213. “知道自己赤身露体”, 表示他们发现并承认自己已落入恶中, 不再像从前那样天真无邪. 因为上一章最后一节说, “夫妻二人赤身露体, 并不羞耻”, 乃表示他们天真无邪. 此处觉得羞耻, “便编织无花果树的叶子, 为自己作裙子”, 自然就表示他们已不再天真无邪. 因为当天真失落了, 赤身就被认为是一种羞耻, 因有邪恶的思想意识在其中.

是故, 在圣经中, “赤身” 被用来代表羞耻和罪恶, 描述一个已颠倒的教会, 例如: “你赤身露体, 滚在血中.” (以西结书 16:22) 又如: “留下你赤身露体, 裸体暴露.” (以西结书 23:29) 再如: “我劝你买白衣穿上, 叫你赤身的羞耻不露出来.” (启示录 3:18) 再如: “那警醒, 看守衣服, 免得赤身而行, 叫人见他羞耻的, 有福了.” (启示录 16:15) 这是说末后的日子. 再如: “人若发现妻子有什么赤裸之事, 就可以写休书休她.” (申命记 24:1) 因同样的缘故, 亚伦和他的儿子在就近祭坛供职时, 要穿细麻布的裤子, “以遮掩赤身, 免得担罪而死” (出埃及记 28:42–43).

In the Word three terms are used to refer to bad actions: transgression, iniquity, and sin. Transgression is the least bad. It means a violation of what is true in an external context, a violation of what is right and orderly. Iniquity is next and denotes acts that violate more interior truths. Sin is the worst. It is a violation of what is holy and righteous, a violation against the Lord. Sin is the deepest kind of evil. Regarding iniquity -- to be in charity, or live a life of charity is to live a life where the acts and thoughts that have top priority are those that have within them a love for the neighbor. Sometimes our love of self, our inborn desire to put ourselves first, is stronger than our charity and we do something for ourselves at the expense of our neighbor, or even do harm to our neighbor. Such an act, if our motive is selfish, is an iniquity.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 9156, 9965 [2-3])