John 3
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jesus and Nicodemus
3 There was a man from the Pharisees(A) named Nicodemus,(B) a ruler(C) of the Jews. 2 This man came to Him at night and said, “Rabbi,(D) we know that You have come from God(E) as a teacher,(F) for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.”(G)
3 Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again,[a](H) he cannot see the kingdom of God.”(I)
4 “But how can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born(J) of water and the Spirit,[b](K) he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh(L) is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit(M) is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you[c] must be born(N) again. 8 The wind[d] blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.(O) So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”(P)
9 “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.
10 “Are you a teacher[e] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. 11 “I assure you:(Q) We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you[f] do not accept Our testimony.[g] 12 If I have told you about things that happen on earth and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about things of heaven? 13 No one has ascended(R) into heaven(S) except the One who descended from heaven(T)—the Son of Man.[h](U) 14 Just as Moses(V) lifted up the snake in the wilderness,(W) so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in Him will[i] have eternal life.(X)
16 “For God loved(Y) the world in this way:[j] He gave His One and Only(Z) Son,(AA) so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.(AB) 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn(AC) the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned,(AD) because he has not believed in the name(AE) of the One and Only Son(AF) of God.
19 “This, then, is the judgment: The light(AG) has come into the world,(AH) and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who practices wicked things hates(AI) the light and avoids it,[k] so that his deeds(AJ) may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by[l] the truth comes to the light, so that his works(AK) may be shown to be accomplished by God.”[m]
Jesus and John the Baptist
22 After this, Jesus and His disciples went to the Judean countryside, where He spent time with them and baptized. 23 John(AL) also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized, 24 since John had not yet been thrown into prison.(AM)
25 Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples(AN) and a Jew[n] about purification.(AO) 26 So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi,(AP) the One you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan,(AQ) is baptizing—and everyone is flocking to Him.”(AR)
27 John responded, “No one can receive a single thing unless it’s given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,(AS) but I’ve been sent ahead of Him.’(AT) 29 He who has the bride(AU) is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly[o] at the groom’s voice. So this joy(AV) of mine is complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
The One from Heaven
31 The One who comes from above(AW) is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms.[p] The One who comes from heaven is above all.(AX) 32 He testifies(AY) to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. 33 The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true.(AZ) 34 For God sent Him, and He speaks God’s words, since He[q] gives the Spirit(BA) without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son(BB) and has given all things into His hands.(BC) 36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.(BD)
Footnotes
- John 3:3 The same Gk word can mean again or from above (also in v. 7).
- John 3:5 Or spirit, or wind; the Gk word pneuma can mean wind, spirit, or Spirit, each of which occurs in this context.
- John 3:7 The pronoun is pl in Gk.
- John 3:8 The Gk word pneuma can mean wind, spirit, or Spirit, each of which occurs in this context.
- John 3:10 Or the teacher
- John 3:11 In Gk, the word you is pl here and throughout v. 12.
- John 3:11 The pronouns we and our refer to Jesus and His authority to speak for the Father.
- John 3:13 Other mss add who is in heaven
- John 3:15 Other mss add not perish, but
- John 3:16 The Gk word houtos, commonly translated in Jn 3:16 as “so” or “so much” occurs over 200 times in the NT. Almost without exception it is an adverb of manner, not degree (for example, see Mt 1:18). It only means “so much” when modifying an adjective (see Gl 3:3; Rv 16:18). Manner seems primarily in view in Jn 3:16, which explains the HCSB‘s rendering.
- John 3:20 Lit and does not come to the light
- John 3:21 Lit who does
- John 3:21 It is possible that Jesus’ words end at v. 15. Ancient Gk did not have quotation marks.
- John 3:25 Other mss read and the Jews
- John 3:29 Lit with joy rejoices
- John 3:31 Or of earthly things
- John 3:34 Other mss read since God
John 3
1599 Geneva Bible
3 1 Christ teacheth Nicodemus the very principles of Christian regeneration. 14 The serpent in the wilderness. 23 John baptizeth, 27 and teacheth his, that he is not Christ.
1 There [a]was now a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a [b]ruler of the Jews.
2 This man came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a [c]teacher come from God, for no man could do these miracles that thou doest, [d]except God were with him.
3 [e]Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot [f]see the [g]kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus said unto him, How [h]can a man be born which is old? can he enter into his mother’s womb again, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily I say unto thee, except that a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh, is [i]flesh: and that that is born of the Spirit, is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said to thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it [j]listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every man that is born of the Spirit.
9 [k]Nicodemus answered, and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered, and said unto him, Art thou a teacher of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11 Verily, verily I say unto thee, We speak that we know, and testify that we have seen: but ye receive not our [l]witness.
12 If when I tell you earthly things, ye believe not, how should ye believe, If I shall tell you of heavenly things?
13 For no [m]man [n]ascendeth up to heaven, but he that had descended from heaven, [o]that Son of man which [p]is in heaven.
14 (A)And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must that Son of man be lifted up,
15 That whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 (B)[q]For God so loveth the world, that he hath given his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth [r]in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 (C)[s]For God sent not his Son into the world, that he should [t]condemn the world, but that the [u]world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth in him, is not condemned: but he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the Name of that only begotten Son of God.
19 (D)[v]And this is the [w]condemnation, that that light came into the world, and men loved darkness rather than that light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every man that evil doeth, hateth the light, neither cometh to light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that [x]doeth truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds might be made manifest, that they are wrought [y]according to God.
22 ¶ After these things came Jesus, and his disciples into the land of Judea, and there tarried with them, and (E)baptized.
23 And John also baptized in Aenon besides Salim, because there was much water there: and they came and were baptized.
24 For John was not yet cast into prison.
25 [z]Then there arose a question between John’s disciples and the Jews, about purifying.
26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom (F)thou barest witness, behold, he baptizeth, and all men come to him.
27 John answered, and said, A man [aa]can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
28 Ye yourselves are my witnesses, that (G)I said, I am not that Christ, but that I am sent before him.
29 He that hath the bride, is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly, because of the bridegroom’s voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 He that is come from on high, is above all: he that is of the earth, is of the [ab]earth, and [ac]speaketh of the earth: he that is come from heaven, is above all.
32 And what he hath [ad]seen and heard, that he testifieth: but [ae]no man receiveth his testimony.
33 He that hath receiveth his testimony, hath sealed that (H)God is true.
34 For he whom God hath sent, speaketh the words of God: for God giveth him not the Spirit by measure.
35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath (I)[af]given all things into his hand.
36 (J)He that believeth in the Son, hath everlasting life, and he that obeyeth not the Son, shall not [ag]see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Footnotes
- John 3:1 There are none sometimes more unlearned, than the learned: but as well the learned as the unlearned must desire wisdom of Christ only.
- John 3:1 A man of great estimation, and a ruler amongst the Jews.
- John 3:2 We know that thou art sent from God to teach us.
- John 3:2 But he in whom some part of the excellency of God appeareth. And if Nicodemus had known Christ aright, he would not only have said that God was with him, but in him: as Paul doth, 2 Cor. 1:19.
- John 3:3 The beginning of Christianity consisteth in this, that we know ourselves not only to be corrupt in part, but to be wholly dead in sin: so that our nature hath need to be created anew, as touching the qualities thereof: which can be done by no other virtue, but by the divine and heavenly, whereby we were first created.
- John 3:3 That is, go in, or enter, as he expounded himself afterward, verse 5.
- John 3:3 The Church: for Christ showeth in this place, how we come to be citizens, and to have ought to do in the city of God.
- John 3:4 How can I that am old, be born again? for he answereth, as if Christ’s words belonged to none but to him.
- John 3:6 That is, fleshly, to wit, wholly unclean and under the wrath of God: and therefore this word (Flesh) signifieth the corrupt nature of man: contrary to which is the Spirit, that is, the man ingrafted into Christ through the grace of the holy Ghost, whose nature is everlasting and immortal, though the strife of the flesh remaineth.
- John 3:8 With free and wandering blasts, as it listeth.
- John 3:9 The secret mystery of our regeneration which cannot be comprehended by man’s capacity, is perceived by faith, and that in Christ only, because that he is both God on earth, and man in heaven, that is to say, in such sort man, that he is God also, and therefore almighty: and in such sort God, that he is man also, and therefore his power is manifest unto us.
- John 3:11 You handle doubtful things, and such as you have no certain author for, and yet men believe you: but I teach those things that are of a truth and well known, and you believe me not.
- John 3:13 Only Christ can teach us heavenly things for no man ascendeth, etc.
- John 3:13 That is, hath any spiritual light and understanding, or ever had, but only that Son of God, which came down to us.
- John 3:13 Whereas he is said to have come down from heaven, that must be understood of his Godhead, and of the manner of his conception: for Christ’s birth upon the earth was heavenly, and not earthly, for he was conceived by the holy Ghost.
- John 3:13 That which is proper to the divinity of Christ, is here spoken of whole Christ, to give us to understand that he is but one person, wherein two natures are united, and this kind of speech men call, the communicating of proprieties.
- John 3:16 Nothing else but the free love of the Father, is the beginning of our salvation, and Christ is he in whom our righteousness and salvation is resident: and faith is the instrument or mean whereby we apprehend it, and life everlasting is that which is set before us to apprehend.
- John 3:16 It is not all one to believe in a thing, and to believe of a thing, for we may not believe (in anything) save only in God, but we may believe (of anything) whatsoever, this saith Nazianzene in his oration of the Spirit.
- John 3:17 Not Christ, but the despising of Christ doth condemn.
- John 3:17 That is, to be the cause of the condemning of the world, for indeed sins are the cause of death, but Christ shall judge the quick and the dead.
- John 3:17 Not only the people of the Jews, but whosoever shall believe in him.
- John 3:19 Only wickedness is the cause, why men refuse the light that is offered them.
- John 3:19 That is, the cause of condemnation, which sticketh fast in men, unless through God’s great benefit they be delivered from it.
- John 3:21 That is, he that leadeth an honest life, and void of all craft and deceit.
- John 3:21 That is, with God, God as it were going before.
- John 3:25 Satan inflameth the disciples of John with a fond emulation of their master, to hinder the course of the Gospel: but John being mindful of his office, doth not only break off their endeavors, but also taketh occasion thereby to give testimony of Christ, how that in him only the Father hath set forth life everlasting.
- John 3:27 What mean you to go about to better my state? this is every man’s lot and portion that they cannot better themselves one iota.
- John 3:31 Is nothing else but man, a piece of work and of the slime of the earth.
- John 3:31 Savoreth of nothing but corruption, ignorance, dullness, etc.
- John 3:32 What he knoweth fully and perfectly.
- John 3:32 That is, very few.
- John 3:35 Committed them to his power and will.
- John 3:36 Shall not enjoy.
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