He Must Increase

“A faithful minister will…never allow anything to be credited to him, or his office, which belongs to his divine Master. He will say like Paul, “we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus, the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.” (2 Cor. 4:5.) To commend Christ dying, and rising again for the ungodly–to make known Christ’s love and power to save sinners, this will be the main object of his ministry. “He must increase but I must decrease,” will be a ruling principle in all his preaching. He will be content that his own name be forgotten, so long as Christ crucified is exalted.”

J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts On the Gospels, Volume 2. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2007), 95-96.