3146. Dat de woorden ‘en gaf de kamelen stro en voeder’ het onderricht in waarheden en goedheden betekenen, blijkt uit de betekenis van het stro, namelijk de waarheden van de natuurlijke mens en uit de betekenis van het voeder, namelijk de goedheden daar, waarover eerder in nr. 3114. Daar deze dingen door stro en voeder worden aangeduid, volgt hieruit, dat stro en voeder geven wil zeggen: onderrichten in waarheden en goedheden. Dat het vrije ter wille hiervan is, dat de mens onderricht zal worden in de aandoening en uit de aandoening van het ware, en dat dus zo de waarheden worden ingegeven, diep, tot de geestelijke mens of tot de ziel toe, en daar verbonden met het goede, kan men zien uit wat over het vrije in de nrs. 2870-2893 is aangetoond. Van dien aard is de inworteling van het geloof of van het ware dat van het geloof is; en wanneer dit niet verbonden wordt met het goede in het redelijke, ontvangt het ware van het geloof nooit enig leven en komt daaruit nooit enige vrucht voort, want alles wat de vrucht van het geloof wordt genoemd, is de vrucht van het goede, dat van de liefde en de naastenliefde is door het ware dat van het geloof is. Wanneer de geestelijke warmte die het goede van de liefde is, niet werkzaam is door het geestelijk licht, dat het ware van het geloof is, zou de mens gelijk zijn aan een door de vorst verstarde grond als in de wintertijd, wanneer niets groeit en nog minder vrucht draagt; want zoals het licht zonder de warmte niets voortbrengt, evenzo brengt het geloof niets voort zonder de liefde.

209. FROM THE ARCANA COELESTIA.

Baptism signifies regeneration by the Lord through the truths of faith from the Word (n. 4255, 5120, 9088, 10239, 10386-10388, 10392). Baptism is for a sign that man is of the church, where the Lord is acknowledged, from whom is regeneration, and which has the Word, from which are the truths of faith, by which regeneration is effected (n. 10386-10388). Baptism gives neither faith nor salvation, but testifies that faith and salvation will be received by those who are regenerated (n. 10391).

The washings in the ancient churches, and in the Israelitish church, represented and thence signified purifications from evils and falsities (n. 3147, 9088, 10237, 10239). "The washings of garments" signified the purification of the understanding from falsities (n. 5954). "The washing of the feet" signified the purification of the natural man (n. 3147, 10241). What is signified by "the washing of the disciples' feet" by the Lord, is explained (n. 10243).

"Waters" signify the truths of faith (n. 28, 2702, 3058, 5668, 8568, 10238). "A fountain" and "a well of living waters" signifies the truths of faith from the Lord, thus the Word (n. 3424). "Bread and water" signify all the goods of love and truths of faith (n. 4976, 9323). "Spirit" signifies the life of truth, or the life of faith (n. 5222, 9281, 9818). What "the spirit" and "the flesh" signify, that "the spirit" signifies life from the Lord, and "flesh," life from man (n. 10283). Hence it is evident what is signified by these words of the Lord:

Except a man be begotten of water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5).

Namely, that unless man is regenerated by the truths of faith, and by a life according to them, he cannot be saved (n. 10240). All regeneration is effected by the truths of faith, and by a life according to them (n. 1904, 2046, 9088, 9959, 10028).

The total washing, which was effected by immersion in the waters of the Jordan, signified regeneration itself, in the same manner as baptism (n. 9088, 10239). What "the waters of Jordan," and "Jordan" signified (n. 1585, 4255).

"A flood" and "inundation of waters" signify temptations (n. 660, 705, 639, 756, 790[1-4], 5725, 6853). "Baptism" signifies the same (n. 5120, 10389). In what manner baptism was represented from heaven (n. 2299).

4976. 'And ministered to him' means that factual knowledge was assigned to its own good. This is clear from the meaning of 'ministering' as serving by supplying what another has need of, in this case as being assigned to since the subject is natural good to which factual knowledge is to be assigned. 'Ministering' is also used to describe known facts, for in the Word a minister and a servant mean factual knowledge or natural truth because this is subservient to good as its lord. Factual knowledge stands in relation to delight present in the natural man - or what amounts to the same, natural truth stands in relation to its good - in exactly the same way as water does to bread, or drink to food. Water or drink enables bread or food to be dissolved, and once dissolved to be conveyed into the blood, from which it passes into all parts around the body and nourishes them. Without the water or drink the bread or food is not broken down into extremely small particles and carried around the body to fulfill its purpose.

[2] The same applies to factual knowledge in relation to delight, or truth in relation to good. That being so, good longs for and desires truth, and does so because of the purpose such truth can fulfill by ministering to it and serving it. Food and drink also correspond to these. No one in the next life is nourished by any natural food or natural drink, only by spiritual food and spiritual drink, spiritual food being good, and spiritual drink truth. This is why, when bread or food is mentioned in the Word, angels understand spiritual bread or food, which is the good of love and charity; and when water or drink is mentioned they understand spiritual water or drink, which is the truth of faith. From this one may see what the truth of faith without the good of charity is, and also what kind of nourishment the former without the latter is able to supply to the internal man; that is to say, it is like the nourishment supplied by water or drink alone without bread or food. It is well known that a person fed on water or drink alone wastes away and dies.