(He came to Jesus by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.)
耶稣回答说,我实实在在的告诉你,人若不重生,就不能见神的国。
(Jesus answered him, Very truly, I tell you ,no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.)
尼哥底母说,人已经老了,如何能重生呢。岂能再进母腹生出来吗。
(Nicodemus said to him, How can anyone be born after having grown when old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb, and be born?)
耶稣说,我实实在在的告诉你,人若不是从水和圣灵生的,就不能进神的国。 (Jesus answered, Verily truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.)
从肉身生的,就是肉身。从灵生的,就是灵。(What is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.)
我说,你们必须重生,你不要以为希奇。(Do not be astonished that I said to you, You must be born from above.
所谓“重生”(be born from above;另一版本译文是“a man be born again”)指的就是心性的修炼。你没有经过严格的心性修持,没有人与人之间矛盾的痛苦磨炼,你的心性、你的道德水准没有提高上来,就凭着一点“小信”,就可以进天国,那天国的阶梯不是太容易攀登了吗?天国的大门不是太宽阔了吗?
(Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.《马太福音:7:13-14》)