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Signs in John's Gospel - The Lamp Broadcast

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Except a Man… (II) 85<br />

8<br />

Except a Man… (II)<br />

<strong>The</strong>re was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a<br />

ruler of the Jews:<br />

<strong>The</strong> same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him,<br />

Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for<br />

no man can do these miracles [‘signs’] that thou doest except<br />

God be with him.<br />

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say<br />

unto thee, Except a man be born aga<strong>in</strong> [‘born from above’], he<br />

cannot see the k<strong>in</strong>gdom of God.<br />

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when<br />

he is old? Can he enter the second time <strong>in</strong>to his mother’s<br />

womb and be born?<br />

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man<br />

be born of water and of the Spirit [‘out of water and Spirit’],<br />

he cannot enter <strong>in</strong>to the k<strong>in</strong>gdom of God.<br />

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is<br />

born of the Spirit is spirit.<br />

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born aga<strong>in</strong><br />

[‘born from above,’ ‘brought forth from above’] (John 3:1-7).<br />

John <strong>in</strong>troduces a br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g forth out of God (1:13), a birth [a<br />

br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g forth] from above (3:3-7), <strong>in</strong> the open<strong>in</strong>g part of his gospel.<br />

And the context surround<strong>in</strong>g John’s <strong>in</strong>troduction is <strong>in</strong> relation to<br />

the Jewish people, signs, and the proffered k<strong>in</strong>gdom (1:11, 12; 3:2, 3).<br />

John then calls attention to the same th<strong>in</strong>g — a br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g forth<br />

out of God — ten times <strong>in</strong> his first epistle (2:29; 3:9 [twice]; 4:7; 5:1<br />

[three times]; 5:4; 5:18 [twice]). And from the subject matter of I<br />

85

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