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J.C. Ryle · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Ryle - THE conversation between Christ and Nicodemus, which begins with these verses, is one of the most important passages in the whole Bible. Nowhere else do we find stronger statements about those two mighty subjects, the new birth, and salvation by faith in the Son of God. The servant of Christ will do well to make himself thoroughly acquainted with this chapter. A man may be ignorant of many things in religion, and yet be saved. But to be ignorant of the matters handled in this chapter, is to be in the broad way which leadeth to destruction. John
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Ryle wrote of ‘that change of heart and nature which a man goes through when he becomes a true Christian’. He calls regeneration the distinguishing mark of the true believer. Being a Christian is more than merely saying you are one. The phrase ‘born-again Christian’ is really tautology (saying the same thing in two different ways). To be a Christian, in the New Testament sense, there has to be a real change of heart within, a new birth. (Recommended reading - What the Bible Teaches About Being Born Again) Edward Gross on new birth - The birth by which the new creation of God is begun in the soul. It is the first personal act of rescue wrought by God in us to fulfil his plan of salvation effected by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ....Without regeneration we would forever remain spiritually blind and dead.
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Ryle - Regeneration means, that change of heart and nature which a man goes through when he becomes a true Christian. I think there can be no question that there is an immense difference among those who profess and call themselves Christians. Beyond all dispute, there are always two classes in the outward Church--the class of those who are Christians in name and form only, and the class of those who are Christians in deed and in truth. All were not Israel who were called Israel, and all are not Christians who are called Christians. "In the visible Church," says an article of the Church of England, "the evil be ever mingled with the good." Some, as the Thirty-nine Articles say, are "wicked and void of a lively faith." Others, as another article says, "are made like the image of God's only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and walk piously in good works." Some worship God as a mere form--and some in spirit and in truth. Some give their hearts to God--and some give them to the world. Some believe the Bible, and live as if they believed it--others do not. Some feel their sins, and mourn over them--others do not. Some love Christ, trust in Him, and serve Him--others do not. In short, as Scripture says, some walk in the narrow way--some in the broad way; some are the good fish of the Gospel net--some are the bad fish; some are the wheat in Christ's field--some are the tares. I think no man with his eyes open can fail to see all this, both in the Bible, and in the world around him. Whatever he may think about the subject I am writing of, he cannot possibly deny that this difference exists. Now what is the explanation of the difference? I answer unhesitatingly-- Regeneration, or being born again. I answer, that true Christians are what they are, because they are Regenerate; and formal Christians are what they are, because they are not Regenerate. The heart of the true Christian has been changed. The heart of the Christian in name only, has not been changed. The change of heart makes the whole difference. This change of heart is spoken of continually in the Bible, under various emblems and figures-- Ezekiel calls it, "a taking away the stony heart, and giving an heart of flesh;"--"a giving a new heart, and putting within us a new spirit." (Ezekiel 11:19+; Ezekiel 36:26+) The apostle John sometimes calls it, being "born of God," sometimes, being "born again," sometimes, being "born of the Spirit." (John 1:13+; John 3:3-6+) The apostle Peter, in the Acts, calls it "repenting and being converted." (Acts 3:19+) The Epistle to the Romans speaks of it as a "being alive from the dead." (Ro 6:13+) The second Epistle to the Corinthians calls it "being a new creature--old things have passed away, and all things become new." (2 Cor. 5:17+) The Epistle to the Ephesians speaks of it as a resurrection together with Christ--"You has He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1+); as "a putting off the old man, which is corrupt--being renewed in the spirit of our minds--and putting on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Eph 4:22, 24+) The Epistle to the Colossians calls it a "putting off the old man with his deeds, and putting on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him." (Col. 3:9, 10+. The Epistle to Titus calls it, "the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:5+) The first Epistle of Peter speaks of it as "a being called out of darkness into God's marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9+) And the second Epistle as "being made partakers of the divine nature." (2 Peter 1:4+) The first Epistle of John calls it a "passing from death to life." (1 John 3:14+) (Click for full sermon by J C Ryle on Regeneration) A few years ago when I was in Northfield, Massachusetts, to conduct evangelistic services, I visited "Roundtop" where D. L. Moody is buried. As I knelt in prayer, I recalled vividly Mr. Moody's eloquent words: "Someday you will read in the papers that D. L. Moody is dead. Don't you believe a word of it. At that moment I shall have gone up higher; that is all; out of this old clay tenement, into a house that is immortal—a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint; a body fashioned like unto His glorious body. I was born of the flesh in 1837. I was born of the Spirit in 1856. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live forever." Mr. Moody was right. And I expect to meet him one day in a glorified body that will never die. - George Sweeting From the Canons of Dordt (1618, 1619) Article 11: The Holy Spirit’s work in conversion. Moreover, when God carries out this good pleasure in his chosen ones, or works true conversion in them, he not only sees to it that the gospel is proclaimed to them outwardly, and enlightens their minds powerfully by the Holy Spirit so that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God, but, by the effective operation of the same regenerating Spirit, he also penetrates into the inmost being of man, opens the closed heart, softens the hard heart, and circumcises the heart that is uncircumcised. He infuses new qualities into the will, making the dead will alive, the evil one good, the unwilling one willing, and the stubborn one compliant; he activates and strengthens the will so that, like a good tree, it may be enabled to produce the fruits of good deeds. Article 12: Regeneration a supernatural work. And this is the regeneration, the new creation, the raising from the dead, and the making alive so clearly proclaimed in the Scriptures, which God works in us without our help. But this certainly does not happen only by outward teaching, by moral persuasion, or by such a way of working that, after God has done his work, it remains in man’s power whether or not to be reborn or converted. Rather, it is an entirely supernatural work, one that is at the same time most powerful and most pleasing, a marvellous, hidden, and inexpressible work, which is not lesser than or inferior in power to that of creation or of raising the dead, as Scripture (inspired by the author of this work) teaches. As a result, all those in whose hearts God works in this marvellous way are certainly, unfailingly, and effectively reborn and do actually believe. And then the will, now renewed, is not only activated and motivated by God but in being activated by God is also itself active. For this reason, man himself, by that grace which he has received, is also rightly said to believe and to repent. Article 14: The way God gives faith. In this way, therefore, faith is a gift of God, not in the sense that it is offered by God for man to choose, but that it is in actual fact bestowed on man, breathed and infused into him. Nor is it a gift in the sense that God bestows only the potential to believe, but then awaits assent—the act of believing—from man’s choice; rather, it is a gift in the sense that he who works both willing and acting and, indeed, works all things in all people produces in man both the will to believe and the belief itself. Article 16: Regeneration’s effect. However, just as by the fall man did not cease to be man, endowed with intellect and will, and just as sin, which has spread through the whole human race, did not abolish the nature of the human race but distorted and spiritually killed it, so also this divine grace of regeneration does not act in people as if they were blocks and stones; nor does it abolish the will and its properties or coerce a reluctant will by force, but spiritually revives, heals, reforms, and—in a manner at once pleasing and powerful—bends it back. As a result, a ready and sincere obedience of the Spirit now begins to prevail where before the rebellion and resistance of the flesh were completely dominant. It is in this that the true and spiritual restoration and freedom of our will consists. Thus, if the marvellous Maker of every good thing were not dealing with us, man would have no hope of getting up from his fall by his free choice, by which he plunged himself into ruin when still standing upright. Article 17: God’s use of means in regeneration. Just as the almighty work of God by which he brings forth and sustains our natural life does not rule out but requires the use of means, by which God, according to his infinite wisdom and goodness, has wished to exercise his power, so also the aforementioned supernatural work of God by which he regenerates us in no way rules out or cancels the use of the gospel, which God in his great wisdom has appointed to be the seed of regeneration and the food of the soul. For this reason, the apostles and the teachers who followed them taught the people in a godly manner about this grace of God, to give him the glory and to humble all pride, and yet did not neglect meanwhile to keep the people, by means of the holy admonitions of the gospel, under the administration of the Word, the sacraments, and discipline. So even today it is out of the question that the teachers or those taught in the church should presume to test God by separating what he in his good pleasure has wished to be closely joined together. For grace is bestowed through admonitions, and the more readily we perform our duty, the more lustrous the benefit of God working in us usually is and the better his work advances. To him alone, both for the means and for their saving fruit and effectiveness, all glory is owed for ever. Amen. What do regular coffee, acoustic guitars, and black-and-white television have in common? All are what journalist Frank Mankiewicz calls “retronyms”—words or phrases created because a familiar word needs to be distinguished from a term that refers to a new development or invention. Once, all coffee was regular, all guitars were acoustic, and all TVs were black and white. Not so today, thus the need for a growing list of retronyms, including decaf mocha java, electric guitar, and high-def television. It could be said that Jesus turned the phrase physical birth into a retronym when He told an inquiring man named Nicodemus, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Confession of Faith of the Calvinistic Methodists of Wales (1823) 26. Of regeneration. Regeneration consists in a gracious and supernatural change, wrought by the Spirit of God in all those who are saved to eternal life, by making them partakers of the divine nature, which is the principle of a holy life, effectually working in the whole man, and for that reason called ‘the new man’. The holy nature received in regeneration acts in all those who are made partakers of it in direct opposition to every form of corruption, and after God who created it. This change produces in the whole man a lively impress of God’s holiness, as a child bears the image of his father. God alone is the author of this change. It is generally wrought by means of the word, and is set forth in Scripture under several names; such as quickening, forming Christ in the heart, partaking of the divine nature, and circumcising the heart. This change is wrought in order that men may glorify God by bringing forth the fruits of righteousness, and purifying the soul, so as to be meet to enjoy fellowship with God for ever. “O Lord,” muttered Alexander Pope one day, “make me a better man!” His spiritually-enlightened servant replied, “It would be easier to make you a new man!” (A Frank Boreham Treasury) Warren Wiersbe on Born Again - Every great nation in history has become decadent and has finally been conquered by another nation. There is no reason why we should suppose that our nation will be an exception. Some nineteen world civilizations, in the past, have slipped into oblivion. There is no reason why we should think that our present civilization will endure forever. "Change and decay in all around I see," wrote Henry F. Lyte (1793-1847), and if our civilization is not eroded by change and decay it will certainly be swept away and replaced by a new order of things at the coming of Christ, which could happen at any time. Slowly but inevitably, and perhaps sooner than even Christians think, the world is passing away; but the man who does God's will abides forever. Long after this world system, with its vaunted culture, its proud philosophies, its egocentric intellectualism, and its godless materialism, has been forgotten, and long after this planet has been replaced by the new heavens and the new earth, God's faithful servants will remain—sharing the glory of God for all eternity. And this prospect is not limited to Moody, Spurgeon, Luther, or Wesley and their likes—it is open to each and every humble believer. If you are trusting Christ, it is for you. (Pause for Power: A Year in the Word) Mutiny on the Bounty (Mutiny on the Bounty - Wikipedia) - In 1789, a group of mutineers put their officers on a longboat, took control of the H.M.S. Bounty, and sailed to Tahiti to enjoy a comfortable life. Fearing punishment, some of them, along with several Polynesians, later moved to uninhabited Pitcairn Island and burned the ship so there would be no evidence. Despite the South Pacific paradise-like setting, sexual immorality, jealousy, anger, alcohol, and disease took their toll until there was only one Englishman, ten women, and many children left. The remaining Englishman, Alexander Smith (See John Adams (mutineer) = Alexander Smith), discovered a Bible in the ship's goods, and thankfully, the next-to-last man had taught him to read before he died. Smith studied the Word, decided it held the answer to the community's problems, and initiated Sunday worship and daily prayer times for the remaining people. In 1808, an American ship happening upon the island was surprised to discover a thriving group of 35 English-speaking Christians. The power of Scripture can transform lives! As we learn in today's reading, the Word has an important role to play in spiritual rebirth and sanctification. The reading begins with a moral imperative found throughout the New Testament: “Love one another deeply from the heart.” This should be the natural (Ed: I would suggest "supernatural") result of purity and obedience (1Pe 1:22). This pursuit of holiness and love should in turn spring (supernaturally) from our salvation, which is linked with the message of salvation, the Gospel (1Pe 1:23; James 1:18). Being born again is a spiritual and eternal event (John 3:5-6), and the Bible is a spiritual and eternal revelation. Much more than a “good book,” it is the “living and enduring word of God,” as Isaiah had also proclaimed (1Pe 1:23-25). After being spiritually reborn, we are to “grow up” in our salvation (1Pe 2:2), progressing from spiritual infancy to maturity, as displayed in increasing love and righteousness. Our motive is greater intimacy with God (1Pe 2:3; cf. Ps. 34:8. TODAY ALONG THE WAY - Born again” is a popular phrase, but not everyone knows what it means. Do you? It means that when a person trusts in Jesus for salvation from sin, he or she essentially starts a new life as a new person. But without that trust, the Bible says you are “dead in your sins” (Col. 2:13). There's nothing you can do to save yourself. If you've never trusted in Jesus, let today be the start of your new life! (Today in the Word) ILLUSTRATION - Years ago, Bishop John Taylor Smith, a former chaplain general of the British army, was preaching in a large cathedral on the text, “You must be born again.” He said, “My dear people, do not substitute anything for the new birth. You may be a member of a church … but church membership is not new birth, and ‘except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” The rector was sitting on his left. Pointing to him he said, “You may be a clergyman like my friend the rector here and not be born again, and ‘except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” On his right sat the archdeacon. Pointing at him, he continued, “You might even be an archdeacon like my friend here and still not be born again, but ‘except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” You might even be a bishop like myself and not be born again, but ‘except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” Several days later he received a letter from the archdeacon which read, in part, “My dear Bishop: You have found me out. I have been a clergyman for over 30 years, but I have never known anything of the joy that Christians speak of. I never could understand it…. But when you pointed at me and said that a person could be an archdeacon and not be born again, I understood what the trouble was. Would you please come and talk with me?” Of course, Bishop Smith did talk with him and the archdeacon responded to Christ’s call to salvation (H. A. Ironside, Illustrations of Biblical Truth) JOHN 3:3—Does being “born again” indicate that Jesus taught reincarnation? PROBLEM: Traditionally, Christians have believed that the Bible does not teach the doctrine of reincarnation (cf. Heb. 9:27). However, many groups use this verse to claim that Jesus taught that it was necessary to be reincarnated. SOLUTION: What Jesus is teaching in this passage is not reincarnation, but regeneration. This is clear from several facts. First, the doctrine of reincarnation teaches that, after a person dies, he enters another mortal body to live on this earth again. This process repeats itself over and over in a virtually endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth into yet another mortal body. If Jesus were advocating reincarnation, He should have said, “unless someone is born again and again and again and again…” Second, the doctrine of reincarnation teaches that people die over and over until they reach perfection (Nirvana). However, the Bible clearly teaches that “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). Third, in the verses that follow, Jesus explains what He means by being born again. Jesus says, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Although there are commentators who differ on exactly what this “water” means (see comments on John 3:5), they are all agreed that it cannot possibly refer to reincarnation. Being born again, then, is being cleansed from our sins, and being given the life of God by the Spirit of God (Rom. 3:21–26; Eph. 2:5; Col. 2:13). (Norman Geisler - When Critics Ask) ILLUSTRATION - The Greek historian Herodotus said that the ancient Egyptians believed in the new birth. They believed that when a person died they became whatever animal happened to have been born at the same time, and then they went from that animal to another animal life and then to another animal's life until they had gone through all of the animals of the animal kingdom, and then the Egyptians believed that you could be born again, that's what they called it, born again as a human being, and they believed the process would take 3,000 years. Really, they believed in reincarnation and they believed in a lie! "COUNTERFEIT NEW BIRTH" WHAT THE NEW BIRTH IS NOT This excerpt is from Gary Brady's excellent little (174 page) 2008 paperback book entitled What the Bible Teaches About Being Born Again (digital edition for Logos) . I highly recommend this book whether you are a lay person or seminary trained as it is very readable, but absolutely Biblical. Given the importance of this subject in time and eternity, the new birth is one "theological subject" regarding which we do not want to be "fuzzy" in our thinking. Brady discusses what the new birth is not...what I have chose to call "counterfeit new births." (1) Not a cross-generational reincarnation The story is told of a keen young Christian witnessing to his Hindu neighbour. At one point he says to him, ‘You see, what needs to happen is that you have to be born again!’ The Hindu believes in the transmigration of souls, or metempsychosis, the idea that after death the soul begins a new life in another body, so he answers, ‘But, my dear friend, I’ve been born again many times!’ More than one Hindu book aimed at westerners has commended the idea of being born again and again. The recognition of the need for renewal is good but the theory is riddled with difficulties. Hindus and others sometimes refer to reincarnation as regeneration but when the Bible speaks of it, this is not what it means. Christian regeneration or rebirth is something that occurs in this life not in any future one! (Related Resource: What does the Bible say about reincarnation?) (2) Not a continuous process In 1889 an American couple, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, founded the Unity Church. Now two million strong, it works in fifteen countries promoting so-called ‘practical Christianity’. Among its distinctives is a notion that being born again is a continuous process that needs to be repeated. The idea is clearly attractive to some but, in Scripture, new birth happens once and for all; it is not a process. It is a fountain not a river; the ignition of the engine not its continuous hum; birth not growth. (Related Resource: What is the Unity Church / Unity School of Christianity?) (3) Not a renewal of the spirit apart from the soul Another understanding of the new birth we should warn against is one that arises out of the view that man is made up of three parts not two (spirit, soul and body, not just soul and body). It is sometimes assumed that sin resides only in the soul, the spirit remaining pure. Once the soul is renewed, the proper balance is regained and the body will follow suit. Whatever view we take of man’s composition (trichotomy, dichotomy; three parts or two), to deny our utter depravity—body, soul, spirit, mind, heart—is a serious mistake and is bound to lead us astray. (4) Not a material change Before his conversion, Augustine of Hippo was involved in a religious movement called Manichaeism. It began in Persia in the third century AD and among its teachings, according to later theologians, was the erroneous view that regeneration is a change in substance. Others have held similar views. A sixteenth-century Lutheran called Illyricus taught that in regeneration a substance called original sin is replaced by another substance. In fact, no addition to or subtraction from the soul is involved. In the seventeenth century, as noted, some Reformed theologians do refer to regeneration as something physical but in using this term they were not suggesting there is a material change. Rather, this was their way of referring to a change in nature (phusis). (Related Resource: What is Manichaeism?) (5) Not a simple choice Back in the second half of the fourth century, there was a monk called Pelagius who initially lived somewhere in the British Isles. He and his followers believed that sin is only a matter of making wrong choices. A man can choose to sin. A man can choose not to sin. Being born again is chiefly a matter of choosing not to sin. It is an ‘act of the soul’, a mere reformation of life and habit. The person who once chose to break God’s law, now chooses to obey it. Pelagius’s sub-biblical form of Christianity was condemned at the Council of Ephesus in AD 431 but later groups have taught similar things. Most common are those who, like Pelagius’s contemporary John Cassian, are Semi-Pelagian. In the seventeenth century Jacobus Arminius and his followers (Arminians) blazed a trail in this direction. They accept the need for the Spirit to work but taught that he can be resisted and that regeneration can be lost. (Related Resources: What is Pelagianism? What is semi-Pelagianism?) In the nineteenth century, the American evangelist and theologian Charles Finney taught that regeneration is, to quote a sermon of his, ‘a voluntary change in the governing preference of the mind, or a change of choice’. More recently, the popular American writer Joyce Meyer has produced a book called The most important decision you will ever make. It claims to teach you ‘what you must believe to be born again’. The very title of the book suggests an inadequate view of the subject. COMMENT BY JUSTIN TAYLOR - In an article entitled, “The Legacy of Charles Finney,” Michael Horton traces how Finney rejected original sin, a substitutionary atonement, the supernatural character of the new birth, and justification by grace alone through faith alone. Horton concludes that Finney “is not only an enemy of evangelical Protestantism, but of historic Christianity of the broadest sort.” The truth is that all sorts of people make a fresh start or a new beginning. Turning over a new leaf can be a good thing as far as it goes, but it is not at all what the Bible means when it talks of regeneration or being born again. We need a far more comprehensive change, a transformation that only new birth can bring about. Our need is not to make a new start in life but to receive a new life to start with. Charles Naylor put it well, back in 1907: No mere reformation your sins can erase, You cannot remove their stain; If ever in heaven your soul has a place, You must be born again. Whitewashing walls is not enough. The whole house needs to be reconstructed. (6) Not a fresh commitment Surveys in the USA often reveal a high percentage of individuals claiming to be ‘born again’. On further examination, it is evident that many simply mean that at some point, often in their teens, they made some sort of Christian commitment. They went forward at an evangelistic rally, or prayed a prayer of commitment alone or with someone else. They made an emotional response to God in a personal crisis or after watching a religious film, or signed a decision card. Perhaps you have done something similar yourself. Such acts and responses may accompany Christian conversion but are again not something that we can equate with regeneration. Charles Finney fostered this sort of thinking and many have copied him. The first page of his Lectures on Revivals declares, disturbingly, his belief that ‘religion is the work of man’. A modern book aimed at teenagers sets out its understanding of the gospel and gives a model prayer to pray. It then says, ‘If you sincerely prayed that prayer, you are now born again.’ This can only be true if we regard new birth merely as a commitment, rather than taking a biblical view of the subject. Contemporary Presbyterian theologian Jay E. Adams’ booklet Decisional Regeneration warns against this sort of misunderstanding. He points out that Charlotte Elliott’s 1836 hymn ‘Just as I am’, often used when ‘altar calls’ are given, was written with invalids in mind. Bedridden herself, Elliott did not equate the words ‘I come, I come’ with a walk down an aisle or across a sports field; nor should we. The coming in mind is the heart’s response following its renewal by God. (7) Not a moving experience A 1970s love song by David Shire and Carol Connors includes the line, ‘Woman, don’t you know, with you I’m born again.’ On a web site, singer Michael Jackson is quoted describing his conversion to Islam with the words, ‘I felt as if I were born again.’ It is perhaps this understanding of the term that leads some Mormons, members of the Church of Latter Day Saints, to describe themselves as ‘born again’. American novelist Gore Vidal provocatively described himself as ‘a born-again atheist’ and others have similarly declared themselves ‘born-again sceptics’ or ‘born-again cynics’! Though people equate being born again with ‘feeling brand new’ and sometimes speak of falling in love and other emotional upheavals in such terms, when the Bible speaks about being born again it is not speaking about a moving experience. In 1721, Thomas Boston pointed out how ‘a person may have sharp soul-exercises and pangs and yet’, as it were, ‘die in the birth’ (See Boston's original article - Regeneration). Not all that glitters is gold and spring blossom cannot guarantee summer fruit. Sharp convictions can ‘go off’. Awakening grace is not converting grace. Some ‘stillborns’ (or almost Christians, Ryle) make the mistake of thinking that having a deep conviction of sin is enough. To receive the Word with joy is not to be born again (Matthew 13:20+). People of many different religious backgrounds, and even some with none at all, use regeneration language to describe moving experiences, but this is not what we are talking about here. (8) Not a change of opinion Some theologians have seen regeneration as the discovery of one’s potential divinity, an ethical change that led to following higher principles. More recently, under post-modern influences, professing evangelicals in the ‘emergent church’ have been saying similar things. Steve Chalke, for example, seems to understand Christ’s call to regeneration simply as a call to see the world differently and adopt a new agenda. It is to discover, he says, the freedom found in God’s love and rule. Brian McLaren similarly sees no need for the Holy Spirit to bring it about. Such thinking is unbiblical. (Related Resource: Kevin Deyoung on Brian McLaren) (9) Not a psychological effect William James, brother of novelist Henry, was a philosopher and psychologist. Like other writers on religious experience, he wanted to dismiss all idea of the new birth being supernatural. He saw it as something psychological occurring in the subconscious, in which a person moves from a self-centred (auto-centric) standpoint to a hetero-centric one, focused elsewhere. He writes of how a self that has been ‘divided, and consciously wrong, inferior and unhappy’ becomes ‘unified and consciously right, superior and happy, in consequence of its firmer hold on religious realities’. As we have suggested, even some professing Christians hold similar views but this is not what the Bible teaches. (10) Not a consequence of baptism Since the post-apostolic period many have taught ‘baptismal regeneration’—the spiritual rebirth of a baby at baptism. That a baby could be regenerated at the time of baptism is not disputed, but that it happens because of baptism is. (Related Resources: What is baptismal regeneration? Is baptism necessary for salvation?) Roman Catholicism teaches that baptism not only cancels the guilt of any actual sin and any punishment due as a result of it, but it also removes the power of original (inherited) sin to defile and corrupt. Baptism renews the moral nature and the subject becomes a son and heir of God. It is believed that this happens every time an infant is baptized but that adults can resist baptism’s virtue or make it invalid. Lutherans and Anglicans often see regeneration at baptism as the norm. The Anglican baptismal service says of the baptized baby, ‘This child is regenerate.’ It has pleased God to ‘regenerate the infant’. Some say it is a judgement of charity but others suggest that a germ of spiritual life is planted in the soul that may long remain dormant until it bears fruit or eventually withers and dies. Some allow for both biblical regeneration and ‘baptismal regeneration’, which they see as a change in a person’s state or relation so that he is in some sense, ‘a son of God’. Both acts, they say, are the work of the Spirit. The Prayer Book is a problem for Bible-believing Anglicans. In 1864, C. H. Spurgeon, a Baptist, opposed baptismal regeneration as it was not taught by God and was not found anywhere in the Bible. In the same period, Anglican theologian J. B. Mozley agreed. ‘Scripture nowhere asserts, either explicitly or implicitly, the regeneration of infants in baptism,’ he wrote. (See Infant Baptism) Others directly connect the water baptism of older people with rebirth in ways the Bible never does. Regardless of vain appeals to 1 Peter 3:21 or John 3:3, baptism is an act of obedience and cannot produce regeneration. Simon Magus was baptized but he was no true convert (see Acts 8). Isaac Watts reminds us: Not all the outward forms on earth, Nor rites that God has given, Nor will of man, nor blood, nor birth, Can raise a soul to heaven. (11) Not a result of confirmation or community In a similar way, some speak of a service of confirmation into the church or of church membership as regeneration. It is true that all who are born again are members of the universal church. Simply joining a local church or having someone’s hands laid on your head, however, cannot produce the biblical new birth. (Related Resource: What does the Bible say about Christian confirmation?) In the nineteenth century German modernist Friedrich Schleiermacher spoke more complexly of regeneration being produced in a person by the common Christian spirit of the community. Again, this is not what Scripture is speaking about when it refers to this matter. As Boston says, one may be civil and sober and even follow all the outward duties of religion without ever being regenerate (See under "Of the Nature of Regeneration - #3 "civility and sobriety"). We may be very strict in these things, like Paul the Pharisee, ‘yet be strangers to the new birth’. (12) Not a denominational matter The ancient Persian religion of Mithraism described initiation into its mysteries as ‘regeneration’. In Christianity, there are no hidden mysteries of that sort. All are free to know what we teach. Regeneration cannot, therefore, be anything like this. ‘Born-again Christians’ can be found in different Christian denominations and groupings. As far as we are aware, there is no ‘born-again Christian’ denomination, though some churches use the words ‘new birth’ in their names. Even if there is a ‘born-again’ denomination, or if one came into existence, regeneration could not be a matter of joining such a group. Simply joining a group or signing up to a confession, whatever its name, cannot of itself regenerate anyone. Churches and creeds do not make Christians. (13) Not an American thing Another idea is that ‘born-again Christian’ is just a phrase that certain American Christians, or rather vocal and enthusiastic Christians elsewhere, like to use. In fact, though Americans have invented many wonderful things, from chewing gum to manned flight, being born again is not one of them. It is true that the influence of Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians from the USA is great. It is true that go-getting American attitudes affect Christians as well as others. It is also true that in the seventies there was something of a ‘born-again movement’ in the USA. In 1976, presidential candidate and later president Jimmy Carter described himself in interviews as ‘born again’ and Charles Colson, converted Watergate felon, brought out his top-selling autobiography Born again. In 1977 American evangelist Billy Graham produced his best-seller How to be Born Again. However, to suggest that being born again is a simple matter of being an American or belonging to a certain movement is unfair and incorrect. Steven Cole makes a good point writing that "We live in a culture which has taken some biblical words and used them in a way that redefines and cheapens them so that they no longer mean what the Bible means. But then they seep back into the vocabulary of Christians with their devalued meaning. Take the term “born again.” The media uses it to describe anyone who makes a comeback or gets a fresh start in life. A baseball team that has been in the cellar and suddenly starts winning is called “the born again” Dodgers. Chrysler under Lee Iacocca was a “born again” corporation. And so it’s not surprising when over 50 percent of Americans say that they’re “born again Christians.” They mean that they had some sort of religious or emotional experience that resulted in a fresh start in life. It may have involved praying to Jesus or “inviting Him into their hearts.” But in most cases, they have no idea what the Bible means by being born again. (Sermon) (Bolding added) (14) Not a form of justification or conversion We will look at how regeneration relates to other aspects of salvation later. Here it is worth noting, however, that in the early years after Christ, Christian writers spoke of regeneration in quite general terms. For example, they did not distinguish justification by faith and the new birth. The two are still confused in Roman Catholic thinking today. Over the centuries, others have defined the terms in narrower and more biblical ways, especially since the Reformation. Augustine grasped the importance of seeing new birth as an irresistible work of God but was not as clear as later writers. With Martin Luther things improved, but even the Reformer John Calvin did not distinguish regeneration from conversion and the ongoing work of sanctification. Later Protestant theologians saw things more clearly, but we often find them lumping conversion and regeneration together. Today, although some good writers still use the word ‘regeneration’ to speak of the effects of new birth rather than the change itself, the best writers rightly confine terms such as born again and regeneration to the very specific matter of the way God changes a person’s heart at the beginning of the Christian life. (15) Not a simple acceptance of the Bible Perhaps a final thing to say is that being born again is not a matter of simply believing the Bible. A good Bible knowledge cannot guarantee anything. It is important that we accept the Bible as God’s Word, of course, including what it says on regeneration. However, new birth involves something more than accepting that the Bible is true. Agreeing with its ethical teachings, as set out in the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount, is not enough either. Simply conforming to rules and regulations cannot make a person a born-again Christian. As we will see, something more is needed. To sum up then, regeneration is not a cross-generational reincarnation, a continuous process nor a renewal of the spirit but not the soul. It is not a material change. It is not a simple choice, a fresh commitment, a moving experience, a change of opinion or something psychological. It is not a consequence of baptism, of confirmation or community membership or of joining a certain denomination. It is not an American ‘thing’ either and we must not confuse it with conversion or justification or a simple acceptance of the Bible. Whether you yourself are born again or not, if you have thought of regeneration in any of these ways then you need to realize your mistake and repent. Ask the Lord to help you to distinguish biblical new birth from its many counterfeits. Recommended Reading - What the Bible Teaches About Being Born Again (digital edition for Logos) BORN AGAIN - REGENERATION QUOTES FROM VARIOUS SOURCES The two greatest days in a person's life are the day he was born and the day he finds out why he was born. (And then is born again!) Repentance is a change of the mind and regeneration is a change of the man. Thomas Adams Nature forms us; sin deforms us; school informs us; Christ transforms us. Conversion is a deep work—a heart-work. It goes throughout the man, throughout the mind, throughout the members, throughout the entire life. Joseph Alleine Conversion is no repairing of the old building; but it takes all down and erects a new structure. Joseph Alleine Everything that is born of God is no shadowy work. God will not bring forth a dead fruit, a lifeless and powerless work, but a living, new man must be born from the living God. JOHANN ARNDT Man is not converted because he wills to be, but he wills to be because he is ordained to election. Augustine Regeneration is the fountain; sanctification is the river. J. Sidlow Baxter Seeing we are born God's enemies we must be new-born his sons. Richard Baxter Despair of ever being saved, "except thou be born again," or of seeing God "without holiness," or of having part in Christ except thou "love him above father, mother, or thy own life." This kind of despair is one of the first steps to heaven. Richard Baxter Becoming a Christian is not making a new start in life; it is receiving a new life to start with. John Blanchard Take away the mystery from the new birth and you have taken away its majesty. John Blanchard Man's basic need is not a grasp of logic but the gift of life. John Blanchard Regeneration is God's mysterious prerogative. John Blanchard The new birth is infinite in its beginning because its beginning lies in infinity. John Blanchard The new birth is not only a mystery that no man can understand, it is a miracle that no man can undertake. John Blanchard No human birth can compare to the supernatural birth of a child of God. James M Boice I remember this, that everything looked new to me... the fields, the cattle, the trees. I was like a new man in a new world. Billy Bray Conversion is not the smooth, easygoing process some men seem to think it otherwise man's heart would never have been compared to fallow ground and God's Word to a plough. John Bunyan The egg’s no chick by falling from the hen, Nor man a Christian till he’s born again. - John Bunyan Faith does not proceed from ourselves, but is the fruit of spiritual regeneration. John Calvin True conversion is proved by the constant tenor of the life. John Calvin We... are born lions, tigers, wolves and bears, until the Spirit of Christ tames us, and from wild and savage beasts forms us to be mild sheep.John Calvin When God designs to forgive us he changes our hearts and turns us to obedience by his Spirit. John Calvin In the conversion of man, the properties of our original nature remain entire. John Calvin Men by their own free will cannot turn to God until he first change their stony hearts into hearts of flesh. John Calvin In the natural world it is impossible to be made all over again, but in the spiritual world it is exactly what Jesus Christ makes possible. Oswald Chambers You must be born again. This is not a command, it is a foundation fact. The characteristic of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that Christ is formed in me. Oswald Chambers Adoption gives us the privilege of sons, regeneration the nature of sons. Stephen Charnock Regeneration is a spiritual change; conversion is a spiritual motion. Stephen Charnock Regeneration is a universal change of the whole man... it is as large in renewing as sin was in defacing. Stephen Charnock O Lord, convert the world—and begin with me. CHINESE STUDENT'S PRAYER If Christ's lordship does not disrupt our own lordship, then the reality of our conversion must be questioned. Charles Colson If the second birth hath no place in you, the second death shall have power over you. William Dyer Conversion is but the first step in the divine life. As long as we live we should more and more be turning from all that is evil and to all that is good. Tryon Edwards Regeneration, however it is described, is a divine activity in us, in which we are not the actors but the recipients. Sinclair Ferguson It is in dying that we are born to eternal life. SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI Regeneration is the communication of the divine nature to man by the operation of the Holy Spirit through the Word. A. J. Gordon In one bold stroke, forgiveness obliterates the past and permits us to enter the land of new beginnings. Billy Graham A transformed life is the greatest of all miracles. Every time a person is “born again” by repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ, the miracle of regeneration is performed. Billy Graham Conversion is an empty-handed turning from sin to the Saviour. Vance Havner It takes a radical break to turn from earth's trash to heaven's treasure. Vance Havner We are born with our backs upon God and heaven, and our faces upon sin and hell, till grace comes and that converts—turns us. Philip Henry Such is the degeneracy of human nature that there is no true wisdom to be found with any but those who are born again and who, through grace, partake of the divine nature. Matthew Henry Regeneration is a single act, complete in itself, and never repeated; conversion, as the beginning of holy living, is the commencement of a series, constant, endless and progressive. A. A. Hodge Whatever man may do after regeneration, the first quickening of the dead must originate with God. A. A. Hodge The almighty power of God in the conversion of a sinner is the most mysterious of all the works of God. Thomas Hooker Spiritual life is the consequence of spiritual quickening. The baby cries because it is born; it is not born because it cries. Erroll Hulse If a man is as passionate, malicious, resentful, sullen, moody or morose after his conversion as before it, what is he converted from or to? John Angell James God's work of regeneration is never directly perceived by the soul: it takes place in man within the region of what has now come to be called the subconscious. Ernest F. Kevan When one is born of the Spirit one does not suddenly become perfect or even nearly so. Rather, one becomes exceedingly sinful in one's own estimation. That is to say, one comes under conviction of sin. R. B. Kuiper Conversion requires an alteration of the will, and an alteration which, in the last resort, does not occur without the intervention of the supernatural.C. S. Lewis To expect Christian conduct from a person who is not born again is rank heresy. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones We must not think of ourselves as ordinary people. We are not natural men; we are born again. God has given us his Holy Spirit. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones When God works in us, the will, being changed and sweetly breathed upon by the Spirit of God, desires and acts, not from compulsion, but responsively. Martin Luther When by the Spirit of God, I understood these words, "The just shall live by faith," I felt born again like a new man: I entered through the open doors into the very Paradise of God! Martin Luther We cannot be changed by altering a few of our bad habits. Reformation will not do, for the disease of sin has captured our very life system. We need regeneration, a new heart. Will Metzer Unless God changes a person's heart, nothing lasting will be achieved.Will Metzger We must not make the mistake of thinking that people are converted because they follow our line of reasoning as we explain the gospel. Will Metzger If you have been born of the Holy Spirit, you will not have to serve God . . . it will become the natural thing to do. D. L. Moody Man is born with his back toward God. When he truly repents, he turns right around and faces God. Repentance is a change of mind. . . . Repentance is the tear in the eye of faith. D. L. Moody The genesis of Christianity as an experience is that of being born again of the Spirit. G. Campbell Morgan Just as in the beginning 'God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light' so, at the moment he appointed for our new birth, he said, 'Let there be life' and there was life. J. A. Motyer We are helpless to co-operate in our regeneration as we are to co-operate in the work of Calvary. Iain H. Murray Whenever a profession of conversion is not accompanied by holiness of life it must be understood that the person concerned is not yet a Christian. Iain H. Murray Let them pretend what they please, the true reason why any despise the new birth is because they hate a new life. John Owen Regeneration has made our hearts a battle field. J. I. Packer Sinners cannot obey the gospel, any more than the law, without renewal of heart. J. I. Packer (New Birth) An inner re-creating of fallen human nature by the gracious sovereign action of the Holy Spirit. J. I. Packer There is no regeneration without spiritual activities. J. I. Packer If regeneration is a work of new creation, sanctification is a work of new formation. If regeneration is a new birth, sanctification is a new growth.J. I. Packer Regeneration is the transforming not only of an unlovely object, but of one that resists with all its might the gracious designs of the heavenly Potter. A. W. Pink True conversion is the heart turning from Satan's control to God's, from sin to holiness, from the world to Christ. A. W. Pink The regenerate have a spiritual nature within that fits them for holy action, otherwise there would be no difference between them and the unregenerate. A. W. Pink I found that I was not only converted, but I was invaded. Eugenia Price The act of God in our regeneration is so momentous that no single category of thought is sufficient to describe the changes it brings about in and for us. Maurice Roberts Grace does not run in families. It needs something more than good examples and good advice to make us children of God. J. C. Ryle If you are never born again, you will wish you had never been born at all. J. C. Ryle The surest mark of true conversion is humility. J. C. Ryle “You may be saved, and reach heaven without many things which men reckon of great importance — without riches, without learning, without books, without worldly comforts, without health, without house, without land, without friends — but without Regeneration you will never be saved at all.” J.C. Ryle No salvation without regeneration - no spiritual life without a new birth - no heaven without a new heart. J. C. Ryle We must be careful that we do not interpet the words “which were born” as if the new birth was a change which takes place in a man after he has believed in Christ, and is the next step after faith. Saving faith and regeneration are inseparable. The moment that a man really believes in Christ, however feebly, he is born of God. The weakness of his faith may make him unconscious of the change, just as a new-born infant knows little or nothing about itself. Bat where there is faith there is always new birth, and where there is no faith there is no regeneration. J. C. Ryle There are no still-born children in the family of grace. William Secker Though Christ a thousand times in Bethlehem be born, If he's not born in thee, thy soul is still forlorn. Johannes Scheffler A dead man cannot assist in his own resurrection. W. G. T. Shedd Before Christ could marry us he must be born in our nature, for the husband and the wife must be of one nature. Richard Sibbes Though Christ a thousand times in Bethlehem be born, If he’s not born in thee, thy soul is still forlorn. Angelus Silesius The very first and indispensable sign of regeneration is self-loathing and abhorrence.Charles Simeon A person is never partially born. He is either regenerate or he is not regenerate.R. C. Sproul Every generation needs regeneration. C. H. Spurgeon True conversion gives a man strength and holiness, but it never lets him boast. C. H. Spurgeon When the Word of God converts a man, it takes away from him his despair, but it does not take from him his repentance. C. H. Spurgeon Regeneration is a change which is known and felt: known by works of holiness and felt by a gracious experience.C. H. Spurgeon The new creation is as much and entirely the work of God as the old creation. C. H. Spurgeon When Christ came into my life I came about like a well-handled ship. Robert Louis Stevenson We are not truly converted if we are not intellectually and morally converted, and we are not intellectually and morally converted if we have not subjected our minds and our wills to the yoke of Jesus Christ. John R. W. Stott God regenerates the soul by uniting it to Jesus Christ. Augustus H. Strong Regeneration is a restoration of the original tendencies towards God which were lost by the Fall. Augustus H. Strong Regeneration is essentially a changing of the fundamental taste of the soul. By taste we mean the direction of man's love, the bent of his affections, the trend of his will. Augustus H. Strong Someone else, describing his new life in Christ, said, "Everything seems new—the Bible, my friends, my love for others, even Sunday itself. I have a new desire for spiritual things, a desire to know more about God and His church." George Sweeting We must begin by acknowledging that we need God's help, God's power, and God's life. Dead things cannot grow; and without Christ, we are spiritually dead. We are powerless and defeated. George Sweeting The sense of newness is simply delicious. It makes new the Bible, and friends, and all mankind, and love, and spiritual things, and Sunday, and church, and God Himself. So I've found. TEMPLE GARDNER OF CAIRO Regeneration gives our birth a value and our death a glory. David Thomas Mere outward reformation differs as much from regeneration as white-washing an old rotten house differs from pulling it down and building a new one in its place.Augustus M. Toplady Conversion for the early New Testament Christians was not a destination; it was the beginning of a journey. A. W. Tozer When I find someone who is settled down too snugly into this world and its system, I am forced to doubt whether he has ever truly been born again.A. W. Tozer There are two spirits abroad in the earth: the spirit that works in the children of disobedience and the Spirit of God. These two can never be reconciled in time or in eternity. The spirit that dwells in the once-born is forever opposed to the Spirit that inhabits the heart of the twice-born. A. W. Tozer (New Birth) A supernatural work of God’s Spirit, renewing and transforming the heart into the divine likeness. - Thomas Watson Man's need can only be met by a new creation. Geoffrey B. Wilson The change of a sinner's heart is as great a miracle as any Jesus Christ wrought on earth. Joseph Wilson Before Christ, a man loves things and uses people; after Christ he loves people and uses things. Horace Wood John 3:4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" NET John 3:4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time, can he?" GNT John 3:4 λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν [ὁ] Νικόδημος, Πῶς δύναται ἄνθρωπος γεννηθῆναι γέρων ὤν; μὴ δύναται εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ δεύτερον εἰσελθεῖν καὶ γεννηθῆναι; NLT John 3:4 "What do you mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?" KJV John 3:4 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? ESV John 3:4 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?" NIV John 3:4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" ASV John 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto 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? CSB John 3:4 "But how can anyone be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked Him. "Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born?" NKJ John 3:4 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?" NRS John 3:4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" YLT John 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, 'How is a man able to be born, being old? is he able into the womb of his mother a second time to enter, and to be born?' NAB John 3:4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?" NJB John 3:4 Nicodemus said, 'How can anyone who is already old be born? Is it possible to go back into the womb again and be born?' GWN John 3:4 Nicodemus asked him, "How can anyone be born when he's an old man? He can't go back inside his mother a second time to be born, can he?" BBE John 3:4 Nicodemus said to him, How is it possible for a man to be given birth when he is old? Is he able to go into his mother's body a second time and come to birth again? How. Job 4:17. Jn 4:11, 12. Jn 6:53, 60. 1 Co 1:18. 2:14. John 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries NICODEMUS IS CONFUSED There is some disagreement on what Nicodemus meant by his questions, so several comments are quoted. The reader will have to make up his or her own mind about the best way to interpret Nicodemus' questions. Steven
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Ryle has an interesting comment on Nicodemus' response - The question of Nicodemus is precisely one of those which the natural ignorance of man in spiritual things prompts a person to ask. Just as the Samaritan woman, in the 4th chapter, put a carnal meaning on our Lord’s words about “living water,” and the Jews, in the 6th chapter, put a carnal meaning on the “bread of God,” so Nicodemus puts a carnal meaning on the expression “born again.”—There is nothing which the heart of man in every part and every age of the world is so slow to understand as the work of the Holy Ghost. Our minds are so gross and sensuous, that we cannot take in the idea of an inward and spiritual operation. Unless we can see things and touch things in religion we are slow to believe them. Kenneth
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Ryle - In this verse, our Lord gives Nicodemus the reason why the change of heart called “new birth,” is a thing of such absolute necessity, and why no slight moral change will suffice. Nicodemus had spoken of “entering a second time into his mother’s womb.” Our Lord tells him, that even if such a thing was possible, it would not make him fit for the kingdom of God. The child of human parents would always be like the parents from which it sprung, if it was born a hundred times over. All men and women are by nature corrupt sinful, fleshly, and alienated from God. “They that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Rom. 8:8+) Their children will always be born with a nature like that of their parents. To bring a clean thing out of an unclean, is proverbially impossible, A bramble will never bear grapes, however much it may be cultivated, and a natural man will never be a godly man without the Spirit. In order to be really spiritual and fit for the kingdom of God, a new power from without must enter into a man’s nature....Human nature is so utterly fallen, corrupt, and carnal, that nothing can come from it by natural generation, but a fallen, corrupt, and carnal offspring. There is no self-curative power in man. He will always go on reproducing himself. To become spiritual and fit for communion with God, nothing less is required than the entrance of the Spirit of God into our hearts. John
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Ryle - It is evident that the thing which stumbled Nicodemus was the idea of any “new birth” at all being necessary. He felt unable to understand what this “new birth” was....It is a noteworthy and striking fact, that no doctrine has excited such surprise in every age of the Church, and has called forth so much opposition from the great and learned, as this very doctrine of the new birth. The men of the present day who sneer at conversions and revivals, as fanaticism and enthusiasm, are nowise better than Nicodemus. Like him, they expose their own ignorance of the work of the Holy Ghost. D A Carson - For human beings, those born of the flesh, to experience this new birth that makes them children of God, the eternal Word, himself God (Jn 1:1, 18+), became flesh (Jn 1:14+) Nicodemus could not have been expected to know all that the readers of the Prologue have absorbed, but from his study of Scripture, his grasp of the distance between human beings and God, and the axiom that like produces like, he should have understood the need for a God-given new birth, and God’s promise that he would give his people a new heart, a new nature, clean lives and a full measure of the Spirit on the last day. (ED: IN SHORT NICODEMUS SHOULD HAVE HAD SOME GRASP OF THESE TRUTHS BECAUSE OF PASSAGES LIKE - Ezekiel 11:19-20+ Ezekiel 36:26-27+ Jeremiah 31:33+ Jeremiah 32:39+) That is why Jesus told Nicodemus he should not be surprised. Borrow The Gospel according to John)
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Ryle - These verses show us, firstly, what gross spiritual ignorance there may be in the mind of a great and learned man. We see a “master of Israel” unacquainted with the first elements of saving religion. Nicodemus is told about the new birth, and at once exclaims, “How can these things be?” When such was the darkness of a Jewish teacher, what must have been the state of the Jewish people? It was indeed due time for Christ to appear! The pastors of Israel had ceased to feed the people with knowledge. The blind were leading the blind, and both were falling into the ditch. (Matt. 15:14.) Ignorance like that of Nicodemus is unhappily far too common in the Church of Christ. We must never be surprised if we find it in quarters where we might reasonably expect knowledge. Learning, and rank, and high ecclesiastical office are no proof that a minister is taught by the Spirit. The successors of Nicodemus, in every age, are far more numerous than the successors of St. Peter. On no point is religious ignorance so common as on the work of the Holy Ghost. That old stumbling-block, at which Nicodemus stumbled, is as much an offence to thousands in the present day as it was in the days of Christ. ‘The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.” (1 Cor. 2:14.) Happy is he who has been taught to prove all things by Scripture, and to call no man master upon earth. (1 Th. 5:21; Mt. 23:9) Nicodemus was not belligerent, but only bewildered --John Phillips Exploring John John
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Ryle - Christ “lifted up” and put to shame on Calvary is the ladder by which Christians “enter into the holiest,” and are at length landed in glory. It is true that we are sinners;—but Christ has suffered for us. It is true that we deserve death;—but Christ has died for us. It is true that we are guilty debtors;—but Christ has paid our debts with His own blood. This is the real Gospel! This is the good news! On this let us lean while we live. To this let us cling when we die. Christ has been “lifted up” on the cross, and has thrown open the gates of heaven to all believers. Carson - That bronze snake on a pole was the means God used to give new (physical) life to the children of Israel if they were bitten in the plague of snakes that had been sent in as a punishment for the persistent murmuring. By God’s provision, new life was graciously granted. Why then should it be thought so strange that by the gracious provision of this same God there should be new spiritual life, indeed ‘eternal life’ (v. 15)? Borrow The Gospel according to John) Mattoon comparing the looking at the serpent with believing in Jesus - Each man had to look for himself. No man could look for the benefit of another. It was not enough to know about the serpent. You had to look upon it. Each person must come to Christ in faith on the Lord's terms. You cannot get saved by another person's faith. You must personally put your faith in Christ. Knowing about the Lord is not enough to save you from your sins. This serpent on the pole was a picture of Jesus Christ. Utley on the significance of the serpent - The central truth is that humans must trust and obey God’s word, even when they do not fully understand it. God provided a way for the Israelites to be saved from the snake bites if they would only believe. This belief was evidenced by their own obedience to His word/promise. (John 3) Just as the Israelites who had been bitten by the fiery serpents looked at the bronze serpent lifted up and lived, so too whoever looks in faith alone to the crucified Christ lifted up will be saved from sin’s deadly bite and will have eternal life in Christ. This is exactly what the Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon did! He was in a primitive Baptist church by "accident" (Providence) one snowy winter morning and heard an impromptu message by a layman (the preacher was unable to come because of the storm) on Isaiah 45:22KJV Look (command) unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. COMMENT - For many months this young teenager had been miserable and under deep conviction; but though he had been reared in church (both his father and grandfather were preachers), he did not have the assurance of salvation. The unprepared substitute minister did not have much to say, so he kept repeating the text. “A man need not go to college to learn to look,” he shouted. “Anyone can look—a child can look!” About that time, he saw the visitor sitting to one side, and he pointed at him and said, “Young man, you look very miserable. Young man, look to Jesus Christ!” The young man did look by faith, and that was when Charles Haddon Spurgeon was born again. Jesus came to this world as our Saviour, and He died for us on the cross! He became the “uplifted serpent.” The serpent in Moses’ day brought physical life to dying Jews; but Jesus Christ gives eternal life to anyone who trusts Him. He has salvation for a whole world! Read Spurgeon's full testimony. Have you looked at the Savior Who Alone cures sin's bite? Merrill Tenney observes that "Although Jesus did not elaborate the details of this allusion, it has several applicable aspects: 1. The ancient Israelites were guilty of disobedience and a grumbling and unthankful spirit. 2. They were under the condemnation of God and were being punished for their sin. 3. The object elevated before them was the emblem of their judgment. 4. They were unable to rescue themselves. 5. The poison of the serpents was deadly, and there was no antidote for it. 6. They were urged to look at the serpent in order to receive life. (Borrow The Expositor's Bible Commentary) Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up - This is Jesus’ earliest recorded prediction of His death. The verb must is a strong term which speaks of the absolute necessity of the crucifixion for without the crucifixion of Christ there could be no new birth. Must means the Crucifixion of Christ was not optional but obligatory and was the primary reason He descended from Heaven. In John 12:34 Jesus said "The Son of Man must be lifted up’?" And so for Nicodemus this was an absolute must. He must realize that in order to see or enter God’s kingdom, He must be made alive in the spirit by the Spirit (Jn 3:8, Ro 8:11+). People must not stumble at or reject the importance of Jesus’ unsettling words, for just as we were not in control of our first birth, we are not in control of our second birth. It is given as a gift by a direct act of God! This truth is disconcerting to many. Nevertheless, Jesus says new birth is not the must of moral duty, but the must of divine necessity. They must be born from above. The necessity is absolute and is universally binding. Even godly, righteous, scholarly Nicodemus must be born again, and so must we dear reader! Have you been born again? Must (1163)(dei from deo = to bind or tie together, put in prison; root of doulos - bond-servant) refers to what is not optional but needful (binding) out of intrinsic necessity or inevitability. Dei describes that which is under the necessity of happening or which must necessarily take place. Note the must's in John's Gospel (all are dei) = Jn. 3:7 = must of the new birth; Jn. 3:14 = must of Jesus' crucifixion ; Jn. 3:30 = must of Jesus increasing, John decreasing ; Jn. 4:4 = must of Jesus going through Samaria; Jn. 4:24 = must of the proper worship of God; Jn. 9:4 = must of Jesus' work while there was time; Jn. 10:16 = the must of saving Gentiles in addition to Jews; Jn. 12:34 = the must of the Cross. Lifted up (5312)(hupsoo from hupsos = height, elevation) means to lift up spatially, to raise high and figuratively describes lifting one up to a place of honor, fame, power, or position (to exalt). Both senses apply to Jesus on the Cross! Hupsoo is used in John's Gospel 4 times and all refer the crucifixion (Jn 3:14, Jn 8:26, Jn 12:32, Jn 12:34). But in a sense hupsoo has a "double meaning" referring not only to His crucifixion but also His exaltation to heaven. John points out that our Lord’s crucifixion was actually the means of His glorification (see Jn 12:23-27 especially Jn 12:28). The CROSS was not the end of His glory; it was the means of His glory. Luke writes "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear." (Acts 2:33+). John Phillips thinks that "The full truth of that probably did not dawn on Nicodemus until Christ was nailed to the cross-perhaps it was then he cast his doubts and difficulties aside and threw in his lot with the Lord." (Borrow Exploring John) The whole world has been bitten by sin, and “the wages of sin is death” (Ro 6:23+). God sent His Son to die, not only for Israel, but for a whole world. How is a person born from above? How is he or she saved from eternal perishing? By believing on Jesus Christ; by looking to Him in faith. What Happened to the Bronze Serpent on the Standard? In a word, it became an idol to the Israelites! This piece of bronze was preserved for almost 730 years, until the days of the rule of King Hezekiah (715-686 BC). And so we read that Hezekiah removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan. (2 Ki 18:4+) King Hezekiah broke it in pieces because the people were worshipping it. In contempt he gave it the name ‘Nehushtan’ (a play on the word nahas, ‘serpent’), meaning a ‘trifling thing’, or a "mere piece of brass," because it had become an object of worship. Hezekiah probably gave this name as a sign of his contempt. King Hezekiah's destruction of this idol gives us a good OT illustration of Paul's charge in Romans 13:14+ to "put on (aorist imperative See discussion of the Need for the Holy Spirit to obey) the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision (present imperative with a negative) for the flesh in regard to its lusts." Israel had been using the Bronze Serpent on the Standard to make provision for their flesh. No other details of this idolatrous veneration are given but it is notable that when idolatry is mentioned in Scripture, immorality is often closely associated! Question: What was Nehushtan? Answer: The word Nehushtan occurs one time in the Bible, in 2 Kings 18:4, “He [Hezekiah] removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).” Second Kings 18:4 points back to Numbers 21:6–9, “Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.’ So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.” In the time between Moses and Hezekiah, the Israelites began worshiping the “fiery serpent” Moses made out of bronze. It is only mentioned in connection with Hezekiah’s reforms, but the Nehushtan worship could have been taking place long before Hezekiah. While it is understandable how an item that brought miraculous healing could become an object of worship, it was still blatant disobedience to God’s commands (Exodus 20:4–5). The bronze serpent was God’s method of deliverance during the incident recorded in Number 21. There is no indication that God intended it to ever be used again. While He does not refer to it as “Nehushtan,” Jesus does mention the bronze serpent in John 3:14, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” Just as anyone who was bitten by a serpent could be healed by looking to the bronze serpent Moses lifted up, so can anyone look to Jesus, who was lifted up on the cross, to be spiritually healed, delivered, and saved. Interestingly, the word Nehushtan appears to simply mean “piece of brass.” Perhaps Hezekiah named it “Nehushtan” to remind people that it was only a piece of brass. It had no power in it. Even in the Numbers 21 incident, it was God who healed, not Nehushtan. Nehushtan should be a powerful reminder to us all that even good things—and good people—can become idols in our lives. Our praise, worship, and adoration are to be directed to God alone. Nothing else, regardless of its amazing history, is worthy.GotQuestions.org Related Resources: Why is a bronze serpent used to save the Israelites in Numbers 21:8-9? Typology - Study of Types (including caveats) Rob Mattoon The Brazen Serpent.... A Picture of Christ 1. The brazen serpent was made like a fiery serpent, yet, without a sting. Christ was made like unto sinful man, yet without sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21+—For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Romans 8:3+—For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 2. The serpent was cursed in the Garden of Eden. Christ was made a curse for us, taking the sin of the world upon Himself. He identified Himself with our guilt so that we might be identified with Him in glory. Galatians 3:13+—Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 3. Brass in the Bible is a symbol or picture of judgment. The judgment of God was upon Jesus Christ because He bore our sins. Brass was actually copper. The red serpent was a reminder of the blood that Christ shed upon the cross. 4. As the metal passed through the furnace to be molded in the form of a serpent, the Captain of our Salvation brought deliverance through His suffering. Hebrews 2:10+—For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 5. Both the serpent and Christ were lifted up as objects of faith and deliverance to those who were dying. The words "lifted up" are from the Greek word hupsoo {hoop-so'-o}. This word was used of being lifted up on the cross and being lifted up into glory at the time of His ascension. It means "to exalt or raise to a place of honor." The cross lifted up Christ to a place of glory. John 12:23—And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 6. The cure of the brazen serpent was unknown to reason and it was simple. All they had to do is look by faith. Salvation is simple too. The Christian life begins by looking to the Lord for salvation. Isaiah 45:22—Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. We are to continue to look to the Lord all throughout our lives until the very end of it. We are to be lifting Him up or magnifying Him. Hebrews 12:2+—Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Philippians 1:20+—According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. Philippians 3:20+—For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 7. We receive eternal or everlasting life by looking to the Lord. Eternal life deals not only with the quantity of life, but the quality of life. Eternal life gives peace with God and with men. Since we are forgiven, we must be forgiving. We are to see men as God sees them. Eternal life gives us peace in this life and with ourselves. In spite of our trials or weaknesses, we face them with the Lord at our side. Let me ask, "Are you lifting up the Lord in your life?" Salvation may come quietly, but we must not remain quiet about it. SUMMARY - The brazen serpent prefigured Jesus Christ in multiple, rich ways: it was made in the likeness of the deadly serpent yet without venom, just as Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh yet without sin, bearing judgment without corruption. As the serpent symbolized the curse brought by sin, so Christ was made a curse for us, taking upon Himself our guilt so that we might share in His righteousness and glory. Formed of brass—a biblical symbol of judgment—and lifted up before the people, the serpent pointed to Christ lifted up on the cross, where judgment fell upon Him and His suffering became the means of salvation. Deliverance came not through human reasoning or effort but through a simple act of faith—looking—just as salvation and the Christian life begin and continue by looking to Christ in faith. In this way, the bronze serpent teaches that eternal life is received by trusting in the One lifted up, resulting not only in everlasting life but a transformed quality of life marked by peace with God, perseverance in trials, and a call to magnify Christ openly rather than remain silent about His saving work. "Nehustan Theology" Below are three summaries of sermon note on Nehustan, which would make a great sermon or class teaching. Click here for Pastor Chuck's full outlines on Nehustan and on that page you will find multiple notes (including illustrations of "Nehustan Theology" from the life of Savonarola related to Nehustan to help you expound a convicting, application rich sermon or teaching on Nehustan... SUMMARY - The history of the bronze serpent in Numbers 21 shows that Israel’s rebellion brought divine judgment, yet God graciously provided deliverance through a simple act of faith: those bitten were commanded to look at a bronze serpent lifted on a pole and live—not because the bronze was sacred, but because looking meant obedient submission to God’s authority. Jesus later identified this event as a type pointing to Himself, teaching that just as the serpent was lifted up, so He would be lifted up on the cross to bear the judgment for human sin, and all who look to Him in faith will live, even if they do not fully understand how such simple trust saves. Tragically, what began as a God-given means of grace became, centuries later, an object of idolatry; the preserved bronze serpent was worshiped until Hezekiah destroyed it, rightly calling it “Nehushtan”—a mere piece of bronze. This exposes a timeless danger: when people lose a living awareness of God’s presence, they often cling to relics, places, traditions, or past experiences in an attempt to recapture former spiritual reality. But objects, buildings, or memories are not sacred in themselves; they are only instruments God once used. Unless past encounters with God are carried forward into present obedience and faith, they become idols that hinder spiritual progress, and must be named for what they are—Nehushtan, nothing more than brass. SUMMARY - This verse exposes Israel’s loss of consciousness of God, as the people clung to a once-God-given symbol to satisfy a spiritual hunger, resulting in confusion between means and object of worship. In response, Hezekiah took two decisive actions: he deliberately stripped the bronze serpent of its sacred aura by calling it Nehushtan—“a mere piece of brass”—and then destroyed it completely. The passage warns that God’s gifts, when detached from God Himself, can become spiritually harmful, as seen when people give reverence to buildings, liturgies, denominations, past experiences, or religious practices as if they were sources of grace. Ultimately, such misdirected devotion signals a deeper loss of awareness of God’s presence, reminding us that even prayer, at its highest expression, moves beyond words into reverent dependence on God alone. SUMMARY: The deification of the bronze serpent was a clear sign of the people’s spiritual condition, revealing a loss of consciousness of God and a hunger to fill the void left by that loss; idols always arise from a sensed lack and a misplaced need. Their confusion led them to misinterpret a former means of God’s grace as a continuing source of power, as though the serpent itself healed rather than the living God. Hezekiah’s response was decisive and instructive: first, he named the serpent Nehushtan—“a mere thing of brass”—stripping it of false glory and exposing the shameful reality that they had exchanged worship of the living God for a mere object; second, he broke it in pieces, removing the obstacle to true worship. The lesson carries enduring relevance, for God’s gifts can be so abused that they become injurious—buildings, forms of worship, ministers, past experiences, creeds, or institutions may all become substitutes for God Himself. The proper response is to call these things what they truly are and, if they stand between the soul and God, to break them decisively. As Paul testified, what once seemed gain must continually be counted loss, for yesterday’s light has no value unless it is still shining today. John 3:15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life NET John 3:15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." GNT John 3:15 ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ἐν αὐτῷ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον. NLT John 3:15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. KJV John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ESV John 3:15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. NIV John 3:15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. ASV John 3:15 that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life. CSB John 3:15 so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. NKJ John 3:15 "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. NRS John 3:15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. YLT John 3:15 that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during, NAB John 3:15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." NJB John 3:15 so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. GWN John 3:15 Then everyone who believes in him will have eternal life." BBE John 3:15 So that whoever has faith may have in him eternal life. whoever. Jn 3:16, 36. Jn 1:12. Jn 6:40, 47. Jn 11:25, 26. Jn 12:44-46. Jn 20:31. Isa 45:22 (Verse that Spirit used to save C H Spurgeon). Mk 16:16. Ac 8:37. 10:34, 35. Acts 16:30, 31. Ro 4:23-25. Ro 5:1, 2. Ro 10:9-14. Gal 2:16, 20. Gal 3:11. He 7:25. Heb 10:39. 1 Jn 5:1, 1 Jn 5:11-13. believes. Jn 5:44. in Him. Jn 15:4. 16:33. 1 Jn 5:12, 20. not. Jn 5:24. ✓10:28-30. Mt +*18:11. Lk +*19:10. Ac 13:41. 1 Co 1:18. 2 Co 4:3. John 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries So that (hina) - This term of purpose expresses the purpose of the Son of Man being lifted up, being crucified (Jn 3:14). The purpose was the salvation of all who believed (Who "looked" to Jesus). Carson - Here then is the frankest answer to Nicodemus’ question. ‘How can this happen?’ (Jn 3:9). The kingdom of God is seen or entered, new birth is experienced, and eternal life begins, through the saving cross-work of Christ, received by faith Borrow The Gospel according to John) Whoever believes - Whoever flings open the possibility of entering the gates of Heaven to sinners otherwise destined for eternal punishment in Hell. Jn 3:16 repeats the offer to "whoever." In Romans 10:11+ Paul writes " the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” Believes is in the present tense which speaks of continuing belief. We believe on Jesus at a moment in time and are born again, but we continue thereafter to believe in Him. Believes (4100)(pisteuo) means to consider something to be true and therefore worthy of one’s trust. To accept as true, genuine, or real. To have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something or someone. To consider to be true. To accept the word or evidence of. "The belief is certainly belief in Jesus Christ, including confidence in the truthfulness of his teaching." (Carson Borrow The Gospel according to John) Pisteuo is a key verb in John's Gospel used 98x - Jn. 1:7; Jn. 1:12; Jn. 1:50; Jn. 2:11; Jn. 2:22; Jn. 2:23; Jn. 2:24; Jn. 3:12; Jn. 3:15; Jn. 3:16; Jn. 3:18; Jn. 3:36; Jn. 4:21; Jn. 4:39; Jn. 4:41; Jn. 4:42; Jn. 4:48; Jn. 4:50; Jn. 4:53; Jn. 5:24; Jn. 5:38; Jn. 5:44; Jn. 5:46; Jn. 5:47; Jn. 6:29; Jn. 6:30; Jn. 6:35; Jn. 6:36; Jn. 6:40; Jn. 6:47; Jn. 6:64; Jn. 6:69; Jn. 7:5; Jn. 7:31; Jn. 7:38; Jn. 7:39; Jn. 7:48; Jn. 8:24; Jn. 8:30; Jn. 8:31; Jn. 8:45; Jn. 8:46; Jn. 9:18; Jn. 9:35; Jn. 9:36; Jn. 9:38; Jn. 10:25; Jn. 10:26; Jn. 10:37; Jn. 10:38; Jn. 10:42; Jn. 11:15; Jn. 11:25; Jn. 11:26; Jn. 11:27; Jn. 11:40; Jn. 11:42; Jn. 11:45; Jn. 11:48; Jn. 12:11; Jn. 12:36; Jn. 12:37; Jn. 12:38; Jn. 12:39; Jn. 12:42; Jn. 12:44; Jn. 12:46; Jn. 13:19; Jn. 14:1; Jn. 14:10; Jn. 14:11; Jn. 14:12; Jn. 14:29; Jn. 16:9; Jn. 16:27; Jn. 16:30; Jn. 16:31; Jn. 17:8; Jn. 17:20; Jn. 17:21; Jn. 19:35; Jn. 20:8; Jn. 20:25; Jn. 20:29; Jn. 20:31; Will in Him have - Will have is in the present tense speaking of the continuation of this new life. Note the Source of eternal life is Christ. The believer's life is in essence a Person Who is eternal. Carson - those who have read the Prologue will recall that life resides in the Word: ‘in him was life’ (Jn 1:4+). The eternal life begun by the new birth is nothing less than the eternal life of the eternal Word. Borrow The Gospel according to John) Eternal life - Ageless or endless life! This is the first of 15 references to eternal life in John’s gospel (Jn. 3:15; Jn. 3:16; Jn. 3:36; Jn. 4:14; Jn. 5:24; Jn. 5:39; Jn. 6:27; Jn. 6:40; Jn. 6:47; Jn. 6:54; Jn. 6:68; Jn. 10:28; Jn. 12:50; Jn. 17:2; Jn. 17:3; ). Eternal life refers not only to eternal quantity but divine quality of life. It can mean literally “life of the age to come” and refers therefore to resurrection, glorification and heavenly existence in perfect glory and holiness. However this life for believers in the Lord Jesus is meant to be experienced and enjoyed before heaven! This “eternal life” is participation in the eternal life of the Living Word, Jesus Christ (cf Paul in Gal 2:20+). It is the life of God, by the Spirit of Jesus in every believer, which will only be fully manifest when we receive our resurrection bodies (cf Ro 8:19–23+; Phil. 3:20, 21+). In essence eternal life parallels kingdom of God in Jn 3:3 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” and in John 3:5 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Entrance in to the Kingdom of God is also entrance into eternal life. John only mentions Kingdom of God only in these 2 passages in John 3, but mentions eternal life 15 times and in each of these uses one could think of the "Kingdom of God." Kingdom of God is clearly more comprehensible to a Jewish person, and conveys details that would be especially significant for a Jewish person for they had been taught that Messiah would bring in the "age to come," the Kingdom of the Messiah. Robertson on eternal life - It is more than endless, for it is sharing in the life of God in Christ (Jn 5:26; Jn 17:3; 1 John 5:12+ = He who has the Son has the life;). Mounce - “eternal life is the life of the age to come which is gained by faith, cannot be destroyed, and is a present possession of the one who believes.” The life Christians possess is not in any sense independent of Christ. It is a life that is “hidden with Christ in God” Leon
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Ryle says here Jesus describes "the original source from which man’s salvation springs. That source is the love of God the Father....This wonderful verse has been justly called by Luther, “The Bible in miniature.” No part of it, perhaps, is so deeply important as the first five words, “God so loved the world.” ...The love here spoken of is not that special love with which the Father regards His own elect, but that mighty pity and compassion with which He regards the whole race of mankind. Its object is not merely the little flock which He has given to Christ from all eternity, but the whole “world” of sinners, without any exception. There is a deep sense in which God loves that world. All whom He has created He regards with pity and compassion. Their sins He cannot love;—but He loves their souls. “His tender mercies are over all His works.” (Psal. 145:9.) Christ is God’s gracious gift to the whole world....It is not true that God cares for none but His own elect, or that Christ is not offered to any but those who are ordained to eternal life....God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. God is not willing that any should perish. God would have all men to be saved. God loves the world. (John 6:32; Titus 3:4; 1 John 4:10; 2 Pet. 3:9; 1 Tim. 2:4; Ezek. 33:11.) That He gave (aorist tense, active voice = volitional choice) His only begotten (monogenes) Son - Gave is didomi which refers to the bestowing of favor by One in a superior position to one in an inferior position. God made the choice to give, a choice He did not have to make (amazing grace!). But as we see even in everyday life, one can refuse this gift. The fact that it is a gift underscores God's grace which describes giving us what we do not deserve, while His mercy is not giving us what we do deserve (God's wrath/judgment). Only begotten (monogenes) emphasizes the uniqueness, the greatness and costliness of His Son, the Gift! The idea of only begotten has less to do with birth and places more emphasis on the fact that Jesus is "One of a kind!" Jesus is "The One and only!" For those of us who recognize the goodness and greatness of God's Gift, we can exclaim with Paul "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Co 9:15+) The truth before us is the very foundation-stone of the Christian religion. Christ’s death is the Christian’s life. -- J C Ryle Leon
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Ryle - ON one account, this passage deserves the special attention of all devout readers of the Bible. It contains the last testimony of John the Baptist concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. That faithful man of God was the same at the end of his ministry that he was at the beginning—the same in his views of self,—the same in his views of Christ. Happy is that church whose ministers are as steady, bold, and constant to one thing, as John the Baptist! John
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Ryle - In this verse our Lord shows Nicodemus another “heavenly thing.” (cf Jn 3:12) He shows him the main object of Messiah coming into the world. It was not to judge men, but to die for them; not to condemn, but to save....The readiness of natural man everywhere to regard Christ as a Judge much more than as a Saviour, is a curious fact. (Many) regard Christ as a kind of Judge, whose demands they will have to satisfy at the last day, much more than as a present personal Saviour and Friend. Our Lord seems to foresee this error, and to correct it in the words of this text.
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Ryle - “Nothing is so provoking and offensive to God as to refuse the glorious salvation He has provided at so mighty a cost, by the death of His only begotten Son. Nothing is so suicidal on the part of man as to turn away from the only remedy which can heal his soul.”
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Ryle says that here we see "a splendid pattern of true and godly humility. We see in John the Baptist a very different spirit from that displayed by his disciples. He begins by laying down the great principle, that acceptance with man is a special gift of God; and that we must therefore not presume to find fault, when others have more acceptance than ourselves. “A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven.” He goes on to remind his followers of his repeated declaration, that one greater than himself was coming;—“I said, I am not the Christ.” He tells them that his office compared to that of Christ, is that of the bridegroom’s friend, compared to the bridegroom. And finally, he solemnly affirms, that Christ must and will become greater and greater, and that he himself must become less and less important, until, like a star eclipsed by the rising sun, he has completely disappeared. A frame of mind like this, is the highest degree of grace to which mortal man can attain. The greatest saint in the sight of God, is the man who is most thoroughly “clothed with humility.” (1 Peter 5:5+) Would we know the prime secret of being men of the stamp of Abraham, and Moses, and Job, and David, and Daniel, and St. Paul, and John the Baptist? They were all eminently humble men. Living at different ages, and enjoying very different degrees of light, in this matter at least they were all agreed. In themselves they saw nothing but sin and weakness. To God they gave all the praise of what they were. Let us walk in their steps. Let us covet earnestly the best gifts; but above all, let us covet humility. The way to true honour is to be humble. No man ever was so praised by Christ, as the very man who says here, “I must decrease,” the humble John the Baptist. John 3:29 "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. So this joy of mine has been made full. NET John 3:29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly when he hears the bridegroom's voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete. GNT John 3:29 ὁ ἔχων τὴν νύμφην νυμφίος ἐστίν· ὁ δὲ φίλος τοῦ νυμφίου ὁ ἑστηκὼς καὶ ἀκούων αὐτοῦ χαρᾷ χαίρει διὰ τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ νυμφίου. αὕτη οὖν ἡ χαρὰ ἡ ἐμὴ πεπλήρωται. NLT John 3:29 It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. KJV John 3:29 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. ESV John 3:29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. NIV John 3:29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. ASV John 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, that standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is made full. CSB John 3:29 He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom's friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom's voice. So this joy of mine is complete. NKJ John 3:29 "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 this joy of mine is fulfilled. NRS John 3:29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. YLT John 3:29 he who is having the bride is bridegroom, and the friend of the bridegroom, who is standing and hearing him, with joy doth rejoice because of the voice of the bridegroom; this, then, my joy hath been fulfilled. NAB John 3:29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. NJB John 3:29 'It is the bridegroom who has the bride; and yet the bridegroom's friend, who stands there and listens to him, is filled with joy at the bridegroom's voice. This is the joy I feel, and it is complete. GWN John 3:29 "The groom is the person to whom the bride belongs. The best man, who stands and listens to him, is overjoyed when the groom speaks. This is the joy that I feel. BBE John 3:29 He who has the bride is the husband: but the husband's friend, whose place is by his side and whose ears are open to him, is full of joy because of the husband's voice: such is my joy, and it is complete. has the bride Ps 45:9-17. SS 3:11. 4:8-12. Is 54:5. 62:4, 5. Je 2:2. Ezek 16:8. Ho 2:19, 20. Mt 22:2. 25:1. 2 Co 11:2. Ep 5:25-27. Rev 19:7-9. 21:9. the friend. Jdg 14:10, 11, 20. P s 45:14. Song 5:1. Mt 9:15. So this joy Jn 15:11. Is 66:11. Lk 2:10-14. 15:6. 1 Pe 1:8. John 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JOHN WAS JESUS' "BEST MAN!" John emphasizes with a well-known picture that he and Jesus are not rivals or in competition. This is like a mini-parable depicting his relationship to Christ. Borchert - To clarify for his disciples what he meant, therefore, the Baptizer used a typical Jewish type of parable, drawn from Jewish marriage customs. At that time the bridegroom normally selected one or two close friends to escort the bride to the bridegroom’s marriage chamber and to wait outside the room or tent for the bridegroom’s shout and often for receipt of tokens that the marriage had been consummated with his virgin bride. Such friends of the bridegroom were thus able to certify to the wedding guests that the consummation of the marriage had taken place and the joyous festivities could continue (cf. Jn 3:29). John gladly accepted his role as a friend of the bridegroom. Just as he had earlier willingly turned over his disciples to Jesus in a self-giving act (Jn 1:35–37), here he expressed his genuine joy that Jesus was being accepted by the people. This brief parable, therefore, serves as a powerful illustration. He who has the bride is the bridegroom - To whom does this refer? Clearly Christ is the bridegroom and John is the friend of the bridegroom. The The groomsman's joy is to stay nearby the groom during the marriage ceremony, and vows. Who is the bride in this "parable"? Some say this is the church and some say it is the believing remnant of Israel. Gotquestions writes - John said, “The bride belongs to the bridegroom,” and by this he referred to Jesus and the church, His spiritual bride, who stands by His side and invites people in, saying, “‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation 22:17). (Reference) John
João 3
Ryle - We have, in these verses, an instructive declaration of Christ’s honour and dignity. John the Baptist teaches his disciples once more, the true greatness of the Person whose growing popularity offended them. Once more, and perhaps for the last time, he proclaims Him as one worthy of all honour and praise. He uses one striking expression after another, to convey a correct idea of the majesty of Christ. He speaks of Him as “the bridegroom” of the Church,—as “him that cometh from above,”—as “him whom God hath sent,”—as “him to whom the Spirit is given without measure,”—as Him “whom the Father loves,” and into “whose hands all things are given,”—to believe in whom is life everlasting, and to reject whom is eternal ruin. Each of these phrases is full of deep meaning, and would supply matter for a long sermon. All show the depth and height of John’s spiritual attainments. More honourable things are nowhere written concerning Jesus, than these verses recorded as spoken by John the Baptist. Let us endeavour in life and death, to hold the same views of the Lord Jesus, to which John here gives expression. We can never make too much of Christ. Our thoughts about the Church, the ministry, and the sacraments, may easily become too high and extravagant. We can never have too high thoughts about Christ, can never love Him too much, trust Him too implicitly, lay too much weight upon Him, and speak too highly in His praise. He is worthy of all the honour that we can give Him. He will be all in heaven. Let us see to it, that He is all in our hearts on earth. John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease. NET John 3:30 He must become more important while I become less important." GNT John 3:30 ἐκεῖνον δεῖ αὐξάνειν, ἐμὲ δὲ ἐλαττοῦσθαι. NLT John 3:30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. KJV John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease. ESV John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease." NIV John 3:30 He must become greater; I must become less. ASV John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease. CSB John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease." NKJ John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease. NRS John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease." YLT John 3:30 'Him it behoveth to increase, and me to become less; NAB John 3:30 He must increase; I must decrease." NJB John 3:30 He must grow greater, I must grow less. GWN John 3:30 He must increase in importance, while I must decrease in importance. BBE John 3:30 He has to become greater while I become less. Amplified: He must increase, but I must decrease. [He must grow more prominent; I must grow less so.] Cathers: The very nature of things demands that He and His ministry grow and that I become lesser in popularity. CEV: Jesus must become more important, while I become less important
João 3
Ryle - Pardon, peace, and a complete title to Heaven, are an immediate possession. They become a believer’s own, from the very moment he puts faith in Christ. They will not be more completely his own, if he lives to the age of Methuselah. The truth before us, is one of the most glorious privileges of the Gospel. There are no works to be done, no conditions to be fulfilled, no price to be paid, no wearing years of probation to be passed, before a sinner can be accepted with God. Let him only believe on Christ, and he is at once forgiven. Salvation is close to the chief of sinners. Let him only repent and believe, and this day it is his own. By Christ all that believe are at once justified from all things. Let us leave the whole passage with one grave and heart-searching thought. If faith in Christ brings with it present and immediate privileges, to remain unbelieving is to be in a state of tremendous peril. If heaven is very near to the believer, hell must be very near to the unbeliever. The greater the mercy that the Lord Jesus offers, the greater will be the guilt of those who neglect and reject it. “He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” THOUGHT - The question for individual believers, then, is: How does our way of living demonstrate the fact that we expect to live eternally? (LAC - Gospel of John - Borrow) Brian Bell - If baptism were necessary for salvation, then this is the place for the bible to say so; but nothing is said. Instead, the emphasis is on believing. J C Ryle sums up why we should believe in Jesus: “We can never make too much of Christ…. We can never have too high thoughts about Christ, can never love Him too much, trust Him too implicitly, lay too much weight upon Him, and speak too highly in His praise. He is worthy of all the honor that we can give Him. He will be all in heaven. Let us see to it, that He is all in our hearts on earth.”