John 3:1
Ἦν δὲ ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τῶν Φαρισαίων, Νικόδημος ὄνομα αὐτῷ, ἄρχων τῶν Ἰουδαίων·
Now there was a man from the Pharisees, his name was Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
Paraphrase: Now this might raise a question in your minds. If these people (John 2:23-24) had a kind of faith in Jesus and yet this was not saving faith, what makes the difference? From where does true, saving faith come? To help you understand this, let me tell you the story of Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus. Most of you will recognize the name, since Nicodemus was quite high in the Jewish leadership. (John 7:50) He was also a card carrying member of the Pharisees.
Comments:
Top left of p123: “The night discourse with Nicodemus is the locus classicus on the new birth, as the indispensable condition of admission into the kingdom of God. It occupies a position in the Gospel of John, similar to that which the Sermon on the Mount does in the Gospel of Matthew.”
It’s an interesting question of determining John’s purpose for including this narrative here. Is John providing an example of one of the shallow believers from John 2:23? Is this an example of Jesus’ knowing the hearts of men? (John 2:25)
On Nicodemus, see the very interesting speculations of Lightfoot.
John 3:2
οὗτος ἦλθεν πρὸς αὐτὸν νυκτὸς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ῥαββί, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἐλήλυθας διδάσκαλος· οὐδεὶς γὰρ δύναται ταῦτα τὰ σημεῖα ποιεῖν ἃ σὺ ποιεῖς, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ ὁ θεὸς μετ’ αὐτοῦ.
This one came to him by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that from God you have come, a teacher. For no one is able these signs to do which you do unless God might be with Him.”
Paraphrase: Now Nicodemus was one of those who had begun to believe Jesus and to take an interest in His teaching. (John 2:23-24) One evening, he paid a visit to Jesus. It was quite late when he came; the sun had already set. (John 12:42) The wind was also picking up. (John 3:8) In spite of the late hour, Jesus received him graciously. “Teacher,” said Nicodemus, “As you well know, there is a lot of conversation and discussion about You and the things You teach. For myself, it is clear that you have come from God since no one could do the miracles which you are doing unless he had his mission and authority directly from God Himself.”
Comments:
For διδάσκαλος, see object complement.
For εαν, see conditions.
John 3:3
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν, οὐ δύναται ἰδεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ.
Jesus answered and said to him, “Verily, verily I say to you, unless anyone might be born from above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God.
Paraphrase: Jesus stopped him. “Listen,” He said, “The first truth you need to understand is that no one can enter God’s kingdom unless they are completely remade from the inside out. (Luke 17:20) It is not physical birth or ethnicity that gets one into God’s kingdom as you Jews teach. Nor am I talking about turning over a new leaf or getting rid of some bad habits. I am talking about a completely new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15) It is a spiritual new birth by which a person is completely reborn as a new and different person. Without this, no one can even approach the entrance to God’s kingdom.
Comments:
Gilbert (middle of left column on p935): Again, the popular conception of the kingdom of heaven in the time of Jesus was thoroughly political and national. This is made plain by the Gospel. Thus, e.g., the third temptation of Jesus presupposes that people thought of the kingdom as a political organism. For the suggestion that Jesus might secure all the kingdoms of the world and their glory—He a carpenter from the little town of Nazareth, poor and as yet without a follower—would have been psychologically impossible, had not the popular view associated world-wide political dominion with Messiahship; and it would not have been a temptation of any power to the mind of Jesus, had it not been deeply rooted in the Jewish heart, and had it not seemed to have strong support in the OT itself. The Fourth Evangelist tells us that after the miracle of feeding the five thousand, Jesus perceived that the people were about to make Him king (John 6:15). This word is capable only of a political meaning in this place, and therefore shows that the Galilean idea of the kingdom was political. The character and strength of the popular view are seen in the request of Salome, seconded by James and John (Mark 10:37), and in the question of the disciples who, after the resurrection, asked the Lord if He would now restore the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6).
John 3:4
λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Νικόδημος· Πῶς δύναται ἄνθρωπος γεννηθῆναι γέρων ὤν; μὴ δύναται εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ δεύτερον εἰσελθεῖν καὶ γεννηθῆναι;
Nicodemus says to him, “How is a man able to be born being old? He is not able to enter into the womb of his mother a second time and to be born?
Paraphrase: Nicodemus was taken aback at this. “That’s impossible,” he blurted out. “How can a person whose ways and habits have been molded by years of experience and education suddenly transform himself into a completely new person! What you ask is as impossible as a grown man entering into his mother’s womb and being born a second time! Why, if this is the condition of entering God’s kingdom, then there is no hope for me at all!
Comments:
John 3:5
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς· Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος, οὐ δύναται εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ.
Jesus answered, “Verily, verily I say to you, unless anyone might be born by water and Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God.
Paraphrase: “No, that’s not what I mean, Nicodemus. Let me clarify.” Jesus replied. “I did not mean to teach that you had to remake yourself. Perhaps you understood me to be saying that you must be born again when what I really intended to say was that you must be born from above. This means that a person must receive this new birth from God Himself. This regeneration or rebirth is not something that any human person is capable of performing for himself, any more than any of us had anything to do with our own physical birth. This is something done entirely by the Holy Spirit; you play no role in it whatsoever. Another way to think of this regeneration is to compare it with the purifications which God’s people had to undergo whenever they became ceremonially unclean. (Leviticus 12:1-6; Numbers 8:7; 19:9; Hebrews 9:10) You will remember that in the last days, God said that He would purify His people by sprinkling clean water upon them. (Ezekiel 36:25) In the old covenant, they were sometimes able to purify themselves, but now God says that He will do it for them. Now, this is the cleansing which is an essential condition for entering God’s kingdom.
Comments:
The word ἄνωθεν is capable of this misunderstanding; see p271 or Vincent (p90).
If water here refers to baptism, then this account cannot be historically accurate since Jesus had not yet instituted baptism. (Matthew 28:19) It also makes no sense for Jesus to rebuke Nicodemus for not understanding (v10) since how could Nicodemus have known about Christian baptism? Jesus’ rebuke does, however, make sense if He is referring to Jewish baptisms (Hebrews 9:10) which was a debated topic even in this chapter. (John 3:25)
John 3:6
τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς σάρξ ἐστιν, καὶ τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος πνεῦμά ἐστιν.
That which is born from flesh is flesh, and that which is born from the Spirit is Spirit.
Paraphrase: Any fixing up of your life that you do yourself is just human effort which results in a human product. When the Holy Spirit remakes you, you become spiritual. In other words, you become holy just as the Holy Spirit is holy.
Comments:
John 3:7
μὴ θαυμάσῃς ὅτι εἶπόν σοι Δεῖ ὑμᾶς γεννηθῆναι ἄνωθεν.
John 3:8
τὸ πνεῦμα ὅπου θέλει πνεῖ, καὶ τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ἀκούεις, ἀλλ’ οὐκ οἶδας πόθεν ἔρχεται καὶ ποῦ ὑπάγει· οὕτως ἐστὶν πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος.
John 3:9
ἀπεκρίθη Νικόδημος καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Πῶς δύναται ταῦτα γενέσθαι;
John 3:10
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Σὺ εἶ ὁ διδάσκαλος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ταῦτα οὐ γινώσκεις;
John 3:11
ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι ὅτι ὃ οἴδαμεν λαλοῦμεν καὶ ὃ ἑωράκαμεν μαρτυροῦμεν, καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἡμῶν οὐ λαμβάνετε.
John 3:12
εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς ἐὰν εἴπω ὑμῖν τὰ ἐπουράνια πιστεύσετε;
If earthly things I spoke to you, and you did not believe, how when I speak to you heavenly things, will you believe?
Paraphrase: Now I have tried to bring you to understand this truth of regeneration using the analogy of human birth. This is something with which you are all very familiar, but you still don’t believe it. Now if using these well-known, analogies doesn’t bring you to understand and believe this doctrine, then why should I go on to speak of other mysteries which My Father has given Me and which I must also teach you? It seems to me that your ignorance is a culpable ignorance which you refuse to do anything about.
Comments:
On culpable ignorance, see middle of left column p682.
John 3:13
καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.
and no one ascends to heaven except the One descending from heaven, the Son of Man.
Paraphrase: Neither is anyone able to enter heaven and learn these truths directly from My Father Himself. No, the only possible way you can learn these truths is to listen to Me. I am the only One who came from heaven. I am the only One (John 6:46) who has a mandate from My Father to teach you the things that pertain to His kingdom. (John 3:2; 7:14-31) You cannot learn these things from any human person or from the use of your own reason. Do you remember reading about Daniel’s vision? (Daniel 7:13-14) That is who I am. I am the one to whom the Ancient of Days gave authority, honor, and sovereignty (Matthew 28:18) over all the nations of the world with the result that I now rule over heaven and earth, and My kingdom is forever and ever. This is why you should listen to Me.
Comments:
For ει μη, see §476.2.
See Son of Man; also Westcott p74.
John 3:14
καὶ καθὼς Μωϋσῆς ὕψωσεν τὸν ὄφιν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οὕτως ὑψωθῆναι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου,
and even as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness; in the same way, it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up…
Paraphrase: Now My Father has given Me the mandate of giving Myself as a sacrifice for the sin of the world. (John 1:29) That is why part of My mission is to be lifted up on a cross and to give My life for the purpose of making an atonement for sin. (Matthew 1:21) You can see something similar to this when Moses made a brass snake and lifted it up on a pole. Then he called out to the sick and dying that if they would look at this serpent, they would be healed. (Numbers 21:8)
Comments:
John 3:15
ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ἐν αὐτῷ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
…in order that all who believe in Him might have life eternal.
Paraphrase: In the same way, anyone who has been wrecked by sin and faces certain death and judgment may put their trust and confidence in Me and receive the gift of eternal life.
Comments:
John 3:16
Οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλὰ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
For in this manner, God loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son in order that all who believe in Him might not perish but have life eternal.
Paraphrase: Now this shows us just how much God loved all people who inhabit this earth. He could justly have abandoned them to their own self-chosen destruction. (Genesis 3:6; James 1:14) Instead, He sent them His most precious possession. He sent His only-begotten Son for this purpose; that He might give His life as a sin offering for the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of sinners. Then He made this free offer of salvation to all who would hear it. It makes no difference if you are Jew or gentile. Anyone who comes to Christ and puts their trust in Him and in the sufficiency of His sacrifice will never perish. They will not come under God’s wrath and judgment but will receive the gift of eternal life.
Comments:
κόσμον here cannot mean the world of the elect as Warfield argues in his article entitled God’s Immeasurable Love (also Brakel 1.124). If it did mean this, then the meaning would be: For God so loved His elect people, that He gave His only begotten Son, in order everyone of His elect who believe in Him might not perish but have eternal life. See Dabney (p525) and Wardlaw (p280). I’ve adopted Bullinger’s (p576) and Boston’s (p295) meaning here. See also Westcott’s (p31) interesting analysis. Calvin writes (p125):
And he has employed the universal term whosoever, both to invite all indiscriminately to partake of life, and to cut off every excuse from unbelievers. Such is also the import of the term World, which he formerly used; for though nothing will be found in the world that is worthy of the favor of God, yet he shows himself to be reconciled to the whole world, when he invites all men without exception to the faith of Christ, which is nothing else than an entrance into life.
Smeaton asserts (p220) that, so far as he knows, “world” never refers to “the world of believers.” Owen initially related (p147) this text to the universal sufficiency of Christ’s work:
Neither may we be charged as straiteners of the merit of Christ; for we advance the true value and worth thereof (as hereafter will appear) far beyond all the Arminians ascribe unto it. We confess that “blood of God,” Acts 20:28, of the “Lamb without blemish and without spot,” 1 Peter 1:19, was so exceedingly precious, of that infinite worth and value, that it might have saved a thousand believing worlds, John 3:16; Romans 3:22. His death was of sufficient dignity to have been made a ransom for all the sins of every one in the world. And on this internal sufficiency of his death and passion is grounded the universality of evangelical promises; which have no such restriction in their own nature as that they should not be made to all and every one, though the promulgation and knowledge of them are tied only to the good pleasure of God’s special providence, Matt. 16:17; as also that economy and dispensation of the new covenant whereby, the partition-wall being broken down, there remains no more difference between Jew and Gentile, the utmost borders of the earth being given in for Christ’s inheritance.
Bullinger (p33) and Bavinck (3.455) agree. Later, Owen changed (p428) his view and understood world to be the world of the elect.
Warfield relates (p198) “only begotten” to the greatness of the Father’s love.
Robertson (p155): In the ancient Greek the consecutive idea [or result] was expressed by ὥστε and the indicative when it was regarded as actually accomplished. There are only two examples of this use of ὥστε in the New Testament, John 3:16 (ὥστε ἔδωκεν), and Galatians 2:13 (ὥστε συναπήχθη).
See here for recent discussion of μονογενῆ. Irons, Burk, Wallace, Irons.
John 3:17
οὐ γὰρ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν υἱὸν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλ’ ἵνα σωθῇ ὁ κόσμος δι’ αὐτοῦ.
For God did not send His Son into the world in order that He might condemn the world but in order that the world, through Him, might be saved.
Paraphrase: Be sure of this, Nicodemus. God did not send Jesus to this world to announce that He was condemning them all to judgment; that was not His purpose. He sent His Son to this world to make peace. (Luke 2:14; 19:42; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Ephesians 2:14-15) By the sacrifice of His Son, God has made a sacrifice which is infinitely sufficient and enough to save the entire world no matter what their ethnicity might be and no matter how deeply they may have fallen into sin. (1 Timothy 1:15) His purpose was to bring the entire world under a possibility of being saved and to extend to them a full and free offer of salvation through faith in His Son. Now this offer is sincerely made to you as well, Nicodemus. You might be tempted to exclude yourself from My saving work on account of the enormity of your sin (Luke 5:8), but know this, the blood of Jesus can cleanse you of sin (1 John 1:9) and bring you eternal life. (John 3:36)
Comments:
See head 2 of the Canons.
Hengstenberg (p183): Therefore he [Nicodemus] now becomes quiet, and loses himself entirely, so that we do not know what has become of him. He had been quite cast down by the former matter, his heart had been thoroughly searched; he therefore listened attentively and submissively, and perceived how necessary this only-begotten Son was for him. And though he might have made objections to this most of all, if lie had wished to follow his depraved reason, yet now there was no contradiction in his mouth, because he perceived the truth and necessity of the thing. The fear of being lost had been fully developed in him. For Christ meets him now with loving and sweet words, though before He had spoken sharply to him; not as though the disposition of Christ induced this, but the disposition of Nicodemus required such an order, because he needed first to be subdued and humbled.”
John 3:18
ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν οὐ κρίνεται· ὁ δὲ μὴ πιστεύων ἤδη κέκριται, ὅτι μὴ πεπίστευκεν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ.
The one believing in Him is not condemned, but the one not believing is condemned already because he has not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God.
Paraphrase: No, Nicodemus, it is not being a Jew which brings God’s favor to us. (Luke 3:8) Neither do your sins prevent you from entering God’s kingdom. The new birth, of which I have spoken before, can make the most rebellious sinner a humble and sincere child of God. Neither do you need to wonder if you have received such a miracle since this new birth always shows itself. Here’s how you will know. First, all those who are trusting in Jesus are born again by the power of the Holy Spirit of God and are no longer under the wrath of God. They have passed from death to life. (John 5:24) On the other hand, those who are not trusting Jesus come under God’s judgments because they have no confidence in the only begotten Son of God to forgive sin. They think that God tells lies when He promises salvation to all who trust in Jesus. (1 John 5:10)
Comments:
John 3:19
αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ κρίσις ὅτι τὸ φῶς ἐλήλυθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον καὶ ἠγάπησαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι μᾶλλον τὸ σκότος ἢ τὸ φῶς, ἦν γὰρ αὐτῶν πονηρὰ τὰ ἔργα.
F.
Paraphrase:
Comments:
John 3:20
πᾶς γὰρ ὁ φαῦλα πράσσων μισεῖ τὸ φῶς καὶ οὐκ ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ φῶς, ἵνα μὴ ἐλεγχθῇ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ·
John 3:21
ὁ δὲ ποιῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ φῶς, ἵνα φανερωθῇ αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα ὅτι ἐν θεῷ ἐστιν εἰργασμένα.
John 3:22
Μετὰ ταῦτα ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν γῆν, καὶ ἐκεῖ διέτριβεν μετ’ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐβάπτιζεν.
John 3:23
ἦν δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἰωάννης βαπτίζων ἐν Αἰνὼν ἐγγὺς τοῦ Σαλείμ, ὅτι ὕδατα πολλὰ ἦν ἐκεῖ, καὶ παρεγίνοντο καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο·
John 3:24
οὔπω γὰρ ἦν βεβλημένος εἰς τὴν φυλακὴν ὁ Ἰωάννης.
John 3:25
Ἐγένετο οὖν ζήτησις ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν Ἰωάννου μετὰ Ἰουδαίου περὶ καθαρισμοῦ.
John 3:26
καὶ ἦλθον πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Ῥαββί, ὃς ἦν μετὰ σοῦ πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, ᾧ σὺ μεμαρτύρηκας, ἴδε οὗτος βαπτίζει καὶ πάντες ἔρχονται πρὸς αὐτόν.
John 3:27
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰωάννης καὶ εἶπεν· Οὐ δύναται ἄνθρωπος λαμβάνειν οὐδὲ ἓν ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ δεδομένον αὐτῷ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ.
John 3:28
αὐτοὶ ὑμεῖς μοι μαρτυρεῖτε ὅτι εἶπον· Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐγὼ ὁ χριστός, ἀλλ’ ὅτι Ἀπεσταλμένος εἰμὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἐκείνου.
John 3:29
ὁ ἔχων τὴν νύμφην νυμφίος ἐστίν· ὁ δὲ φίλος τοῦ νυμφίου ὁ ἑστηκὼς καὶ ἀκούων αὐτοῦ, χαρᾷ χαίρει διὰ τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ νυμφίου. αὕτη οὖν ἡ χαρὰ ἡ ἐμὴ πεπλήρωται.
John 3:30
ἐκεῖνον δεῖ αὐξάνειν, ἐμὲ δὲ ἐλαττοῦσθαι.
John 3:31
Ὁ ἄνωθεν ἐρχόμενος ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστίν. ὁ ὢν ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἐστιν καὶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς λαλεῖ· ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐρχόμενος ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστίν·
John 3:32
ὃ ἑώρακεν καὶ ἤκουσεν τοῦτο μαρτυρεῖ, καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν αὐτοῦ οὐδεὶς λαμβάνει.
John 3:33
ὁ λαβὼν αὐτοῦ τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἐσφράγισεν ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἀληθής ἐστιν.
John 3:34
ὃν γὰρ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ θεοῦ λαλεῖ, οὐ γὰρ ἐκ μέτρου δίδωσιν τὸ πνεῦμα.
John 3:35
ὁ πατὴρ ἀγαπᾷ τὸν υἱόν, καὶ πάντα δέδωκεν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ.
John 3:36
ὁ πιστεύων εἰς τὸν υἱὸν ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον· ὁ δὲ ἀπειθῶν τῷ υἱῷ οὐκ ὄψεται ζωήν, ἀλλ’ ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἐπ’ αὐτόν.