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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"He must increase, but I must decrease." That is to say, "What is mine has now come to a stand, and has henceforth ceased, but what is His increaseth; for that which ye fear shall not be now only, but much more as it advances. And it is this especially which shows what is mine the brighter! …
Cyril of Alexandria
He convicts his disciples of being yet troubled about trifles, and of taking unseasonable offence at what they by no means ought, and of not yet knowing accurately, Who and whence Emmanuel is. For not thus far, saith he, shall His Deeds be marvelled at, nor because more are baptized by Him, shall He for this alone surpass my honour, but He shall attain to so great a measure of honour, as befitteth God. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
"My work," he says, "is finished, and I have handed the people over to Him. Therefore my glory must decrease, while His must increase." How then does the Forerunner's glory decrease? Just as the morning star is obscured by the sun and it seems to many that its light has been extinguished, though in reality it has not been extinguished but is obscured by a greater light; so, without a doubt, the morning star of the Forerunner is covered by the noetic Sun, and therefore he is said to decrease. …
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
"He must increase, but I must decrease." What is this? He must be exalted, but I must be humbled. How is Jesus to increase? How is God to increase? The perfect does not increase. God neither increases nor decreases. For if He increases, He is not perfect; if He decreases, he is not God. And how can Jesus increase, being God? …
Gregory the Dialogist
And he adds: "He must increase, but I must decrease." In this matter we must ask in what way Christ increased and in what way John decreased, unless it be that the people, seeing John's abstinence and observing that he was withdrawn from men, thought he was Christ; but seeing Christ eating with tax collectors and walking among sinners, they believed he was not Christ but a prophet. …
Bede
The crowd believed that [John] was the Christ because of the greatness of his power, while some people supposed that our Lord was not the Christ but a prophet because of the weakness of his flesh. John himself revealed the secret meaning of this difference.… Our Lord increased because it became known to believers throughout the entire world that he who was believed to be a prophet was the Christ. …
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