Verses 1-2. When any one in the knowledge of the truth devotes himself to the Lord internally or externally by compelling himself to obedience, he must not profane the truth by acts of disobedience.

Verses 3-5. When any one in the affection of truth in the beginning of regeneration, does the same, his devotion may be confirmed if it is in agreement with internal good, but not otherwise; and remission may follow, because ignorance or error prevents the agreement of external good with internal.

Verses 6-8. Also if any one who is externally in truth conjoined with good does the same, similar results will follow.

Verse 9. But devotion from merely selfish motives, results in the confirmation of falsity and evil.

Verses 10-12. While yet devotion from selfish motives apparently, when truth conjoined with good is predominant internally, may also be followed by genuine confirmation or not.

Verse 13. For it is the state as to internal truth conjoined with good that decides.

Verses 14-15. And therefore, generally, confirmation in good or otherwise, depends upon the state internally; and it is the internal man that must endure temptations, and thus overcome evil, by power from the Lord, in order that the external may come into harmony with it.

Verse 16. All the foregoing are laws of Divine Order as to the conjunction of good and truth and as to the relation between the internal and external man.

2359. 'No, my brothers, do not act wickedly' means that no violence should be done to these, that is to say, to the good that flows from charity, or to the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding. This is clear from the meaning of 'acting wickedly' as doing violence. All these considerations show that the subject is people inside the Church and that it is these who are meant by 'the men of Sodom', for nobody is capable of violating those things except him who possesses the Word. The utter holiness of those things becomes clear from the consideration that nobody can be admitted into the Lord's kingdom, that is, into heaven, unless the good of love and charity exists in him; and that cannot exist with anyone unless he acknowledges the Lord's Divinity and [proceeding] Holiness. It is from Him alone that this good flows in, and indeed into good itself of which He is the source. The Divine cannot flow in except into that which is Divine; nor can it be communicated to man except through the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy deriving from this. From this one can understand what is implied when it is said that the Lord is the All in all of His kingdom, and that no good at all residing with man is man's but the Lord's.