John Calvin Commentary John 3

Now there was a man of the Pharisees. In the person of Nicodemus, the Evangelist now shows us how vain and fleeting was the faith of those who, having been stirred by miracles, suddenly professed to be disciples of Christ. For since this man was of the order of the Pharisees and held the rank of a ruler in his nation, he must have been far more excellent than others.

The common people, for the most part, are fickle and unsteady; but who would not have thought that he who had learning and experience was also a wise and prudent man? Yet from Christ’s reply, it is evident that nothing was further from Nicodemus's purpose in coming than a desire to learn the first principles of religion.

If he who was a ruler among men is less than a child, what should we think of the multitude at large? Now although the Evangelist’s purpose was to show, as in a mirror, how few there were in Jerusalem who were properly disposed to receive the Gospel, yet, for other reasons, this narrative is highly useful to us. This is especially true because it instructs us about the depraved nature of mankind, what the proper entrance into the school of Christ is, and what the beginning of our training must be to make progress in heavenly doctrine.

For the sum of Christ’s discourse is that, in order for us to be His true disciples, we must become new men. But, before proceeding further, we must ascertain from the circumstances detailed here by the Evangelist what obstacles prevented Nicodemus from giving himself unreservedly to Christ.

Of the Pharisees. This designation was, no doubt, regarded by his countrymen as honorable to Nicodemus; but it is not for the sake of honor that it is given to him by the Evangelist, who, on the contrary, draws our attention to it as having prevented him from coming freely and cheerfully to Christ.

Hence we are reminded that those who occupy a lofty station in the world are, for the most part, entangled by very dangerous snares. Indeed, we see many of them held so firmly bound that not even the slightest wish or prayer arises from them towards heaven throughout their entire lives. We have elsewhere explained why they were called Pharisees; for they boasted of being the only expounders of the Law, as if they were in possession of the marrow and hidden meaning of Scripture, and for that reason they called themselves פרושים (Perushim).

Though the Essenes led a more austere life, which gained them a high reputation for holiness, yet because, like hermits, they abandoned the ordinary life and customs of men, the sect of the Pharisees was on that account held in higher estimation. Besides, the Evangelist mentions not only that Nicodemus was of the order of the Pharisees, but that he was one of the rulers of his nation.

He came to Jesus by night. From the circumstance of his coming by night we infer that his timidity was excessive, for his eyes were dazzled, as it were, by the splendor of his own greatness and reputation. Perhaps he was also hindered by shame, for ambitious men think that their reputation is utterly ruined if they have once descended from the dignity of teachers to the rank of scholars; and he was unquestionably puffed up with a foolish opinion of his knowledge.

In short, as he had a high opinion of himself, he was unwilling to lose any part of his elevation. And yet there appears in him some seed of piety; for hearing that a Prophet of God had appeared, he does not despise or spurn the doctrine which has been brought from heaven, and is moved by some desire to obtain it—a desire which sprang from nothing else than fear and reverence for God.

Many are tickled by an idle curiosity to inquire eagerly about anything that is new, but there is no reason to doubt that it was religious principle and conscientious feeling that excited in Nicodemus the desire to gain a more intimate knowledge of the doctrine of Christ. And although that seed remained long concealed and apparently dead, yet after the death of Christ it yielded fruit, such as no one would ever have expected (John 19:39).

Rabbi, we know. The meaning of these words is, “Master, we know that you have come to be a teacher.” But as learned men at that time were generally called Masters, Nicodemus first salutes Christ according to custom, and gives him the ordinary designation, Rabbi (which means Master), and afterwards declares that he was sent by God to perform the office of a Master.

On this principle depends all the authority of the teachers in the Church; for as it is only from the word of God that we must learn wisdom, we ought not to listen to any other persons than those by whose mouth God speaks. It ought to be observed that, though religion was greatly corrupted and almost destroyed among the Jews, still they always held this principle: that no one was a lawful teacher unless he had been sent by God. But as there are none who more haughtily and more daringly boast of having been sent by God than the false prophets do, we need discernment in this case for trying the spirits. Accordingly Nicodemus adds:

For no man can do the signs which thou doest, unless God be with him. It is evident, he says, that Christ has been sent by God, because God displays his power in him so illustriously that it cannot be denied that God is with him. He takes for granted that God is not accustomed to work except through his ministers, so as to seal the office which he has entrusted to them. And he had good grounds for thinking so, because God always intended that miracles should be seals of his doctrine.

Justly therefore does he make God the sole Author of miracles, when he says that no man can do these signs, unless God be with him; for what he says amounts to a declaration that miracles are not performed by the arm of man, but that the power of God reigns, and is illustriously displayed in them. In a word, as miracles have a twofold advantage—to prepare the mind for faith and, when it has been formed by the word, to confirm it still more—Nicodemus had profited aright in the former part, because by miracles he recognizes Christ as a true prophet of God.

Yet his argument does not appear to be conclusive; for since the false prophets deceive the ignorant by their impostures as fully as if they had proved by true signs that they are the ministers of God, what difference will there be between truth and falsehood if faith depends on miracles?

Indeed, Moses expressly says that God employs this method to try if we love him (Deuteronomy 13:3). We also know the warning of Christ (Matthew 24:14) and of Paul (2 Thessalonians 2:9), that believers ought to beware of lying signs by which Antichrist dazzles the eyes of many.

I answer, God may justly permit this to be done, so that those who deserve it may be deceived by the enchantments of Satan.

But I say that this does not hinder the elect from perceiving in miracles the power of God, which is to them an undoubted confirmation of true and sound doctrine. Thus, Paul boasts that his apostleship was confirmed by signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds (2 Corinthians 12:12). To whatever extent Satan may, like an ape, counterfeit the works of God in the dark, yet when the eyes are opened and the light of spiritual wisdom shines, miracles are a sufficiently powerful attestation of the presence of God, as Nicodemus here declares it to be.

Truly, truly, I say to you. The word Truly (ἀμὴν) is twice repeated, and this is done for the purpose of arousing him to more earnest attention. For when He was about to speak of the most important and weighty of all subjects, He found it necessary to awaken the attention of Nicodemus, who might otherwise have passed by this whole discourse in a light or careless manner. Such, then, is the design of the double affirmation.

Though this discourse appears to be far-fetched and almost inappropriate, yet it was with the utmost propriety that Christ opened His discourse in this manner. For as it is useless to sow seed in a field which has not been prepared by the labors of the farmer, so it is to no purpose to scatter the doctrine of the Gospel if the mind has not been previously subdued and duly prepared for docility and obedience.

Christ saw that the mind of Nicodemus was filled with many thorns, choked by many noxious herbs, so that there was scarcely any room for spiritual doctrine. This exhortation, therefore, resembled a plowing to purify him, so that nothing might prevent him from profiting by the doctrine.

Let us, therefore, remember that this was spoken to one individual in such a manner that the Son of God addresses all of us daily in the same language. For which of us will say that he is so free from sinful affections that he does not need such a purification? If, therefore, we wish to make good and useful progress in the school of Christ, let us learn to begin at this point.

Unless a man be born again. That is, so long as you are destitute of that which is of the highest importance in the kingdom of God, I care little about your calling me Master; for the first entrance into the kingdom of God is to become a new man. But as this is a remarkable passage, it will be proper to survey every part of it minutely.

To SEE the kingdom of God is of the same meaning as to enter into the kingdom of God, as we shall immediately perceive from the context. But they are mistaken who suppose that the kingdom of God means Heaven; for it rather means the spiritual life, which is begun by faith in this world and gradually increases every day according to the continued progress of faith.

So the meaning is that no man can be truly united to the Church, so as to be reckoned among the children of God, until he has been previously renewed.

This expression shows briefly what is the beginning of Christianity. It also teaches us that we are born exiles and utterly alienated from the kingdom of God, and that there is a perpetual state of variance between God and us until He makes us altogether different by our being born again.

For the statement is general and comprehends the whole human race.

If Christ had said to one person, or to a few individuals, that they could not enter into heaven, unless they had been previously born again, we might have supposed that it was only certain characters that were pointed out. But He speaks of all without exception; for the language is unlimited and is of the same import as such universal terms as these: Whosoever shall not be born again cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

By the phrase born again is expressed not the correction of one part, but the renovation of the whole nature. Hence it follows that there is nothing in us that is not sinful; for if reformation is necessary in the whole and in each part, corruption must have been spread throughout. On this point we shall soon have occasion to speak more largely.

Erasmus, adopting the opinion of Cyril, has improperly translated the adverb ἄνωθεν (from above) and renders the clause thus: unless a man be born from above. The Greek word, I acknowledge, is ambiguous; but we know that Christ conversed with Nicodemus in the Hebrew language.

There would then have been no room for the ambiguity which occasioned the mistake of Nicodemus and led him into childish scruples about a second birth of the flesh. He therefore understood Christ to have said nothing else than that a man must be born again before he is admitted into the kingdom of God.

How can a man be born when he is old? Though the form of expression which Christ employed was not contained in the Law and the prophets, yet as renewal is frequently mentioned in Scripture, and is one of the first principles of faith, it is evident how imperfectly skilled the Scribes at that time were in the reading of the Scriptures.

It certainly was not one man only who was to blame for not knowing what was meant by the grace of regeneration; but as almost all devoted their attention to useless subtleties, what was of chief importance in the doctrine of piety was disregarded. Popery exhibits to us, at the present day, an instance of the same kind in her Theologians.

For while they weary out their whole life with profound speculations, as to all that strictly relates to the worship of God, to the confident hope of our salvation, or to the exercises of religion, they know no more on these subjects than a cobbler or a cowherd knows about the course of the stars.

And, what is more, taking delight in foreign mysteries, they openly despise the true doctrine of Scripture as unworthy of the elevated rank which belongs to them as teachers.

We need not wonder, therefore, to find here that Nicodemus stumbles at a straw; for it is a just vengeance of God, that those who think themselves the highest and most excellent teachers, and in whose estimation the ordinary simplicity of doctrine is vile and despicable, stand amazed at small matters.

Unless a man be born of water. This passage has been explained in various ways. Some have thought that the two parts of regeneration are distinctly pointed out, and that by the word Water is denoted the renunciation of the old man, while by the Spirit they have understood the new life. Others think that there is an implied contrast, as if Christ intended to contrast Water and Spirit, which are pure and liquid elements, with the earthly and gross nature of man. Thus they view the language as allegorical, and suppose Christ to have taught that we should lay aside the heavy and ponderous mass of the flesh, and to become like water and air, that we may move upwards, or, at least, may not be weighed down so much to the earth. But both opinions appear to me to be at variance with the meaning of Christ.

Chrysostom, with whom the greater part of commentators agree, makes the word Water refer to baptism. The meaning would then be, that by baptism we enter into the kingdom of God, because in baptism we are regenerated by the Spirit of God. From this arose the belief of the absolute necessity of baptism for the hope of eternal life.

But even if we were to admit that Christ here speaks of baptism, yet we should not press his words so closely as to imagine that he confines salvation to the outward sign; but, on the contrary, he connects the Water with the Spirit, because under that visible symbol he attests and seals that newness of life which God alone produces in us by his Spirit.

It is true that, by neglecting baptism, we are excluded from salvation; and in this sense I acknowledge that it is necessary. But it is absurd to speak of the hope of salvation as confined to the sign. Regarding this passage, I cannot bring myself to believe that Christ speaks of baptism, for it would have been inappropriate.

We must always remember Christ's purpose, which we have already explained: namely, that he intended to exhort Nicodemus to newness of life, because he was not capable of receiving the Gospel until he began to be a new man.

It is, therefore, a simple statement that we must be born again so that we may be the children of God, and that the Holy Spirit is the Author of this second birth.

For while Nicodemus was dreaming of the regeneration (παλιγγενεσία) or transmigration taught by Pythagoras—who imagined that souls, after the death of their bodies, passed into other bodies—Christ, to cure him of this error, added by way of explanation that it is not in a natural way that men are born a second time. It is not necessary for them to be clothed with a new body; rather, they are born when they are renewed in mind and heart by the grace of the Spirit.

Accordingly, he employed the words Spirit and water to mean the same thing, and this should not be regarded as a harsh or forced interpretation. For it is a frequent and common way of speaking in Scripture, when the Spirit is mentioned, to add the word Water or Fire, expressing his power.

We sometimes meet with the statement that it is Christ who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost and with fire (Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16), where fire means nothing different from the Spirit, but only shows what is his efficacy in us.

As for the word water being placed first, it is of little consequence; or rather, this way of speaking flows more naturally than the other, because the metaphor is followed by a plain and direct statement. It is as if Christ had said that no man is a son of God until he has been renewed by water, and that this water is the Spirit who cleanses us anew and who, by spreading his energy over us, imparts to us the vigor of the heavenly life, though by nature we are utterly dry.

And Christ most properly, in order to reprove Nicodemus for his ignorance, employs a form of expression which is common in Scripture; for Nicodemus should eventually have acknowledged that what Christ had said was taken from the ordinary doctrine of the Prophets.

By water, therefore, is meant nothing more than the inward purification and invigoration which is produced by the Holy Spirit. Besides, it is not unusual to employ the word and instead of that is, when the latter clause is intended to explain the former. And the view which I have taken is supported by what follows; for when Christ immediately proceeds to assign the reason why we must be born again, without mentioning the water, he shows that the newness of life which he requires is produced by the Spirit alone. From which it follows that water must not be separated from the Spirit.