Commentary

 

The Big Ideas

By New Christian Bible Study Staff

A girl gazes into a lighted globe, showing the solar system.

Here we are in the 21st century. We know that the universe is an enormous place. We're just bursting with scientific knowledge. But how are we doing with the even-bigger ideas? Our human societies seem to be erasing them, or ignoring them - maybe we think we're too busy for them.

Here on the New Christian Bible Study site, we'll buck the trend. We want to explore the big ideas that give us a framework for living better lives. Here's a start on a list of big ideas from a New Christian perspective. For each idea, there is a footnote that lists some references in Swedenborg's theological works:

1. God exists. Just one God, who created and sustains the entire universe in all its dimensions, spiritual and physical. 1

2. God's essence is love itself. It's the force that drives everything. 2

3. God's essence comes into being, that is, it exists, in and through creation. 3

4. There are levels, or degrees, of creation - ranging from spiritual ones that we can't detect with our physical senses or sensors, to the level of the physical universe where most of our awareness is when we're alive here. 4

5. The created universe emanates from God, and it's sustained by God, but in an important way it is separate from God. He wants it to be separate, so that freedom can exist. 5

6. God operates from love through wisdom - willing good things, and understanding how to bring them about. 6

7. The physical level of creation exists to provide human beings with an opportunity to choose in freedom, with rationality, whether or not to acknowledge and cooperate with God. 7

8. God provides all people everywhere, regardless of their religion, the freedom to choose to live a life of love to God and to the neighbor. 8

9. God loves everyone. He knows that true happiness only comes when we're unselfish; when we're truly motivated by a love of the Lord which is grounded out in a love of the neighbor. He seeks to lead everyone, but will not force us to follow against our will. 9

10. God doesn't judge us. He tells us what's good, and what's evil, and flows into our minds to lead us towards good. However, we're free to reject his leading, and instead opt to love ourselves most. Day by day, we create habits of generosity or of selfishness, and live out a life in accordance with those habits. Those habits become the real "us", our ruling love. 10

11. Our physical bodies die eventually, but the spiritual part of our minds keeps going. It's been operating on a spiritual plane already, but our awareness shifts - so that we become fully aware of spiritual reality. 11

Footnotes:

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Divine Providence #70

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70. There Are Laws of Divine Providence That People Do Not Know

The existence of divine providence is generally recognized, but people do not know its nature. The reason the nature of divine providence is a mystery is that its laws have been hidden up to now, stored up in the wisdom of angels; but now they are to be revealed so that the Lord may receive the credit he deserves and we may stop claiming credit for what is not ours. Many people in this world attribute everything to themselves and to their own prudence, and anything they cannot claim in this way they attribute to chance or coincidence. They do not realize that human prudence is nothing and that "chance" and "coincidence" are empty words.

[2] I have stated that the laws of divine providence are hidden and have been stored up in the wisdom of angels until now. This is because discernment in divine matters has been closed in the Christian world because of our religion. This has made our discernment so dull and stubborn that we cannot understand anything about divine providence except that it exists, because we do not want to--or we do not want to understand because we cannot. All we can do is argue about whether it is real or not and whether it is only general or whether it deals with details. That is as far as a mind can go once it has been closed in divine matters because of its religion.

[3] However, since it is acknowledged in the church that on our own we cannot do anything that is really good or think anything that is really true, and since these facts are integral to divine providence, believing in the one depends on believing in the other. To prevent one of these principles being affirmed and the other denied, which leads to the collapse of both, it is absolutely necessary, then, that the nature of divine providence be revealed.

This cannot be revealed unless the laws are unveiled by which the Lord provides and oversees our emotional and mental processes. These laws enable us to know the nature of providence, and people who know its nature cannot help but acknowledge it, because they actually see it. This is why it is now time for the laws of divine providence to be revealed that have been stored away in the wisdom of angels until the present.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for the permission to use this translation.

The Bible

 

Matthew 26

Study

   

1 It happened, when Jesus had finished all these words, that he said to his disciples,

2 "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."

3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas.

4 They took counsel together that they might take Jesus by deceit, and kill him.

5 But they said, "Not during the feast, lest a riot occur among the people."

6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,

7 a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table.

8 But when his disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste?

9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor."

10 However, knowing this, Jesus said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? Because she has done a good work for me.

11 For you always have the poor with you; but you don't always have me.

12 For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.

13 Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a memorial of her."

14 Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests,

15 and said, "What are you willing to give me, that I should deliver him to you?" They weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver.

16 From that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

17 Now on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?"

18 He said, "Go into the city to a certain person, and tell him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples."'"

19 The disciples did as Jesus commanded them, and they prepared the Passover.

20 Now when evening had come, he was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.

21 As they were eating, he said, "Most certainly I tell you that one of you will betray me."

22 They were exceedingly sorrowful, and each began to ask him, "It isn't me, is it, Lord?"

23 He answered, "He who dipped his hand with me in the dish, the same will betray me.

24 The Son of Man goes, even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born."

25 Judas, who betrayed him, answered, "It isn't me, is it, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You said it."

26 As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."

27 He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, "All of you drink it,

28 for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.

29 But I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's Kingdom."

30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

31 Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee."

33 But Peter answered him, "Even if all will be made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble."

34 Jesus said to him, "Most certainly I tell you that tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times."

35 Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you." All of the disciples also said likewise.

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go there and pray."

37 He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and severely troubled.

38 Then he said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch with me."

39 He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire."

40 He came to the disciples, and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What, couldn't you watch with me for one hour?

41 Watch and pray, that you don't enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

42 Again, a second time he went away, and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cup can't pass away from me unless I drink it, your desire be done."

43 He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.

44 He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time, saying the same words.

45 Then he came to his disciples, and said to them, "Sleep on now, and take your rest. Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

46 Arise, let's be going. Behold, he who betrays me is at hand."

47 While he was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priest and elders of the people.

48 Now he who betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, "Whoever I kiss, he is the one. Seize him."

49 Immediately he came to Jesus, and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed him.

50 Jesus said to him, "Friend, why are you here?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

51 Behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear.

52 Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take the sword will die by the sword.

53 Or do you think that I couldn't ask my Father, and he would even now send me more than twelve legions of angels?

54 How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so?"

55 In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to seize me? I sat daily in the temple teaching, and you didn't arrest me.

56 But all this has happened, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left him, and fled.

57 Those who had taken Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.

58 But Peter followed him from a distance, to the court of the high priest, and entered in and sat with the officers, to see the end.

59 Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death;

60 and they found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward,

61 and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.'"

62 The high priest stood up, and said to him, "Have you no answer? What is this that these testify against you?"

63 But Jesus held his peace. The high priest answered him, "I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God."

64 Jesus said to him, "You have said it. Nevertheless, I tell you, after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky."

65 Then the high priest tore his clothing, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy.

66 What do you think?" They answered, "He is worthy of death!"

67 Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him,

68 saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who hit you?"

69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the court, and a maid came to him, saying, "You were also with Jesus, the Galilean!"

70 But he denied it before them all, saying, "I don't know what you are talking about."

71 When he had gone out onto the porch, someone else saw him, and said to those who were there, "This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth."

72 Again he denied it with an oath, "I don't know the man."

73 After a little while those who stood by came and said to Peter, "Surely you are also one of them, for your speech makes you known."

74 Then he began to curse and to swear, "I don't know the man!" Immediately the rooster crowed.

75 Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out and wept bitterly.