What we have in John, then, is an ethical and eschatological dualism between truth and error, light and darkness, what is above and what is below. Jesus declared to the Jewish leaders that they are from below and from this world, whereas he is from above and from heaven (John 8:23). In what sense were the Jewish leaders from below? Jesus explained that they are relegated to this world because of their sin, confirming that the dualism in view here is ethical. We understand, therefore, why Jesus demanded
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