1. What is a Pharisee? The Pharisees were a disciplined and highly respected sect in Judaism. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews. He was most likely a lay member of the Sanhedrin, not one of the chief priests.
2. What does tradition tell us about Nicodemus? Nicodemus was a ruler and Pharisee, a lay member of the Sanhedrin, not one of the chief priests. He was mentioned in the Talmud as one of the four richest men in Jerusalem and also as a disciple of Jesus. He accepted Jesus as a Teacher from God even though Jesus did not have any formal training. His son apparently negotiated the terms of surrender with the Roman garrison in 70 AD prior to the destruction of the city and the Temple.
3. Why did he come at night? Some have suggested that he came by night for fear, but this is probably not true. Some say it was to avoid the crowds which were always around the Lord. It was common for people to gather in the cool of the evening to have friendly conversation.
4. How else is the phrase "again" translated? These words can mean from the top, from above, from the first, or again. Nicodemus treated the words like they meant being born a second time, but he may have been wrong. Throughout this Gospel, these words mean from above, suggesting born of God. The Greeks sometimes used this expression when a son was born because he, in essence, would be a second life for the father. Nicodemus did not equate what Jesus was saying with this kind of symbolic second birth. Dr. Towns favorite born a second time, from above, because the Greek word for second time is used.
5. What are the different views to "born of water and of the Spirit"? The baptismal regeneration view, the pardon and sanctificaton view, the born of the Holy Spirit view, and the repentance and faith view see the water as a symbol for the Holy Spirit. The Word of God view (Schofield) sees the water as the Bible. The natural birth view, which Dr. Towns favors, is that the water is a picture of the water sack at birth. The natural birth view is parallelism as seen in verses four through six.
6. Who was the speaker in John 3:14-21? Dr. Towns supports the belief that John was speaking in these verses, not Jesus. His primary reason is because of the use of past tense verbs, loved and gave, in verse sixteen. The tone of verse nineteen suggested the rejection of Christ as past tense. Also, the phrases “believed in the name,” “only begotten,” and “doeth truth,” while appearing elsewhere in the Gospel, are never attributed to Jesus.
7. Where does Jesus meet John the Baptist? Jesus went to John in Samaria to be baptized.
8. What is John the Baptist's attitude? John knew who Jesus was, so he also knew his ministry was nearing completion. He had a humble, devoted attitude towards Jesus, as a servant before his Lord.
9. What are the three reasons given for Christ's deity in 3:31-36? In verse thirty-one, Jesus is seen as above all, showing His divine origin. In verses thirty-two and thirty-three, John shows that Jesus’ testimony is from above, showing His divine testimony. In verses thirty-four through thirty-six, John explains that God sent Jesus, showing His divine authority.
Tom of Spotswood"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
Index to Selected Essays And Book Reviews
Lesson 6 - Christ - The Water of Life
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