Section 3:31–36

Jesus is the one who came from heaven

John the gospel writer says that Jesus is greater than everyone else. He is greater because he came from heaven and knows the truth about heavenly things. God the Father sent Jesus and given him authority over all things. However, people did not accept what Jesus said and so they will experience God’s anger. On the other hand, those who believe in Jesus, God’s Son, have eternal life.

Here are some other possible section headings:

Jesus was more important than John the Baptist
-or-
God sent Jesus to tell his message
-or-
Those who believe in God’s Son have eternal life

Paragraph 3:31–36

The Greek text does not have quotation marks, so it is not certain when John the Baptist stops speaking. There are two possible ways to understand where John the Baptist stops speaking:

(1) John stops speaking at the end of 3:30.

(New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, English Standard Version, NIV2011, Revised English Bible, NET Bible, probably Contemporary English Version)

(2) John stops speaking at the end of 3:36.

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (1984), New Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004), New Century Version)

The King James Version does not use quotation marks and so does not indicate when the speaker changes.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). These Notes end John the Baptist’s words at the end of verse 30. This is the view of many commentators. The author probably wrote this paragraph in his own words. It is recommended that you translate these verses as the author’s words. But if other translations in your area have translated them as John the Baptist’s own words, that is acceptable.

In this paragraph the author states that Jesus is superior to John the Baptist.

3:31a

The One who comes from above: This expression refers to Jesus. Translate this expression so that this is clear. For example:

God’s Son comes from heaven and is greater than everything. (Contemporary English Version)

comes from above: This phrase indicates that Jesus came from heaven, that is, from the place where God lives.

is above all: This phrase means that Jesus is more important than anything or anyone else. He is superior to all other beings.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

is greater than all (Good News Translation)

3:31b

The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth includes the same Greek phrase three times. That Greek phrase is more literally “of/from the earth.” So the entire clause is more literally “the one being of/from the earth is of/from the earth and of/from the earth he speaks.” Unlike Jesus, who was from heaven, those from the earth had never seen heaven. They could only tell what they knew as people from earth.

The author was referring to anyone and everyone apart from Jesus, including John the Baptist. For example:

Everyone who comes from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. (Contemporary English Version)

speaks as one from the earth: There are at least three different interpretations about what this phrase means:

(1) It means that people from the earth can only speak with the knowledge of people from the earth, as in the Berean Standard Bible and New International Version.

(2) It means that they speak about earthly things. For example:

we speak of earthly things (New Living Translation (2004))

(NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, Contemporary English Version, Good News Translation, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004), King James Version, Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, God’s Word)

(3) It means that they speak in earthly ways. For example:

speaks in an earthly way (English Standard Version)

(English Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It interprets the Greek phrase the same way that it was interpreted earlier in the clause. Also, many commentaries support this interpretation.

John spoke about things that he could know as a human. The things he said were not wrong, or sinful, but they came from the earth rather than heaven. He did not speak as Jesus did, coming from heaven with God’s direct authority and knowledge. He was a human and he could only speak what he knew as a human from earth. He had not come from heaven, that is, from God.

3:31c

The One who comes from heaven is above all: There is a textual problem in this sentence:

(1) Many Greek manuscripts read “the one who comes from heaven is above all.” For example:

The person who comes from heaven is superior to everyone. (God’s Word)

(Berean Standard Bible, New Revised Standard Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version, New International Version, NET Bible, God’s Word, Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)

(2) Some Greek manuscripts read “the one from heaven.” The rest of the sentence is in verse 32: “testifies to what he has seen and heard.” For example:

He who comes from heaven bears witness… (New Jerusalem Bible)

(New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most English translations.

The One who comes from heaven: This expression means the same as “The one who comes from above” in 3:31a. It refers to Jesus. He is the one from heaven, that is, from the place where God lives.

heaven: The word heaven refers to the place where God lives.

is above all: The expression is above all is the same as in 3:31a. See the note there.

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