John 3:12

3:12 If I have told you people ¹  about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ² 

John 5:29

5:29 and will come out – the ones who have done what is good to the resurrection resulting in life, and the ones who have done what is evil to the resurrection resulting in condemnation. ³ 

John 10:14

10:14 “I am the good shepherd. I ⁴  know my own ⁵  and my own know me –

John 10:27

10:27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

John 11:52

11:52 and not for the Jewish nation ⁶  only, ⁷  but to gather together ⁸  into one the children of God who are scattered.) ⁹ 

John 17:10

17:10 Everything ¹⁰  I have belongs to you, ¹¹  and everything you have belongs to me, ¹²  and I have been glorified by them. ¹³ 

[3:12]  ¹ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than Nicodemus alone).

[3:12]  ² sn Obviously earthly things and heavenly things are in contrast, but what is the contrast? What are earthly things which Jesus has just spoken to Nicodemus? And through him to others – this is not the first instance of the plural pronoun, see v. 7, you must all. Since Nicodemus began with a plural (we know, v. 2) Jesus continues it, and through Nicodemus addresses a broader audience. It makes most sense to take this as a reference to the things Jesus has just said (and the things he is about to say, vv. 13-15). If this is the case (and it seems the most natural explanation) then earthly things are not necessarily strictly physical things, but are so called because they take place on earth, in contrast to things like v. 16, which take place in heaven. Some have added the suggestion that the things are called earthly because physical analogies (birth, wind, water) are used to describe them. This is possible, but it seems more probable that Jesus calls these things earthly because they happen on earth (even though they are spiritual things). In the context, taking earthly things as referring to the words Jesus has just spoken fits with the fact that Nicodemus did not believe. And he would not after hearing heavenly things either, unless he first believed in the earthly things – which included the necessity of a regenerating work from above, by the Holy Spirit.

[5:29]  ³ tn Or “a resurrection resulting in judgment.”

[10:14]  ⁵ tn Grk “And I.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:14]  ⁶ tn The direct object is frequently omitted in Greek and must be supplied from the context. Here it could be “sheep,” but Jesus was ultimately talking about “people.”

[11:52]  ⁷ tn See the note on the word “nation” in the previous verse.

[11:52]  ⁸ sn The author in his comment expands the prophecy to include the Gentiles (not for the Jewish nation only), a confirmation that the Fourth Gospel was directed, at least partly, to a Gentile audience. There are echoes of Pauline concepts here (particularly Eph 2:11-22) in the stress on the unity of Jew and Gentile.

[11:52]  ⁹ tn Grk “that he might gather together.”

[11:52]  ¹⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[17:10]  ⁹ tn Grk And all things.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[17:10]  ¹⁰ tn Or “Everything I have is yours.”

[17:10]  ¹¹ tn Or “everything you have is mine.”

[17:10]  ¹² tn Or “I have been honored among them.”