John 3:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all.

NIV: The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.

NASB: He who comes from above is above all; the one who is only from the earth is of the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.

CSB: The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. The one who comes from heaven is above all.

NLT: He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else.

KJV: He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

NKJV: He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.

Jesus' words and teachings are far superior to any others. In His conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:1–2), Jesus indicates that He is the only One who has come from heaven (John 3:13). Rejecting what Christ says about spiritual things means there is nowhere else to turn (John 6:67–68). Worse, it means rejecting God Himself (John 5:29). All other teachers and all other claims are based on fallible, human, earthly knowledge. This is another place where the Bible explains that Jesus is unique: there are no other ways to God, but Him (Acts 4:12; 1 John 5:5).

Other verses in this chapter made similar claims. Jesus' ministry in His first coming to earth was to provide for mankind's salvation (John 3:16–17). Yet those who do not believe are left in their state of condemnation (John 3:18). The end of this chapter emphasizes the same idea: rejecting Jesus means rejecting God (John 3:36). There is no other option. Unfortunately, not everyone is interested in that message (John 3:32). In fact, most people are opposed to it.

John 3:31–36 describes how Jesus' ministry is from God, but almost everyone will reject it. Verse 36 is an important footnote to the core gospel message seen in John 3:16–21. Those who put their faith in Christ will be saved, but those who reject Him will face the wrath of God. This passage emphasizes the exclusivity of the gospel: there is, emphatically, no other way to obtain heaven but through faith in Jesus Christ. "Testimony," and the need to believe it, are also crucial in this text.

John chapter 3 is one of the most important passages in the entire gospel. Many crucial ideas are explained here, including the role of Jesus as Savior. After the loud, public commotion at the temple, John transitions to a quiet, nighttime discussion. The speakers are Jesus and a Pharisee, Nicodemus, who is sincerely interested in understanding Jesus' ministry. These verses make it clear that Christ—and Christ alone—is the means of salvation for the entire world. This text also states that those who reject Jesus are rejecting God.

The gospel of John intends to prove that Jesus is God. Chapter 3 contains some of the most direct, most important concepts in Christianity. The ideas of spiritual rebirth and the necessity of belief in Christ are reinforced by the rest of the information in this gospel. John continues to use contrast, moving from the loud and public temple cleansing to the quiet of this conversation. After Jesus injects humility into a powerful leader, chapter 4 will transition again, as Jesus gives dignity to an outcast stranger.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.