John 3:31

3:31 The one who comes from above is superior to all.¹ The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things.² The one who comes from heaven³ is superior to all.⁴

John 8:47

8:47 The one who belongs to⁵ God listens and responds⁶ to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond,⁷ because you don’t belong to God.”⁸

John 18:37

18:37 Then Pilate said,⁹ “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world – to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to¹⁰ my voice.”

¹tn Or “is above all.”

²tn Grk “speaks from the earth.”

³sn The one who comes from heaven refers to Christ. As in John 1:1, the Word’s preexistence is indicated here.

⁴tc Ì⁷⁵ א* D Ë¹ 565 as well as several versions and fathers lack the phrase “is superior to all” (ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστίν, epanw pantwn estin). This effectively joins the last sentence of v. 31 with v. 32: “The one who comes from heaven testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.” On the other side, the phrase may have been deleted because of perceived redundancy, since it duplicates what is said earlier in the verse. The witnesses that include ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστίν in both places are weighty and widespread (Ì^36vid,66 א² A B L W^s Θ Ψ 083 086 Ë¹³ 33 Ï lat sy^s,p,h bo). On balance, the longer reading should probably be considered authentic.

tn Or “is above all.”

⁵tn Grk “who is of.”

⁶tn Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).

⁷tn Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).

⁸tn Grk “you are not of God.”

⁹tn Grk “said to him.”

¹⁰tn Or “obeys”; Grk “hears.”