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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John 3: ESV
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Yochanan 3
3
1Now there was a man of the Perushim. His name was Rav Nakdimon, a#3:1 Sanhedrist katzin (leader) of the Yehudim.
2This one came to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach under cover of lailah and said to him, Rabbi, we have da'as that you are a moreh from Hashem having come, for no one is able these otot (miraculous signs) to do, which you do, unless Hashem is with him.
3In reply, he said to him, Omein, omein, I say to you, unless someone is born anew,#3:3 born again, Jn 1:13; Dt 10:16; 30:6; Jer 4:4; Isa 52:1; Ezek 44:7,9 he is not able to see the Malchut Hashem.
4Rav Nakdimon says to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, How is a man, being old, able to be born? Surely he is not able into the womb of immo a second time to enter and to be born?
5In reply, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, Omein, omein, I say to you: unless someone is born of mayim#3:5 Ps 36:9 [10] and Ruach Hakodesh,#3:5 Ezek 36:25-27; 37:14 he is not able to enter into the Malchut Hashem.#3:5 Lk 17:21
6That which is born of basar is basar, and that which is born of the Ruach is ruach.
7Do not marvel that I said to you, It is necessary for you to be born again, born anew.
8The ruach (wind, Spirit) blows where it wishes, and the sound of it you hear, but you do not have da'as of where it comes from and where it goes;#3:8 Koh 11:5 so it is with everyone having been born of the Ruach Hakodesh.#3:8 Ezek 37:9
9In reply, Rav Nakdimon said to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, How is it possible for these things to happen?
10In reply, he said to him, You hold the teaching office of rabbi, of moreh b'Yisroel and of these things you do not have da'as?
11Omein, omein, I say to you, that of which we have da'as we speak, and of that which we have seen, we give solemn edut (testimony), and the solemn edut of us you [pl.] do not receive.
12If I told you [pl.] about things of the Olam Hazeh and you have no emunah, how will you have emunah if I tell you about the things of the Olam Haba?
13And no one has ascended into Shomayim except the one having descended out of Shomayim, the Bar Enosh.#3:13 Dan 7:13-14; Prov 30:4; Dt 30:12
14And as Moshe lifted up the nachash in the wilderness,#3:14 Num 21:8-9 so it is necessary for there to be a hagbah (lifting up) of the Bar Enosh.#3:14 Ps 22; Isa 53
15That everyone having emunah#3:15 Gn 15:1-6; Num 14:11; Ex 14:31 in him may have Chayyei Olam.#3:15 Dan 12:2; Isa 52:13
16For Hashem so had ahavah (agape) for the Olam Hazeh that Hashem gave the matanah (gift)#3:16 Isa 9:6 [5] of Hashemʼs Ben Yechid,#3:16 Gn 22:12; Prov 30:4; 8:30 so that whosoever has emunah in him may not be ne'evad (lost, perish, be ruined with destruction), but find Chayyei Olam.#3:16 Dan 12:2
17For Hashem did not send the Ben HaElohim into the Olam Hazeh that he might judge the Olam Hazeh, but that the Olam Hazeh might be brought to the Geulah (Redemption) of the Olam Haba through him (Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach).#3:17 Isa 53:11
18The one of emunah who is mekabel Moshiach (accepting the person of the Bar Enosh, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach) is not judged; but the one without emunah who is not mekabel Moshiach, already has been judged and given the psak din (verdict) of “condemned,” because he has no emunah in the Shem of the Ben Yachid of Hashem.
19And this is the psak din, that the Ohr has come into the Olam Hazeh, and Bnei Adam had ahavah for the choshech rather than for the Ohr, for their ma'asim were ra'im (evil).#3:19 Ps 52:3
20For everyone walking in the derech resha'im has sin'as chinom (baseless hatred) for the Ohr and does not come to the Ohr, lest his ma'asim be exposed.#3:20 Ps 1:6; Job 24:13-17
21But the one doing HaEmes comes to the Ohr that his ma'asim hamitzot may be manifested, that they have been wrought in Hashem.
22After these things Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach and his talmidim came into the land of Yehudah, and there he was staying with them and was giving the mikveh mayimʼs tevilah.
23And Yochanan was also giving the tevilah near Shalem at Einayim, because there was plenty of water there for a mikveh, and the Yehudim were coming and submitting to the tevilah.
24Yochanan had not yet been incarcerated in the beit hasohar (prison).
25There was then a discussion of Yochananʼs talmidim with one of the Yehudim about the subject of tohorah (purification).
26And they came to Yochanan and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Yarden, the one to whom you have given solemn edut, hinei, this one gives the mikveh mayimʼs tevilah and kol Bnei Adam come to him.
27In reply, Yochanan said, A man is not able to receive anything, unless it has been given to him from Shomayim.
28You yourselves stand as eidus (witness) to me, that I said I am not the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, but I have been sent gevorn forois before him (forerunner).#3:28 Mal 3:1
29The one having the Kallah (bride) is the Choson (Bridegroom),#3:29 i.e., Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach but the Shoshvin (the Chosonʼs best man), the one having stood and hearing him with simcha, rejoices because of the kol (voice) of the Choson (Bridegroom). Therefore, this simcha of mine has been made sheleimah (complete).
30It is necessary for that one#3:30 Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach to increase, but for me to decrease.
31The one coming from above (Moshiach) is over all; the one being from Olam Hazeh is of Olam Hazeh and of the Olam Hazeh he speaks; Hu Habah (He who comes),#3:31 i.e., Moshiach from Shomayim is over all.
32Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach gives solemn edut (testimony) to that which he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his eidus.
33The one who is mekabel Moshiachʼs eidus has thereby set his chotam of attestation that Hashem is Emes.
34For he whom Hashem sent speaks the Divrei Hashem, for He gives the Ruach Hakodesh without measure.#3:34 Isa 42:1
35Elohim HaAv (the Father) has ahavah (love) for HaBen#3:35 Prov 30:4; 8:30 and has given all things into his hand.
36The one with emunah in the Ben [HaElohim] has Chayyei Olam; but the one disobeying the Ben [HaElohim] will not see Chayyim, but the Charon Af Hashem remains on him.
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