1 ThereThere are none sometimes more unlearned than the learned, but the learned as well as the unlearned must desire wisdom from Christ only.was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, aA man of great estimation and a ruler amongst the Jews.ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art aWe know that you are sent from God to teach us.teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest,But he in whom some part of the excellency of God appears. And if Nicodemus had rightly known Christ, he would not only have said that God was with him, but in him, as Paul does in (2Co_1:19).except God be with him.
3 The beginning of Christianity consists in this, that we know ourselves not only to be corrupt in part, but to be wholly dead in sin: so that our nature has need to be created anew, with regard to its qualities, which can be done by no other power, but by the divine and heavenly, by which we were first created.Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannotThat is, «go in», or «enter», as he expounds himself below in (Joh_3:5).see theThe Church: for Christ shows here how we come to be citizens and to have anything to do in the city of God.kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, HowHow can I who am old be born again? For Nicodemus answers as if Christ's words were only addressed to himself.can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Iesus answered, Verely, verely I say vnto thee, except that a man be borne of water and of the Spirite, hee can not enter into the kingdome of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh isThat is, fleshly, namely, wholly unclean and under the wrath of God: and therefore this word «flesh» signifies the corrupt nature of man: contrary to which is the Spirit, that is, the man ingrafted into Christ through the grace of the Holy Spirit, whose nature is everlasting and immortal, though the strife of the flesh remains.flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marueile not that I said to thee, Yee must be borne againe.
8 The wind bloweth where itWith free and wandering blasts as it wishes.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 The secret mystery of our regeneration which cannot be comprehended by man's capacity, is perceived by faith, and that in Christ only, because he is both God on earth, and man in heaven, that is to say, man in such a way that he is God also, and therefore almighty: and God in such a way that he is man also, and therefore his power is made manifest to us.Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Iesus answered, & saide vnto him, Art thou a teacher 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 ourYou handle doubtful things even though you have no solid basis for believing them, and yet men believe you: but I teach those things that are of a truth and well known, and you do not believe me.witness.
12 If when I tel you earthly things, ye beleeue not, howe should yee beleeue, if I shall tel you of heauenly things?
13 And noOnly Christ can teach us heavenly things, for no man ascends, etc.manThat is, has any spiritual light and understanding, or ever had any, but only the Son of God who came down to us.hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, [even]Whereas he is said to have come down from heaven, this must be understood as referring to his Godhead, and of the manner of his conception: for Christ's birth upon the earth was heavenly and not earthly, for he was conceived by the Holy Spirit.the Son of man whichThat which is proper to the divinity of Christ, is here spoken of the whole Christ, to show us that he is but one person in which two natures are united.is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse, so must that Sonne of man be lift vp,
15 That whosoeuer beleeueth in him, shoulde not perish, but haue eternall life.
16 Nothing else but the free love of the Father is the beginning of our salvation, and Christ is he in whom our righteousness and salvation dwells: and faith is the instrument or means by which we apprehend it, and everlasting life is that which is set before us to apprehend.For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believethIt is not the same to believe in a thing, and to believe about a thing, for we may not believe in anything except in God alone, but we may believe about anything whatever, says Nazianzene in his Oration of the Spirit.in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 Christ does not condemn, but rather despising Christ condemns.For God sent not his Son into the worldThat is, to be the cause of the condemning of the world, for indeed sins are the cause of death; however, Christ will still judge the living and the dead.to condemn the world; but that theNot only the people of the Jews, but whoever will believe in him.world through him might be saved.
18 Hee that beleeueth in him, is not condemned: but hee that beleeueth not, is condemned already, because he hath not beleeued in the Name of that onely begotten Sonne of God.
19 The only reason why men refuse the light that is offered to them is wickedness.And this is theThat is, the cause of condemnation, which remains in men, unless through God's great benefit they are delivered from it.condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For euery man that euill doeth, hateth the light, neither commeth to light, least his deedes should be reprooued.
21 But he thatThat is, he that leads an honest life, and is void of all cunning and deceit.doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wroughtThat is, with God, God as it were going before.in God.
22 After these things, came Iesus & his disciples into the lande of Iudea, and there taried with them, and baptized.
23 And Iohn also baptized in Enon besides Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.
24 For Iohn was not yet cast into prison.
25 Satan inflames the disciples of John with a fond emulation of their master in order to hinder the course of the gospel: but John, being mindful of his office, not only puts a stop to their endeavours, but also takes occasion by that means to give testimony of Christ, that in him alone the Father has set forth everlasting life.Then there arose a question between [some] of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.
26 And they came vnto Iohn, and saide vnto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Iorden, to whom thou barest witnesse, behold, he baptizeth, and all men come to him.
27 John answered and said, A manWhy are you trying to better my state? This is every man's lot and portion, that he cannot better himself in the slightest way.can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
28 Yee your selues are my witnesses, that I sayde, I am not that Christ, but that I am sent before him.
29 He that hath the bride, is the bridegrome: but the friend of the bridegrome which standeth and heareth him, reioyceth greatly, because of the bridegromes voyce. This my ioy therefore is fulfilled.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth isIs nothing else but man, a piece of work made of the slime of the earth.earthly, andIs characterized by nothing but corruption, ignorance, dulness, etc.speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
32 And what he hathWhat he knows fully and perfectly.seen and heard, that he testifieth; andThat is, very few.no man receiveth his testimony.
33 He that hath receiued his testimonie, hath sealed that God is true.
34 For hee whome God hath sent, speaketh the woordes of God: for God giueth him not the Spirit by measure.
35 The Father loveth the Son, and hathCommitted them to his power and will.given all things into his hand.
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall notShall not enjoy.see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
