1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born anew, * he can’t see God’s Kingdom.” 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?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ 8 The wind† blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and don’t understand these things? 11 Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know and testify of that which we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness. 12 If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven. 14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born‡ Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only born Son of God. 19 This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God.”
Commentary– If Christian theology can be separated into two camps, it would be salvation by works versus salvation through belief and faith. And for the group that believes that salvation is through belief and faith alone, Chapter three, verse 16 is the quintessential prooftext. It bases salvation purely on belief. Or at least it appears to do so. But there seems to be another side to this coin. Assuming that the writer of the Gospel of John is the same person as the Writer of the first letter of John (1 John), he goes to great pains in the latter book to indicate that certain behavior is totally incompatible with belief in Christ nd in fact seems to negate belief in Christ. He goes so far as to call such persons “liars.” That is, one can believe that Christ is the only true Son of God, but if they are behaving out of malice and vengeance rather than love, it calls into question the reality of their belief. It calls into question how deeply they believe it. If one is cautious about approaching the edge of the Grand Canyon, it is probably because they believe in the power of gravity to cause acceleration of a falling body that goes over the edge. If one dances on the rim, it calls into question whether they truly believe in the power of gravity.
1 John 4:20
20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
Assuming that it is the same writer, and assuming that the Gospel of John was written before the letter of John, reading the First Letter of John is like being able to interview the gospel writer. He is opening up here and speaking more freely than he could in his role as a gospel writer about what he really thinks.
22 After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them and baptized. 23 John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came and were baptized; 24 for John was not yet thrown into prison. 25 Therefore a dispute arose on the part of John’s disciples with some Jews about purification. 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, he baptizes, and everyone is coming to him.”
27 John answered, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’ 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 my joy is made full. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
In this passage John shows his humility just as Christ showed his humility by letting himself be tortured and nailed a cross. Yet it remains strange that in his humility did not end his separate ministry and follow Jesus.
31 “He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness. 33 He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. 36 One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys§ the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”