John 3:27 kjv
John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
John 3:27 nkjv
John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
John 3:27 niv
To this John replied, "A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.
John 3:27 esv
John answered, "A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.
John 3:27 nlt
John replied, "No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.
John 3 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference ||---|---|---|| Eph 2:8 | For by grace you have been saved through faith... it is the gift of God. | Salvation is a divine gift. || Jas 1:17 | Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father... | All good things originate from God. || 1 Cor 4:7 | For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? | Human possessions/gifts are received from God. || Rom 12:3 | For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think... | Gifts and callings are by God's grace, leading to humility. || 1 Chr 29:14 | "For who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer so willingly? For all things come from You, and from Your own we have given You." | Acknowledging God as the source of all provisions. || Dan 2:20-21 | Daniel responded and said: "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and might belong to Him... He removes kings and establishes kings." | God's sovereignty over earthly powers and wisdom. || Psa 75:6-7 | For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the desert. But God is the Judge: He puts down one and exalts another. | Promotion and demotion are by God's decree. || Prov 16:1 | The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. | Even human intentions and words are guided by God. || John 1:6 | There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. | John's mission was divinely ordained. || John 3:30 | He must increase, but I must decrease. | John's acceptance of his diminishing role due to Jesus' rising prominence. || John 6:65 | And He said, "For this reason I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by the Father." | Faith in Jesus is a gift from the Father. || John 19:11 | Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over Me at all unless it had been given you from above." | Pilate's earthly authority originated from God. || Matt 11:27 | "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father..." | Jesus' unique authority is from the Father. || Matt 28:18 | And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." | Jesus' universal authority is given by the Father. || Php 2:13 | for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. | God enables believers to act according to His will. || Heb 5:4 | And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, just as Aaron was. | Priestly office is by divine calling, not human ambition. || Acts 2:33 | Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He has poured out this which you both see and hear. | Holy Spirit is a divine gift. || 1 Cor 12:4-11 | Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit... distributing to each one individually just as He wills. | Spiritual gifts are divinely bestowed according to God's will. || 2 Cor 3:5 | Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. | Human insufficiency; sufficiency is from God. || Isa 6:8 | Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me." | God initiates and commissions, not man. |
John 3 verses
John 3 27 Meaning
John 3:27 declares the foundational principle that a person's abilities, authority, or success, especially in spiritual matters, are not self-derived but originate from God. John the Baptist utters this profound truth to explain his role in relation to Jesus, affirming that his ministry and influence were given to him by heaven, and therefore he cannot resent or envy Jesus' growing popularity, for Jesus' greater role is also divinely appointed. This verse underscores God's absolute sovereignty and humanity's complete dependence on divine provision for all true spiritual understanding, power, and impact.
John 3 27 Context
John 3:27 is part of a dialogue in which John the Baptist's disciples come to him, concerned and somewhat jealous, about Jesus' increasing popularity and the fact that Jesus is also baptizing more people than John (John 3:25-26). John the Baptist uses this opportunity to teach his disciples about the supremacy of Jesus and the divinely appointed nature of all ministries. He firmly redirects their attention away from himself and towards Christ, reiterating that he is merely the friend of the bridegroom (John 3:29). This humility contrasts with common human tendencies toward rivalry and self-promotion, highlighting the true source of all spiritual authority and success as being from heaven, or God.
John 3 27 Word analysis
- John answered and said: This signifies a direct response to the disciples' question/concern. It presents John not as reacting emotionally but as speaking with considered wisdom and authority, pointing them to truth.
- A person: From Greek anthrōpos (ἄνθρωπος), signifying any human being, generic; highlighting that this principle applies universally to all humanity.
- cannot receive: From Greek ou dunatai lambanein (οὐ δύναται λαμβάνειν), a strong double negative ("not able to take/receive"). It emphasizes inherent human inability to grasp or appropriate spiritual realities or ministerial authority by their own will or effort.
- anything: From Greek ouden (οὐδέν), meaning "nothing at all," further strengthening the absolute nature of human inability without divine initiation.
- unless it is given him: From Greek ean mē dedomenon autō (ἐὰν μὴ δεδομένον αὐτῷ). "Unless" indicates the sole condition or exception. "Given" (dedomenon) is a perfect passive participle, suggesting a complete action in the past by a superior agent with ongoing effects. This highlights divine origination and authorization; it means "unless it has been given to him [and remains so]".
- from heaven: From Greek ek tou ouranou (ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ). This phrase is a common circumlocution for God in Jewish thought, avoiding direct use of the divine name. It clearly designates the divine source—God Himself—as the ultimate giver of all true spiritual capacity, authority, and blessing. It emphasizes divine appointment and supernatural origin rather than human achievement or earthly empowerment.
- A person cannot receive anything unless it is given him from heaven: This entire phrase forms a theological principle affirming divine sovereignty and human dependence. It's a testament to John the Baptist's humble and theocentric perspective, contrasting human ambition or rivalry with God's perfect plan and appointment. It suggests that every gift, every talent, every ministry, and every spiritual success is a direct result of divine bestowal.
John 3 27 Bonus section
This verse encapsulates a crucial anti-polemic against any humanistic or self-exalting view of spiritual leadership or power prevalent in various religious traditions. It dismisses the idea that an individual can simply "take" or "achieve" spiritual authority or influence through personal effort, training, or charisma alone. Instead, it places the absolute origin of all such things in the hands of God. This principle fosters humility, cultivates reliance on God, and redirects worship and credit from human instruments to the divine Giver. It also speaks to the distinct divine mandate each person might have, implying a specific role "given from heaven" which must be recognized and accepted, rather than usurped or coveted from another.
John 3 27 Commentary
John 3:27 is a powerful statement on divine sovereignty, profound humility, and the source of all true spiritual effectiveness. John the Baptist, in response to his disciples' concerns about Jesus' increasing influence, clearly articulates that no individual possesses anything of spiritual significance unless it has been explicitly granted by God. This includes gifts, authority, ministerial effectiveness, and even a person's appointed role in God's plan. It serves as a rebuke to human envy and ambition, redirecting focus from personal achievement to divine appointment. It highlights that one's capacity for ministry is not inherent but conferred by God, implying that every faithful minister is merely a steward of what God has graciously given. For instance, a skilled preacher is gifted with eloquence from God, not from inherent ability; a compassionate counselor's wisdom stems from divine wisdom; a fruitful ministry's success comes from God blessing the labor.