Romans 8:2

8:2 For the law of the life-giving Spirit ¹  in Christ Jesus has set you ²  free from the law of sin and death.

Ezekiel 11:19

11:19 I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within them; ³  I will remove the hearts of stone from their bodies ⁴  and I will give them tender hearts, ⁵ 

Ezekiel 36:26-27

36:26 I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone ⁶  from your body and give you a heart of flesh. ⁷  36:27 I will put my Spirit within you; ⁸  I will take the initiative and you will obey my statutes ⁹  and carefully observe my regulations. ¹⁰ 

John 3:6

3:6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, ¹¹  and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

¹ tn Grk “for the law of the Spirit of life.”

² tc Most mss read the first person singular pronoun με (me) here (A D 1739^c 1881 Ï lat sa). The second person singular pronoun σε (se) is superior because of external support (א B {F which reads σαι} G 1506* 1739*) and internal support (it is the harder reading since ch. 7 was narrated in the first person). At the same time, it could have arisen via dittography from the final syllable of the verb preceding it (ἠλευθέρωσεν, hleuqerwsen; “has set free”). But for this to happen in such early and diverse witnesses is unlikely, especially as it depends on various scribes repeatedly overlooking either the nu or the nu-bar at the end of the verb.

³ tc The MT reads “you”; many Hebrew mss along with the LXX and other ancient versions read “within them.”

⁴ tn Heb “their flesh.”

⁵ tn Heb “heart of flesh.”

⁶ sn That is, a heart which symbolizes a will that is stubborn and unresponsive (see 1 Sam 25:37). In Rabbinic literature a “stone” was associated with an evil inclination (b. Sukkah 52a).

⁷ sn That is, a heart which symbolizes a will that is responsive and obedient to God.

⁸ tn Or “in the midst of you.” The word “you” is plural.

⁹ tn Heb “and I will do that which in my statutes you will walk.” The awkward syntax (verb “to do, act” + accusative sign + relative clause + prepositional phrase + second person verb) is unique, though Eccl 3:14 contains a similar construction. In the last line of that verse we read that “God acts so that (relative pronoun) they fear before him.” However, unlike Ezek 36:27, the statement has no accusative sign before the relative pronoun.

¹⁰ tn Heb “and my laws you will guard and you will do them.” Jer 31:31-34 is parallel to this passage.

¹¹ sn What is born of the flesh is flesh, i.e., what is born of physical heritage is physical. (It is interesting to compare this terminology with that of the dialogue in John 4, especially 4:23, 24.) For John the “flesh” (σάρξ, sarx) emphasizes merely the weakness and mortality of the creature – a neutral term, not necessarily sinful as in Paul. This is confirmed by the reference in John 1:14 to the Logos becoming “flesh.” The author avoids associating sinfulness with the incarnate Christ.