John 3:11
What does John 3:11 mean?
A plain-English look at John 3:11 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What John 3:11 means
Jesus asserts His authority and that of those who bear witness with Him (likely referring to the Son and the Father, or perhaps including the disciples who had seen His works). They speak from direct knowledge and experience, having "seen" the heavenly realities they proclaim. The problem lies not with the clarity of the witness, but with the listeners — symbolized by "ye" (Nicodemus and, broadly, the Jewish leaders) — who refuse to receive this divine testimony. This refusal implies a spiritual blindness or resistance.
John 3:11 in context
John 3 — You Must Be Born Again
By night a Pharisee named Nicodemus comes to Jesus, half-confessing him as a teacher sent from God. Jesus cuts past the compliment: 'except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Religion will not do; reformation will not do; only a new birth by water and the Spirit. The chapter rises to the most-quoted verse in the Bible — 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son' — and ends with John the Baptist's last public testimony: 'He must increase, but I must decrease.'
- New birth
- The Spirit
- God's love for the world
- Faith and life
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Truly, I say to you, We say that of which we have knowledge; we give witness of what we have seen; and you do not take our witness to be true.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862`Verily, verily, I say to thee--What we have known we speak, and what we have seen we testify, and our testimony ye do not receive;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Amen, amen, I say to thee that we speak what we know and we testify what we have seen: and you receive not our testimony.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and we bear witness of that which we have seen, and ye receive not our witness.
Context
Following His mild rebuke of Nicodemus’s lack of understanding, Jesus now underscores the reliability and truth of His own testimony. This verse establishes that Jesus (and perhaps those sent by God) speaks from direct, experiential knowledge of divine realities. This declaration sets up the contrast between earthly and heavenly things, further accentuating the difficulty some have in receiving spiritual truth, moving toward the profound revelations of Christ's ascent and descent.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- John 12:37
But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they believed not on him:
- John 8:38
I speak the things which I have seen with my Father: and ye also do the things which ye heard from your father.
- 2 Corinthians 4:4
in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them.
- John 8:14
Jesus answered and said unto them, Even if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye know not whence I come, or whither I go.
- John 14:24
He that loveth me not keepeth not my words: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.
- Acts 22:18
and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning me.
Sermon ideas from John 3:11
Angles a pastor or small-group leader might preach or teach from this passage, drawn from the chapter's main themes.
What John 3:11 teaches us about new birth
What John 3:11 teaches us about the spirit
What John 3:11 teaches us about god's love for the world
What John 3:11 teaches us about faith and life
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