John 3:12

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 Living Translation (NLT)But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

Context of John 3:12

10Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

John 3:12 word by word

εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς ἐὰν εἴπω ὑμῖν τὰ ἐπουράνια πιστεύσετε;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Ifεἰei · ifG1487
• I have toldλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• youσύsu · youG4771
• earthly thingsἐπίγειοςepigeios · earthlyG1919
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• ye believeπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
• notοὐou · noG3756
• howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• heavenly thingsἐπουράνιοςepouranios · heavenlyG2032

Cross-references for John 3:12

• John 3:3Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, 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 people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
• Hebrews 5:11of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
• 1 Peter 2:1Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,
• John 3:13No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
• 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 the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
• 1 Timothy 3:16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received 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

• Blindness
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Life
• Mysteries
• Salvation
• Unbelief

In the dictionaries

• Born
• Condemn
• Condemnation
• Darkness
• Decrease
• Increase
• Love
• Nicodemus
• Testify
• Truth

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