New American Standard Bible 1995
John 3:12
12If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
John 3:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
- New International Version (NIV)I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
- English Standard Version (ESV)If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
- New King James Version (NKJV)If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
Context of John 3:12
10Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? 11Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. 14As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
Read all of John 3John 3:12 word by word
εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς ἐὰν εἴπω ὑμῖν τὰ ἐπουράνια πιστεύσετε;Read the interlinear
Cross-references for John 3:12
- John 3:3Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
- 1 Corinthians 3:1And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.
- Hebrews 5:11Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
- 1 Peter 2:1Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
- John 3:13No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.
- John 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- 1 Corinthians 2:7but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
- 1 Timothy 3:16By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.
- 1 John 4:10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Commentaries on John 3:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12If I have told you earthly things - If, after I have illustrated this new birth by a most expressive metaphor taken from earthly things, and after all you believe not; how can you believe, should I tell you of heavenly things, in such language as angels use, where earthly images and illustrations can have no place? Or, if you, a teacher in Israel, do not understand the nature of such an earthly thing, or custom of the kingdom established over the Jewish…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12If I have told you earthly things - Things which occur on earth. Not sensual or worldly things, for Jesus had said nothing of these; but he had told him of operations of the Spirit which had occurred “on earth,” whose effects were visible, and which “might” be, therefore, believed. These were the plainest and most obvious of the doctrines of religion. How shall ye believe - How will you believe. Is there any probability that you will understand them?…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11-1311-13. We speak that we know, and ... have seen--that is, by absolute knowledge and immediate vision of God, which "the only-begotten Son in the bosom of the Father" claims as exclusively His own (Joh 1:18). The "we" and "our" are here used, though Himself only is intended, in emphatic contrast, probably, with the opening words of Nicodemus, "Rabbi, we know.", &c. ye receive not, &c.--referring to the class to which Nicodemus belonged, but from which he…Read the comment
Topics related to John 3:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on John 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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