John 3:19-27

3:19 Now this is the basis for judging: ¹  that the light has come into the world and people ²  loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 3:20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. 3:21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God. ³ 

Further Testimony About Jesus by John the Baptist

3:22 After this, ⁴  Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and there he spent time with them and was baptizing. 3:23 John ⁵  was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, ⁶  because water was plentiful there, and people were coming ⁷  to him ⁸  and being baptized. 3:24 (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.) ⁹ 

3:25 Now a dispute came about between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew ¹⁰  concerning ceremonial washing. ¹¹  3:26 So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, ¹²  about whom you testified – see, he is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to him!”

3:27 John replied, ¹³  “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven.

[3:19]  ¹ tn Or “this is the reason for God judging,” or “this is how judgment works.”

[3:19]  ² tn Grk “and men,” but in a generic sense, referring to people of both genders (as “everyone” in v. 20 makes clear).

[3:21]  ³ sn John 3:16-21 provides an introduction to the (so-called) “realized” eschatology of the Fourth Gospel: Judgment has come; eternal life may be possessed now, in the present life, as well as in the future. The terminology “realized eschatology” was originally coined by E. Haenchen and used by J. Jeremias in discussion with C. H. Dodd, but is now characteristically used to describe Dodd’s own formulation. See L. Goppelt, Theology of the New Testament, 1:54, note 10, and R. E. Brown (John [AB], 1:cxvii-cxviii) for further discussion. Especially important to note is the element of choice portrayed in John’s Gospel. If there is a twofold reaction to Jesus in John’s Gospel, it should be emphasized that that reaction is very much dependent on a person’s choice, a choice that is influenced by his way of life, whether his deeds are wicked or are done in God (John 3:20-21). For John there is virtually no trace of determinism at the surface. Only when one looks beneath the surface does one find statements like “no one can come to me, unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44).

[3:22]  ⁵ tn This section is related loosely to the preceding by μετὰ ταῦτα (meta tauta). This constitutes an indefinite temporal reference; the intervening time is not specified.

[3:23]  ⁷ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[3:23]  ⁸ tn The precise locations of Αἰνών (Ainwn) and Σαλείμ (Saleim) are unknown. Three possibilities are suggested: (1) In Perea, which is in Transjordan (cf. 1:28). Perea is just across the river from Judea. (2) In the northern Jordan Valley, on the west bank some 8 miles [13 km] south of Scythopolis. But with the Jordan River so close, the reference to abundant water (3:23) seems superfluous. (3) Thus Samaria has been suggested. 4 miles (6.6 km) east of Shechem is a town called Salim, and 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Salim lies modern Ainun. In the general vicinity are many springs. Because of the meanings of the names (Αἰνών = “springs” in Aramaic and Σαλείμ = Salem, “peace”) some have attempted to allegorize here that John the Baptist is near salvation. Obviously there is no need for this. It is far more probable that the author has in mind real places, even if their locations cannot be determined with certainty.

[3:23]  ⁹ tn Or “people were continually coming.”

[3:23]  ¹⁰ tn The words “to him” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[3:24]  ⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[3:25]  ¹¹ tc Was this dispute between the Baptist’s disciples and an individual Judean (᾿Ιουδαίου, Ioudaiou) or representatives of the Jewish authorities (᾿Ιουδαίων, Ioudaiwn)? There is good external support for the plural ᾿Ιουδαίων (Ì⁶⁶ א* Θ Ë^1,13 565 al latt), but the external evidence for the singular ᾿Ιουδαίου is slightly stronger ({Ì⁷⁵ א² A B L Ψ 33 1241 the majority of Byzantine minuscules and others}).

[3:25]  ¹² tn Or “ceremonial cleansing,” or “purification.”

[3:26]  ¹³ tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

[3:27]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “answered and said.”