If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
Parallel translations
- KJV If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
- BSB If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
- NKJV If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
- NASB If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
- 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?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
If Nicodemus cannot believe earthly illustrations, how will he believe heavenly realities? Jesus signals the deeper revelation about to come.
Overview
'Earthly things' likely refers to the new birth illustrated by wind and water; 'heavenly things' to the eternal mysteries of the Son's mission, death, and the Father's love. Jesus exposes the obstacle of unbelief that blocks reception of revelation. The verse builds toward the gospel heart of the passage in verses 14-16.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- 1 Cor 3:1–2Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ.
- 1 Cor 2:7–9But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for our glory,
- John 3:31–36He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
- Heb 5:11About him we have many words to say, and hard to interpret, seeing you have become dull of hearing.
- 1 Pet 2:1–3Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,
- John 3:13–17No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
- John 3:5Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.
- John 1:1–14In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- John 3:8The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
- 1 Jn 4:10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
- John 3:3Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”
- 1 Tim 3:16Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 3:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.