[John 3]

 

             {Joh 3:1-21; no parallel.}

             ^3:1 Now there was a man from the Pharisees, his name was Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ^3:2 This one came to him by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for^* no one is able to do^* these signs which you are doing^*, if God is not with him.

{NOTE: The Greek word here is ἄνωθεν (anōthen). It has two meanings at the same time: "from above" (meaning from God/heaven) and "from the start" (meaning over again from the beginning). Jesus used this word on purpose. Nicodemus only heard "from the start" and thought Jesus meant crawling back into your mother's womb (v.4), which is why his question sounds foolish. Jesus meant "from above" — a spiritual birth that comes down from God. The inspired writers could have used a different Greek word if they only meant one thing. They did not.}

 

{NOTE: ἄνωθεν means both "from above" and "from the start." Jesus used both meanings intentionally. Nicodemus only heard "from the start" (v.4), missing the point entirely. Both verses together show the wordplay.}

 

             ^3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Assuredly, assuredly, I am saying to you, If someone has not been born from above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God.

             ^3:4 Nicodemus says to him, How is a man able to be born, being elderly? He is not able to enter into his mother’s womb a second-time and to be born again, is he?

             ^3:5 Jesus answered, Assuredly, assuredly, I am saying to you, If someone has not been born out-of water and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God! ^3:6 What has been born out-of the flesh is flesh, and what has been born out-of the Spirit is spirit. ^3:7 Do not marvel that I said to you, It is essential for you^° to be born from the start. ^3:8 The Spirit is blowing where he wills and you hear his voice, but do not know from where he is coming and where he is proceeding-away, so is everyone who has been born from the Spirit.

             ^3:9 Nicodemus answered and said to him, How are these things able to happen?

             ^3:10 Jesus answered and said to him, Are you the teacher of Israel and do not know these things? ^3:11 Assuredly, assuredly, I am saying to you, We speak what we know, and testify from what we have seen, and you^° do not receive our testimony. ^3:12 If I told you^° the earthly things and you^° do not believe, how will you^° believe if I should tell you^° the heavenly things? ^3:13 And no one has ascended into heaven, except he who descended from heaven, that is, the Son of Man, who is in heaven. ^3:14 And just-as Moses exalted the serpent in the wilderness, so it is essential for the Son of Man to also be exalted; ^3:15 in-order-that everyone who believes in him might not perish but may have everlasting life.

 

             ^3:16 For^* thus God loved^* the world, so-that he gave his only begotten Son, in-order-that everyone who believes in him might not perish, but may have everlasting life. ^3:17 For^* God did not send the Son into the world in-order-that he might judge the world, but in-order-that the world might be saved through him. ^3:18 He who believes in him is not judged. But he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed into the name of the only begotten Son of God.

             ^3:19 Now 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 evil. ^3:20 For^* everyone who is practicing evil, hates the light, and is not coming to the light, in-order-that his works should not convict him. ^3:21 But he who practices the truth comes to the light, in-order-that his works should be manifest, that they have been worked in God.

 

             {Joh 3:22-36 Judea and Aenon; no parallel.}

             ^3:22 After these things, Jesus and his disciples came into the land of Judea, and he was staying with them and was immersing^* there. ^3:23 Now John was also immersing^* in Aenon near Salem, because many waters {i.e., ponds} were there, and they were coming^* and were being immersed^*. ^3:24 For^* John was not yet being put into prison. ^3:25 Therefore, it happened that a debate arose from John’s disciples with a Jew concerning the cleansing. ^3:26 And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you on the other-side of the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, this one is immersing^* and everyone is going to him.

             ^3:27 John answered and said, A man is able to receive nothing, if it is not given to him from heaven. ^3:28 You^° yourselves testify, I said, I am not the Christ, but, I have been sent before that one. ^3:29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, who is standing and hearing him, rejoices with joy because of the voice of the bridegroom. Therefore, in this, my joy has been fulfilled. ^3:30 It is essential for that one to grow, but for me to be diminished.

 

             ^3:31 He who is coming from above is over all. He who is from the earth is from the earth and speaks from the earth. He who is coming from heaven is over all. ^3:32 And what he has seen and heard, he is testifying of this, and no one receives his testimony. ^3:33 He who received his testimony sealed this: that God is true^*. ^3:34 For^* he whom God sent speaks the words of God; for^* God does not give the Spirit by measure. ^3:35 The Father loves^* the Son, and has given all things into his hand. ^3:36 The one believing into the Son has everlasting life, but the one who is disobedient to the Son will not be seeing life, but the wrath of God is remaining upon him.