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John 8

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1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.

14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.

15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.

18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

20 These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.

21 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.

22 Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.

23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.

24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.

26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.

27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.

28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.

50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.

51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.

53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?

54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:

55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?

58 Jesus said unto them, Verily,verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

True Christian Religion #109

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109. ADDITIONAL NOTE

All churches which existed before the Lord's coming were representative, unable to see Divine truths except in shadow. But since the Lord's coming into the world, a church has been founded by Him which has seen, or rather has been able to see, Divine truths in broad daylight. It is the same difference as between evening and morning. In fact the state of the church before the Lord's coming is called in the Word evening; and its state after His coming is called morning. Before He came into the world, the Lord was certainly present with the people of the church, but through the mediation of angels as His representatives; however, since His coming He is present with the people of the church without any intermediary. For in the world He put on the Divine Natural too, in which He is present with human beings. The Lord's glorification is the glorification of His Human, which He took upon Himself in the world; and the glorified Human of the Lord is the Divine Natural. The truth of this is clear from the fact that the Lord rose from the tomb with His whole body which He had in the world, and left nothing of it behind there. It follows that He took with Him from there the Human Natural itself from first to last. That is why He said to His disciples after the resurrection, when they thought they saw a spirit:

Look at my hands and my feet to confirm that it is I; touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see me have, Luke 24:37, 39.

It is plain from this that His natural body was made Divine by glorification. Paul therefore says that in Christ all the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9); and John says that the Son of God Jesus Christ is the true God (1 John 5:20). By this the angels know that the Lord alone in all the spiritual world is fully man.

[2] It is well known in the church that all worship among the Israelite and Jewish nation was only external, and it was only a sketch of the internal worship which the Lord revealed. Thus worship before the Lord's coming consisted of symbols and figures, which stood as a fair model of true worship. Among the ancients the Lord Himself was actually seen, for He said to the Jews:

Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and see it he did and was glad. I say to you, before Abraham was, I was, John 8:56, 58.

But because at that time the Lord was only represented, which was done by means of angels, everything in the Jewish church was made representative. But after His coming into the world, those representations vanished. The inward cause of this was that the Lord in the world put on the Divine Natural too, and by means of this He enlightens not only the internal, spiritual man, but also the external, natural man. Unless these two are simultaneously enlightened, a person is, so to speak, in shadow; but when both are simultaneously enlightened, he is, so to speak, in daylight. For when only the internal man is enlightened, and not the external at the same time, or when only the external man is enlightened, and not the internal at the same time, it is like someone asleep and dreaming, and then when he wakes remembering his dream, which leads him to various quite imaginary conclusions. It is also like someone walking in his sleep, when he thinks he sees what he sees in broad daylight.

[3] The difference between the state of the church before and after the Lord's coming can also be compared to a person who reads a book at night by the light of the moon and stars, and one who does so in sunlight. It is crystal clear that in the former light, which is only white, the eye strays; but it does not in the latter light, which is flamelike. Therefore we read of the Lord:

The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel talked to me. He is like the light of morning, when the sun rises, a morning without clouds. 2 Samuel 23:3-4.

The God of Israel and the Rock of Israel mean the Lord. Elsewhere:

The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of seven days, on the day when Jehovah binds up His people's broken limb, Isaiah 30:26.

This is a description of the state of the church after the Lord's coming. In short, the state of the church before the Lord's coming can be compared to an old woman, whose face is made up and who thinks the rouge makes her look lovely. But the state of the church after the Lord's coming can be compared to a young woman whose natural high colour makes her beautiful. Again, the state of the church before the Lord's coming can be compared to the rind of a fruit, such as an orange, apple, pear, or grape, and its taste; but its state after His coming to the interior of those fruits and their taste; and many other similes. This is all because the Lord, after putting on the Divine Natural too, enlightens the internal, spiritual man and the external, natural man at the same time. For when only the internal man is enlightened, and not the external at the same time, there is shadow; and likewise when only the external is enlightened, and not the internal at the same time.

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