圣经文本

 

創世記第11章

学习

   

1 那時,天下人的口音、言語都是樣。

2 他們往東邊遷移的時候,在示拿遇見一片平原,就在那裡。

3 他們彼此商量:來罷!我們要作磚,把磚燒透了。他們就拿磚當石頭,又拿漆當灰泥。

4 他們:來罷!我們建造一座城和一座頂通,為要傳揚我們的名,免得我們分散在全上。

5 耶和華降臨,要世人所建造的城和

6 耶和華:看哪,他們成為樣的人民,都是樣的言語,如今既作起這事來,以後他們所要作的事就沒有不成就的了。

7 我們去,在那裡變亂他們的口音,使他們的言語彼此不通。

8 於是耶和華使他們從那裡分散在全上;他們就停工,不造那城了。

9 因為耶和華在那裡變亂天下人的言語,使眾人分散在全上,所以那城名巴別(就是變亂的意思)。

10 代記在下面。洪水以二年,歲生了亞法撒。

11 生亞法撒之又活了五年,並且生兒養女。

12 亞法撒活到三十五歲,生了沙拉。

13 亞法撒生沙拉之又活了年,並且生兒養女。

14 沙拉活到三十歲,生了希伯。

15 沙拉生希伯之又活了年,並且生兒養女。

16 希伯活到三十歲,生了法勒。

17 希伯生法勒之又活了三十年,並且生兒養女。

18 法勒活到三十歲,生了拉吳。

19 法勒生拉吳之又活了二年,並且生兒養女。

20 拉吳活到三十歲,生了西鹿。

21 拉吳生西鹿之又活了二年,並且生兒養女。

22 西鹿活到三十歲,生了拿鶴。

23 西鹿生拿鶴之又活了二年,並且生兒養女。

24 拿鶴活到二十歲,生了他拉。

25 拿鶴生他拉之又活了一一十九年,並且生兒養女。

26 他拉活到七十歲,生了亞伯蘭、拿鶴、哈蘭。

27 他拉的後代記在下面。他拉生亞伯蘭、拿鶴、哈蘭;哈蘭生羅得。

28 哈蘭在他的本迦勒底的吾珥,在他父親他拉之先。

29 亞伯蘭、拿鶴各娶了妻:亞伯蘭的妻子名叫撒萊;拿鶴的妻子名叫密迦,是哈蘭的女兒;哈蘭是密迦和亦迦的父親

30 撒萊不生育,沒有孩子。

31 他拉帶著他兒子亞伯蘭和他孫子哈蘭兒子羅得,並他兒婦亞伯蘭的妻子撒萊,出了迦勒底的吾珥,要往迦南去;他們走到哈蘭,就在那裡。

32 他拉共活了二零五歲,就哈蘭

   

来自斯威登堡的著作

 

Arcana Coelestia#1799

学习本章节

  
/10837  
  

1799. 'Behold, a son of my house is my heir' means that in the Lord's kingdom there would be only that which is external. This is clear from the meaning in the internal sense of 'an heir' and of 'inheriting'. 'Becoming an heir' or inheriting means eternal life in the Lord's kingdom. All who are in the Lord's kingdom are heirs, for the source of the life in them is the Lord's life, which is the life of mutual love, and for that reason they are called 'sons'. The Lord's sons or heirs consist of all who have His life in them, for it is from Him that their life comes, and it is from Him that they have been born, that is, regenerated. Those born of another are that other's heirs; and so it is with all who are being regenerated by the Lord, for in that case they are receiving the life that is the Lord's.

[2] In the Lord's kingdom there are those who are external, those who are more interior, and those who are internal. Good spirits who dwell in the first heaven are external, angelic spirits who dwell in the second heaven are more interior, and angels who dwell in the third heaven are internal. Those who are external are not as close to or near the Lord as those who are more interior, and these in turn are not so close or near as those who are internal. Out of Divine love, or mercy, the Lord wills to have everyone near to Himself, so that they do not stand outside, that is, in the first heaven. His will is that they should dwell in the third heaven, and if possible not merely with Him but abiding in Him. Such is the nature of Divine or the Lord's love. But since at that time none but external things existed with the Church, He complained of this in the words that occur here - 'Behold, a son of my house is my heir' - by which is meant that in His kingdom there would thus be only that which is external. But comfort followed, and a promise of internal things, as described in the verses that follow next. What the external aspect of the Church is has been stated already in 1083, 1098, 1100, 1151, 1153.

[3] By itself doctrine does not constitute the external aspect of the Church, still less the internal, as stated above. Nor on the Lord's part is it its teachings that make one Church distinct and separate from another, but its life in accordance with those teachings, all of which, as long as they present what is true, regard charity as their basic principle. What else does doctrine do but teach men the kind of people they ought to be?

[4] In the Christian world it is their doctrines that cause Churches to be distinct and separate, and because of these they call themselves Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Calvinists or the Reformed, and Evangelicals, among other names. It is solely by reason of their doctrines that they are called by these names. This situation would never exist if they were to make love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour the chief thing of faith. In this case their doctrinal differences would be no more than shades of opinion concerning the mysteries of faith which truly Christian people would leave to individual conscience, and in their hearts would say that a person is truly a Christian when he lives as a Christian, that is, as the Lord teaches. If this were so all the different Churches would become one, and all the disagreements which stem from doctrine alone would disappear. Indeed the hatred one man holds against another would be dispelled in an instant, and the Lord's kingdom on earth would come.

[5] The Ancient Church which existed immediately after the Flood, though scattered among many kingdoms, was of this nature. That is to say, people differed much from one another in matters of doctrine, but for all that, they made charity the chief thing. Also they regarded worship, not from the standpoint of doctrinal teachings which are matters of faith, but from that of charity which is a matter of life. This is what is meant by 'they all had one lip and their words were one', Genesis 11:1, regarding which see 1285.

  
/10837  
  

Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.