John 3
3
The New Birth
1Now there was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (member of the Sanhedrin) among the Jews, 2who came to Jesus at night and said to Him, “Rabbi (Teacher), we know [without any doubt] that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs [these wonders, these attesting miracles] that You do unless God is with him.” 3Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified],he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.”
4Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” 5Jesus answered, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God. [Ezek 36:25-27] 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh [the physical is merely physical], and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not be surprised that I have told you, ‘You must be born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].’ 8The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be possible?” 10Jesus replied, “You are the [great and well-known] teacher of Israel, and yet you do not know nor understand these things [from Scripture]? 11I assure you and most solemnly say to you, we speak only of what we [absolutely] know and testify about what we have [actually] seen [as eyewitnesses]; and [still] you [reject our evidence and] do not accept our testimony. 12If I told you earthly things [that is, things that happen right here on earth] and you do not believe, how will you believe and trust Me if I tell you heavenly things? 13No one has gone up into heaven, but there is One who came down from heaven, the Son of Man [Himself—whose home is in heaven]. 14Just as Moses lifted up the [bronze] serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross], [Num 21:9] 15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life [after physical death, and will actually live forever].
16 “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] #3:16 Jesus, God’s only Son, the One who is truly unique, the only one of His kind.only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. 18Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because #3:18 The Greek refers to an unsaved person who has made the decision not to believe in the Son, Jesus Christ, that is, not to accept the salvation offered by the Son and commit to follow Him. Such a person stands condemned by God unless he changes his mind.he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him]. 19This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the #3:19 See note 1:5.darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. [Is 5:20] 20For every wrongdoer hates the Light, and does not come to the Light [but shrinks from it] for fear that his [sinful, worthless] activities will be exposed and condemned. 21But whoever practices truth [and does what is right—morally, ethically, spiritually] comes to the Light, so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are—accomplished in God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence on Him].”
John’s Last Testimony
22After these things Jesus and His disciples went into the land of Judea, and there He spent time with them and baptized. [John 4:1, 2] 23Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there; and people were coming and were being baptized— 24for John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25Therefore there arose a controversy between John’s disciples and a Jew in regard to #3:25 An immersion baptism was one of the requirements for a convert to Judaism, and John the Baptist had most likely taken over the ritual, giving it new meaning in his own ministry. Jewish tradition specified that there had to be enough water to completely cover a person, and that it had to be collected naturally.purification (ceremonial washing). 26So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi (Teacher), the Man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan [at the Jordan River crossing]—and to whom you have testified—look, He is baptizing too, and everyone is going to Him!” 27John replied, “A man can receive nothing [he can claim nothing at all] unless it has been granted to him from heaven [for there is no other source than the sovereign will of God]. 28You yourselves are my witnesses that I stated, ‘I am not the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed),’ but, ‘I have [only] been sent ahead of Him [as His appointed forerunner and messenger to announce and proclaim His coming].’ [Mal 3:1] 29He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens to him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this pleasure and joy of mine is now complete. [Song 5:1] 30He must increase [in prominence], but I must decrease. [Is 9:7]
31“He who comes from [heaven] above is above all others; he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks [about things] of the earth [his viewpoint and experience are earthly]. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32What He has [actually] seen and heard, of that He testifies; and yet no one accepts His testimony [as true]. 33Whoever receives His testimony has set his seal [of approval] to this: God is true [and he knows that God cannot lie]. 34For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God [proclaiming the Father’s own message]; for God gives the [gift of the] Spirit without measure [generously and boundlessly]! [Deut 18:18] 35The Father loves the Son and has given and entrusted all things into His hand. [Dan 7:14] 36He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him [as Savior] has eternal life [that is, already possesses it]; but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, [disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior] will not see [eternal] life, but [instead] the wrath of God hangs over him continually.” [Heb 3:18]
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Yoḥanan (John) 3
3
1And there was a man of the Pharisees, Naḵdimon was his name, a ruler of the Yehuḏim.
2This one came to יהושע by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from Elohim, for no one is able to do these signs You do if Elohim is not with him.”
3יהושע answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he is unable to see#Or perceive the reign of Elohim.”
4Naḵdimon said to Him, “How is a man able to be born when he is old? Is he able to enter into his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
5יהושע answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he is unable to enter into the reign of Elohim.
6“That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit.
7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You have to be born from above.’ ”
8The wind#Wind and Spirit have the same underlying Hebrew and Greek words. blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who has been born of the Spirit.”
9Naḵdimon answered and said to Him, “How is it possible for this to take place?”
10יהושע answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Yisra’ĕl, and do not know this?
11“Truly, truly, I say to you, We speak what We know and witness what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.
12If you do not believe when I spoke to you about earthly matters, how are you going to believe when I speak to you about the heavenly matters?”
13“And no one has gone up into the heaven except He who came down from the heaven – the Son of Aḏam.
14And as Mosheh lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so the Son of Aḏam has to be lifted up,”
15so that whoever is believing in Him should not perish but possess everlasting life.
16“For Elohim so loved the world that He gave His only brought-forth Son, so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish but possess everlasting life.
17“For Elohim did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18“He who believes in Him is not judged, but he who does not believe is judged already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only brought-forth Son of Elohim.
19“And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were wicked.
20For everyone who is practising evil matters hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
21But the one doing the truth comes to the light, so that his works are clearly seen, that they have been wrought in Elohim.
22After this, יהושע and His taught ones came into the land of Yehuḏah, and He remained there with them, and was immersing.
23And Yoḥanan was also immersing in Ayin near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. And they were coming and were being immersed,
24for Yoḥanan had not yet been put into prison.
25Then a dispute arose between some of Yoḥanan’s taught ones and the Yehuḏim about cleansing,
26and they came to Yoḥanan and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Yardĕn, to whom you have witnessed, see, He is immersing, and all are coming to Him!”
27Yoḥanan answered and said, “No man is able to receive any matter unless it is given to him from the heaven.
28“You yourselves are witnesses for me that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but I am sent ahead of Him.’
29“He that has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the voice of the bridegroom. So this joy of mine is complete.
30“It is right for Him to increase, but me to decrease.
31“He who comes from above is over all, he who is from the earth is of the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from the heaven is over all.
32“And what He has seen and heard, that He witnesses. And no one receives His witness.
33“He who receives His witness has set his seal that Elohim is true.
34“For He whom Elohim has sent speaks the Words of Elohim, for Elohim does not give the Spirit by measure.
35“The Father loves the Son, and has given all into His hand.
36He who believes in the Son possesses everlasting life, but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of Elohim remains on him.
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