Explaining the Inner Meaning of John 11

Verse 11:1. That the good of life in the church amongst the Gentiles was infested with evils and falsities, being in external truth, derived from the affections of good and truth.

Verse 11:2. And that from the affection of good they acknowledged the Lord with love, and from truth grounded in that love had faith in his Divine Humanity.

Verses 11:3, 4, 5. Therefore they confess to the Lord the infestation under which they labour, and are consoled with the assurance that it would not terminate in their eternal destruction, but would tend only to make more manifest the divine truth of the Lord's Divine Humanity, to which the affections of good and truth, and also the good of life thence derived, are conjoined by love.

Verses 11:6, 7, 8. Nevertheless it is necessary that the infestation should continue for a longer period, both as to good and as to truth, before it is removed, after which period preparation is made by the divine good and truth for its removal, notwithstanding the opposition of false persuasions.

Verses 11:9, 10. On which occasion the church is admonished concerning all the several states of truth, and concerning the necessity of living according to them, since by so doing man escapes all false persuasions, whereas by neglecting to do so, he is ensnared in them.

Verse 11:11. In which latter case the good of the church is immersed in mere natural ideas, whilst it is the divine intention to communicate spiritual ideas.

Verses 11:12, 13, 14. And such natural ideas are supposed to be conducive to spiritual good, whereas the divine truth teaches that, when separated from spiritual ideas, they destroy that good.

Verse 11:15. Nevertheless, out of this destruction the Lord in his Divine Humanity provides blessing for the church, by confirming the principle of a divine faith, when by divine presence and operation the good is revived.

Verse 11:16. Inspiring thus a desire in those, who are principled in the truths of the church, to experience the same revival.

Verse 11:17. That at the Lord's coming to establish the church, it is discovered that all the good of life is perished, even to the conjunction of the principle of evil and of what is false.

Verses 11:18, 19. And that even in the vastated church are some, who are made sensible of this mischief, and who attach themselves to the affections of truth and good in order to remedy it.

Verse 11:20. On which occasion they first apply themselves to the Lord's Divine Humanity under the impulse of the affection of truth, whilst the affection of good is apparently quiescent.

Verses 11:21, 22. Confessing from the former affection, that the destruction of the good of life in the church is a consequence of not cherishing the influence of divine good, and yet convinced that if the divine good be implored through the Divine Humanity, in which it dwells, the good of life may still be restored.

Verses 11:23, 24, 25, 26. Wherefore they are comforted with the persuasion, instilled by the Divine Humanity, that the good of life shall be restored, and this not at the end of the church, but at its commencement, since the Lord in his Divine Humanity is the all both of truth and of good in the church, and therefore by faith in him, even they, who were destitute of good, receive good, and if to their faith they join a good life, that good can never perish.

Verse 11:27. Hence the faith of the church in the Lord's Divine Humanity is confirmed, together with the devout acknowledgement that his coming into the world had been predicted.

Verses 11:28, 29. The affection of good also is excited, under a sense of the divine presence and tenderness, and is elevated to conjunction with the Lord's Divine Humanity.

Verses 11:30, 31. Nevertheless, conjunction was not yet worked with the exterior truths of the church, but only with the affection of truth, and with those who were in the affection of good, and obedient to that affection.

Verse 11:32. Which conjunction produces deep humiliation, together with the acknowledgement of the divinity of the Lord's humanity, and that the destruction of the good of life in the church is owing to a want of that acknowledgement.

Verses 11:33, 34, 35. Hence the divine compassion and tenderness is the more excited, together with inquisition into the state of the good of life in the church.

Verses 11:36, 37. Which is regarded by some as a proof of the divine love towards that good, whilst others are perplexed with the thought, that if that good had been an object of divine regard, it would then have been preserved from destruction.

Verses 11:38, and part of 39. Still the divine compassion applies itself to the state of that good, discovering it to be in an obscure state, in consequence of the prevalence of false persuasions, and therefore first requires that those false persuasions should be removed.

Verses latter part of 11:39, 40. Nevertheless they, who are in the affection of truth, think it impossible to restore the good of life, when it is so far destroyed as to be succeeded by the conjunction of what is evil and false; but they are reproved for their want of faith in the divine promise.

Verses 11:41, 42. Therefore they renounce all false persuasions, on which occasion they are instructed, that the Lord united his humanity to his divinity for the sake of mankind, that they might have access to him in his humanity thus glorified, or made divine.

Verses 11:43, 44. In which humanity he is ever operative by his divine truth, proceeding from his divine good, to vivify in his church the good of life, which being thus vivified, is at first destitute of freedom both internal and external, by reason of the false persuasions with which it was infested, but presently recovers that freedom through instruction in the Divine Word.

Verses 11:45, 46. Hence many in the perverted church, who were in the affection of good, and in illustration from the Lord, become accepting of faith in his Divine Humanity, whilst others neglect such faith, and excite persecution against it.

Verses 11:47, 48. On which occasion they, who are more principled in self-love and hypocritical worship, unite their endeavours to check the operation of the Lord in his Divine Humanity, under an alarm for their own authority.

Verses 11:49, 50, 51, 52. In which persecution they encourage themselves by the prediction, that it is of divine appointment, that the Lord in his Humanity should be made a sacrifice, not for the Jewish nation only, but for all the faithful throughout the earth, that they may become his church and people.

Verses 11:53, 54. Therefore they are intent on the destruction of that humanity, which on that account is hid from the perverted church, and made manifest to those of the new church, who are in the intelligence of truth, but obscurely.

Verses 11:55, 56, 57. Nevertheless, by representative worship, and the purification which it enjoined, many in the perverted church are inquisitive about the Lord's Humanity, whilst they, who are principled in self-love and hypocritical worship, still plot his destruction.