By Curtis Childs
Could there be reasons for the humble, vulnerable beginnings of Jesus’s life?
In this video from his Swedenborg and Life web series, host Curtis Childs and featured guests explore how the Divine design may have been at play from the very beginning of Christ's life.
(References: Apocalypse Explained 706 [12]; Luke 2:8-12; The Word 7; True Christian Religion 89, 90, 96, 766)
6. VI. The Word and natural theology, as being nothing but the Word and derived from it; the excellence of the style of the Word.
I heard a serious argument between spirits who in the world had been learned, in some cases from the Word, in others as the result of natural illumination. The latter insisted that natural theology is sufficient, and is able to teach, in fact enlighten, a person without the Word. One could see that God exists, there is a heaven and a hell, and that the soul is immortal and life is everlasting. The other party, however, said it is only the Word which teaches these things and gives enlightenment. The spirits who took the part of natural theology alone made a violent attack on the supporters of the Word, and kept it up for several days, thinking in their hearts and eventually saying that the Word is of no value. It was written in a style so simple and at the same time so obscure in very many places that no one could be taught, much less enlightened, by it. They said that the writings of learned people were far superior, such as the writings of Cicero, Seneca and a number of modern scholars.
The reply they were given was that the style of the Word excels that of all the learned people in the whole world, because there is in it not a single phrase, or rather not a single word or letter, which does not contain something of the Lord, and so something of heaven and the church, since it comes from God, and is consequently at its inmost level spiritual. This Divine quality lies hidden within it, like the soul in the body. When a person reads it, this is unfolded in sequence to the eyes of angels. They are affected by the holiness in it as its spirituality is unfolded, and this is communicated to the person. From this it is clear that its very style, however simple it appears, is infinitely superior to any style used by the most learned people in the world. Although their style may be polished, 1 elegant and sublime, it still does not communicate with heaven, so that compared to the style of the Word it is utterly worthless.
[2] Although the spirits who supported natural theology listened to this, they still rejected it, because it was plain that in the world they had despised the Word. Those who in the world despise the Word, and support this attitude by quoting passages from it, go on perpetually despising it after death. For any principle adopted in the world about God and the Word, and then confirmed, after death remains rooted too deeply to be eradicated. So since they were communicating not with heaven, but with hell, they began to establish links with some satans there, to such an extent that they ended up by talking together with the satans, and gnashing their teeth they breathed slaughter against the souls of the supporters of the Word. Still they were unable to do anything at all to them, for they had the Lord on their side, and the others had Satan on theirs. One group therefore was received into heaven, and the others were thrown into hell.
[3] Afterwards the angels talked about natural theology, saying that without the Word it reveals nothing, but merely confirms the points of the church's teaching known from the Word. Proofs from nature, gathered by means of the illumination of the reason, strengthen spiritual truths, because everyone has some natural idea of spiritual matters. This allows him to keep these things in his memory, and he can take them out to think about them, and use his reason to turn them over and debate them. If therefore proofs are adduced from nature, this strengthens the truth. But care must still be taken that falsity is not seized upon in place of truth, since clever people are just as able to prove falsity as truth. Consequently a heresy can be so strengthened that it destroys the real truth.
[4] They went on to say that no one can approach spiritual theology from natural theology, though anyone can approach natural theology from spiritual, since this is in accordance with Divine order, but the other is contrary to it. For the natural is gross and impure, the spiritual is subtle and pure. It is impossible to approach the subtle and pure from the gross and impure, but the reverse is possible; the angels can look below them and see all that is there. But no one from lower down can see what is in the heavens. In fact an angel can see a spirit, who is more gross, but this spirit cannot see an angel, who is more pure. When therefore such spirits go up into a heaven inhabited by angels, as often happens, they see no one, not even their houses; so they go away saying it is empty and waste space.
[5] It is the same with the Word. Those who do not believe in the Word on the evidence of the Word are quite unable to believe in anything Divine on the evidence of nature. For the Lord teaches:
They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them. If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced, even if someone comes back from the dead. Luke 16:29, 31.
The same is true, if anyone rejects the Word and wants to believe solely on the evidence of nature. As for certain of the ancients, who were pagans, such as Aristotle and Cicero and others, writing about the existence of God and the immortality of the soul, they did not acquire this knowledge first from their own natural illumination, but from the religion of the ancients. They had received a Divine revelation, which was spread successively to other heathens.
Footnotes:
1. Reading tersus as proposed by B. Rogers.
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Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
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Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
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It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
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That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
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There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
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And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
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And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
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And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
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According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
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And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
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And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
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And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
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But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
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And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
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For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
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And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
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And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
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And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
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And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
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And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
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And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
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And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
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And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
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And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
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Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
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And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
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To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
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And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
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And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
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And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
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And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
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He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
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And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
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Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
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And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
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And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
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For with God nothing shall be impossible.
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And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
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And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
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And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
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And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
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And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
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And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
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For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
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And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
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And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
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And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
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For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
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For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
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And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
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He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
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He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
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He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
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He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
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As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
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And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
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Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
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And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
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And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
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And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
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And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
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And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
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And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
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And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
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And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
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And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
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And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
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Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
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And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
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As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
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That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
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To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
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The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
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That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
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In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
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And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
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To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
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Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
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To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
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And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
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