Exegetical Brief: The Son of Man Who Is in Heaven

Abstract

John F. Brug defends the longer textual reading of John 3:13, which includes the phrase “who is in heaven,” arguing that it reflects both strong manuscript support and consistent Johannine theology. While modern editions like the UBS omit the phrase based on limited Egyptian manuscript evidence, Brug highlights its presence in the majority of uncials, minuscules, ancient versions, and patristic citations. He contends that the phrase’s theological difficulty makes it unlikely to be a later addition, and more plausibly an original statement of Christ’s divine omnipresence. Brug connects this reading to John 1:18, emphasizing that Jesus, though speaking on earth, remained fully divine and present in heaven. He critiques the UBS editors for undervaluing both the manuscript evidence and John’s high Christology, concluding that the longer reading is both textually and theologically authentic. Generated by Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4).