2 yg The Plan of the Ages,
generally regard you as an impostor, but I am sure there must be some truth in your teachings, "for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." The objeft of my visit is to inquire of what sort, when and whence is this kingdom you proclaim? and when and how is it to be established?
Jesus, Your request to have a full understanding con- cerning the kingdom of heaven cannot now be answered to your satisfaction; not that I do not know about it fully, but that in your present condition you could not under- stand or appreciate it, if I would fully explain. 'Except a man be begotten* from above, he cannot see [Greek, eidon, f know, or be acquainted with] the kingdom of God."
Even my disciples have as yet very indistindl ideas of the chara&er of the kingdom they are proclaiming. I cannot
- The Greek word gennao and its derivatives, sometimes translated
begotten and sometimes born> really contains both ideas, and should be translated by either one of these two English words, according to the sense of the passage in which it occurs. The two ideas, begetting and birth, are always in the word, so that if the one is stated, the other is always implied, as birth is the natural consequence of begetting, and be- getting the natural antecedent to birth. When the active agent with which gennao is associated is a male, it should be translated begotten; when a female, bom. Thus in I John2:29; 3:9; 4 : 7 5 ;I l8 > gennao should be begotten, because God (masculine) is the active agent.
Sometimes, however, the translation is dependent on the nature of the ac% whether masculine or feminine. Thus used in conjuncTaon with , signifying from or cut oj \ it should be translated born. So in John 3 : 5, 6, gennao should be translated 6om, as indicated by the word ek "out of water," out of flesh," "out <?/ spirit."
( This same Greek word is translated consider in Acts 15:6. " The apostles and elders came together for to consider [know or understand] this matter. 7 * The same word is rendered behold in Rom, 11:22. *' Be* hold [consider, understand], therefore, the goodness and severity of God;" also in I John 3 : i "Behold [consider, know, understand] what man-
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