{"verses": {"kjv": ["1. There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:\n", "2. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.\n", "3. Jesus answered and said unto him,\nVerily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.\n", "4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother\u2019s womb, and be born?\n", "5. Jesus answered,\nVerily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and\nof the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.\n", "6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.\n", "7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.\n", "8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.\n", "9. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?\n", "10. Jesus answered and said unto him,\nArt thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?\n", "11. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.\n", "12. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you\nof heavenly things?\n", "13. And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven,\neven the Son of man which is in heaven.", "14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:\n", "15. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.", "16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.\n", "17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.", "18. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.\n", "19. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.\n", "20. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.\n", "21. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.", "22. After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.\n", "23. And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.\n", "24. For John was not yet cast into prison.\n", "25. Then there arose a question between\nsome of John\u2019s disciples and the Jews about purifying.\n", "26. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all\nmen come to him.\n", "27. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.\n", "28. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.\n", "29. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom\u2019s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.\n", "30. He must increase, but I\nmust decrease.\n", "31. 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.\n", "32. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.\n", "33. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.\n", "34. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure\nunto him.\n", "35. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.\n", "36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.\n"], "nakjv": ["1. There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a Jewish leader:", "2. He came to Jesus at night and said, \"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher sent by God. No one could perform the miracles you're doing unless God were with him.\"", "3. Jesus replied,\n\"Truly, I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.\"", "4. Nicodemus asked him, \"How can someone be born when they are old? Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born again?\"", "5. Jesus answered, \"Truly, truly, I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, they cannot enter the kingdom of God.\"", "6. What is born of the flesh is flesh; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.", "7. Do not be surprised when I tell you that you must be born again.", "8. The wind blows wherever it pleases, and 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. Nicodemus responded, \"How can this be possible?\"", "10. Jesus responded, \"Are you a teacher in Israel and yet you do not understand these things?\"", "11. Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not accept our testimony.", "12. If I have spoken to you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I speak to you about heavenly things?", "13. No one has ascended to heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.", "14. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.", "15. Anyone who believes in him will not perish but will have eternal life.", "16. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.", "17. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it; rather, he sent him so that the world could be saved through him.", "18. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is already condemned, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.", "19. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness more than light because their actions were evil.", "20. Everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that their actions won\u2019t be exposed.", "21. But the person who lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their actions are done in accordance with God's will.", "22. After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the region of Judea. There he spent time with them and baptized people.", "23. John was also baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People came to him and were baptized.", "24. John had not yet been put in prison.", "25. Then a debate arose between some of John\u2019s disciples and the Jews concerning purification rituals.", "26. They approached John and said to him, \"Teacher, the one you testified about beyond the Jordan, he is now baptizing, and everyone is going to him.", "27. John replied, \"A person can receive nothing unless it is given to them from heaven.\"", "28. You yourselves are witnesses that I said, \u2018I am not the Christ, but I have been sent ahead of him.\u2019", "29. The man who has the bride is the groom; but the groom's friend, who stands by and listens to him, is overjoyed to hear the groom's voice. Thus, my happiness is 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 of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven is above all.", "32. He shares what he has seen and heard, yet few accept his testimony.", "33. Whoever has accepted his testimony has affirmed that God is truthful.", "34. The one whom God has sent speaks God's words, because God gives the Spirit without limit to him.", "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. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him."]}, "summary": [{"text": "John 3 is one of the most theologically rich and spiritually enlightening chapters in the Bible. It is characterized mainly by the encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council. This meeting, mostly taking place at night, reveals the profound nature of spiritual rebirth and the essence of God\u2019s redemptive work through Christ.", "audio_path": "part_0.mp3"}, {"text": "The chapter begins with Nicodemus coming to Jesus under the cover of darkness. This detail of night not only physically illustrates the time of day but also symbolically reflects the initial spiritual condition of Nicodemus\u2014his lack of understanding and his seeking of light amidst spiritual darkness. Nicodemus has recognized Jesus as a teacher from God due to the miraculous signs He has been performing. His approach, respectful and genuine, sets the stage for one of the most crucial theological discourses in the New Testament.", "audio_path": "part_1.mp3"}, {"text": "Jesus immediately introduces the concept of being 'born again' or 'born from above', which confounds Nicodemus. The notion that someone must experience a second birth to see the kingdom of God is puzzling to him. This concept is pivotal; it signifies a spiritual rebirth that is not about physical re-entry into the womb, as Nicodemus mistakenly muses, but a profound transformation of the heart and soul brought about by the Holy Spirit.", "audio_path": "part_2.mp3"}, {"text": "As the conversation progresses, Jesus elaborates that this new birth is of water and the Spirit. This reference encapsulates both the cleansing and renewing work of the Spirit seen in baptism and the inward transformation required to enter the divine kingdom. It clarifies that human effort (flesh) cannot achieve divine acceptance; it must be an act of God through the Spirit.", "audio_path": "part_3.mp3"}, {"text": "Jesus expresses surprise at Nicodemus\u2019s lack of understanding, especially as a teacher of Israel, which hints at a larger theme of spiritual blindness prevalent among Israel\u2019s teachers at the time. He explains heavenly things, including His descent from heaven and His role as the Son of Man who must be lifted up\u2014 an allusion to His forthcoming crucifixion. This act of being 'lifted up' serves as the crux for salvation, drawing all who believe to eternal life.", "audio_path": "part_4.mp3"}, {"text": "The famous verse of John 3:16 underscores the global scope of God\u2019s love and the simplicity of the gospel. Jesus states that God\u2019s love for the world is so profound that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. This message distills the essence of the gospel - salvation is not exclusive; it is a gift, grounded in faith and available to all, irrespective of background, ethnicity, or prior belief.", "audio_path": "part_5.mp3"}, {"text": "Jesus further contrasts light and darkness to illustrate the moral and spiritual implications of His coming into the world. People\u2019s reactions to the light of Christ reveal their true natures\u2014those who do evil shun the light for fear of their deeds being exposed, while those who do what is true come to the light, so that their works may be clearly seen as done in God.", "audio_path": "part_6.mp3"}, {"text": "John 3 concludes with John the Baptist\u2019s testimony about Jesus. John joyfully affirms that he must decrease while Jesus must increase, highlighting Jesus\u2019s superiority and divine origin. John also reinforces the themes of heavenly testimony and eternal life, emphasizing that rejecting Jesus is not just ignoring human testimony but divine revelation.", "audio_path": "part_7.mp3"}, {"text": "In summary, John 3 is a profound exploration of the necessity of spiritual rebirth, the supremacy of Jesus in God's redemptive plan, and the universal offer of salvation. It challenges readers to reflect on their spiritual condition, urging a transformation that aligns with divine will and embracing the truth brought to light by Jesus\u2019s teachings and sacrifice.", "audio_path": "part_8.mp3"}], "book_name": "john", "current_chapter": 3}