Bible Questions and Answers

Please explain John 3:13. Is Jesus is speaking metaphorically here?

John 3:13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus so he clearly was not ‘in heaven’ at the time he was speaking. Rather he was speaking to Nicodemus about ‘heavenly things’.

John 3:12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Jesus not infrequently uses ‘hard (to be understood) sayings’ which require thinking about.

The way that I understand this verse is that Jesus was ‘in heaven’ inasmuch as he had perfect understanding of the will and purpose of God.

That this view is correct is supported by what Paul writes to the Ephesians:

Ephesians 2:6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

They were not literally sitting in heavenly places, rather through the teaching of Jesus Christ they understood the will and purpose of God. They understood ‘heavenly things’ and so were metaphorically in ‘heavenly places’.

God has foreknowledge in a way that we cannot comprehend. He knows the end at the beginning.

Acts 15:18 Known to God from eternity are all His works.

Jesus existed in the plan and purpose of God from the beginning.

1 Peter 1:20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

In the same way, all who will be in the kingdom of God are foreknown from the beginning.

Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

I don’t know how we can convince others of the truth. Most people are seemingly not swayed by logic or reason – as is evident by the widespread belief in the ‘Trinity’ – a doctrine which those who cobbled it together admit is ‘incomprehensible’.

We live in an age of strong delusion.

2 Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

We can only point out what the scriptures actually say coupled with the apostle’s assurance that the words were inspired by God.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

It seems that a large number of English words come from the Greek, many via Latin - no wonder we have trouble with spelling.

I hope you find this helpful.

God bless,
Glenn