John 3:1-21
Expanded Bible
Nicodemus Comes to Jesus
3 There was a man named Nicodemus who was one of the Pharisees [C a religious party which strictly observed OT laws and later customs] and ·an important Jewish leader [L a ruler of the Jews; C probably a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court of the time]. 2 ·One night [or By night; C perhaps with connotations that he could not “see” spiritually] Nicodemus came to Jesus and said, “·Teacher [L Rabbi], we know you are a teacher sent from God, because no one can do the ·miracles [L signs; 2:11] you do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered, “·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], unless you are born ·again [or from above; C this may be a play on words, meaning both “again” and “from above”], you cannot ·be in [experience; L see] God’s kingdom.”
4 Nicodemus said to him, “But if a person is already old, how can he be born ·again [or from above; 3:3]? ·He cannot enter his mother’s womb again. So how can a person be born a second time [L Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born]?”
5 But Jesus answered, “·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], unless you are born from water and the Spirit [C equivalent to being born again (3:3); water could symbolize physical birth, but more likely symbolizes spiritual cleansing which brings renewal; Ezek. 36:25–27], you cannot enter God’s kingdom. 6 ·Human life comes from human parents [L That which is born of the flesh is flesh; C flesh here means human nature], but ·spiritual life comes from the Spirit [L that which is born of the Spirit is spirit]. 7 Don’t be ·surprised [amazed; astonished] when I tell you, ‘You [C plural, referring to the Jews or the Jewish leaders] must be born ·again [or from above; 3:3].’ 8 The wind [C one word means both “wind” and “spirit” in Greek] blows where it wants to and you hear the sound of it, but you don’t know where the wind comes from or where it is going. It is the same with every person who is born from the Spirit.” [C We cannot comprehend or control the Spirit, but we experience his effect.]
9 Nicodemus ·asked [replied], “How can this ·happen [be]?”
10 Jesus ·said [replied; answered], “You are ·an important teacher in Israel [L the teacher of Israel], and you don’t ·understand [know] these things? 11 ·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], we talk about what we know, and we ·tell [testify; bear witness] about what we have seen, but you don’t ·accept what we tell you [L receive our testimony/witness]. 12 I have told you about things here on earth [C the teaching about being born again], and you do not believe me. ·So you will not [L So how will you…?] believe me if I tell you about things of heaven. 13 ·The only one who has ever gone up to heaven is [L No one has gone up into heaven except] the One who came down from heaven—the Son of Man[a] [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14].
14 “Just as Moses lifted up the ·snake [T serpent] in the ·desert [wilderness; C Moses put a bronze snake statue on a pole, and those who looked at it were healed of snake bites; Num. 21:4–9], the Son of Man must also be lifted up [C an allusion to the cross and resurrection]. 15 So that everyone who ·believes can have eternal life in him [or believes in him can have eternal life].
16 “[L For] God loved the world so much that he gave his ·one and only [only; unique; T only begotten; 1:14, 18] Son so that whoever believes in him may not ·be lost [T perish], but have eternal life. 17 [L For; Indeed] God did not send his Son into the world to ·judge the world guilty [condemn the world], but to save the world through him. 18 People who believe in God’s Son are not ·judged guilty [condemned]. Those who do not believe have already been ·judged guilty [condemned], because they have not believed in [L the name of] God’s ·one and only [only; unique; T only begotten; 3:16] Son. 19 ·They are judged by this fact [L And this is the judgment/condemnation/verdict]: The Light [C Jesus, God’s Son] has come into the world, ·but they did not want light. They wanted darkness [L but people loved the darkness more than the light], because they were doing evil things. 20 All who do evil hate the light and will not come to the light, because it will show ·all the evil things they do [L their deeds/actions]. 21 But those who ·follow the true way [do what is true; live by the truth] come to the light, and it ·shows [may be seen] that the things they do were done ·through [or in the sight of; or in obedience to; L in] God.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- John 3:13 the Son of Man Some Greek copies continue, “who is in heaven.”
John 3:1-21
Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament
3 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. 2 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.” 3 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.” 4 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 mē enter eiserchomai into eis · ho his autos mother’ s mētēr womb koilia · ho and kai be born gennaō a second deuteros time , can he ?” 5 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. 6 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. 7 Do not mē be astonished thaumazō that hoti I said legō to you sy, ‘ You hymeis must dei be born gennaō again anōthen.’ 8 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.” 9 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 mē 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 mē believe pisteuō is condemned krinō already ēdē, because hoti he has not mē 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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