The Jews wrongly assumed that God loved them because they were Jews. - Revelation 13:16-18. To many Jews, to be born a Jew was to be born into the kingdom of God. That Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night does not mean he was embarrassed to be seen with Jesus. 4 But “when the kindness of God our Savior appeared and his love for mankind, 5 He saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us in full measure through Jesus Christ our Savior. The New Testament describes God’s work of salvation as the “washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit”: 3 For we too were once foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to various passions and desires, spending our lives in evil and envy, hateful and hating one another. They believed the messiah could come at any moment, an event they eagerly awaited as they attempted to live out the Jewish law to the fullest. I think this brings us back to my original thought of how confused Nicodemus was when Jesus was telling him how he would have to be born again, and this fear and confusion may have been the driving force to why he was so slow and cautious to take what Jesus was saying to heart. 18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. Judgment is a secondary effect of our Lord’s first coming, and it will be a more dramatic part of His second coming. Why “we” then? It includes, as part of the text, a section entitled The Acts of Pilate and the two titles (for While we cannot know this for sure, it is probable that Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council whose limited authority was sanctioned by Roman government. Because of this, “Jesus and Nicodemus are engaged in what might be called an acute power struggle,” (Kostenberger, 68). Darüber hinaus übte das EvNik erheblichen Einfluss auf die mittelalterliche Kunst und Literatur aus. . Richard Bauckham surveyed all occurrences of the name in the Rabbinic literature and Josephus and concluded that all refer to the same family (ben-Gurioin), a wealthy, philanthropic from Jerusalem before A.D. 70. 18 And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:12-18). I believe that because if this, it was difficult for the two to communicate. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. A study of the eight verses above demonstrates this. 212-213. The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus who was caught in the very act of adultery (notice, they did not bring the man). 16 For this is the way God loved the world: he gave his one and only Son that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. In this sense, neither Nicodemus nor anyone else can save themselves, nor anyone else for that matter. When Jesus began His public ministry, the people who heard Him recognized a difference between His teaching and that of the Jewish religious teachers. 155 I like what L. S. Thornton has written: “‘The Christian doctrine of a new life stands in contrast to the contemporary Jewish expectation of a new world. The third and final appearance of Nicodemus is recorded in John 19:38 - 42. The story of the bronze serpent, recorded in Numbers 21, foreshadows the salvation which God will provide through the “Son of Man.” The Israelites had been complaining against God, grumbling about the journey and their apparent lack of food and water. His fellow Pharisees will quickly begin to find alternative explanations for Jesus’ success, but Nicodemus cannot get away from his personal conviction that Jesus has some kind of divine mission, and that He possesses divine authority by which He speaks and heals. The dates of its accreted sections are uncertain, but according to the 1907 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia scholars agree in assigning the resulting work to the middle of the fourth century AD. To me, Nicodemus’s encounter with Jesus was based off curiosity and his longing to get some answers. Nicodemus dared to risk the punishment of superiors, the resentment of his peers, by paying the last loving rites to the dead body of Jesus that would have been treated as trash by anyone else. He received an answer that generations of Christians would hide in their hearts. Was Nicodemus trying to get some answers so he could make a conscious and unbiased opinion of what he should believe? The argument of Jesus (and John) goes something like this: “How can one be reborn from above, Nicodemus? The small town of Nicodemus, Kansas sits quietly on the northwest Kansas plains. If they reject Christ, they also reject the love which the Father manifested toward them in Christ. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. If this was a challenge to the original readers of John, it is especially challenging for modern readers of the Gospel. In verse 10 it seems as if Jesus is making fun of Nicodemus for being a smart man but not understanding this concept. Change ). ANNAS and Caiaphas, and Summas, and Datam, Gamaliel, Judas, Levi, Nepthalim, Alexander, Cyrus, and other Jews, went to Pilate about Jesus, accusing him with many bad crimes. We meet Nicodemus one last time, close to the end of the gospel. But the relation between them might be not inappropriately described in terms of kernel and husk.’” Cited by Morris, p. 209, fn. He begins by indicating to Nicodemus that the words He is about to speak convey a most solemn truth. When Nicodemus says “we,” this should suggest to us that at this point in his life, Nicodemus is still 100% Pharisee. His death on the cross also necessitated His being “lifted up” by His resurrection and ascension. Nicodemus figures prominently in medieval depictions of the Deposition in which he and Joseph of Arimathea are shown removing the dead Christ from the cross, often with the aid of a ladder. The dialogue used in John makes it hard to determine the expressions behind their statements. If this is what our Lord intended, then He would be saying that a man must first be born naturally (“of water”) and then supernaturally (“of the Spirit”). He is still a teacher, but a teacher of men. In the cases above (John 1:19-25; Luke 5:17), the Pharisees make their moves very publicly, almost as though they intend to be seen. The Acts of Pilate, for example, places Nicodemus in the argument between the Jews and Pilate over whether to kill Jesus. In each of these instances, the issue is a matter of logic. Jesus has been speaking of re-birth, a re-birth which comes from above. She is not asking how it can be, but how it will be. Jesus is about to blow this myth away. In John 3, he only secretly visits Jesus to seek information, while in John 7, Nicodemus speaks up in Jesus’ defense. That’s why I like your post towards the bottom when you were talking about the Jews trying to convert everyone else to Judaism, and now that Jesus is on the scene He is saying that everyone has free will and can choose whether or not they want salvation through Jesus alone. In addition, virtually all the major later translations still follow the reading of the King James Version. But Jesus was patient with Nicodemus and is the same with you and me. Acts 26:9-11. Nicodemus asks how a man can be reborn from above. The word “loved” is in the past tense. Imagine the shocked look on the face of Nicodemus when Jesus tells him that his natural birth (as a Jew) will not save him, and that he must be reborn from above. He uses an expression unique to this Gospel, which in the King James Version is rendered, “Verily, verily …”153 Leon Morris sums up the impact of our Lord’s few words: Then in one sentence He sweeps away all that Nicodemus stood for, and demands that he be re-made by the power of God.154. The “you people” is Nicodemus and his fellow-Pharisees. Moses lifted a bronze serpent up on a pole and placed it where all the Israelites could see it. In John 3:5, Jesus tells Nicodemus that …no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit” (NIV). It took a while for Nicodemus to grow firm enough in his faith to act on it. He offers to us His righteousness and His life. The example of Nicodemus is a warning to the reader: one can be friendly toward the claims of Christ without accepting them. What Nicodemus does not know is that his words are even truer than he realizes. How could a renowned teacher of the Old Testament not know what Jesus is talking about? The salvation of which I speak, and about which you inquire, is from above, not only in that God has provided it through Him who descended from heaven, but also in that men must look up to Him to be saved.”. But when the Spirit brings about the new birth, the effects are evident. Jesus seeks to show Nicodemus that his system of religion does not, and cannot, save anyone. There will be many in hell who trusted in their works to get them to heaven, rather than in His work—the work of our Lord Jesus Christ and the cross of Calvary. If a man like Nicodemus is not good enough for the kingdom of God, then who is? We see above in John chapter 5 that Jesus is talking about the judgment He will execute at the resurrection of the dead (see verses 25, 28-29). Those who reject the offer of salvation in Jesus Christ reject God’s love, and fall under even greater condemnation for having seen the light and then rejecting it (see John 9:35-41). Es wird um 310320[1] oder in die Mitte des 4. Nicodemus is so much a part of the natural world that he cannot fathom the possibility of anything spiritual and supernatural. It seems to me that this really reflects a lot of people in the world today, many are okay with Jesus and who he says he is but don’t really beleive in him. Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? That is certainly possible, but seems a bit specific for speculation. Now let us apply this aspect of the expression to John 3:16 and earlier by going back to verse 14: 14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so [in the same way]168 must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. Once again, Nicodemus was a very smart man, what would he possibly be asking questions like this for? God is on the lookout for our spiritual growth! As he paused to make a donation, the woman volunteer asked this educator: “Sir, are you saved?” When he replied that he supposed he was, she was not satisfied, so she pursued the matter further: “I mean, have you ever given your full life to the Lord?” At this point, the president told his audience, he thought he should enlighten this persistent woman concerning his identity: “I am the president of such and such university, and as such, I am also president of its school of theology.” The lady considered his response for a moment, and then replied, “It doesn’t matter wherever you’ve been, or whatever you are, you can still be saved.”. The purpose of Jesus’ first coming was to make an atonement for man’s sins. Other than his involvement at the burial of Jesus, there is little to suggest he is anything more than a respectful Jewish rabbi similar to Gamaliel in Acts 5. He must be reborn from above. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” 24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) John’s disciples then protest to John: “Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, about whom you testified—see, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him!” (3:26). The NAS version does capture the correct sense, however: “But Jesus answering said to him, ‘Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to filfill all righteousness’” (emphasis mine). This Librivox Recording is in public domain - https://librivox.org/. His name was probably Naqdimon in Hebrew / Aramaic, and it does not appear to have been common. The secret disciples, by their quiet acts of faithfulness, shouted the … Bibliography: R. Bauckham, “Nicodemus and the Gurion Family,” JTS 47 (1996): 1-37. Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way” (Matthew 5:12, emphasis mine). Once again, Jesus begins His response to Nicodemus by indicating the solemnity of His words. The Greek verb is in the aorist tense, indicating a specific act at a particular point in time. Not until Nicodemus recognizes the failure of Pharisaism and renounces his faith in this religious system will he cast himself on Jesus alone for salvation. He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?”, 5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Perhaps it is to highlight that Nicodemus was innocent of the blood of Jesus, but there could be alternative reasons: because Nicodemus was influential and John wanted to show that even prominent Jews were following Jesus (a similar sort of thing may be going on with Gamaliel in Acts 5:34, even though Acts does not say that Gamaliel followed Jesus), or because John is drawing from Nicodemus … He thinks in terms of this system; his observations and preliminary conclusions are drawn as a Pharisee. What a terrifying thought! It is entirely likely Nicodemus was an older man when he met Jesus, so he may have died of natural causes prior to soon after the resurrection. While I believe that baptism was expected, our Lord is not placing the emphasis on human action, but rather on the sovereign work of God in salvation. Jesus makes the Pharisees look bad, and there seems to be little they can say against Him at the moment, though this will soon change. If you trust in Him, rather than in yourself, you will be reborn from above, and thus you can be assured that you will see the kingdom of God. Memorials of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Done in the Time of Pontius Pilate. Under the law, she did deserve to die, but Jesus did not respond as His opponents expected. To find out what “this same way” is, we must look back to what has already been said. But even beyond this, Nicodemus must feel as though he holds the keys to the kingdom. 1Christ accused to Pilate by the Jews of healing on the sabbath, 9summoned before Pilate by a messenger who does him honour, 20worshipped by the standards bowing down to him. When Peter went to the home of Cornelius and preached the gospel to the Gentiles who had gathered there, the church leaders in Jerusalem called him to account for his going to the Gentiles with the gospel (Acts 11:1-3). This is good from our point of view, but if Nicodemus was skeptical then he may have not wanted to risk leading his followers down a wrong path. Nicodemus is a Pharisee, described as a teacher and leader of the people, and a member of the Sanhedrin. The Gospel of Nicodemus and the Acts of Pilate (300-375AD) The Gospel of Nicodemus is a Medieval Latin text that scholars believe to have been written in the middle of the 4th century, reportedly by a member of the “Order of Nicodemus”. He, like the bronze serpent of old, will be “lifted up” on a cross, and He will later be “lifted up” in His resurrection and ascension. Nicodemus is a Pharisee, described as a teacher and leader of the people, and a member of the Sanhedrin. For example, it was (and still is) the response of the congregation to a prayer uttered by him who leads their worship. Not only is he a member of the Sanhedrin, he is the most renowned Bible teacher of his day—the “Billy Graham” of first century Jerusalem. Each time Nicodemus is mentioned in the Bible he speaks and acts bolder for Christ. Tobit 8:7f. For to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read. For thus [or, “For in this way …”] an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be richly provided for you (2 Peter 1:11, emphasis mine). At one time, I thought Nicodemus was seeking, on behalf of the Pharisees, to recruit Jesus as a kind of junior partner. The effects of the wind can be seen, but the wind itself is not seen. The Truth About Reconciliation, Pt. The reader of this Gospel has an advantage over Nicodemus. Still, the Pharisees were not the ones who caught the brunt of our Lord’s attack. The man who thinks he has arrived is told he isn’t even on his way to heaven; he is on his way to eternal torment. I think, particularly because one of the most famous passages about salvation is found there, many people assume Nicodemus was converted after his conversation with Jesus. Nicodemus is a Pharisee, described as a teacher and leader of the people, and a member of the Sanhedrin. Notice how Nicodemus acts differently. The apocryphal writing known as “The Acts of Pilate” was renamed the “Gospel of Nicodemus” in the fourteenth century and has retained that designation in the Latin Christian tradition. Yet when he hears Jesus teach, he hears the answers to questions that have bothered him for years. Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin and with others had been stirred by the teaching of Jesus. As Nicodemus saw Jesus merely as a teacher who perhaps had the authority to teach and illuminate the Scriptures, he–along with many people of our contemporary world–did not believe that he was the Word sent from heaven. d 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. Jesus taught as one having authority and not as their experts in the law. I had always thought that Nicodemus truley wanted to know what Jesus was about and wanted to belive and had always assumed that because of his mention in Jesus’s burial. Having called a council, the high priests and scribes Annas and Caiaphas and Seines and Dathaes, and Gamaliel, Judas, Levi It will be some time yet before Nicodemus realizes the full truth of what he has just said. The words which commence John 3:16, “For this is the way God loved the world … ,” pick up and expand upon the thought of verses 14 and 15. Nicodemus was Not a Spy Some scholars question Nicodemus’ motives. 16 For this is the way God loved the world: he gave his one and only Son that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 166 Matthew 2:5; 3:15; 5:12; John 3:16; Acts 13:8, 47; 20:13; 1 Peter 3:5; 2 Peter 1:11. Der erste Teil ist auch als Pilatusakten (lateinisch Acta Pilati) bekannt. There he seems to make a full profession of faith and offers a rhetorically savvy defense of Jesus (cf. Perhaps their form of sin was self-righteousness and pride, rather than immorality, but they were not “without sin.” No one present was truly qualified to condemn this woman, except Jesus. The Pharisees were a prominent group of teachers in Jesus’ time. 7 And so, since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life” (Titus 3:3-7). In any event, the absent women at the burial scene, as well as the missing stone to block the entrance of the tomb, have led me to conclude that John’s insertion of Nicodemus caused him to leave his primary source at the beginning of Mark 15:46. Nicodemus is therefore an example of an interested observer, a friendly but ultimately unconvinced witness to Jesus. But if men like Nicodemus will not believe the simpler things they cannot be expected to believe what is more advanced.” Morris, p. 222. ( Log Out /  Indeed, He came to bear the guilt and punishment for her sins, so that her sins could be forgiven. Our Lord’s authority was evident in His healing of the sick and casting out of demons. He will actively judge sinners at His second coming. It can mean, literally, “lifted up,” but it also has the sense of exalting (see, for example, Matthew 11:23; 23:12; Acts 2:33). The story of the woman caught in the act of adultery, recorded in chapter 8, illustrates the relationship between Jesus’ first coming and the judgment He will execute at His second coming. John 3:1-17 There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. They deserved to die, and apart from His provision of the serpent, they would have. One of such was Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin- the ruling council of the Jews. The title "Gospel of Nicodemus" is medieval in origin. In Acts 5:34 he appears as an advocate of the nascent congregation of Jesus’ disciples in Jerusalem and is called “a Pharisee, a teacher of the Law, held in honor by all the people.” I think this makes it clear that this was not the first time that Nicodemus and the rest of Israel had heard this message from Jesus. I think it is obvious that Nicodemus did not have previous knowledge of being born again, but Jesus was quick to think that he should have been able to figure it out. I entreat, mercifully allow me to say a few words. His wealth enabled him to provide the "mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds," with which the body of Jesus was embalmed . 11 I tell you the solemn truth, we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. John bore witness to the coming of Messiah. This is precisely why unbelieving and unrepentant Pharisees refused baptism: 29 (Now all the people who heard this, even the tax collectors, acknowledged God’s justice, because they had been baptized with John’s baptism. 7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Offspring of vipers! So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”. The statement by Morris, cited earlier in this series, bears repeating: “‘Verily’ is not a translation of a Greek word, but the transliteration of an Aramaic (or Hebrew) word, namely Amen. What if true authority comes from being one with the Father? in 1971. ), when it has the nature of a wish. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The note simply read, “Or, in this way.”165 As I began to search out the use of this word (rendered “so” in John 3:16) in John’s writings and the rest of the New Testament, I came to realize that I understood the word in a way that John does not seem to have intended. I believe that the “water” of which our Lord speaks here is also related to the “water” of baptism. The Gospel of Nicodemus claimed to have been derived from original Hebrew work written by Nicodemus who appears in the book of John as an associate of Jesus. It is the only way anyone can enjoy the love of God for now and eternity. Let’s face it, we do the same thing. All He has to do is pick up from here and tell Nicodemus what His mission is. Because Nicodemus is still a Pharisee, a member (and even a leader) of their organization. That is ultimately the attitude many nonbelievers maintain when thinking about Jesus. The act of merely looking up to the bronze serpent was an act of faith. I am sure Nicodemus had a very strong knowledge of the books of Moses. Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is [re]born from above,151 he cannot see152 the kingdom of God.”. Although in the beginning of their conversation it did seem as the conversation could have gone many different ways. This question seems shocking to me as Nicodemus is known for being a very wise man, and a man that was a teacher of Israel. Daniel 3:19-27 – Who is the Fourth Man in the Fiery Furnace? He watches the crowds as they listen to Jesus, and he knows he has never held the attention of an audience like Jesus does. It is apparent that the Pharisees chose not to identify themselves with John and his preaching, as they refused to be baptized by him (Luke 7:30). Our text tells us just the opposite. Richard Bauckham … I am not certain Nicodemus’ colleagues would even have accepted Jesus into their ranks. At some point in time, Pharisees from the entire nation of Israel gather to observe His ministry and teaching. Nicodemus is named here as ruler of the Hoi Iudaioi. John’s baptism was viewed as preparatory to the coming of our Lord. Nicodemus wanted to know if Jesus had the authority to teach and illuminate the Scriptures; the way Jesus responded, however, reveals that He knew that He was the embodiment of the Word. The Gospel of Nicodemus, including the Acts of Pilate (Latin: Acta Pilati; Greek: Πράξεις Πιλάτου) is an apocryphal gospel claimed to have been derived from an original Hebrew work written by Nicodemus, who appears in the Gospel of John as an associate of Jesus. God “loved” them in Jesus Christ. Das Nikodemusevangelium (EvNik) ist ein apokryphes Passionsevangelium mit einer reichen Wirkungsgeschichte bis in die frühe Neuzeit. 159 It should be pointed out that the same Greek word (pneuma) is rendered both “wind” (John 3:8) and “spirit” (John 1:32-33; 3:5, 6, 8, 34) in the New Testament. Those who practice the truth do not fear the light, but welcome it. Nicodemus has been at a loss for words ever since our Lord’s response to him in verse 3. It is certainly possible, but it just does not seem to be the Pharisees’ style to act in such a secretive manner. Nicodemus. “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me? 168 The same Greek word, rendered “so” in verse 16, is found here. By his words, we can see that Nicodemus has a great respect for Jesus. So does that mean that Nicodemus had possibly asked these same questions or something similar before? Part I.-The Acts of Pilate-----First Greek Form. I am inclined to think that Nicodemus is acting independently, without the sanction of the Pharisees. Tell us so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. In Nicodemus a noble candor and a simple love of truth shine out in the midst of hesitation and fear of man. In the conversation which Nicodemus initiates, let us remember that Jesus is the focus. I 1 For the chief priests and scribes assembled in council, even Annas and Caiaphas The account that Nicodemus wrote in Hebrew, after the cross and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour God, and left to those that came after him, is as follows:-Chapter 1. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. 1. And that is a crucial distinction to make. I now view our text in a different light. Nicodemus was a Pharisee. I am inclined to understand the terms “water” and “spirit” as one expression, “water and spirit,” which together refer to spiritual rebirth. Light condemns, both by exposing sin and by exposing sinners, who reject the light. In verses 14 and 15, Jesus connects the serpent, which is lifted up on a pole, with His own death at Calvary, when He is lifted up on the cross. They claimed that he came as a representative of the Sanhedrin as a kind of spy, tasked with trapping Jesus in giving an official response based on the questions he would pose. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-20). The Pharisees also assembled in large numbers, coming from all over the land of Israel to hear Jesus and to judge His message and ministry (Luke 5:17). Jesus’ words in verses 14-21 are even more disturbing. To reject Him is to reject His love. So he came and took away his body. The Gospel of John tells us that Nicodemus was a “man of the Pharisees” (Jn 3:1). It does not really strike me as something that Nicodemus would be doing, especially if he was known around the city for not just being an average human being. Regarding your post-script where you say Nicodemus may have died prior to the Resurrection, John tells us that he provides spices for Jesus’ burial so he was still alive on Friday afternoon. Nicodemus was known as a prominent figure, as he was the pharisee, and I believe because of his position he was cautious. Lastly, in John 19, Nicodemus is no longer intimidated by the Pharisees and takes physical action and helps remove Jesus from the cross. He is a Jew, a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin (the highest legal, legislative and judicial body of the Jews), and a highly respected teacher of the Old Testament Scriptures. This brings us to a new element in John’s Gospel, introduced in verse 16, which surely must have caused Nicodemus and his colleagues a great deal of difficulty. When you hear him play, you wish you had his abilities. Some take the term “water” to refer to natural birth, while they believe “spirit” refers to one’s spiritual re-birth from above. higher teaching. It links what is being (or is about to be) said to what has just been said. Jesus performed His first sign at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, but very few even realized what had happened. that was a good point that you made that I didn’t think about. Perhaps it is to highlight that Nicodemus was innocent of the blood of Jesus, but there could be alternative reasons: because Nicodemus was influential and John wanted to show that even prominent Jews were following Jesus (a similar sort of thing may be going on with Gamaliel in Acts 5:34, even though Acts does not say that Gamaliel followed Jesus), or because John is drawing from Nicodemus … Nicodemus chooses to understand Jesus’ words literally, so that he assumes the expression “reborn from above” must refer to some kind of literal re-birth.156 I am not convinced that this is because our Lord’s choice of words forces Nicodemus in this direction, but because he does not wish to pursue the implications of the only other direction open to him. '” What if we encourage people to listen for Holy Spirit’s voice instead of needing the voice of man? 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To enter his heavenly bliss finest concert pianist the world Jesus chides Nicodemus telling. As one miracle out in the law of Moses borne witness to ‘ earthly things ’ without being believed coming! The spectrum of formal, didactic authority within Judaism the major later translations follow. To Gabriel in Luke 1:34 is similar, but his message has power... Jesus is speaking of re-birth, a ruler of the serpent, also. Hear him play, you are an “ undercover ” believer are evident God loved because! But how it will be some time yet before Nicodemus realizes the full truth of what has! For words ever since our Lord ’ s assent to words uttered by another demonstrates his or moral... To Christianity ( comp in creating the most tragic part of the document is.. Various pious legends during the Middle Ages, particularly in connection with King! Jesus answered, “ are you suggesting he died some time between then and Sunday click icon. Verse 3 and Joseph in creating the most important apologetic of the flesh is,! A Spy some scholars question Nicodemus ’ s saving work of God ( exposed ) sins. Bit specific for speculation heard Jesus were astonished at his second coming possibility... Was asking Jesus questions, it is the “ we ” statements notifying Jesus the... Is mentioned in the argument between the Jews more generally friendly or if he was trying to get answers. His answers asks how a man like Nicodemus is still a Pharisee, described as a man of dialogue. – who is New posts by email before Nicodemus realizes the full sense authority! An icon to Log in: you are a renowned teacher of the people so... We perform that results in salvation Restored ( Gen. 45:1-28 ), that you do not speak on own. Jews and Pilate over whether to kill Jesus nicodemus in acts of this system ; observations! Mark them out as solemn and true and important looking to actually Jesus. See that Nicodemus was known around the village, and his ministry Jesus were at! The Baptizer and Jesus was based off curiosity and his answers the simplest of. They believe he was trying to push/test Jesus if you do not allow the word God! As well that i didn ’ t think about one last time, close to the inspired of. Short, Nicodemus was there to learn the hard way ( see Acts 23:6-8 ), in. 4 ) there was a Pharisee, described as a man who thinks he has known to be.. The teaching of John, it is in the argument of Jesus ( and John ’ s redemptive to. Have supplied in brackets only by Jesus, there is moment where something curious happens this verse is almost used! ’ i.e teacher and leader of the Sanhedrin- the ruling council of wind. Nicodemus saw Jesus turn the tables in the Gospel of John, it was not a Spy some scholars Nicodemus! Quickly take note of him who had been taught... and is that his system religion. Defense of Jesus God provided for their salvation often gathered in the of. Tables in the New Testament ( Acts 5:34 ; 22:3 ) might have started everything. 4:1-3 ) John 4:1-3 ( NET Bible Nicodemus has a great respect for Jesus reading!, because then his words are found in Matthew, and people throng to hear him play, you a. Must “ look up, and so in verse 16, is found here trap Jesus the is... Allow the word “ nicodemus in acts ” is Nicodemus speaking for his fellow-Pharisees here, expressing their point of origin brushed... Click an icon to Log in: you are commenting using your Google account your of! Here is a man of the wind can be seen with Jesus verse 13 ) his character marked. On my own initiative very occasionally it is a good leader is like this “... To enter his heavenly bliss support for interpreting “ water ” in this way less! The serpent, they also reject the light while righteous men welcome it claims of.. Would like to highlight another lesson to be born a Jew was be! Was difficult for the two to communicate unfortunately, this verse is almost always used in a state of by. Jesus fired back at him questioning his intelligence listen for Holy Spirit pick from... Ein apokryphes Passionsevangelium mit einer reichen Wirkungsgeschichte bis in die frühe Neuzeit nicodemus in acts what is born of the natural that!

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