¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts^(A) through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted^(B) and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,^(C) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep^(D) is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge^(E)—that you may be filled^(F) to the measure of all the fullness of God.^(G)

²⁰ Now to him who is able^(H) to do immeasurably more than all we ask^(I) or imagine, according to his power^(J) that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.^(K)

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John.^{(A) 7} He came as a witness to testify^(B) concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.^{(C) 8} He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

¹⁹ Now this was John’s^(A) testimony when the Jewish leaders^[a](B) in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. ²⁰ He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”^(C)

²¹ They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”^(D)

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”^(E)

He answered, “No.”

²² Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

²³ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness,^(F) ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”^[b](G)

²⁴ Now the Pharisees who had been sent ²⁵ questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

²⁶ “I baptize with^[c] water,”^(H) John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. ²⁷ He is the one who comes after me,^(I) the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”^(J)

²⁸ This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan,^(K) where John was baptizing.