John 1:15

Ἰωάννης μαρτυρεῖ … πρῶτός μοῦ ἦν. At first sight this verse seems an irrelevant interpolation thrust in between the πλήρης of John 1:14 and the. πλήρωμα of John 1:16. Euthymius gives the connection: εἰ καὶ μὴ ἐγώ, φησι, δοκῶ τισιν ἴσως ἀξιόπισ · τος, ἀλλὰ πρὸ ἐμοῦ ὁ Ἰωάννης μαρτυρεῖ περὶ τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ · Ἰωάννης ἐκεῖνος οὗ τὸ ὄνομα μέγα καὶ περιβόητον παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς Ἰονδαίοις. “John witnesses and cries, saying οὗτος ἦν ὃν εἶπον. This was He of whom I said ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος,” etc. This testimony was given to Andrew and John, John 1:30; but when the previous “saying” occurred we do not know, unless it be referred to the answer to the authorities, John 1:27. The meaning of the testimony will be considered in the next section of the Gospel, which is entitled “The Testimony of John”.