John 3:13
From Textus Receptus
John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
Textus Receptus
Other Greek
These Greek manuscripts omit the phrase.
- Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Fourth century
- B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
- L 019 - Rome - Ninth Century
- T 029 - Citta Del Vaticano - Fifth century
- W 032 - Fourth/Fifth century
Tischendorfs 8th Ed. has:
καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ.
Westcott and Hort:
καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου,
English Versions
- (NIV) No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man
- (NASV) No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.
- (THE MESSAGE) "No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who came down from that Presence, the Son of Man.
- (NCV) The only one who has ever gone up to heaven is the One who came down from heaven—the Son of Man.
- (NLT) No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven.
- (NIRV) "No one has ever gone into heaven except the One who came from heaven. He is the Son of Man.
- (CEV) No one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from there.
- (ESV) No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
- (HCSB) No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven —the Son of Man.
- (RSV) No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man.
- (NAB-Roman Catholic) No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
- (NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) Moreover, no man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man.
There are thirty-eight fathers who recognize these words in this verse as found in the Textus Receptus. Some of the other fathers are as follows:
Origen (250 AD), pseudo Dionysius (265 AD), Athanasius (370 AD), Didymus (390 AD), Basil the Great (380 AD), Epiphanius (400 AD), Eustathius of Antioch (325 AD), Cyril of Jerusalem (385 AD), Amphilochius (390 AD), Lucifer of Calaris (370 AD), Victorinus (300 AD), Jerome (420 AD), Zeno (350 AD), Maximus (400 AD) - See Burgon, Revision Revised, p 133 for full listing & citation references.
By deleting “which is in heaven” it removes the testimony of deity from Christ. As eternal God, He still had authority in Heaven while still on Earth. The Gnostics did not believe that Christ was God because they taught that flesh was evil and that deity could not dwell in sinful flesh. They neglected the understanding of the virgin birth which had disallowed the sin nature to be passed to Him. When Christ was on Earth, He never ceased to be God. If He did, then He would never have been qualified to be our sin substitute. The word “is” is in the present tense which means that Christ was signifying that while He was on Earth, He was still in Heaven. The word “is” can also be translated “being.” It could read “which being in Heaven.” This is one of those great mysteries beyond the comprehension of the human mind and that is why the Gnostics chose to remove it since they could not explain it.
"For since we have PROVED that Origen and Didymus, Epiphanius and Cyril, Ambrose and Jerome, RECOGNIZE the words in dispute, of what possible Textual significancy can it be if presently (BECAUSE IT IS SUFFICIENT FOR THEIR PURPOSE) the same Fathers are observed [in other... See More places] to quote S. John iii. 13 no further than down to the words 'Son of man'? No person, (least of all a professed Critic), who adds to his learning a few grains of common sense and a little candour, can be misled by such a circumstance. Origen, Eusebius, Proclus, Ephraim Syrus, Jerome, Marius, when they are only insisting on the doctrinal significancy of the earlier words, naturally end their quotation at this place." Revision Revised, p 134
"...the majority of the Committee... regarded the words "ο ων εν τω ουρανω" ["which is in heaven"] as an interpretative gloss, reflecting LATER CHRISTOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT." Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary On The Greek New Testament, 2nd Edition, United Bible Societies, p 175. (emphasis added)
It is interesting that Theodoret (GREEK Father) said in 380 AD concerning this very topic - "If any one says that the Son of God, living in the flesh when he was on the earth, was not in heaven and with the Father, LET HIM BE ANATHEMA…" Ecclesiastical History 5.11
