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Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who
was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to
Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a
teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the
signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see
the kingdom of God without being born again. ”
4 “How can anyone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus
asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their
mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can
enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the
Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives
birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying,
‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it
pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it
comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born
of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you
not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we
speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen,
but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have
spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how
then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No
one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from
heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake
in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15
that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and
only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the
world to condemn the world, but to save the world through
him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but
whoever does not believe stands condemned already because
they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only
Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world,
but people loved darkness instead of light because their
deeds were evil. 20 All those who do evil hate the light,
and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds
will be exposed. 21 But those who live by the truth come
into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what
they have done has been done in the sight of God.
John Testifies Again About Jesus
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into
the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them,
and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near
Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were
coming and being baptized. 24 (This was before John was put
in prison. 25 An argument developed between some of John’s
disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial
washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that
man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one
you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is
going to him.”
27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only
what is given from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify
that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of
him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who
attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is
full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy
is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater;
I must become less.”
31 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. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no
one accepts his testimony. 33 The person who has accepted it
has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God
has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit
without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed
everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has
eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life,
for God’s wrath remains on them.
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Cults 
Why Did God Permit Sin?
