John 3
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Nicodemus, a Ruler of The Jews, Comes To Jesus, And Is Told He Must Be Born Again
3 Now there was a man from the Pharisees— the name for him was Nicodemus— a ruler of the Jews. 2 This one came to Him by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher. For no one is able to be doing these signs which You are doing unless God is with him”. 3 Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you— unless one is born again[a], he is not able to see the kingdom of God”. 4 Nicodemus says to Him, “How is a person able to be born while being an old-man? He is not able to enter a second time into the womb of his mother and be born, is he?” 5 Jesus responded, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water[b] and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. 6 The thing having been born of the flesh is flesh, and the thing having been born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You[c] all must be born again’— 8 the wind blows where it wants, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know from where it comes, and where it is going. So[d] is everyone having been born of the Spirit”. 9 Nicodemus responded and said to Him, “How are these[e] things able to happen?” 10 Jesus responded and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you that we are speaking what we know, and we are testifying what we have seen, and you[f] people are not receiving our testimony. 12 If I told you people earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 And no one has gone up into heaven except the One having come down from heaven— the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted-up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up 15 in order that everyone putting-faith in Him may have[g] eternal life.
God Sent His Son Into The World That All Believing In Him May Have Eternal Life
16 “For[h] God so[i] loved the world that He gave His only-born Son, in order that everyone believing in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life. 17 For God did not send-forth the Son into the world in order that He might judge[j] the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. 18 The one believing in Him is not judged. But the one not believing has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-born Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment[k]: that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their works were evil. 20 For everyone practicing bad things hates the Light, and does not come to the Light in order that his works may not be exposed. 21 But the one doing the truth comes to the Light in order that his works may become-visible— that[l] they have been worked in[m] God”.
Jesus Goes To Judea. John The Baptist Declares Himself The Friend of The Bridegroom
22 After these things Jesus and His disciples went into the Judean land, and there He was spending-time with them and baptizing. 23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there were many waters[n] there. And they were coming and being baptized. 24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison. 25 Then a debate[o] arose from the disciples of John with a Jew about purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, concerning Whom you have testified, look— this One is baptizing, and all are going to Him!” 27 John responded and said “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves are testifying concerning me that I said that ‘I am not the Christ’, but that ‘I am one having been sent-forth ahead of that One’. 29 The one having the bride is the bridegroom. And the friend of the bridegroom, the one standing there and hearing him, rejoices with joy[p] because of the voice of the bridegroom. So this[q], my joy, has been made-full. 30 It-is-necessary for that One to grow, and for me to diminish.
Jesus Has Come From Heaven With The Words of God. He Is Above All
31 “The[r] One coming from-above is above[s] all. The one being from the earth is from the earth and is speaking from the earth. The One coming from heaven is above all. 32 What He has seen and did hear— this He is testifying. And no one is receiving His testimony. 33 The one having received His testimony certified[t] that God is truthful, 34 for He Whom God sent forth is speaking the words of God. For He does not give Him the Spirit from a measure[u]. 35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things in His hand. 36 The one believing in the Son has eternal life. But the one disobeying[v] the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him”.
Footnotes
- John 3:3 Or, from-above.
- John 3:5 Jesus may be detailing the idea of being born again in v 3, in which case the water refers to the visible aspect of it, that is, baptism; or, Jesus may explain His meaning by the illustration in v 6, water referring to ‘of the flesh’, that is, human birth.
- John 3:7 This word is plural.
- John 3:8 We do not understand the ‘how’ (v 4) of wind; we only see its effects. So it is with the spiritual wind of birth from God (spirit and wind are the same word in Greek).
- John 3:9 That is, this being born again from God.
- John 3:11 This word is plural.
- John 3:15 After the chastisement of v 10-12, and stating the authority for His answer in v 13, Jesus here answers the question of v 9, and then explains it in what follows.
- John 3:16 Jesus may continue speaking in v 16-21; or, these may be John’s words of explanation for us.
- John 3:16 That is, in this manner; or, to such an extent.
- John 3:17 That is, pass judgment upon, execute judgment upon.
- John 3:19 That is, this is God’s present judgment with regard to unbelievers.
- John 3:21 Or, because.
- John 3:21 That is, in union with.
- John 3:23 That is, many streams or springs of water.
- John 3:25 Or, controversy.
- John 3:29 That is, rejoices greatly.
- John 3:29 That is, this friend-of-the-bridegroom kind of joy.
- John 3:31 Verses 31-36 may continue to be the Baptist’s words; or, they may be the apostle John’s comment.
- John 3:31 Or, over.
- John 3:33 Or, attested, set his seal.
- John 3:34 God does not give Jesus a measured manifestation of the Spirit, as He does with all other prophets.
- John 3:36 Or, refusing-to-believe.
Juan 3
La Palabra (Hispanoamérica)
Conversación con Nicodemo
3 Un miembro del partido de los fariseos, llamado Nicodemo, persona relevante entre los judíos, 2 fue una noche a ver a Jesús y le dijo:
— Maestro, sabemos que Dios te ha enviado para enseñarnos; nadie, en efecto, puede realizar los milagros que tú haces si Dios no está con él.
3 Jesús le respondió:
— Pues yo te aseguro que sólo el que nazca de nuevo podrá alcanzar el reino de Dios.
4 Nicodemo repuso:
— ¿Cómo es posible que alguien ya viejo vuelva a nacer? ¿Acaso puede volver a entrar en el seno materno para nacer de nuevo?
5 Jesús le contestó:
— Te aseguro que nadie puede entrar en el reino de Dios si no nace del agua y del Espíritu. 6 Lo que nace de la carne es carnal; lo que nace del Espíritu es espiritual. 7 No te cause, pues, tanta sorpresa si te he dicho que ustedes deben nacer de nuevo. 8 El viento sopla donde quiere; oyes su rumor, pero no sabes ni de dónde viene ni a dónde va. Lo mismo sucede con el que nace del Espíritu.
9 Nicodemo preguntó:
— ¿Cómo puede ser eso?
10 Jesús le respondió:
— ¡Cómo! ¿Tú eres maestro en Israel e ignoras estas cosas? 11 Te aseguro que nosotros hablamos de lo que sabemos y damos testimonio de lo que hemos visto; con todo, ustedes rechazan nuestro testimonio. 12 Si les hablo de cosas terrenas y no me creen, ¿cómo me creerán cuando les hable de las cosas del cielo? 13 Nadie ha subido al cielo, excepto el que bajó de allí, es decir, el Hijo del hombre. 14 Lo mismo que Moisés levantó la serpiente de bronce en el desierto, el Hijo del hombre tiene que ser levantado en alto, 15 para que todo el que crea en él tenga vida eterna.
16 Tanto amó Dios al mundo, que no dudó en entregarle a su Hijo único, para que todo el que crea en él no perezca, sino tenga vida eterna. 17 Pues no envió Dios a su Hijo para dictar sentencia de condenación contra el mundo, sino para que por medio de él se salve el mundo. 18 El que cree en el Hijo no será condenado; en cambio, el que no cree en él, ya está condenado por no haber creído en el Hijo único de Dios. 19 La causa de esta condenación está en que, habiendo venido la luz al mundo, los seres humanos prefirieron las tinieblas a la luz, pues su conducta era mala. 20 En efecto, todos los que se comportan mal, detestan y rehuyen la luz, por miedo a que su conducta quede al descubierto. 21 En cambio, los que actúan conforme a la verdad buscan la luz para que aparezca con toda claridad que es Dios quien inspira sus acciones.
Nuevo testimonio del Bautista
22 Después de esto, Jesús fue con sus discípulos a la región de Judea. Se detuvo allí algún tiempo con ellos y bautizaba a la gente. 23 Juan estaba también bautizando en Ainón, cerca de Salín; había en aquel lugar agua en abundancia y la gente acudía a bautizarse, 24 pues Juan aún no había sido encarcelado. 25 Surgió entonces una discusión entre los discípulos de Juan y un judío acerca de los ritos purificatorios. 26 Con este motivo se acercaron a Juan y le dijeron:
— Maestro, el que estaba contigo en la otra orilla del Jordán y en cuyo favor diste testimonio, ahora está bautizando y todos se van tras él.
27 Juan respondió:
— El ser humano sólo puede recibir lo que Dios quiera darle. 28 Ustedes mismos son testigos de lo que yo dije entonces: “No soy el Mesías; simplemente he sido enviado como su precursor.” 29 La esposa pertenece al esposo. En cuanto al amigo del esposo, el que está junto a él, lo escucha y se alegra extraordinariamente al oír la voz del esposo. Por eso, en este momento mi alegría se ha colmado. 30 Él debe brillar cada vez más, mientras yo he de ir quedando en la sombra.
El que viene de Dios
31 El que viene de lo alto está por encima de todos. El que tiene su origen en la tierra es terreno y habla de las cosas de la tierra; el que viene del cielo está por encima de todos 32 y da testimonio de lo que ha visto y oído; sin embargo, nadie acepta su testimonio. 33 El que acepta su testimonio reconoce que Dios dice la verdad. 34 Porque, cuando habla aquel a quien Dios ha enviado, es Dios mismo quien habla, ya que Dios le ha comunicado plenamente su Espíritu. 35 El Padre ama al Hijo y ha puesto todas las cosas en sus manos. 36 El que cree en el Hijo, tiene vida eterna; pero quien no cree en él, no experimentará esa vida, sino que está bajo el peso de la ira de Dios.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
La Palabra, (versión hispanoamericana) © 2010 Texto y Edición, Sociedad Bíblica de España