9从神而生就是从那灵而生。那灵是甚么?那灵是神的精华。事实上,这精华不仅属于神,也属于耶稣基督。使人重生的那灵乃是耶稣基督的灵。我们比较约翰三章六节与三章十四、十五节,会看见这里的那灵就是耶稣基督的精华。主耶稣在约翰三章六节说,『从那灵生的,就是灵。』如果我们要有神圣的生命,我们就必须从那灵而生,主耶稣在约翰三章十四、十五节接著说,『摩西在旷野怎样举蛇,人子也必照样被举起来,叫一切相信祂的都得永远的生命。』主在这里题到祂自己是钉十字架并复活的基督。凡相信祂的,都必得著永远的生命。得著永远的生命等于重生。换句话说:重生就是得著神圣的生命。重生,从那灵而生。是甚么意思?从那灵而生就是接受神圣的生命。在约翰三章的这些经节中,先有那灵,然后有钉十字架并复活的人子。我们比较这些经节,就看见这里的那灵乃是耶稣基督的精华。我们从其而生以得永远生命的那灵,乃是钉十字架并复活之基督的精华。钉十字架是一种『压榨,』为要产生精华。将橘子加以压榨,就得到橘子的精华-橘子汁。我们可以将基督钉十字架比喻为压橘子汁。当基督在十字架上时,祂受到了『压榨。』祂在十字架上受了压榨,出来后就是包罗万有赐生命之灵的『汁。』不仅如此,橘子的素质、元素、性质和本质怎样在橘子汁里,照样,基督的素质、元素、性质和本质也在包罗万有的灵里。乃是藉著这灵,基督这位神人得以复制。
9To be born of God is to be born of the Spirit. What is the Spirit? The Spirit is the extract of God. Actually, this extract is not merely of God; it is also of Jesus Christ. The regenerating Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. If we compare John 3:6 with John 3:14 and 15, we shall see that the Spirit here is the extract of Jesus Christ. In John 3:6 the Lord Jesus says, “That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” If we would have the divine life, we must be born of the Spirit. In John 3:14 and 15 the Lord Jesus goes on to say, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that every one who believes in Him may have eternal life.” Here the Lord refers to Himself as the crucified and resurrected Christ. Whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. Having eternal life is equal to being reborn. In other words, to be reborn is to have the divine life. What does it mean to be born again, to be born of the Spirit? To be born of the Spirit is to receive the divine life. In these verses from John 3 we first have the Spirit and then the crucified and resurrected Son of Man. As we compare these verses we see that here the Spirit is the extract of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of whom we are born to have eternal life is the extract of the crucified and resurrected Christ. Crucifixion is a “pressing” that produces an extract. When pressure is applied to an orange, we get the juice as the extract of the orange. We may compare the crucifixion of Christ to the pressing of an orange. When Christ was on the cross, He was “pressed.” After being pressed on the cross, He came forth as the “juice” of the all - inclusive life - giving Spirit. Furthermore, just as the essence, elements, nature, and substance of an orange are in the extract, so the essence, elements, nature, and substance of Christ are in the all-inclusive Spirit. It is by this Spirit that Christ, the God-man, is reproduced.