WHO WAS NICODEMUS?

Who was Nicodemus?

Nicodemus is an instance of Christ's knowledge of men (Acts 2:25) and of one to whom he did trust himself unlike those in Acts 2:24. As a Pharisee "he belonged to that party which with all its bigotry contained a salt of true patriotism and could rear such cultured and high-toned men as Gamaliel and Pau ekeinon dei auxanein eme de elattousqai ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE BIBLE – NICODEMUS Resources » Encyclopedia of The Bible » N » Nicodemus Nicodemus NICODEMUS nĭk’ ə de’ məs (Νικόδημος, G3773, victor over the people), a Pharisee and later a disciple of Jesus (John 19:38-42). Although the name was common among the Jews of the 1st cent., this is the only man in the NT to bear it (3:1). A Nicodemus ben Gorion, who was a brother to the historian Josephus, a very wealthy member of the Sanhedrin in the 1st cent. has been identified by some with this man in the NT who came to Jesus by night. Nicodemus ben Gorion later lost his wealth and position so   that some have attributed this reversal of circumstance to his having become a Christian. The identification is unlikely. He was a member of the Sanhedrin. Verse 2 The same (outoß). "This one." By night (nuktoß). Genitive of time. That he came at all is remarkable, not because there was any danger as was true at a later period, but because of his own prominence. He wished to avoid comment by other members of the Sanhedrin and others. Jesus had already provoked the opposition of the ecclesiastics by his assumption of Messianic authority over the temple.  There is no ground for assigning this incident to a later period, for it suits perfectly here. Jesus was already in the public eye (Luke 2:23) and the interest of Nicodemus was real and yet he wished to be cautious.