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John Gill
Nicodemus saith unto him,.... Understanding him of a natural birth, to be repeated: how can a man be born when he is old? as it seems by this, he himself now was: can he enter the second time into his mothers womb, and be born? the Ethiopic version adds, "again"; and the Arabic version, "and then be born"; this he urges, as absurd, impracticable, and impossible; and which shows him to have been...
Matthew Henry
In this chapter we have, I. Christ's discourse with Nicodemus, a Pharisee, concerning the great mysteries of the gospel, in which he here privately instructs him, ver. 1-21. II. John Baptist's discourse with his disciples concerning Christ, upon occasion of his coming into the neighbourhood where John was (ver. 22-36), in which he fairly and faithfully resigns all his honour and interest to him....
Charles H. Spurgeon
Nicodemus saith 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, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. We understand the passage to mean, “Water, that is, the Spirit;” but it may refer to the purifying influence of the Word as...
Charles H. Spurgeon
Nicodemus saith 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, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. If the “water” mentioned here relates to baptism,—which I greatly question,—then, certainly, it shows the way of entrance for a...
Charles H. Spurgeon
Nicodemus saith 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? His questions proved that he could not see the kingdom of God. He blundered over the letter of Christ’s message; he misunderstood the metaphor that Christ used; but did Jesus therefore not give Nicodemus any further instruction? Oh, no; listen: —
Charles H. Spurgeon
Nicodemus saith 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, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. At first Jesus said that a man could not see the kingdom of God except he was born again; now he tells Nicodemus that a man cannot...
Charles H. Spurgeon
Nicodemus saith 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? His religion was external, you see; he could not grasp the spiritual idea which Christ had set before him. This matter of the new birth is very simple to all of us who know what Jesus meant, but it was exceedingly difficult to Nicodemus; as it has been to all but those...
Charles H. Spurgeon
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? Thus do men interpret Christ’s figures literally, and this has been the basis of a great many mischiefs and false doctrines. When he is using metaphors to make the thing plain, they straightway use the metaphor rather as a cloak to hide the meaning than as a glass...
Charles H. Spurgeon
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith 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? Staggering at the symbol, he stumbled at the letter of Christ’s saying, and did not perceive its inward sense.
Charles H. Spurgeon
Nicodemus saith 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? Ah, me! our blessed Master taught much by parables, and parabolic teaching is the best of teaching; but you see how readily it can be misunderstood, how men can take the emblem in a carnal way, and not understand its spiritual meaning. This is how the false doctrine of...