- There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles which you do except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Truly, truly I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
- Nicodemus said unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born? Jesus answered, Truly, truly I say unto you, except a man be born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it desires and you hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell from where it comes and to where it goes; so is everyone who is born of the spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said, Are you a master of Israel and do not know these things? Truly, truly I say unto you, we speak that which we do know and testify that which we have seen, and you receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you Heavenly things? I tell you, no man has ascended up to Heaven, but he who came down from Heaven — the Son of Man who is in Heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
- For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He who believes on him is not condemned, but he who believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed on the name of the Only Begotten Son of God, which before was preached by the mouth of the holy prophets; for they testified of me. And this is the condemnation: that light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil; for everyone who does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he who loves truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest. And he who obeys the truth, the works which he does, they are of God.
Chapter 2