1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: |
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. |
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. |
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? |
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except 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 flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. |
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. |
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. |
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? |
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? |
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. |
12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? |
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. |
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: |
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. |
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. |
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. |
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. |
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. |
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. |
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. |
3
3:1 A ruler - One of the great council.
3:2 The same came - Through desire; but by night - Through shame: We know - Even we rulers and Pharisees.
3:3 Jesus answered - That knowledge will not avail thee unless thou be born again - Otherwise thou canst not see, that is, experience and enjoy, either the inward or the glorious kingdom of God. In this solemn discourse our Lord shows, that no externalprofession, no ceremonial ordinances or privileges of birth, could entitle any to the blessings of the Messiah's kingdom: that an entire change of heart as well as of life was necessary for that purpose: that this could only be wrought in man by the almighty power of God: that every man born into the world was by nature in a state of sin, condemnation, and misery: that the free mercy of God had given his Son to deliver them from it, and to raise them to a blessed immortality: that all mankind, Gentiles as well as Jews, might share in these benefits, procured by his being lifted up on the cross, and to be received by faith in him: but that if they rejected him, their eternal, aggravated condemnation, would be the certain consequence. Except a man be born again - If our Lord by being born again means only reformation of life, instead of making any new discovery, he has only thrown a great deal of obscurity on what was before plain and obvious.
3:4 When he is old - As Nicodemus himself was.
3:5 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit - Except he experience that great inward change by the Spirit, and be baptized (wherever baptism can be had) as the outward sign and means of it.
3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh - Mere flesh, void of the Spirit, yea, at enmity with it; And that which is born of the Spirit is spirit - Is spiritual, heavenly, divine, like its Author.
3:7 Ye must be born again - To be born again, is to be inwardly changed from all sinfulness to all holiness. It is fitly so called, because as great a change then passes on the soul as passes on the body when it is born into the world.
3:8 The wind bloweth - According to its own nature, not thy will, and thou hearest the sound thereof - Thou art sure it doth blow, but canst not explain the particular manner of its acting. So is every one that is born of the Spirit - The fact is plain, the manner of his operations inexplicable.
3:11 We speak what we know - I and all that believe in me.
3:12 Earthly things - Things done on earth; such as the new birth, and the present privileges of the children of God. Heavenly things - Such as the eternity of the Son, and the unity of the Father, Son, and Spirit.
3:13 For no one - For here you must rely on my single testimony, whereas there you have a cloud of witnesses: Hath gone up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven. Who is in heaven - Therefore he is omnipresent; else he could not be in heavenand on earth at once. This is a plain instance of what is usually termed the communication of properties between the Divine and human nature; whereby what is proper to the Divine nature is spoken concerning the human, and what is proper to the human is, as here, spoken of the Divine.
3:14 And as Moses - And even this single witness will soon be taken from you; yea, and in a most ignominious manner. Num 21:8-9.
3:15 That whosoever - He must be lifted up, that hereby he may purchase salvation for all believers: all those who look to him by faith recover spiritual health, even as all that looked at that serpent recovered bodily health.
3:16 Yea, and this was the very design of God's love in sending him into the world. Whosoever believeth on him - With that faith which worketh by love, and hold fast the beginning of his confidence steadfast to the end. God so loved the world - That is, all men under heaven; even those that despise his love, and will for that cause finally perish. Otherwise not to believe would be no sin to them. For what should they believe? Ought they to believe that Christ was given for them? Then he was given for them. He gave his only Son - Truly and seriously.And the Son of God gave himself, Gal 4:4, truly and seriously.
3:17 God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world - Although many accuse him of it.
3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned - Is acquitted, is justified before God. The name of the only - begotten Son of God - The name of a person is often put for the person himself. Butperhaps it is farther intimated in that expression, that the person spoken of is great and magnificent. And therefore it is generally used to express either God the Father or the Son.
3:19 This is the condemnation - That is, the cause of it.So God is clear.
3:21 He that practiseth the truth (that is, true religion) cometh to the light - So even Nicodemus, afterward did. Are wrought in God - That is, in the light, power, and love of God.