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William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 3:1-6

3:1-6 There was a man who was one of the Pharisees who was called Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him: "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do the signs which you do unless God is with him." Jesus answered him: "This is the truth I tell you--unless a man is reborn from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him: "How can a man be born when he is old? Surely he cannot enter into his mother's womb... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 3:1-6

When John relates conversations that Jesus had with enquirers, he has a way of following a certain scheme. We see that scheme very clearly here. The enquirer says something ( John 3:2 ). Jesus answers in a saying that is hard to understand ( John 3:3 ). That saying is misunderstood by the enquirer ( John 3:4 ). Jesus answers with a saying that is even more difficult to understand ( John 3:5 ). And then there follows a discourse and an explanation. John uses this method in order that we... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 3:1-6

Let us start with the kingdom of heaven. What does it mean? We get our best definition of it from the Lord's Prayer. There are two petitions side by side: Thy Kingdom come: Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. It is characteristic of Jewish style to say things twice, the second way explaining and amplifying the first. Any verse of the Psalms will show us this Jewish habit of what is technically known as parallelism: The Lord of hosts is with us: The God of Jacob is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 3:3

Jesus answered and said unto him ,.... Not to any express question put by Nicodemus; unless it can be thought, that a question of this kind might be asked, what is the kingdom of God, so much spoken of in thy ministry? and what is requisite to the seeing and enjoying of it? though not recorded by the evangelist; but rather to the words of Nicodemus, concluding from his miracles, that he was the Messiah; and that the kingdom of God was now approaching, or the world to come, the Jews so much... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - John 3:3

Jesus answered - Not in the language of compliment: - he saw the state of Nicodemus's soul, and he immediately addressed himself to him on a subject the most interesting and important. But what connection is there between our Lord's reply, and the address of Nicodemus? Probably our Lord saw that the object of his visit was to inquire about the Messiah's kingdom; and in reference to this he immediately says, Except a man be born again, etc. The repetition of amen, or verily, verily, among... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - John 3:3

Verse 3 3.Verily, verily, I say to thee. The word Verily ( ἀμὴν) is twice repeated, and this is done for the purpose of arousing him to more earnest attention. For when he was about to speak of the most important and weighty of all subjects, he found it necessary to awaken the attention of Nicodemus, who might otherwise have passed by this whole discourse in a light or careless manner. (57) Such, then, is the design of the double affirmation. Though this discourse appears to be far-fetched and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:1-8

The interview of Christ with Nicodemus. This brings before us one of the most important passages in Scripture. I. NICODEMUS APPEARS HERE AS A RELIGIOUS INQUIRER . 1 . He was " a ruler of the Jews. " That is, not a civic magistrate, but a member of the Sanhedrin, which governed the Jewish community in ecclesiastical concerns. 2 . He was a Pharisee. The most popular and influential of the Jewish sects—narrow in its particularism, and with a zeal springing out... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:2-3

Jesus humbling vaunted knowledge. I. THE VAUNTED KNOWLEDGE OF NICODEMUS . Nicodemus wants to come to Jesus with safety to his own position, and he gets over the difficulty, as he thinks, by coming at night. But such a proceeding may produce greater difficulties than it removes. Now he has come, what shall he say? His aim is to sound Jesus a little, and find out if it will be politic to encourage him. We may be tolerably sure that, with such aims, Jesus would not make his task the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:3

Many explanations have been offered of the link of connection between the suggestion of Nicodemus and the reply of Jesus. Many expansions or additions have been conjectured, such as the following, suggested by Christ's own language elsewhere: "You, by the finger of God, are casting out devils; then the kingdom of God has come nigh unto us. How may we enter upon its further proofs?"—a view which would demand a deeper knowledge of the mind of Christ than we have any reason to suppose diffused at... read more

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