The Bible

 

約翰福音 2

Study

   

1 日,在加利利的迦拿有娶親的筵席,耶穌的母親在那裡。

2 耶穌和他的門徒也被請去赴席。

3 酒用盡了,耶穌的母親對他:「他們沒有酒了。」

4 耶穌:「母親(原文是婦人),我與你有甚麼相干?我的時候還沒有到。」

5 他母親對用人:「他告訴你們甚麼,你們就做甚麼。」

6 猶太人潔淨的規矩,有口石缸擺在那裡,每口可以盛兩桶水。

7 耶穌對用人:「把缸倒滿了水。他們就倒滿了,直到缸口。」

8 耶穌又:「現在可以舀出來,送給管筵席的。他們就送了去。」

9 管筵席的嘗了那水變的酒,並不知道是那裡來的,只有舀水的用人知道。管筵席的便叫新郎來,

10 對他:「人都是先擺上好酒,等客喝足了,才擺上次的,你倒把好酒留到如今!」

11 這是耶穌所行的頭一件神蹟,是在加利利的迦拿行的,顯出他的榮耀來;他的門徒就信他了。

12 這事以後,耶穌與他的母親、弟兄、和門徒都下迦百農去,在那裡住了不多幾日。

13 猶太人的逾越節近了,耶穌就上耶路撒冷去。

14 看見殿裡有賣牛、羊、鴿子的,並有兌換銀錢的人在那裡,

15 耶穌就拿繩子做成鞭子,把牛羊都趕出殿去,倒出兌換銀錢之人的銀錢,推翻他們的桌子,

16 又對賣鴿子的:「把這些東西拿去!不要將我父的殿當作買賣的地方。」

17 他的門徒就想起經上記著:「我為你的殿心裡焦急,如同火燒。」

18 因此猶太人問他:「你既做這些事,還顯甚麼神蹟給我們看呢?」

19 耶穌回答:「你們拆毀這殿,我日內要再建立起來。」

20 猶太人便:「這殿是四十六年才造成的,你日內就再建立起來嗎?」

21 但耶穌這話是以他的身體為殿。

22 所以到他從死裡復活以後,門徒就想起他說過這話,便信了聖經和耶穌所的。

23 當耶穌在耶路撒冷過逾越節的時候,有許多人看見他所行的神蹟,就信了他的名。

24 耶穌卻不將自己交託他們;因為他知道萬人,

25 也用不著誰見證人怎樣,因他知道人心裡所存的。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #8768

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

8768. 'You will be to Me a peculiar treasure from among all peoples' means that at that time Divine Truth will exist with them more than with others. This is clear from the meaning of 'being Jehovah's (or the Lord's) peculiar treasure' as being the Lord's, for 'a peculiar treasure' is something especially one's own, and so a possession. Those among whom the Word exists are meant, the reason for this being that those who have the Word, that is, where the Church exists, are called the Lord's own more than others; and that these are called 'His own' is clear from the Lord's words in John 1:11; 10:2-4. The fact that those who belong to the Church, thus with whom the Word exists, are called 'a peculiar treasure' is clear in David,

Jah has chosen Jacob for Himself, and Israel to be His peculiar treasure. Psalms 135:4.

'Jacob' and 'Israel' are plainly those who belong to the Church, among whom the Word exists. Likewise in Moses,

You are a holy people to Jehovah your God; Jehovah your God has chosen you to be for Himself a people who are a peculiar treasure, 1 from among all peoples who are on the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2.

[2] The reason why those who have the Word are more than others a peculiar treasure [to the Lord] and especially His own is that they are acquainted with the truths and forms of the good of faith. This being so, they are able more than others to lead the life of heaven and so be joined to the Lord. For the good that constitutes heaven with a person receives its specific quality from the truths of faith. Thus good becomes more heavenly or more Divine among those who possess genuine truths, which are truths drawn from the Word, though only if they keep them, that is, lead a life in accordance with them. This is shown to be so in Moses,

Today you have declared that Jehovah is your God, and that you will go in His ways, and will keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgements, and will obey His voice. And Jehovah declares to you today that you are for Him a people who are a peculiar treasure, 1 as He has told you, and that you should keep all His commandments. Deuteronomy 26:17-18.

Footnotes:

1. literally, the people of a peculiar treasure

  
/ 10837  
  

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