Chapter 3

3:3  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.

born again

Regeneration:

(1) The necessity of the new birth grows out of the incapacity of the natural man to "see" or "enter into" the kingdom of God. However gifted, moral, or refined, the natural man is absolutely blind to spiritual truth, and impotent to enter the kingdom; for he can neither obey, understand, nor please God John 3:3 John 3:5 John 3:6 ; Psalms 51:5 ; Jeremiah 17:9 ; Mark 7:21-23 ; 1 Corinthians 2:14 ; Romans 8:7 Romans 8:8 ; Ephesians 2:3 (See Scofield "Matthew 6:33") .

(2) The new birth is not a reformation of the old nature (See Scofield "Romans 6:6") but a creative act of the holy Spirit John 3:5 ; John 1:12 John 1:13 ; 2 Corinthians 5:17 ; Ephesians 2:10 ; 4:24 .

(3) The condition of the new birth is faith in Christ crucified John 3:14 John 3:15 ; John 1:12 John 1:13 ; Galatians 3:24

(4) Through the new birth the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature and of the life of Christ Himself Galatians 2:20 ; Ephesians 2:10 ; 4:24 ; Colossians 1:27 ; 1 Peter 1:23-25 ; 2 Peter 1:4 ; 1 John 5:10-12

3:10  Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

a master

Lit. Art thou the teacher of Israel, etc.

3:13  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

Son of man

(See Scofield "Matthew 8:20")

3:16  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.

perish

(Greek - ajpovllumi ," trans). "marred," Mark 2:22, "lost," ; Matthew 10:6 ; 15:24 ; 18:11 ; Luke 15:4 Luke 15:6 Luke 15:32 . In no N.T. instance does it signify cessation of existence or of consciousness. It is the condition of every non-believer.

world kosmos = mankind. (See Scofield "Matthew 4:8") .

3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

world kosmos = mankind. (See Scofield "Matthew 4:8")

condemn Or, judge, and so in John 3:18 John 3:19 cf. John 15:22-24 .

saved (See Scofield "Romans 1:16")

3:18  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.

He that

See, John 6:40 John 6:47 ; Romans 8:1

3:19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

world

kosmos = mankind. (See Scofield "Matthew 4:8") .