Manfred Diefenbach - THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS, THE CHRIST AND THE SON OF GOD, ACCORDING TO JOHN

v. 2a:Because of his fear for the Jewish repressive measures (cf. 7:13; 9:22; 12:42; 16:2; 19:38; 20:19) Nicodemus “ came to ” Jesus “ by night 212”.

- Part I: The Baptism on Earth as a “New Born” by the Spirit from Above (vv. 2b–8)

v. 2b:Nicodemus titled Jesus in honor with “ rabbi ” as a “captatio benevolentiae”, saying a creed 213:

“ We know ” (vv. 8c, 10c, 11b) “ that ( you [, teacher 214,] come ) from God ( ) [ ].

Nobody … can (do) these signs ” (cf. 2:11, 23c) “ as you do” – note the parallel with 2:23d –

“unless God / is / with you ” (cf. John 10:30 and Matthew 1:23: “ Immanuel ” in allusion to Isaiah 7:14; 8:8, 10 [LXX]).

v. 3:The introductory statement “ amen, amen, I tell you ” (cf. vv. 5b, 11a) emphasizes Jesus’ answer with the help of the keyword “become/born” (in Greek “ genn á o ” 215in vv. 3c, 4b, c, 5c, 6a, b, 7c, 8e):

“Unless one is born / from / above 216” – note the parallel in verse 7c –;

“ he cannot see 217the ‘ Kingdom of God’” (cf. v. 5d).

v. 4:“ Nicodemus ” asked Him in a biological/naturalistic respectively “ earthly ” (v. 12a) view respectively (mis-)understanding:

“How can” – note the same two words in verse 9b – “ a man be born when he / is / old ?”

“ No – can { he enter} [/ a / second / time /] into ( his ) mother’s womb ( ) [ ] { } and be born”?

v. 5:“ Jesus ” introduces his (theological, spiritual) conviction again with a double “ am è n, am é n ”-introductory statement 218in the sense of the (ritual) baptism 219(on earth):

“Unless one is born of water 220 and the Spirit 221” (cf. John 1:26, 31–33 and 1 Corinthians 6:11; 12:13; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3, 23 – Genesis 1:2; Ezekiel 3:25–27);

“ he cannot enter into the ‘Kingdom of God’” (cf. v. 3d and Mark 10:15; Matthew 18:3; Luke 18:17).

v. 6:Jesus continues His anthropological-theological conviction in the form of an antithetical 222 thesis:

That which is “born of the flesh ( is ) flesh ( )” as “ conditio humana ” 223and

that which is “born of the Spirit [ is ] Spirit [ ]” as a transcendental condition of the divine incarnation in the believers in Him on earth.

In other words: Both “flesh” and “Spirit” (cf., for example, Mark 14:38; Matthew 26:41) have to be together for human beings – then and nowadays – in the sense of “et – et” (= and – and – cf. Job 34:14–15; Romans 1:3–4) and not in the gnostic way “aut – aut” (= either-or – cf., for example, Genesis 6:3; Romans 8:4–17; Galatians 4:29; 5:17; 6:8). For human beings is not everything is possible on earth – they have to die, but with God’s Spirit/help nothing is impossible 224.

v. 7:Jesus repeated His saying in verse 3c in His statement (or query) to Nicodemus in the sense of an antithesis:

“/ Do / not marvel 225 that I said to you :

‘( You ) must 226( ) born / from / above’” (!/?) – note John 1:13.

v. 8:He explained His transcendental/spiritual conviction with the help of a synthesisin the form of an empirical comparison/illustration of the invisible wind (cf., for example, Ecclesiastes 1:2; 11:5; 12:8; Colossians 1:16) as the cause of the visible effects 227with our sense organs (to “ hear ” in v. 8b or to “ see ” in v. 11d – cf. v. 2e–f) – note also the ambiguous use of the Greek noun “ pne ũ ma ” (= wind in v. 8a and Spirit in v. 8f) 228: “ The wind ( blows 229)

where it will ( ),

and { you hear } [ his ] voice/sound 230[ ] { },

but you / do / not know ” – note “ g ɩ n ó sko ” in v. 2c –

“ where 231/ it / comes from and

where 232/ it / goes ” (cf. John 8:14).

It continues: “ So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit”. The answer of the origin in verse 8d is “ from above ” in verses 3c, 7c in the sense of “transcendental” (literally: “ heavenly ” in v. 12c) “ Heaven ” in verse 13a, b; however, the answer of the goal is the so-called “ bas ɩ le í a to ũ theo ũ ” (= “Kingdom of God”) in verses 3d, 5d in the sense of having “ eternal life ” in verses 15, 16d.

Part II: The “Heavenly” View of “the Son of Man” for Believers and Non-Believers in Jesus (vv. 9–21)

+ Approaching the Christological-soteriological Subject (vv. 9–12)

v. 9:After Jesus’ explanation (cf. vv. 5–8), “ Nicodemus ”, the Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin asked Him:

“How can this happen / be ”? – note the parallel with verse 4b and Luke 1:34.

v. 10:“ Jesus ” answered him as a reader of the Hebrew Bible and as a theologian in the form of a reproach/censure (cf. vv. 10b–11f):

“ You are a teacher ” (cf. v. 2d) “ of Israel

and ( ) you / do / not know/ understand ( these )” things? (cf. John 9:30).

v. 11:As in verses 3b, 5b, an introductory statement “ amen, amen, I tell you ” emphasizes Jesus’ answering as a monologue (cf. vv. 10/11–21):

“ We ” (= Jesus in God’ Spirit [, John the Baptist – cf. vv. 31–34 and 5:33–36 – and the Fourth Evangelist – cf. 19:35; 21:24 –] in the sense of a “pluralis maiestatis”!?)

“( ) speak / what / ( we know ) and

[ ] we testi fy 233/ what / [ we see ]” (in Greek “ horáo ” in perfect: “ heorákamen ” in vv. 11d, 32a and 1 John 1:1b, 2a, 3a)

“ and you ” (= Nicodemus who did not believe in Him enough)

“{ } not receive/accept {/ our / testi mony / /}” (cf. John 5:31–37; 8:13–14).

v. 12:In other words with the help of a contrast in the form of “a minore ad maius” 234(cf., for example, Mark 2:17; 1 Corinthians 15:40): If Nicodemus, a Pharisee ruler, does “ not believe ” 235in Him (cf. vv. 12b, 18b – cf. John 2:24) as a witness regarding Jesus’ “ earthly ” (in Greek “ ep í ge ɩ os ” 236in v. 12a) ministry in word and deed, then all the more he can “ not believe ” and have faith in Him regarding “ heavenly ” (in Greek “ epour á nos ” in v. 12c 237) topics. So the Jewish ruler is not open-minded to receive the “Good News” of Jesus of Nazareth, the “ rabbi ” (v. 2c) and the “ teacher ” (v. 2d).