John 1:13 (GNV)

Passage

Which are borne not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of ye wil of man, but of God.

Nearby Context

John 1:11 He came vnto his owne, and his owne receiued him not.

John 1:12 But as many as receiued him, to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God, euen to them that beleeue in his Name.

John 1:13 Which are borne not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of ye wil of man, but of God.

John 1:14 And that Word was made flesh, and dwelt among vs, (and we sawe the glorie thereof, as the glorie of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father) full of grace and trueth.

John 1:15 Iohn bare witnesse of him, and cryed, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that commeth after me, was before me: for he was better then I.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "borne", "blood", and "flesh". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "borne" and "blood", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "But as many as receiued him to..." into verse 14's "And that Word was made flesh and...", so "borne" and "blood" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "borne" and "blood" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.