The Gospel According to St. John

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- Chapter 3 -

(Genesis 22:1–10; Romans 5:6–11)

Now there was a man among the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.

He went to Jesus at night, and he said to him: “Rabbi, we know that you have arrived as a teacher from God. For no one would be able to accomplish these signs, which you accomplish, unless God were with him.”

Jesus responded and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one has been reborn anew, he is not able to see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus said to him: “How could a man be born when he is old? Surely, he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be reborn?”

Jesus responded: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one has been reborn by water and the Holy Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God.(a)

What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

You should not be amazed that I said to you: You must be born anew.

The Spirit inspires where he wills. And you hear his voice, but you do not know where he comes from, or where he is going. So it is with all who are born of the Spirit.”(b)

Nicodemus responded and said to him, “How are these things able to be accomplished?”

Jesus responded and said to him: “You are a teacher in Israel, and you are ignorant of these things?

Amen, amen, I say to you, that we speak about what we know, and we testify about what we have seen. But you do not accept our testimony.(c)

If I have spoken to you about earthly things, and you have not believed, then how will you believe, if I will speak to you about heavenly things?

And no one has ascended to heaven, except the one who descended from heaven: the Son of man who is in heaven.

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so also must the Son of man be lifted up,

so that whoever believes in him may not perish, but may have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that all who believe in him may not perish, but may have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world, in order to judge the world, but in order that the world may be saved through him.

Whoever believes in him is not judged. But whoever does not believe is already judged, because he does not believe in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.(d)

And this is the judgment: that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness more than light. For their works were evil.(e)

For everyone who does evil hates the Light and does not go toward the Light, so that his works may not be corrected.

But whoever acts in truth goes toward the Light, so that his works may be manifested, because they have been accomplished in God.”(f)

John’s Testimony about Jesus

After these things, Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judea. And he was living there with them and baptizing.

Now John was also baptizing, at Aenon near Salim, because there was much water in that place. And they were arriving and being baptized.

For John had not yet been cast into prison.

Then a dispute occurred between the disciples of John and the Jews, about purification.

And they went to John and said to him: “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, about whom you offered testimony: behold, he is baptizing and everyone is going to him.”

John responded and said: “A man is not able to receive anything, unless it has been given to him from heaven.

You yourselves offer testimony for me that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but that I have been sent before him.

He who holds the bride is the groom. But the friend of the groom, who stands and listens to Him, rejoices joyfully at the voice of the groom. And so, this, my joy, has been fulfilled.

He must increase, while I must decrease.

He who comes from above, is above everything. He who is from below, is of the earth, and he speaks about the earth. He who comes from heaven is above everything.

And what he has seen and heard, about this he testifies. And no one accepts his testimony.

Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified that God is truthful.

For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God. For God does not give the Spirit by measure.

The Father loves the Son, and he has given everything into his hand.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. But whoever is unbelieving toward the Son shall not see life; instead the wrath of God remains upon him.”

Footnotes

(a)3:5 Unless a man be born again, etc:By these words our Saviour has declared the necessity of baptism; and by the word water it is evident that the application of it is necessary with the words. Matt. 28. 19.(Challoner)

(b)3:8 I realize that this verse is translated using a dangling preposition, but it sounds more natural in conversation to leave it this way, whereas the grammatically correct alternative is awkward.(Conte)

(c)3:11 Jesus uses the first person plural here because He is referring to the work done by Himself and the Holy Spirit together.(Conte)

(d)3:18 Is not judged:He that believes, viz., by a faith working through charity, is not judged, that is, is not condemned; but the obstinate unbeliever is judged, that is, condemned already, by retrenching himself from the society of Christ and his church.(Challoner)

(e)3:19 The judgment:That is, the cause of his comdemnation.(Challoner)

(f)3:21 He that doth truth:that is, he that acts according to truth, which here signifies the Law of God. Thy law is truth. Psa. 118. 142.(Challoner)

(Genesis 22:1–10; Romans 5:6–11)

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”

Jesus answered him, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born anew, (a) he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”

Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’

The wind (b) blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?”

Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and don’t understand these things?

Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know and testify of that which we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness.

If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born (c) Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only born Son of God.

This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil.

For everyone who does evil hates the light and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed.

But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God.”

John’s Testimony about Jesus

After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them and baptized.

John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came and were baptized;

for John was not yet thrown into prison.

Therefore a dispute arose on the part of John’s disciples with some Jews about purification.

They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, he baptizes, and everyone is coming to him.”

John answered, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.

You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’

He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore my joy is made full.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

“He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.

What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness.

He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true.

For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God gives the Spirit without measure.

The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.

One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys(d) the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

Footnotes

(a)3:3 The word translated “anew” here and in John 3:7 (ἄνωθεν) also means “again” and “from above”.

(b)3:8 The same Greek word (πνεῦμα) means wind, breath, and spirit.

(c)3:16 The phrase “only born” is from the Greek word “μονογενη”, which is sometimes translated “only begotten” or “one and only”.

(d)3:36 The same word can be translated “disobeys” or “disbelieves” in this context.