Chapter 3:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| McGee
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Luke Acts
John 3
Verse 1. A ruler - One of the great council.
Verse
2. The same came - Through desire; but by night - Through
shame: We know - Even we rulers and Pharisees.
Verse
3. Jesus answered - That knowledge will not avail thee unless
thou be born again - Otherwise thou canst not see, that is,
experience and enjoy, either the inward or the glorious kingdom
of God. In this solemn discourse our Lord shows, that no external
profession, no ceremonial ordinances or privileges of birth, could
entitle any to the blessings of the Messiah's kingdom: that an
entire change of heart as well as of life was necessary for that
purpose: that this could only be wrought in man by the almighty
power of God: that every man born into the world was by nature
in a state of sin, condemnation, and misery: that the free mercy of
God had given his Son to deliver them from it, and to raise them
to a blessed immortality: that all mankind, Gentiles as well as
Jews, might share in these benefits, procured by his being lifted
up on the cross, and to be received by faith in him: but that if they
rejected him, their eternal, aggravated condemnation, would be
the certain consequence. Except a man be born again - If our Lord
by being born again means only reformation of life, instead of
making any new discovery, he has only thrown a great deal of
obscurity on what was before plain and obvious.
Verse
4. When he is old - As Nicodemus himself was.
Verse
5. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit - Except he
experience that great inward change by the Spirit, and be baptized
(wherever baptism can be had) as the outward sign and means of
it.
Verse
6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh - Mere flesh, void of the
Spirit, yea, at enmity with it; And that which is born of the Spirit
is spirit - Is spiritual, heavenly, divine, like its Author.
Verse
7. Ye must be born again - To be born again, is to be inwardly
changed from all sinfulness to all holiness. It is fitly so called,
because as great a change then passes on the soul as passes on the
body when it is born into the world.
Verse
8. The wind bloweth - According to its own nature, not thy will,
and thou hearest the sound thereof - Thou art sure it doth blow,
but canst not explain the particular manner of its acting. So is
every one that is born of the Spirit - The fact is plain, the manner
of his operations inexplicable.
Verse
11. We speak what we know - I and all that believe in me.
Verse
12. Earthly things - Things done on earth; such as the new birth,
and the present privileges of the children of God. Heavenly things
- Such as the eternity of the Son, and the unity of the Father, Son,
and Spirit.
Verse
13. For no one - For here you must rely on my single testimony,
whereas there you have a cloud of witnesses: Hath gone up to
heaven, but he that came down from heaven. Who is in heaven -
Therefore he is omnipresent; else he could not be in heaven and
on earth at once. This is a plain instance of what is usually termed
the communication of properties between the Divine and human
nature; whereby what is proper to the Divine nature is spoken
concerning the human, and what is proper to the human is, as
here, spoken of the Divine.
Verse
14. And as Moses - And even this single witness will soon be
taken from you; yea, and in a most ignominious manner. Num.
xxi, 8, 9.
Verse
15. That whosoever - He must be lifted up, that hereby he may
purchase salvation for all believers: all those who look to him by
faith recover spiritual health, even as all that looked at that serpent
recovered bodily health.
Verse
16. Yea, and this was the very design of God's love in sending
him into the world. Whosoever believeth on him - With that faith
which worketh by love, and hold fast the beginning of his
confidence steadfast to the end. God so loved the world - That is,
all men under heaven; even those that despise his love, and will
for that cause finally perish. Otherwise not to believe would be no
sin to them. For what should they believe? Ought they to believe
that Christ was given for them? Then he was given for them. He
gave his only Son - Truly and seriously. And the Son of God gave
himself, Gal. iv, 4, truly and seriously.
Verse
17. God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world -
Although many accuse him of it.
Verse
18. He that believeth on him is not condemned - Is acquitted, is
justified before God. The name of the only-begotten Son of God -
The name of a person is often put for the person himself. But
perhaps it is farther intimated in that expression, that the person
spoken of is great and magnificent. And therefore it is generally
used to express either God the Father or the Son.
Verse
19. This is the condemnation - That is, the cause of it. So God is
clear.
Verse
21. He that practiceth the truth (that is, true religion) cometh to
the light - So even Nicodemus, afterward did. Are wrought in God
- That is, in the light, power, and love of God.
Verse
22. Jesus went - From the capital city, Jerusalem, into the land of
Judea - That is, into the country. There he baptized - Not himself;
but his disciples by his order, chap. iv, 2.
Verse
23. John also was baptizing - He did not repel them that offered,
but he more willingly referred them to Jesus.
Verse
25. The Jews - Those men of Judea, who now went to be baptized
by Jesus; and John's disciples, who were mostly of Galilee: about
purifying - That is, baptism. They disputed, which they should be
baptized by.
Verse
27. A man can receive nothing - Neither he nor I. Neither could he
do this, unless God had sent him: nor can I receive the title of
Christ, or any honour comparable to that which he hath received
from heaven. They seem to have spoken with jealousy and
resentment; John answers with sweet composure of spirit.
Verse
29. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom - He whom the bride
follows. But all men now come to Jesus. Hence it is plain he is the
bridegroom. The friend who heareth him - Talk with the bride;
rejoiceth greatly - So far from envying or resenting it.
Verse
30. He must increase, but I must decrease - So they who are now,
like John, burning and shining lights, must (if not suddenly
eclipsed) like him gradually decrease, while others are increasing
about them; as they in their turns grew up, amidst the decays of
the former generation. Let us know how to set, as well as how to
rise; and let it comfort our declining days to trace, in those who
are likely to succeed us in our work, the openings of yet greater
usefulness.
Verse
31. It is not improbable, that what is added, to the end of the
chapter, are the words of the evangelist, not the Baptist. He that is
of the earth - A mere man; of earthly original, has a spirit and
speech answerable to it.
Verse
32. No man - None comparatively, exceeding few; receiveth his
testimony - With true faith.
Verse
33. Hath set to his seal - It was customary among the Jews for the
witness to set his seal to the testimony he had given. That God is
true - Whose words the Messiah speaks.
Verse
34. God giveth not him the Spirit by measure - As he did to the
prophets, but immeasurably. Hence he speaketh the words of God
in the most perfect manner.
Verse
36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life - He hath it
already. For he loves God. And love is the essence of heaven. He
that obeyeth not - A consequence of not believing.
Chapter 3:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| McGee
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Luke Acts
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
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