Verses 1-9. From the knowledges of good and truth, and the doctrine thence derived, the Lord teaches that the reception of His Word is fourfold.

Verse 4. First, as it is received by those who have no concern about truth, being in fantasies and false persuasions which pervert it.

Verses 5, 6. Secondly, as it is received by those who have a concern about truth, but not for its own sake, thus not interiorly, therefore the truth perishes, being adulterated by the lusts of self-love.

Verse 7. Thirdly, as it is received by those who are in the cravings of evil, which suffocate the truth.

Verse 8. Fourthly, as it is received by those who from the Lord love the truths which are in the Word, and from Him do them.

Verse 9. Which fourfold reception of the Word ought to be well attended to, both as to doctrine and practice, by all who are of the church.

Verses 10, 11. Otherwise the Word will be understood only according to its literal or external sense, and not according to its spiritual and internal sense, which latter sense is revealed to those who are in the good of charity and the truth of faith from the Lord, but not to them, lest they should profane it.

Verse 12. They, therefore, who are in the good of charity and the truth of faith, are accepted in heaven, and become angels, every one according to the quality and quantity of intelligence and wisdom which he has acquired to himself in the world; whereas they, who are in falsities derived from evil, in the other life are deprived of all truths.

Verses 13, 14. For the same reason these latter believe only in the letter of the Word, because they have separated faith from life, and instruction from obedience, as had been predicted.

Verse 15. And this on account of their defiled loves, which infect both the will and the understanding, insomuch that it is dangerous for them to see the truth, and especially to receive it interiorly, because their unclean loves would falsify and profane it.

Verse 16. But it is otherwise with those who are in the goods of charity and the truths of faith from the Lord, because they understand, believe, obey, and live according to those truths.

Verse 17. For all who are in the truths of doctrine, and in the good of life agreeable thereto, love to understand and perceive the interior truths proceeding from the Lord, and which He opened when in the world.

Verses 18, 19. To them therefore it is given to perceive, that when the Word is received by those who have no concern about truth, it is immediately darkened and deprived of life by infernal spirits, so that it produces no effect on the life or love.

Verses 20, 21. And that when it is received by those who have a concern about truth, but not for its own sake, thus not interiorly, it excites indeed external delight, arising from external affection, but whereas it has no place in the will, it cannot stand in the assault of evils and falsities.

Verse 22. And when it is received by those who are in the cravings of evil, it is suffocated and rendered unfruitful by worldly anxieties and the lust of gain.

Verse 23. But that when it is received by those who from the Lord love the truths which are in the Word, it affects first the will, and thence the understanding, and thus the life, in each according to reception.

Verses 24, 25. For the Lord by His Word is willing to implant Truth Divine in all who are of the church, but whilst men lead a natural life, or the life of the world, then evils from hell secretly, or whilst they are ignorant, insinuate and implant falsities.

Verse 26. And when truths grow, and good is produced, falsities from evil are intermixed.

Verses 27, 28. Which being perceived by those who are in truths from good, they complain, and are instructed that those falsities are from evil in the natural man.

Verses 28, 29. And that they must not be separated nor ejected, until truths derived from good are increased, because in such case truth derived from good and its increase would also perish.

Verse 30. Therefore the separation of falsities derived from evil and their ejection cannot be effected, until it is the last state of the church, for then the falsities of evil are separated from the truths of good, and the falsities of evil are delivered to hell, and the truths of good are conjoined to heaven, or, what is the same thing, the men who are in them.

Verses 31, 32. For the church in man begins from a little spiritual good by truth, because at that time he thinks to do good from himself; but as truth is conjoining to love, it increases, and when it is conjoined, then things intellectual are multiplied in scientifics.

Verse 33. Nevertheless, this increase cannot have place but by spiritual combat, which is that of the false with truth, and of truth with the false; in which case the false being separated, truth is purified, being conjoined to charity, so that man acts no longer from the truth of faith, but from the good of charity.

Verses 34, 35, 36. That these processes of spiritual life lie concealed under the letter of the Word, and are not revealed to those who are in evils and falsities, but only to those who are in goods and truths.

Verses 37, 38. To whom it is given to perceive from the Lord, that all Divine Truth is from Him, that the church is every where, that Divine Truth is with those who are of the church, and that falsities are with those who are in evil.

Verse 39. Also that the evil have falsities from evil, which is from hell, and that at the last time and state of the church, Divine Truth separates.

Verses 40, 41, 42. And that on this occasion the Divine Truths from the Lord are about to remove those who hinder separation, and who live in evil, into hell, where they are in self-love, in hatred, and in revenge, and in every thing direful arising from evils and falsities.

Verse 43. When they who have acknowledged the Lord, and done His precepts, will live in heavenly loves, and in the joys thereof in heaven.

Verse 44. For these alienate the things of their own propriums, that they may procure to themselves the Divine Truth which is in the church of the Lord, and its doctrine, however obscure it may appear.

Verses 45, 46. They alienate also all things of self-love, that they may procure to themselves that Divine Truth more especially, which relates to the acknowledgement of the Lord.

Verses 47, 48. And that thus, at the time of the last judgement, goods and evils may be separated, and the goods be conjoined to their proper truths, and the evils to their proper falsities.

Verses 49, 50. At which time, they who have lived in the exercise of charity from the love of what is just and true, will be taken up in to heaven; and they who have lived in things contrary to charity, will be let down into hell.

Verse 51. That the men of the church ought to enquire diligently in themselves, whether they comprehend the above interior truths of heaven, so as to be in an affirmative principle concerning them.

Verse 52. In which case they will become images and likenesses of the Lord, possessing from Him internal goods and truths in external.

Verses 53, 54. When the Lord had thus taught interior goods and truths to those of His internal church, He applies Himself to those of the external church, who are in external or natural good and truth, and excites enquiry in them concerning Himself.

Verses 55, 56. But whereas they can see nothing in Him but His Human [principle], and not His Divine, they are perplexed about Him.

Verse 57. And also reject Him because the doctrine of spiritual good and truth cannot be received by those who are in mere natural good and truth.

Verse 58. Neither can such be fully regenerated, because they do not acknowledge the Lord's Divine Humanity.