John 3
36 verses
Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin, comes to Jesus by night seeking understanding, and Jesus confronts him with the necessity of being born again (or born from above—anothen), a rebirth by water and Spirit that requires turning from earthly thinking to heavenly reality. The rebirth is compared to the movement of the wind (pneuma), which blows where it will and whose sound we hear but cannot trace—a mystery of divine agency transcending human understanding and control. Jesus invokes the bronze serpent lifted up in the wilderness as a type of his own lifting up, and then delivers the Gospel's most profound theological statement: God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. The discourse pivots to light and darkness, judgment and belief: those who believe in the Son are not judged, but those who do not believe stand already condemned because they love darkness rather than light, unwilling to have their deeds exposed. John the Baptist delivers his final testimony, identifying himself as the friend of the bridegroom, rejoicing at the bridegroom's voice—Jesus—declaring that he must decrease while Jesus must increase, and that all judgment has been given into the hand of the Son. The chapter's theological arc moves from personal rebirth through cosmic salvation to the voluntary diminishment of the witness before the fullness of Christ's authority.
VERSES IN THIS CHAPTER
1
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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6
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
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7
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
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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.
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9
Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
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10
Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
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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.
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12
If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
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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.
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14
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
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15
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
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I grew up with this verse as a slogan. Coming back to it as an adult, what strikes me is the word "world" — kosmos in Gr...
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.
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17
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
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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.
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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.
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20
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
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21
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
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22
After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.
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23
And John also was baptizing in Ænon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.
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24
For John was not yet cast into prison.
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25
Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying.
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26
And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
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27
John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
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28
Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
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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.
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30
He must increase, but I must decrease.
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31
He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
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32
And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.
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33
He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
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34
For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
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35
The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
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36
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
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