Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew.
`Thou mayest not wonder that I said to thee, It behoveth you to be born from above;
Do not wonder that I said to thee, It is needful that ye should be born anew.
John — The Gospel of sevens and signs. Seven signs, seven 'I AM' sayings, a prologue and an epilogue — written 'that ye might believe' (20:31).
Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread — the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.
The verses this one reaches12
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.
If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance.
Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”
What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin.
What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
5 more linked verses are grouped by book below ↓
Every other verse the study tradition links to this one, in the Bible’s own order. The first links in each book carry a line of their text; every reference opens its full verse page.
John2
Cross-references are drawn from classic Bible study tools and open, shareable Bible data.
Voices7
For in Thy spiritual things I am dull, as Thy Only-begotten says, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born anew. The Spirit breathes where it will, and thou hearest the voice of it; but dost not know whence it comes or whither it goes. So is every one who is born of water and of the Holy Spirit." Though I hold a belief in my regeneration, I hold it in ignorance; I possess the reality, though I comprehend it not.
Hilary of Poitiers· ON THE TRINITY 12.56, 367patristic
Marvel not that I said unto thee,...., For Nicodemus was quite astonished, at this doctrine of the new birth; it was altogether new to him, and unheard of by him; nor could he understand, nor conceive in what manner it could be: ye must be born again; in "four" of Beza's copies, it is read "we"; but as Christ was not begotten in a carnal way, or descended not from Adam in the ordinary way of generation, he was not carnal and corrupt, nor in the least tainted with sin; and so stood in no need of regeneration; wherefore such a reading must be rejected.
John Gill· Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)reformed
Marvel not - Wonder not. It is possible that Nicodemus in some way still expressed a doubt of the doctrine, and Jesus took occasion in a very striking manner to illustrate it.
Albert Barnes· Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)evangelical
That which is born, &c.--A great universal proposition; "That which is begotten carries within itself the nature of that which begat it" [OLSHAUSEN]. flesh--Not the mere material body, but all that comes into the world by birth, the entire man; yet not humanity simply, but in its corrupted, depraved condition, in complete subjection to the law of the fall (Ro 8:1-9).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown· Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871reformed
Ye must--"Ye, says Jesus, not we" [BENGEL]. After those universal propositions, about what "a man" must be, to "enter the kingdom of God" (Joh 3:5) --this is remarkable, showing that our Lord meant to hold Himself forth as "separate from sinners."
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown· Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871reformed
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.
John Wesley· Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament, 1755evangelical
He who is the great Lawgiver, whose will is a law,--he who is the great Mediator of the new covenant, and has full power to settle the terms of our reconciliation to God and happiness in him,--he who is the great Physician of souls, knows their case, and what is necessary to their cure,--he hath said, You must be born again.
Matthew Henry· Commentary on the Whole Bible, 1710puritan
The walk8
Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first — the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.
Through
John 3:3Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
leads to
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves those born of Him.
Through
1 Peter 1:22Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.
leads to
The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.
Continue in brotherly love.
Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.
The whole web at once: see the Arc.
