The shift from singular to plural should be carefully noted. The verse begins with the first person singular (I) addressing the second person singular (you). The shift is then made to the first person plural (we … our) addressing the second person plural (none of you). A number of theories exist as to why this shift is made, but the most probable solution is that John has shifted the time perspective from Jesus’ day to the time in which he writes his Gospel. If so, then “we” represents the Christian believers of John’s own day who are in dialogue with the Jews represented by “you (plural).” It is important for the translator to maintain the singular and plural contrast, and when using the first person plural to make it exclusive rather than inclusive. That is, in using the terms we and our, Jesus does not include Nicodemus.

As elsewhere, the expression I am telling you the truth may be rendered “What I am going to say to you now is certainly true.”

The two expressions, we speak of what we know and report what we have seen, amount to essentially the same thing; in other words, each attests to what one has personally experienced and therefore knows. It may be necessary in some languages to indicate to whom “we” are speaking, for example, “We are speaking to you all about what we know, and we are telling you all what we ourselves have seen.”

To accept our message is equivalent in a number of languages to “to believe what we say” or “to put confidence in what we declare.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .