John 3
3
Jesus and Nicodemus
1There was a Jewish leader named Nicodemus, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees. 2One night he went to Jesus and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher sent by God. No one could perform the miracles you are doing unless God were with him.”
3Jesus answered, “I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again.”#3.3; 3.7 again; or from above.
4“How can a grown man be born again?” Nicodemus asked. “He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!”
5 “I am telling you the truth,” replied Jesus. “No one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit. 7Do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again.#3.7; 3.3 again; or from above. 8The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9“How can this be?” asked Nicodemus.
10Jesus answered, “You are a great teacher in Israel, and you don't know this? 11I am telling you the truth: we speak of what we know and report what we have seen, yet none of you is willing to accept our message. 12You do not believe me when I tell you about the things of this world; how will you ever believe me, then, when I tell you about the things of heaven? 13And no one has ever gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from heaven.”#3.13 The quotation may continue through verse 21.
14 #
Num 21.9
As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert, in the same way the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its saviour.
18 Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God's only Son. 19This is how the judgement works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. 20All those who do evil things hate the light and will not come to the light, because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up. 21But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God.
Jesus and John
22After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the province of Judea, where he spent some time with them and baptized. 23John also was baptizing in Aenon, not far from Salim, because there was plenty of water in that place. People were going to him, and he was baptizing them. 24#Mt 14.3; Mk 6.17; Lk 3.19–20(This was before John had been put in prison.)
25Some of John's disciples began arguing with a Jew#3.25 a Jew; some manuscripts have some Jews. about the matter of ritual washing. 26So they went to John and said, “Teacher, you remember the man who was with you on the east side of the Jordan, the one you spoke about? Well, he is baptizing now, and everyone is going to him!”
27John answered, “No one can have anything unless God gives it to him. 28#Jn 1.20You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.’ 29The bridegroom is the one to whom the bride belongs; but the bridegroom's friend, who stands by and listens, is glad when he hears the bridegroom's voice. This is how my own happiness is made complete. 30He must become more important while I become less important.”
He who Comes from Heaven
31He who comes from above is greater than all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly matters, but he who comes from heaven is above all. 32He tells what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his message. 33But whoever accepts his message confirms by this that God is truthful. 34The one whom God has sent speaks God's words, because God gives him the fullness of his Spirit. 35#Mt 11.27; Lk 10.22The Father loves his Son and has put everything in his power. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will remain under God's punishment.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
John 3
3
Nicodemus.#Jesus instructs Nicodemus on the necessity of a new birth from above. This scene in Jerusalem at Passover exemplifies the faith engendered by signs (Jn 2:23). It continues the self-manifestation of Jesus in Jerusalem begun in Jn 2. This is the first of the Johannine discourses, shifting from dialogue to monologue (Jn 3:11–15) to reflection of the evangelist (Jn 3:16–21). The shift from singular through Jn 3:10 to plural in Jn 3:11 may reflect the early church’s controversy with the Jews. 1#7:50–51; 19:39. Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.#A ruler of the Jews: most likely a member of the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin; see note on Mk 8:31. 2He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.”#9:4, 16, 33; 10:21; 11:10; 13:30; Mt 22:16; Mk 12:14; Lk 20:21. 3Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born#Born: see note on Jn 1:13. From above: the Greek adverb anōthen means both “from above” and “again.” Jesus means “from above” (see Jn 3:31) but Nicodemus misunderstands it as “again.” This misunderstanding serves as a springboard for further instruction. from above.” 4Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”#1:13. 5Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.#1:32; 7:39; 19:30, 34–35; Is 32:15; 44:3; Ez 36:25–27; Jl 3:1–2. 6What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit.#6:63; 1 Cor 15:44–50. 7Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 8The wind#Wind: the Greek word pneuma (as well as the Hebrew rûah) means both “wind” and “spirit.” In the play on the double meaning, “wind” is primary. blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”#Eccl 11:4–5; Acts 2:2–4. 9Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can this happen?” 10Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? 11Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony.#3:32, 34; 8:14; Mt 11:27. 12If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?#6:62–65; Wis 9:16–17; 1 Cor 15:40; 2 Cor 5:1; Phil 2:10; 3:19–20. 13No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.#1:18; 6:62; Dn 7:13; Rom 10:6; Eph 4:9. 14And just as Moses lifted up#Lifted up: in Nm 21:9, Moses simply “mounted” a serpent upon a pole. John here substitutes a verb implying glorification. Jesus, exalted to glory at his cross and resurrection, represents healing for all. the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,#8:28; 12:32, 34; Nm 21:4–9; Wis 16:5–7. 15#Eternal life: used here for the first time in John, this term stresses quality of life rather than duration. so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
16For God so loved the world that he gave#Gave: as a gift in the incarnation, and also “over to death” in the crucifixion; cf. Rom 8:32. his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.#1 Jn 4:9. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn#Condemn: the Greek root means both judgment and condemnation. Jesus’ purpose is to save, but his coming provokes judgment; some condemn themselves by turning from the light. the world, but that the world might be saved through him.#5:22, 30; 8:15–18; 12:47. 18Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.#5:24; Mk 16:16. 19#Judgment is not only future but is partially realized here and now. And this is the verdict,#1:5, 9–11; 8:12; 9:5. that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. 20For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.#Jb 24:13–17. 21But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.#Gn 47:29 LXX; Jos 2:14 LXX; 2 Sm 2:6 LXX; 15:20 LXX; Tb 4:6 LXX; 13:6; Is 26:10 LXX; Mt 5:14–16.
Final Witness of the Baptist. 22#Jesus’ ministry in Judea is only loosely connected with Jn 2:13–3:21; cf. Jn 1:19–36. Perhaps John the Baptist’s further testimony was transposed here to give meaning to “water” in Jn 3:5. Jesus is depicted as baptizing (Jn 3:22); contrast Jn 4:2. After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing.#4:1–2. 23John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim,#Aenon near Salim: site uncertain, either in the upper Jordan valley or in Samaria. because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized, 24#A remark probably intended to avoid objections based on a chronology like that of the synoptics (Mt 4:12; Mk 1:14). #Mt 4:12; 14:3; Mk 1:14; 6:17; Lk 3:20. for John had not yet been imprisoned. 25Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew#A Jew: some think Jesus is meant. Many manuscripts read “Jews.” about ceremonial washings. 26So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.”#1:26, 32–34, 36. 27John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven.#19:11; 1 Cor 4:7; 2 Cor 3:5; Heb 5:4. 28You yourselves can testify that I said [that] I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him.#1:20–23; Lk 3:15. 29The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man,#The best man: literally, “the friend of the groom,” the shoshben of Jewish tradition, who arranged the wedding. Competition between him and the groom would be unthinkable. who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete.#15:11; 17:13; Mt 9:15. 30He must increase; I must decrease.”#2 Sm 3:1.
The One from Heaven.#It is uncertain whether these are words by the Baptist, Jesus, or the evangelist. They are reflections on the two preceding scenes. 31The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven [is above all].#8:23. 32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.#3:11. 33Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.#8:26; 12:44–50; 1 Jn 5:10. 34For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift#His gift: of God or to Jesus, perhaps both. This verse echoes Jn 3:5, 8. of the Spirit. 35The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.#13:3; Mt 11:27; 28:18; Lk 10:22. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.#3:16; 1 Jn 5:13.
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