Reference: Nicodemus
American
A member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, at first a Pharisee, and afterwards a disciple of Jesus. He was early convinced that Christ came from God, but was not ready at once to rank himself among His followers. In
Joh 3:1-20, he first appears as a timid inquirer after the truth, learning the great doctrines of regeneration and atonement. In Joh 7:45-52, we see him cautiously defending the Savior before the Sanhedrin. At last, in the trying scene of the crucifixion, he avowed himself a believer, and came with Joseph of Arimathea to pay the last duties to the body of Christ, which they took down from the cross, embalmed, and laid in the sepulchre, Joh 19:39.
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And there was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus the name to him, a ruler of the Jews: He came to Jesus by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou hast come a teacher from God: for none can do these signs which thou doest, except God be with him. read more. Jesus answered and said to him, Amen, amen, I say to thee, Except any one be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus says to him, How can a man be born, being an old man? he cannot come in a second time to his mother's belly, and be born. Jesus says to him, Truly, truly, I say to thee, Except any one be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot come into the kingdom of God. That born of flesh is flesh; and that born of the Spirit is spirit. Thou shouldest not wonder that I said to thee, Ye must be born from above. The wind, where it wills, blows, and its voice thou hearest, but thou knowest not whence it comes, and where it goes: so is every one having been born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said to him, Art thou a teacher of Israel, and knowest not these? Truly, truly, I say to thee, that what we know, we speak, and what we have seen we testify; and ye receive not our testimony. If I spake to you earthly things, and ye believe not, how, if I speak to you heavenly things, will ye believe And none has ascended to heaven, except he having descended from heaven, the Son of man, he being in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up; That every one believing in him perish not, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that every one believing in him perish not, but have eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world that he judge the world; but that the world might be saved through him. He believing in him is not judged: and he not believing has been already judged, because he has not believed in the name of the only born Son of God. And this is the judgment, that light has come into the world, and men rather loved darkness than light, for their works were evil. For every one doing bad things hates the light, and he comes not to the light, lest his works should be rebuked.
Then came the servants to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said to them, Why did ye not bring him And the servants answered, Never spake man as this man. read more. Then the Pharisees answered them, Have ye not also been deceived Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? But the crowd, not knowing the law, are cursed. Nicodemus says to them, (he having come to him by night, being one of them,) Our law judges not a man, except it first hear from him, and know what he does. They answered and said to him, And art thou not of Galilee? Search, and see: for a prophet has not risen out of Galilee.
Easton
the people is victor, a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin. He is first noticed as visiting Jesus by night (Joh 3:1-21) for the purpose of learning more of his doctrines, which our Lord then unfolded to him, giving prominence to the necessity of being "born again." He is next met with in the Sanhedrin (Joh 7:50-52), where he protested against the course they were taking in plotting against Christ. Once more he is mentioned as taking part in the preparation for the anointing and burial of the body of Christ (Joh 19:39). We hear nothing more of him. There can be little doubt that he became a true disciple.
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And there was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus the name to him, a ruler of the Jews: He came to Jesus by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou hast come a teacher from God: for none can do these signs which thou doest, except God be with him. read more. Jesus answered and said to him, Amen, amen, I say to thee, Except any one be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus says to him, How can a man be born, being an old man? he cannot come in a second time to his mother's belly, and be born. Jesus says to him, Truly, truly, I say to thee, Except any one be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot come into the kingdom of God. That born of flesh is flesh; and that born of the Spirit is spirit. Thou shouldest not wonder that I said to thee, Ye must be born from above. The wind, where it wills, blows, and its voice thou hearest, but thou knowest not whence it comes, and where it goes: so is every one having been born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said to him, Art thou a teacher of Israel, and knowest not these? Truly, truly, I say to thee, that what we know, we speak, and what we have seen we testify; and ye receive not our testimony. If I spake to you earthly things, and ye believe not, how, if I speak to you heavenly things, will ye believe And none has ascended to heaven, except he having descended from heaven, the Son of man, he being in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up; That every one believing in him perish not, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that every one believing in him perish not, but have eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world that he judge the world; but that the world might be saved through him. He believing in him is not judged: and he not believing has been already judged, because he has not believed in the name of the only born Son of God. And this is the judgment, that light has come into the world, and men rather loved darkness than light, for their works were evil. For every one doing bad things hates the light, and he comes not to the light, lest his works should be rebuked. But he doing the truth comes to the light, that his works might be manifested, that they are wrought in God.
Nicodemus says to them, (he having come to him by night, being one of them,) Our law judges not a man, except it first hear from him, and know what he does. read more. They answered and said to him, And art thou not of Galilee? Search, and see: for a prophet has not risen out of Galilee.
Fausets
A ruler of the Jews, a master ("teacher") of Israel, and a Pharisee. John (Joh 3:1-10) alone mentions him. John knew the high priest (Joh 18:15), so his knowledge of Nicodemus among the high priest's associates is natural. John watched with deep interest his growth in grace, which is marked in three stages (Mr 4:26-29).
(1) An anxious inquirer. The rich were ashamed to confess Jesus openly, in spite of convictions of the reality of His mission; so Joseph of Arimathea "a disciple, but secretly for fear of the Jews" (Joh 19:38). The poor "came" by day, but Nicodemus "by night." By an undesigned coincidence marking genuineness, Jesus' discourse is tinged, as was His custom (Joh 6:26-27; 4:7-14,35), with a coloring drawn from the incidents of the moment: "this is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light", etc.; "every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light ... but he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God" (Joh 3:19-21). Nicodemus was now a timid but candid inquirer; sincere so far as his belief extended. Fear of man holds back many from decision for Christ (Joh 7:13; 9:22; 12:42-43; 5:44; Pr 29:25; contrast Isa 51:7-8; 66:5; Ac 5:41).
Where real grace is, however, Jesus does "not quench the smoking flax." Many of Nicodemus' fellow rulers attributed Jesus' miracles to Beelzebub; Nicodemus on the contrary avows " we (including others besides himself) know Thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles which Thou doest, except God be with him." Nicodemus was probably one of the many who had "seen His miracles on the Passover feast day, and believed (in a superficial way, but in Nicodemus it ultimately became a deep and lasting faith) when they saw" (Joh 2:23-24); but "Jesus did not commit Himself unto them ... for He knew what was in man," as He shows now in dealing with Nicodemus. Recognition of the divine miracle. working Teacher is not enough for seeing the kingdom of God, Jesus with a twice repeated Amen solemnly declares; there must be new birth from above (margin Joh 3:3,5,7), "of water (the outward sign) and of the Spirit" (the essential thing, not inseparably joined to the water baptism: Mr 16:16; Ac 2:38 (See BAPTISM) ), so that, as an infant just born, the person is a "new creature"; compare Naaman the type, 2Ki 5:14; 2Co 5:17; Eze 36:25-26.
For, being fleshly by birth, we must continue fleshly until being born of the Spirit we become spiritual (Joh 3:6). Nature can no more east out nature than Satan cast out Satan. Like the mysterious growth of the child in the womb, and like "the wind" whose motions we cannot control but know only its effects, "the sound," etc., so is the new birth (Joh 3:8; Ec 11:5; 1Co 2:11). Such was the beginning and growth of the new life in Nicodemus (Mr 4:27). Regeneration and its fruits are inseparable; where that is, these are (1Jo 3:9; 5:1,4). Nicodemus viewed Jesus' solemn declaration as a natural man, "how can these things be?" (Joh 3:4,9; compare Joh 6:52,60; 1Co 2:14). Yet he was genuinely open to conviction, for Christ unfolds to him fully His own divine glory as having "come down from heaven," and as even then while speaking to him "being in heaven" in His divine nature; also God's love in giving His Son, and salvation through the Son who should be lifted up, as the brazen serpent was, to all who look to Him in faith, and condemnation to unbelievers.
(2) A sincere but as yet weak believer. The next stage in Nicodemus' spiritual history appears Joh 7:45-53. Naturally timid, Nicodemus nevertheless remonstrates with bigots. The Pharisees, chagrined at the failure of their officers to apprehend Jesus, said, "why have ye not brought Him?" They replied, "never man spoke like this man." The Pharisees retorted, "are ye also deceived? surely none of the rulers or the Pharisees have believed on Him, have they? (Greek) But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed." Here one who, as they thought, should have stood by them and echoed their language, ventures to cast a doubt on their proceedings: "doth our law judge any before it hear him and know what he doeth?" (compare Le 19:15; Ex 23:1). Indignantly they ask, "art thou also of Galilee? ... out of Galilee hath arisen (Greek) no prophet." Spite made them to ignore Jonah and Nahum. John marks the spiritual advance in Nicodemus by contrasting his first coming "by night" (Joh 7:50). He now virtually confesses Jesus, though in actual expression all he demands is fair play for an injured Person. As before he was an anxious inquirer, so now he is a decided though timid believer.
(3) The third stage is (Joh 19:39) when he appears as a bold and strong believer, the same Nicodemus (as John again reminds us) as "came at the first to Jesus by night." When even the twelve shrank from the danger to be apprehended from the mob who had clamored for Jesus' crucifixion, and whose appetite for blood might not yet be sated, and when Christ's cause seemed hopeless, the once timid Nicodemus shows extraordinary courage and faith Christ's crucifixion, which shook the faith of others, only confirms his. He remembers now Jesus had said He "must be lifted up," like the brazen "serpent," that all believers in Him might have eternal life. So Nicodemus had the honour of wrapping His sacred body in linen with 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes, in company, with Joseph of Arimathea.
Christ's resurrection richly rewarded the faith of him who stumbled not at His humiliation. Compare on the spiritual lesson Mt 12:20; Zec 4:10; Pr 4:18. Like Mary who "anointed Christ's body to the burying," "what Nicodemus did is and shall be spoken of for a memorial of him wheresoever the gospel is preached throughout the whole world." Where real desire after the Saviour exists, it will in the end overcome the evil of the heart, and make a man strong in faith through the Holy Spirit. The Talmud tells of a Nicodemus ben Gorion who lived until the fall of Jerusalem, a Pharisee, wealthy, pious, and of the Sanhedrin; bearing originally a name borne by one of the five rabbinical disciples of Christ (Taanith, f. 19, Sanhedrin f. 43); and that his family fell into squalid poverty.
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Thou shalt not take up a false report: thou shalt not put thy hand with the unjust one to be a witness of wrong.
Ye shall not do evil in judgment; thou shalt not take up the face of the poor; thou shalt not reverence the face of the great: in justice shalt thou judge thy neighbor.
And he will go down and dip in Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh will turn: back as, the flesh of a small boy, and he will be cleansed.
The path of the just as the light shining, going and shining even to the day prepared.
The fear of man will give a snare: and he trusting in Jehovah shall be exalted.
As thou wilt not know what the way of the spirit, as the bones in the womb of her being filled, so thou shalt not know the work of God who will make all.
Hear to me, ye knowing justice, the people my law in their heart; ye shall not fear the reproach of men; and from their reviling ye shall not be dismayed. For the moth shall eat them as a garment, and as wool shall the moth eat them: and my justice shall be forever, and my salvation to generation of generations.
Hear the word of Jehovah, ye trembling at his word: Your brethren hating you, excluding you for sake of my name, said, Jehovah shall be honored: and he was seen to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.
And I sprinkled clean waters upon you, and ye were cleansed: from all your uncleannesses and from all your blocks will I cleanse you. And I gave to you a new heart, and a new spirit will I give in the midst of you: and I turned away your heart of stone from your flesh, and I gave to you an heart of flesh.
For who despised the day of small things? and they rejoiced, and they saw the stone of tin in the hand of Zerubbabel, these seven; they the eyes of Jehovah running to and fro in all the earth.
He shall not break a bruised reed, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he should draw forth judgment to victory.
And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth; And he sleep, and should rise night and day, and the seed should sprout, and be raised; how, he knows not.
And he sleep, and should rise night and day, and the seed should sprout, and be raised; how, he knows not. For the earth bears fruit spontaneously; first the grass, then the ear, then the full wheat in the ear. read more. But when the fruit should yield, quickly he sends the sickle, for the harvest is brought forward.
And he having believed and having been immersed shall be saved; but he not having believed shall be condemned.
And when he was in Jerusalem at the paseha, in the festival, many believed in his name, beholding his signs which he did. And Jesus himself trusted not himself to them, for he knew all,
And there was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus the name to him, a ruler of the Jews: He came to Jesus by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou hast come a teacher from God: for none can do these signs which thou doest, except God be with him. read more. Jesus answered and said to him, Amen, amen, I say to thee, Except any one be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Jesus answered and said to him, Amen, amen, I say to thee, Except any one be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus says to him, How can a man be born, being an old man? he cannot come in a second time to his mother's belly, and be born.
Nicodemus says to him, How can a man be born, being an old man? he cannot come in a second time to his mother's belly, and be born. Jesus says to him, Truly, truly, I say to thee, Except any one be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot come into the kingdom of God.
Jesus says to him, Truly, truly, I say to thee, Except any one be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot come into the kingdom of God. That born of flesh is flesh; and that born of the Spirit is spirit.
That born of flesh is flesh; and that born of the Spirit is spirit. Thou shouldest not wonder that I said to thee, Ye must be born from above.
Thou shouldest not wonder that I said to thee, Ye must be born from above. The wind, where it wills, blows, and its voice thou hearest, but thou knowest not whence it comes, and where it goes: so is every one having been born of the Spirit.
The wind, where it wills, blows, and its voice thou hearest, but thou knowest not whence it comes, and where it goes: so is every one having been born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be?
Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said to him, Art thou a teacher of Israel, and knowest not these?
And this is the judgment, that light has come into the world, and men rather loved darkness than light, for their works were evil. For every one doing bad things hates the light, and he comes not to the light, lest his works should be rebuked. read more. But he doing the truth comes to the light, that his works might be manifested, that they are wrought in God.
A woman of Samaria comes to draw water: Jesus says to her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone into the city that they might buy food.) read more. Then says the Samaritan woman to him, How thou, being a Jew, askest of me to drink, being a Samaritan woman? for the Jews have no intercourse with the Samaritans. And Jesus answered and said to her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who he is saying to thee, Give me to drink: thou hadst asked him, and he had given thee living water. The woman says to him, Lord, thou hest no vessel for drawing, and the well is deep; whence then hast thou the living water? Thou art not greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and he himself drank of it, and his sons, and his young animals. Jesus answered and said to her, All drinking of this water shall thirst again: But whoever should drink of the water which I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water which I shall give him shall be in him a spring of water springing up to eternal life.
Say ye not, That there is yet the fourth month, and harvest comes? behold, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and behold the countries; for they are already white for harvest.
How can ye believe, receiving glory from one another, and ye seek not the glory that from God alone?
Jesus answered them and said, Truly, truly, I say to you, ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but for that ye ate of the loaves, and were satisfied. Work not for food perishing, but food remaining to eternal life, which the Son of man will give you: for him God the Father sealed.
Then the Jews contended with one another, saying, How can he give us the flesh to eat
Then many of his disciples, having heard, said, This is a hard word; who can hear it
However none spake of him with freedom of speech, for fear of the Jews.
Then came the servants to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said to them, Why did ye not bring him And the servants answered, Never spake man as this man. read more. Then the Pharisees answered them, Have ye not also been deceived Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? But the crowd, not knowing the law, are cursed. Nicodemus says to them, (he having come to him by night, being one of them,)
Nicodemus says to them, (he having come to him by night, being one of them,) Our law judges not a man, except it first hear from him, and know what he does. read more. They answered and said to him, And art thou not of Galilee? Search, and see: for a prophet has not risen out of Galilee. And each man went to his house.
These said his parents, for they feared the Jews: for already had the Jews agreed, that if any should acknowledge him Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
Yet nevertheless also many of the rulers believed in him; but on account of the Pharisees they did not acknowledge, lest they should be excluded from the synagogue: For they loved the honour of men more than the honour of God.
And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and another disciple: and that disciple was known to the chief priest, and came together with Jesus to the hall of the chief priest.
And after these, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, in secret, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might takeaway the body of Jesus: and Pilate conceded. He came then, and took the body of Jesus.. And Nicodemus also came, he having come to Jesus at first by night, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about one hundred pounds.
And Peter said to them, Repent, and be each of you immersed in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Truly therefore they went rejoicing from the face of the council, that for his name they were deemed worthy to be dishonoured.
In whom also were ye circumcised with the circumcision not made by hands, in the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ;
Having wiped out the handwriting against us in enactments, which was opposed to us, and he has taken it from the midst, having nailed it to his cross
Every one born of God does not sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, for he has been born of God.
Everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God: and every one loving him having begotten, loves him also begotten of him.
For everything begotten of God conquers the world: and this is the victory having conquered the world, our faith.
Hastings
A Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin (Joh 3:1; 7:50), elderly (Joh 3:4) and evidently well-to-do (Joh 19:39). He is mentioned only in the Fourth Gospel, and there he figures thrice. (1) At the outset of His ministry Jesus went up to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of the Passover, and His miracles made a deep impression on Nicodemus, half persuading him that He was the Messiah; insomuch that he interviewed Him secretly under cover of the darkness (Joh 3:1-21). He began by raising the question of the miracles, which, he allowed, proved Jesus at the least a God-commissioned teacher; but Jesus interrupted him and set him face to face with the urgent and personal matter of regeneration. Nicodemus went away bewildered, but a seed had been planted in his soul. (2) During the third year of His ministry, Jesus went up to the Feast of Tabernacles (October). The rulers were now His avowed enemies, and they convened a meeting of the Sanhedrin to devise measures against Him (Joh 7:45-52). Nicodemus was present, and, a disciple at heart but afraid to avow his faith, he merely raised a point of order: 'Doth our law judge a man, except it first hear himself and know what he doeth?' (RV). (3) At the meeting of the Sanhedrin which condemned Jesus to death Nicodemus made no protest; probably he absented himself. But after the Crucifixion, ashamed of his cowardice, he at last avowed himself and joined with Joseph of Arimath
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And there was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus the name to him, a ruler of the Jews:
And there was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus the name to him, a ruler of the Jews: He came to Jesus by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou hast come a teacher from God: for none can do these signs which thou doest, except God be with him. read more. Jesus answered and said to him, Amen, amen, I say to thee, Except any one be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus says to him, How can a man be born, being an old man? he cannot come in a second time to his mother's belly, and be born.
Nicodemus says to him, How can a man be born, being an old man? he cannot come in a second time to his mother's belly, and be born. Jesus says to him, Truly, truly, I say to thee, Except any one be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot come into the kingdom of God. read more. That born of flesh is flesh; and that born of the Spirit is spirit. Thou shouldest not wonder that I said to thee, Ye must be born from above. The wind, where it wills, blows, and its voice thou hearest, but thou knowest not whence it comes, and where it goes: so is every one having been born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said to him, Art thou a teacher of Israel, and knowest not these? Truly, truly, I say to thee, that what we know, we speak, and what we have seen we testify; and ye receive not our testimony. If I spake to you earthly things, and ye believe not, how, if I speak to you heavenly things, will ye believe And none has ascended to heaven, except he having descended from heaven, the Son of man, he being in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up; That every one believing in him perish not, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that every one believing in him perish not, but have eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world that he judge the world; but that the world might be saved through him. He believing in him is not judged: and he not believing has been already judged, because he has not believed in the name of the only born Son of God. And this is the judgment, that light has come into the world, and men rather loved darkness than light, for their works were evil. For every one doing bad things hates the light, and he comes not to the light, lest his works should be rebuked. But he doing the truth comes to the light, that his works might be manifested, that they are wrought in God.
Then came the servants to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said to them, Why did ye not bring him And the servants answered, Never spake man as this man. read more. Then the Pharisees answered them, Have ye not also been deceived Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? But the crowd, not knowing the law, are cursed. Nicodemus says to them, (he having come to him by night, being one of them,)
Nicodemus says to them, (he having come to him by night, being one of them,) Our law judges not a man, except it first hear from him, and know what he does. read more. They answered and said to him, And art thou not of Galilee? Search, and see: for a prophet has not risen out of Galilee.
And Nicodemus also came, he having come to Jesus at first by night, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about one hundred pounds.
Morish
Nicode'mus
One of the Pharisees and a teacher in Israel. He came to the Lord by night for instruction, and was greatly astonished to find that, instead of instruction, he needed to be born again. See NEW BIRTH. To this the Lord added that the Son of man must be lifted up: sin must be condemned, and the Son of God be given in love, in order that whosoever believeth in Him should have everlasting life: that is, heavenly blessings in new creation. Nicodemus afterwards grew bolder, and suggested in the council that the Lord ought to be heard, and His acts examined before He was condemned. The last we read of Nicodemus is that after the crucifixion he brought about a hundred pounds' weight of myrrh and aloes to embalm the Lord's body. Joh 3:1-9; 7:50; 19:39. This last act was a tacit acknowledgement of his attachment to the One to whom he had come for instruction, but who had spoken to him of God's love, and of heavenly blessings through the Son of man lifted up, and whom he had attempted to defend in the council.
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And there was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus the name to him, a ruler of the Jews: He came to Jesus by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou hast come a teacher from God: for none can do these signs which thou doest, except God be with him. read more. Jesus answered and said to him, Amen, amen, I say to thee, Except any one be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus says to him, How can a man be born, being an old man? he cannot come in a second time to his mother's belly, and be born. Jesus says to him, Truly, truly, I say to thee, Except any one be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot come into the kingdom of God. That born of flesh is flesh; and that born of the Spirit is spirit. Thou shouldest not wonder that I said to thee, Ye must be born from above. The wind, where it wills, blows, and its voice thou hearest, but thou knowest not whence it comes, and where it goes: so is every one having been born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be?
Nicodemus says to them, (he having come to him by night, being one of them,)
Smith
Nicode'mus
(conqueror of the people), a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews and a teacher of Israel,
Joh 3:1,10
whose secret visit to our Lord was the occasion of the discourse recorded only by St. John. In Nicodemus a noble candor and a simple love of truth shine out in the midst of hesitation and fear of man. He finally became a follower of Christ, and came with Joseph of Arimathaea to take down and embalm the body of Jesus.
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And there was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus the name to him, a ruler of the Jews:
Jesus answered and said to him, Art thou a teacher of Israel, and knowest not these?
Watsons
NICODEMUS, a disciple of Jesus Christ, a Jew by nation, and a Pharisee, Joh 3:1, &c. At the time when the priests and Pharisees had sent officers to seize Jesus, Nicodemus declared himself openly in his favour, Joh 7:45, &c; and still more so when he went with Joseph of Arimathea to pay the last duties to his body, which they took down from the cross, embalmed, and laid in a sepulchre.