mother’s womb ( ) [ ] { } and be born”?
v. 5: “Jesus” introduces his (theological, spiritual) conviction again with a double “amèn, amén”-introductory statement218 in the sense of the (ritual) baptism219 (on earth):
“Unless one is born of water220 and the Spirit221” (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 antithetical222 thesis:
That which is “born of the flesh (is) flesh ( )” as “conditio humana”223 and
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 impossible224.
v. 7: Jesus repeated His saying in verse 3c in His statement (or query) to Nicodemus in the sense of an antithesis:
“/Do/ not marvel225 that I said to you:
‘(You) must226 ( ) born /from/ above’” (!/?) – note John 1:13.
v. 8: He explained His transcendental/spiritual conviction with the help of a synthesis in 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 effects227 with 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 “pneũma” (= wind in v. 8a and Spirit in v. 8f)228: “The wind (blows229)
where it will ( ),
and {you hear} [his] voice/sound230 [ ] { },
but you /do/ not know” – note “gɩnósko” in v. 2c –
“where231 /it/ comes from and
where232 /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 “basɩleía toũ theoũ” (= “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 testify233 /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/ testimony / /}” (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”235 in Him (cf. vv. 12b, 18b – cf. John 2:24) as a witness regarding Jesus’ “earthly” (in Greek “epígeɩos”236 in v. 12a) ministry in word and deed, then all the more he can “not believe” and have faith in Him regarding “heavenly” (in Greek “epourános” in v. 12c237) 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).
+ “New Born” as “Eternal Life” for Believers in the Lifted Up “Son of Man” (vv. 13–17238)
v. 13: After Jesus’ discourse from the “earthly” things (cf. vv. 3–8) He starts His conviction of the “heavenly/transcendental” things (cf. vv. 13–21). In the same Greek words (“ascended” in v. 13a and 1:51d; 6:62 – “descended” in v. 13b and 1:51e) of Proverbs 30:4239, the Incarnated Jesus of Nazareth, “the Son of Man”240 (cf., for example, John 1:51; 8:28; 9:35; 12:23, 34; 13:31 as an allusion to Daniel 7:13–14) – note that the verse 13b2 is connected with verse 14b – and at the same time “the Son of God”241 (cf. vv. 16b, 17a, 18c and in John 1:14, 18), came from the “heavenly”, divine, transcendental sphere to earth. At the end of His “earthly”, immanent ministry in words and deeds, the Crucified and Risen Jesus Christ went back into “Heaven” (note the connecting of v. 12c with v. 13a, b1). The first term with the meaning of ascension is in the perfect tense that means this act(ion) is a finished fact in past (yesterday) but with a presence (today) and in the future (“eternal”/“forever” in the sense of Hebrew 13:8).
v. 14: In this context, Jesus recited and applied to Himself the story of the bronze “serpent/snake in the wilderness” (cf. Numbers 21:8–9, 11 – the so-called “4th book of ‘Moses’”). Then in the desert, “Moses242 lifted up243” a bronze “serpent/snake”244 on a staff and Jesus compared it with His Crucifixion (in Jerusalem – cf. John 8:28; 12:32–34; 19:16–38; Philippians 2:6–11 in the view of Isaiah 52:13–53:12) as the “Lamb of God” (cf. John 1:29, 36). Here the main topic is not the typology of Moses but rather the parallel use of the verb “lift