1. True Christianity

Containing a Comprehensive Theology of the New Heaven and the New Church

The Faith of the New Heaven and the New Church

THE faith of the new heaven and the new church is stated here in both universal and specific forms to serve as the face of the work that follows, the doorway that allows entry into the temple, and the summary that in one way or another contains all the details to follow. I say "the faith of the new heaven and the new church" because heaven, where there are angels, and the church, in which there are people, act together like the inner and the outer levels in a human being. People in the church who love what is good because they believe what is true and who believe what is true because they love what is good are angels of heaven with regard to the inner levels of their minds. After death they come into heaven, and enjoy happiness there according to the relationship between their love and their faith. It is important to know that the new heaven that the Lord is establishing today has this faith as its face, doorway, and summary.

243. 8. The Church Is Based on the Word; the Nature of the Church in Individuals Depends on Their Understanding of the Word

The church is unquestionably based on the Word - I have shown above that the Word is divine truth (189-192); that the church's body of teaching is based on the Word (225-233); and that we are connected to the Lord through the Word (234-239). The idea that the understanding of the Word shapes the church is something that could be called into question, however, since there are people who believe they are part of the church because they have the Word, because they read it or hear it from a preacher, and because they know something of its literal meaning, although they do not know how to understand this or that saying in the Word and some of them do not care. Therefore I will present support for two ideas: it is not the Word but the understanding of it that forms the church; and the quality of the church is determined by the way people in it understand the Word.

225. 5. The Church's Body of Teaching Has to Be Drawn from the Word's Literal Meaning and Supported by It

The preceding part of this chapter showed that the Word is complete, holy, and powerful in the literal meaning. Because the Lord is the Word and is the First and the Last, as he says in Revelation 1:17, it follows that the Lord is most present in the literal meaning. From it he teaches and enlightens us. These thoughts need to be put forward in the following sequence:

1. The Word is not understandable without a body of teaching.

2. A body of teaching has to be drawn from the Word's literal meaning.

3. Nevertheless, the divine truth needed for a body of teaching becomes manifest only to those who have enlightenment from the Lord.