John 3
3
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
1Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.#3:3 The Greek for again also means from above; also in verse 7.”
4“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit#3:6 Or but spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You#3:7 The Greek is plural. must be born again.’ 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”#3:8 The Greek for Spirit is the same as that for wind.
9“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.#3:13 Some manuscripts Man, who is in heaven 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,#3:14 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted. 15that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”#3:15 Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 21.
16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
John Testifies Again About Jesus
22After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24(This was before John was put in prison.) 25An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
27To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30He must become greater; I must become less.”#3:30 Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 36.
31The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God#3:34 Greek he gives the Spirit without limit. 35The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
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John 3: NIV
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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John 3
3
You Must Be Born Again
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named #ch. 7:50; 19:39 Nicodemus, #See Luke 24:20a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus#3:2 Greek him #[ch. 12:42] by night and said to him, #See ch. 1:38 “Rabbi, #[ch. 9:29; Matt. 22:16] we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do #Acts 10:38; [ch. 5:36; 9:33; Acts 2:22]unless God is with him.” 3Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is #See ch. 1:13 born #[2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15; 1 Pet. 1:3, 23] again#3:3 Or from above; the Greek is purposely ambiguous and can mean both again and from above; also verse 7 he cannot #ver. 36see the kingdom of God.” 4Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born #[Ezek. 36:25-27; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Eph. 5:26; Titus 3:5; Heb. 10:22]of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6#1 Cor. 15:50 That which is born of the flesh is #ch. 6:63flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.#3:6 The same Greek word means both wind and spirit 7#ch. 5:28 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You#3:7 The Greek for you is plural here must be born #See ver. 3again.’ 8#[Eccles. 11:5; Ezek. 37:9] The wind#3:8 The same Greek word means both wind and spirit blows #1 Cor. 12:11where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9Nicodemus said to him, #ch. 6:52, 60“How can these things be?” 10Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel #[ch. 9:30]and yet you do not understand these things? 11Truly, truly, I say to you, #See ver. 32we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but #See ver. 32you#3:11 The Greek for you is plural here; also four times in verse 12 do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13#Prov. 30:4; [Acts 2:34; Eph. 4:9] No one has #[ch. 7:34] ascended into heaven except #ver. 31; ch. 6:38, 42, 62; 1 Cor. 15:47; [Rom. 10:6]he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.#3:13 Some manuscripts add who is in heaven 14And #Num. 21:9 as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man #ch. 8:28; 12:32, 34be lifted up, 15that whoever believes #[ch. 15:4; 16:33; 1 John 5:12, 20] in him #ver. 36may have eternal life.#3:15 Some interpreters hold that the quotation ends at verse 15
For God So Loved the World
16 “For #
Rom. 5:8; Eph. 2:4; 2 Thess. 2:16; 1 John 3:1; 4:9, 10 God so loved # See ch. 1:29 the world, # 3:16 Or For this is how God loved the world #
Rom. 8:32 that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not # ch. 10:28 perish but have eternal life. 17For #ch. 5:36, 38; 6:29, 57; 7:29; 8:42; 10:36; 11:42; 17:3; 20:21; Rom. 8:3; 1 John 4:9, 10, 14 God did not send his Son into the world #ch. 5:45; 8:15; 12:47to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18#ch. 5:24; [Mark 16:16] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not #See 1 John 5:13believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19#[ch. 9:39] And this is the judgment: #See ch. 1:4, 5, 9 the light has come into the world, and #[Isa. 30:10; Jer. 5:31] people loved the darkness rather than the light because #ch. 7:7their works were evil. 20#[Job 24:13; Rom. 13:12; Eph. 5:13] For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, #Eph. 5:11, 13lest his works should be exposed. 21But whoever #1 John 1:6 does what is true #Ps. 139:23, 24comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
John the Baptist Exalts Christ
22After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and #ver. 26; ch. 4:1, 2was baptizing. 23John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24(for #[ch. 5:35]; See Matt. 4:12John had not yet been put in prison).
25Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over #ch. 2:6purification. 26And they came to John and said to him, #ver. 2 “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, #See ch. 1:7 to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and #ch. 12:19all are going to him.” 27John answered, #1 Cor. 4:7; Heb. 5:4 “A person cannot receive even one thing #ch. 6:65; [James 1:17] unless it is given him #See Matt. 21:25from heaven. 28You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, #See ch. 1:20 ‘I am not the Christ, but #Mal. 3:1; Mark 1:2; Luke 1:17; Acts 19:4I have been sent before him.’ 29#See Matt. 25:1 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. #Judg. 14:20; Song 5:1 The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, #Matt. 9:15rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30#Matt. 3:11He must increase, but I must decrease.”#3:30 Some interpreters hold that the quotation continues through verse 36
31 # ch. 8:23 He who comes from above #Rom. 9:5; Eph. 1:21 is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and #[1 John 4:5] speaks in an earthly way. #See ver. 13He who comes from heaven #Rom. 9:5; Eph. 1:21 is above all. 32#ver. 11 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, #[ver. 19; ch. 1:11; 5:43; 12:37]yet no one receives his testimony. 33Whoever receives his testimony #[ch. 6:27; 2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13; Rev. 7:3-8] sets his seal to this, #[1 John 5:10]that God is true. 34For he whom #See ver. 17 God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit #[Ezek. 4:11, 16]without measure. 35#See ch. 5:20 The Father loves the Son and #See Matt. 28:18has given all things into his hand. 36#ver. 15, 16; ch. 5:24; 6:40, 47, 54; 1 John 5:12, 13; [ch. 11:25, 26; 20:31]; See Matt. 19:16 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; #[Rom. 2:8; Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:6] whoever does not obey the Son shall not #ver. 3see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
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