ბიბლია

 

Matthew 2:1-12 : The Visit of the Wise Men

Სწავლა

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

კომენტარი

 

Christmas Gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

By New Christian Bible Study Staff

The Adoration of the Magi, a Design for Bas Relief.

In the Christmas story, the wise men bring gifts to the Lord: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The gold is listed first, because it is the inmost - signifying good, e.g. the good that we do when we love the Lord and the neighbor.

The frankincense is next. It signifies rational truth, which is the set of true ideas that we know, not about external things like cars or cooking, but about what is really good, and what is really true.

These rational truths are built on earlier knowledges that we learn, before we have really made them our own. Those early knowledges about spiritual things - often learned in childhood - are represented by the myrrh.

In a way, these gifts are really a reciprocation. We can't actually give them to the Lord until the Lord has given them to us. We necessarily start out by learning and doing the Lord's law (myrrh). The Lord can then call up those memories to become rational truths (frankincense). Then, over time, and with effort, those truths can be transformed into good (gold). The wise men from the East had gone through this process of learning and becoming vessels that could receive truths and goods. They were able to perceive the Lord's birth, and find him, and bring gifts to him.

სვედენბორგის ნაშრომებიდან

 

Scriptural Confirmations # 6

  
/ 101  
  

6. 4. If any one preacheth any other gospel than that which He preached let him be accursed (Galatians 1:8-9).

I live, no more I, but Christ liveth in me (Galatians 2:20). The power which God wrought in Christ, wherefore He set Him at His own right hand above the heavens, above all principalities, power, and might, etc., and hath put all things under His feet, and hath given Him to be the head over all things of the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all (Ephesians 1:20-23).

Through Christ we have access in one Spirit unto the Father. Christ is the corner stone, by whom the whole building framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, through whom ye also are builded together into an habitation of God in the spirit (Ephesians 2:18, 20-22).

God hath founded all things by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:9).

One body and one Spirit; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all; and unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ (Ephesians 4:4-7).

He that descended is also the same that ascended above all the heavens, that He might fill all things (Ephesians 4:10).

For the edifying of the body of Christ, and that the church is the body and Christ the head (Ephesians 4:12, 15-16).

We are members of His body; of His flesh, and of His bones (Ephesians 5:30).

By faith we have access to Christ in confidence (Ephesians 3:12).

Christ is the head of the church, and He is the Savior of the body (Ephesians 5:23).

  
/ 101  
  

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