155. Internal Meaning of Ezekiel, Chapter 32

Lament over those who by knowledges [scientiae] have perverted the holy things of the church. (3, 3)

1-2 They pervert all truths of the church. (3)

3-8 They fall into all falsities of evil, until they no longer see what is good and true. (3)

9-10 Those who are outside the church are horrified at their falsities. (3)

11-12 They destroy all things of the church by reasonings from the natural man. (3)

13-16 They shall be cast into hell, that they may no longer pervert truths in those who are in an affection for truth. (15)

15 In hell they will be associated with those who have profaned the holy things of the Word; (15, 17)

24-25 also with those who have falsified truths of doctrine; (15)

26-30 with those who have falsified the sense of the letter of the Word.

31-32 All of these will be with those who by knowledges [scientiae] have perverted the holy things of the church, and thus they will be separated from those who are of the church, lest they persecute them. (15)

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])