a disciple of Jesus Christ, a Jew by nation, and by sect a Pharisee (John iii. 1. &c.) The scripture calls him a ruler of the Jews, and our Saviour gives him the name of a matter of Israel. When our Saviour began to manifest himself by his miracles at Jerusalem, at the first passover that he celebrated there after his baptism, Nicodemus made no doubt but that he was the Messiah, and came to him by night, that he might learn of him the way of salvation. Jesus told him that no one could see the kingdom of heaven except he should be born again. Nicodemus taking this in the literal sense, made answer, "How can a man that is old be born again? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb?" To which Jesus replied, "If a man be not born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit." Nicodemus asks him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered, "Are you a matter of Israel, and are you ignorant of these things? We tell you what we know, and you receive not our testimony. If you believe not common things, and which may be called earthly, how will you believe me if I speak to you of heavenly things? Nobody has ascended into heaven but the Son of God, who came down from thence. And just as Moses lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up on high: For God so loved the world that he has given his only Son, that no man who believes in him shall perish, but shall have eternal life."

After this conversation Nicodemus became a disciple of Jesus Christ; and there is no doubt to be made, but he came to hear him as often as our Saviour came to Jerusalem. It happened on a time, that the priests and Pharisees had sent officers to seize Jesus (John vii. 45, &c.), who returning to them, made their report, that never man spoke as he did; to which the Pharisees replied, "Are you also of his disciples? Is there any one of the elders or Pharisees that have believed in him?" Then Nicodemus thought himself obliged to make answer, saying, "Does the law permit us to condemn any one before he is heard?" To which they replied, "Are you also a Galilean? Read the scriptures, and you will find that never any prophet came out of Galilee." After this the council was dismissed. At last Nicodemus declared himself openly a disciple of Jesus Christ (id. xix. 39. 40.), when he came with Joseph of Arimathea to pay the last duties to the body of Christ, which they took down from the cross, embalmed, and laid in a sepulchre.

We are told, that Nicodemus received baptism from the disciples of Christ; but it is not mentioned whether before or after the passion of our Lord. It is added, that the Jews being informed of this, deposed him from his dignity of senator, excommunicated him, and drove him from Jerusalem; but that Gamaliel, who was his cousin-german, took him to his country house, and maintained him till his death, when he had him buried honourably near St Stephen. There is still extant an apocryphal gospel under the name of Nicodemus, which in some manuscripts bears the title of the Acts of Pilate.