do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is above me and whose foot
straps I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara
beyond Jordan where John was baptizing.
When John saw Jesus coming toward him, he said, Behold the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world. This is He of whom I said, After
me comes a man who is above me because He was before me.
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