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The New Birth

Now there was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (member of the Sanhedrin) among the Jews, who came to Jesus at night and said to Him, “Rabbi (Teacher), we know [without any doubt] that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs [these wonders, these attesting miracles] that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God.(A) That which is born of the flesh is flesh [the physical is merely physical], and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be surprised that I have told you, ‘You must be born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be possible?” 10 Jesus replied, “You are the [great and well-known] teacher of Israel, and yet you do not know nor understand these things [from Scripture]? 11 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, we speak only of what we [absolutely] know and testify about what we have [actually] seen [as eyewitnesses]; and [still] you [reject our evidence and] do not accept our testimony. 12 If I told you earthly things [that is, things that happen right here on earth] and you do not believe, how will you believe and trust Me if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has gone up into heaven, but there is One who came down from heaven, the Son of Man [Himself—whose home is in heaven]. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the [bronze] serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross],(B) 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life [after physical death, and will actually live forever].

16 “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] [a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because [b]he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him]. 19 This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the [c]darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.(C) 20 For every wrongdoer hates the Light, and does not come to the Light [but shrinks from it] for fear that his [sinful, worthless] activities will be exposed and condemned. 21 But whoever practices truth [and does what is right—morally, ethically, spiritually] comes to the Light, so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are—accomplished in God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence on Him].”

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Footnotes

  1. John 3:16 Jesus, God’s only Son, the One who is truly unique, the only one of His kind.
  2. John 3:18 The Greek refers to an unsaved person who has made the decision not to believe in the Son, Jesus Christ, that is, not to accept the salvation offered by the Son and commit to follow Him. Such a person stands condemned by God unless he changes his mind.
  3. John 3:19 See note 1:5.

Now de there was eimi a man anthrōpos of ek the ho Pharisees Pharisaios named onoma Nicodemus Nikodēmos, a ruler archōn of the ho Jews Ioudaios. This houtos man came erchomai to pros Jesus autos by night nyx and kai said legō to him autos, “ Rabbi rhabbi, we know oida that hoti you are erchomai a teacher didaskalos come erchomai from apo God theos, for gar no oudeis one is able dynamai to perform poieō these houtos · ho miraculous sēmeion signs that hos you sy are doing poieō unless ean mē God theos is eimi · ho with meta him autos.” Jesus Iēsous answered apokrinomai him autos, · kai saying legō, “ I tell legō you sy the solemn amēn truth amēn, unless ean mē a person tis is born gennaō again anōthen he cannot ou see the ho kingdom basileia of ho God theos.” Nicodemus Nikodēmos said legō to pros him autos, · ho How pōs can dynamai a man anthrōpos be born gennaō when he is eimi old gerōn? He cannot enter eiserchomai into eis · ho his autos mother’ s mētēr womb koilia · ho and kai be born gennaō a second deuteros time , can he ?” Jesus Iēsous answered apokrinomai, “ I tell legō you sy the solemn amēn truth amēn, unless ean mē one tis is born gennaō of ek water hydōr and kai Spirit pneuma, he cannot ou enter eiserchomai eis the ho kingdom basileia of ho God theos. What ho is born gennaō of ek the ho flesh sarx is eimi flesh sarx, and kai what ho is born gennaō of ek the ho Spirit pneuma is eimi spirit pneuma. Do not be astonished thaumazō that hoti I said legō to you sy, ‘ You hymeis must dei be born gennaō again anōthen.’ The ho wind pneuma blows pneō wherever hopou it chooses thelō, and kai you hear akouō · ho its autos sound phōnē, but alla do not ou know oida where pothen it is coming erchomai from or kai where pou it is going hypagō. So houtōs it is eimi with everyone pas · ho born gennaō of ek the ho Spirit pneuma.” Nicodemus Nikodēmos replied apokrinomai, · kai saying legō to him autos, “ How pōs can dynamai these houtos things be ginomai?” 10 Jesus Iēsous answered apokrinomai, · kai saying legō to him autos, “ Are eimi you sy the ho teacher didaskalos of ho Israel Israēl and kai you do ginōskō not ou understand ginōskō these houtos things ?”

11  I tell legō you sy the solemn amēn truth amēn, we speak about laleō what hos we know oida and kai testify about martyreō what hos we have seen horaō, but kai you lambanō people do lambanō not ou accept lambanō · ho our hēmeis testimony martyria. 12 If ei I have told legō you hymeis about legō · ho earthly epigeios things and kai you do not ou believe pisteuō, how pōs will you believe pisteuō if ean I tell legō you hymeis about · ho heavenly epouranios things ? 13 · kai No oudeis one has gone anabainō up to eis · ho heaven ouranos except ei mē the ho one who came down katabainō out ek of · ho heaven ouranos, the ho Son hyios of ho Man anthrōpos. 14 And kai just kathōs as Moses Mōysēs lifted hypsoō up the ho serpent ophis in en the ho wilderness erēmos, so houtōs must dei the ho Son hyios of ho Man anthrōpos be lifted hypsoō up , 15 so hina that everyone pas who ho believes pisteuō in en him autos may have echō eternal aiōnios life zōē.

16  For gar this houtōs is how God theos loved agapaō · ho the ho world kosmos: he gave didōmi his ho one and only monogenēs Son hyios · ho that hina everyone pas who ho believes pisteuō in eis him autos should not perish apollymi but alla have echō eternal aiōnios life zōē. 17 For gar God theos did not ou send apostellō · ho his ho Son hyios into eis the ho world kosmos to hina condemn krinō the ho world kosmos, but alla so hina that the ho world kosmos might be saved sōzō through dia him autos. 18 The ho one who believes pisteuō in eis him autos is not ou condemned krinō, but de the ho one who does not believe pisteuō is condemned krinō already ēdē, because hoti he has not believed pisteuō in eis the ho name onoma of ho God’ s theos one monogenēs and only Son hyios. · ho 19 And de the ho basis for judging krisis is eimi this houtos, that hoti · ho light phōs has come erchomai into eis the ho world kosmos and kai people anthrōpos love agapaō · ho darkness skotos rather mallon than ē · ho · ho light phōs, because gar their autos deeds ergon are eimi evil ponēros. · ho 20 For gar everyone pas who ho practices prassō wickedness phaulos hates miseō the ho light phōs and kai does not ou come erchomai to pros the ho light phōs for fear that hina his autos deeds ergon will be exposed elenchō. · ho 21 But de the ho one who does poieō the ho truth alētheia comes erchomai to pros the ho light phōs, so hina that his autos deeds ergon may be clearly seen phaneroō, · ho that hoti they have been eimi done ergazomai in en God theos.”

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