Annotations Upon the New Testament, John · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Verse 1. NIcodemus] His name signifies the victory of the people.
Ver. 2. Came to Iesus by night] Both out of shame, for he was ashamed openly to come to Jesus who was poore, and to be his Disciple when he was a Master in Israel,Ne collegas jam Jesu male volentes offenderet: simile quid de Josepho Arimathensi dicitur. 19.38. Grotius. ver. 10. This seemed unworthy of his authority and gravity; and that he might not incur the hatred of the Pharisees. This is three times mentioned ch. 7.50. and 19.39.
Rabbi] He acknowledgeth him not to be the Messias, nor the Son of God, but a singular Doctor, and a famous Prophet. Polyc. Lyser.
Ver. 3. Verily, verily] See 5. and 8. verses. No Evangelist but Iohn useth this double asseveration, and that in matters of weight nineteene times in this Gospell. See Mat. 5.18. and Cornel à Lap.
Except a man be borne] He useth the Verbe borne or beggotten to shew that our very nature which we received at our birth is vicious, and shews also in that the cause why none by their own good qualities or works can come to the kingdome of heaven unlesse they be regenerated, because their very nature is so depraved.
Again] The Greek word again is significant, it imports (saith Beza) we must go over all that is past, and reject it as unprofitable, and begin a new.Or above, as James 3.17. So Chrysost. Theophylact. Cyrill take it here, by a heavenly generation. The Syriack interprets it here again, and so the Greek word is taken, Gal. 4.9.
Cannot see the kingdom of God] Iohn 12.42. and 7.48. Cannot be a partaker of life eternall, as Ver. 5. Polyc. Lyser. Rather spirituall life is here meant. Calvin.
Ver. 4. How can a man be borne when he is old] Hee names an old man, because he speakes especially of himself; as if he should say, I am an old man, and desire to enter into the kingdom of heaven, how can it be that I which am an old man should be born anew?
Vers. 5. Except a man be borne of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven] Those words must be understood of inward regeneration, in this sence,Our Saviour alludes to some speeches of the Old Testament, as Ezek. 36.25. He sheweth that this cleansing of us is by the inward working of the Holy Ghost. Perkins. Nicodemo Christus. (viro quidem minimè malo sed tamen supra modum elato vana aestimatione nobilitatis suae) objicit considerandam necessitatem novae cujusdam generationis, scilicet regene…ationis. Cameron. de Ecclesia. that is, by water which is the Holy Ghost, as Mat. 3.2. for to be born from above, and of water and the Holy Ghost, is in our Saviours Phrase all one thing.
It is spoken to Nicodemus a Pharisee, who came not to Christ as the rest of the Pharisees with a bitter Spirit, he though a Jew, a Doctor in Israel, one that had good thoughts of Christ, vers. 2. yet he must be born again. 2. Must not be new dressed, but borne again, wholly new. 3. A man not a heathen, but one that lived in the Church.
4. Cannot else see the kingdom of God] Of grace. Calvin. He can neither be a true and living member of the Church here, nor shall have a share in glory.
5. The manner of expression, verily, verily, shews the earnestnesse of Christs Spirit in him and the importance of the matter.
It is a great question whether he meaneth Baptism here, for then it was not instituted though some did baptize; others think it to be like that phrase, Baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire; but if it be meant of Baptism, it implyeth only a contempt of it when there is an opportunity, and who can think that if a Parent should wilfully contemn Baptism, his Child should be damned for it?
Error fuit eorū qui hunc locum intellexere de conspicuo baptismo, ejusque eam esse crediderunt necessitatem, ut sine eo aeternis poenis infantes subjacerent, cum mollius de circumcisione Judaei sentiant, cujus omissae poenam non ad infantes, sed ad infantum parentes ait pertinere. At perspicaci lectori satis apparet agi hic de hominibus adultis rationisque & emendationis capacibus. Quod Graeci non ignoravere: apud quos mos fuit ad plenam aetatem, annum puta vicesimum aut ultra differre baptismum. Grotius dissertat. An semper communicandum per svmbola. This Text makes no more for the necessity of Water, than the like Iohn 6. Except ye eate the flesh of the Son of man, for giving the Communion to Infants. Dr Fulkes Annot. on Rhem. Test. on Mar. 1. Incredibile ducebat Nicodemus, quod de regeneratione & nova vita audierat: quia regenerationis hujus modus altior erat ejus captu. Christus ut ejusmodi scrupulum illi eximat, in vita etiam corporali mirisicam Dei virtutem extare docet, cujus ratio occulta est. Calvinus.The Spirit working like water. There are these reasons of this exposition: First, Collation of other places where the Spirit is set out by water, as John 7.38, 39. Esay 44.34. Secondly, Collation of this with Mat. 3.11. 3. Because the other Interpretation, understanding it of Baptism, cannot stand, men may be saved without it, as the Thiefe. Dike.
Vers. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth] That is, God gives grace, and vouchsafeth favour,Perkins. to whom, when, and where it pleaseth him. Because he began to speak of the Spirit he instanceth in the wind, which is wont also to be called a Spirit, as Gen. 8.1. and elsewhere often.
Vers. 11. Verily, verily I say unto you] Speaking in the singular, he immediately annexeth that which followeth in the plurall, we speak, where passing on the sudden from (I to We) and so to Our, he intimated, that he was one of that plural of whom Moses spake in the creation.
Vers. 12. If I have told you earthly things] Si per similitudines terrestres coelestia vos docuit;Fulk in his answer to Greg. Martins preface. p. 14. If I have taught you heavenly things by earthly similies. Our Saviour Christ himself calleth the doctrine of regeneration in such plaine manner as he uttered it to Nicodemus, earthly things, in comparison of other greater mysteries, which he could have expressed in more heavenly and spirituall sort.
Ascensus in coelum puram mysteriorum Dei notitiam & spiritualem intelligentiae lucem significat. 1. Cor. 2.14. Calvin. Eo loco ut intuenti Christi scopum satis liquet, ascendenti in coelum est inquirere aut admitti in conscientiā consilij divini. (Eodem ferè sensu eadem locutio usurpatur ab Apostolo, Rom. 10.6.) Fortasse autem alluserit Christus ad factum Mosis, qui in montem ascendebat Deum consulturus, indidemque veluti à Deo ad populum descendebat, ut haec sit Christi sententia, nemo un quam conscius fuit consilij Paterni, aut consilium Patris revelavit, praeter unicum filium. Cameron. Praelect. in Psal. 68.19.Ver. 13. And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven] Therefore none but Christ ascended bodily into heaven, and so not Enoch, Heb. 11.5. This place is not meant of corporall ascending, but of understanding mysticall and heavenly things, as Prov. 30.3, 4. No man ascendeth to the full knowledge of heavenly mysteries but Christ alone who descended from the bosome of his Father. Perkins Dike.
Ascendere in coelum dicitur, qui arcana coeli penetrat. Prov. 30.3. Grotius.
Vers. 14. Must the Son of man be lifted up] Not on the Crosse, as Piscator, but by the preaching of the Gospell, Esay 2.2. Calvin.
Vers. 16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, &c.] This was a sic without a sicut; that sic, so, signifieth the vehemency of his love. Chrysost. So vehemently, so admirably. Polanus. His Son, not his Servant; his begotten Son, not adopted; nay, his only begotten Son, Non unum è multis, possit quis habere unigenitum & odio habere, saith Hugo Cardinall, but Christ was not so. Mat. 3.17. Prov. 8.30. Possit quis habere unigenitum sed stultum, saith he again, but he was the wisdome of the Father. Col. 2.3.
Vers. 17. God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world] Ob. John 5.27. Ans. The time of his abasement at his first comming, when he came not to judge, but to be judged, must be distinguished from his second comming in Glory and Majesty to judge the quick and dead.
Vers. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already] Five waies: First, in Gods Counsell before all worlds. Secondly, in the word, wherein this sentence of condemnation is read already, Mark. 16.16. Thirdly, in their own consciences, which is a forerunner of the finall judgement. Fourthly, By Judgements begun already upon them, as hardnesse of heart, blindnesse of mind. Fifthly, By the horrible torment of the soules of such as are in hell with the devils and damned ones.
Ver. 21. But he that doth truth] That is, practiseth what he knoweth, and maketh conscience of his wayes.
Vers. 26. Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan] Viz. Jesus who came to thee to be baptized.Perversae aemulationis vox est, metuunt enim ne mox deseratur magister à frequentia. Calvinus.
Vers. 29. He that hath the bride, is the bridegroome: but the friend of the bridegroome, &c.] As our Saviour was the Bridegroome, so his Apostles were the mariage-guests,Calvin in loc. Alludit ad paranymphos, qui sponso erant intimi & familiarissimi, adeo ut ad ipsum cubile & thalamum nuptialem, coeteris exclusis admitterentur, ideo que amici sponsi vocabantur talis enim erat Johannes Christo. Cornel à Lap. for so by an Hebrew phrase the children of the marriage Chamber here signifie.
Vers. 32. And what he hath seen and heard that he testifieth] It is not only a generall phrase of things most evident (for we can certainly witnesse of those things which we see and heare) but there is a greater emphasis here in this phrase, viz. Duobus bis sensibus homines ad cognitionem deveniunt. Grotius.That Christ hath not the things which he teacheth here by revelation, as the Prophets and Apostles, neither from the Law nor Testimony, had he learned those things as other Ministers.
Vers. 33. He that hath received his testimony, hath set to his seale, that God is true] That is, gives unto God, as it were, a testimony of his truth,Mr Perkins. Metaphora sumta à contractibus qui publicè impressis signis firmantur. Sic 1 Reg. 21.8. Nehem. 9.38.10.1. Esther 8.8, 9, 10. Jer. 32.10. Dan. 6.17. Grotius. Metaphora petita est ab ijs, quae apud Judaeos fieri consueverun…: Nam solebant septem vicibus interrogate testes, diligenterque singula eorum expendere verba atque testimonia. Petit. Var. Lect. l. 1. c. 10. and thereto puts his hand and seale.
Ver. 34. Giveth not the Spirit by measure] That is, he hath received the Spirit of God in a wondefull extraordinary measure. In the time of the new Covenant God is not said to measure, but to powre out his Spirit, first upon the Head, then on the Church, Chap. 1.16. and 7.39. Acts 21.17. Tit. 3.6.
Ver. 36. He that beleeveth not the Son] foreign, He that will not be perswaded, or is obstinate; obstinacie against perswasion is either in the understanding, called unbeliefe,Mr Pemble. Vbi notanda est emphasis vocis manet. Nam in Scripturis foreign singularem habet significationem, notat enim constantiam & penitissimam adhaesionem rei illius quae dicitur manere, nam est quaedam ira Dei quae transit & quodammodo (si ita loqui liceat) lambit, ut ignis qui non destruit sed expolit potius ut est Esa. …4. ira quaedam Dei momentanea, quam experiuntur etiam filij Dei. At ira manens ea est quae ita perdit ut nunquam disperdat, & cruciat ita ut nun quam perimat. Cam. de eccles. Tomo. 10. properly to be understood here, as appeares by the Antithesis, and so translated, Rom. 11.30, 31. or in the will, and then it is called disobedience, so translated, Rom. 1.30. Tit. 1.16.