早餐后的对话

(关于 约翰福音21:15-25)

在本章的前半部分，七个门徒回到加利利家。他们去捕鱼，在岸上看见耶稣在岸上，按照他的指示在船的右边捕鱼，把满载着一百五十三条鱼的网子拖到岸上，然后...........当本章后半部分开始时，他们刚刚与耶稣断绝了禁食。现在，他们正在休息。

耶稣对彼得说："你爱我吗？"彼得也许对这个问题有些惊愕，认为答案很明显，就回答说："爱"，耶稣回答说："喂养我的羊羔"。这个顺序又重复了两次，但有一些变化。然后，在这不寻常的对话之后，主给他们都讲了一个小比喻，说的是年轻的时候是年轻的，以后是老的。然后，主叫彼得跟从他，彼得显然是吃醋了，就问约翰该怎么做。主温和地斥责彼得的嫉妒，说："这人若在我来之前不来，你又有什么事呢？"但主又告诉约翰也要跟从他。

最后，约翰的福音书，乃至四本福音书的合集，最后以约翰的解释结束，他是这本福音书的作者。

那么现在，我们再来看看这段对话、比喻，以及嫉妒心的爆发。

七个门徒中只有彼得和约翰两个人在这部分的故事中被提到。彼得代表的是信心，或者说是真理，是关于属灵的事情的真理，我们真正相信是来自神的。约翰代表的是善，或者说是对邻居的爱。前者住在心灵的理解部分，后者住在心灵的意志部分。

在告诉彼得喂养羊的时候，主说跟从他意味着要传扬现在所有门徒都知道的关于主，关于主的到来，关于一个人的生命应该如何领导的真理，以便在新教会中成为主的跟随者。在这段对话中，主是直接的、探究的。"约拿的儿子西门，你爱我比这些还多吗？"我想彼得是在问他爱主耶稣，是否比爱他的加利利人朋友更爱主，尽管这句话很含糊，可能是说 "你爱我比这六个人更爱我吗？当彼得第一次回答时，他说："主啊，你知道我爱你。"

主用这三个试探性的问题中的第一个问题，回答是 "喂养我的羊羔"，而之后的回答是 "喂养我的羊"。羊和羊羔都代表爱行善的人，但羊指的是爱行善的人，为邻舍行善的人，而羊指的是为主行善的人。前者是属灵的善，后者是更高的善，称为天道的善。但最初想行善的人，不知道什么是善，需要从道上学习，受人教导。这就是彼得要 "喂养他们 "的原因，也就是说，真理必须指明要如何行善。要行善的事，必须要有意志的愿意，和明白的知道如何去行，这两者必须连在一起。为了一个成功的基督徒生活，或者说在更大范围内的基督徒教会，"彼得 "和 "约翰 "必须和谐地工作。

然后是一个比喻。"当你年轻的时候，你把自己准备好了，自己做你想做的事情。但当你老了，你必须伸出援手，另一个人就会带你到你不想去的地方。"

这似乎不符合这里的意思，但当然符合，而且有两种方式。第一种方式是在《圣经》的经文中给出的；是关于主的死，所有的预言都是把祂引向祂钉在十字架上，正如所提到的。第二种方式是给我们所有人的教训。当我们年轻、自信、刚强的时候，我们觉得自己可以做自己想做的事，不需要任何帮助。做坏事的诱惑，我们自己可以应付。但当我们渐渐有了智慧后，我们就会意识到，我们所有的力量都来自于主，如果我们继续只依靠自己，来自地狱的试探就会过于强烈，我们就会被引导去做地狱要我们做的事，而不是我们想要的。我们必须从一开始就学会跟随主，依靠主。这句话他是在比喻的结尾处说的，在我们不明白这个比喻的意思之前，这句话似乎是不合适的。"他说这话的时候，他对他们说，你们要跟从我。"这也是我们需要做的。

彼得很乐意做这种传讲真理的工作，也许他觉得自己被挑出来了，但他也意识到，约翰也爱主，也是爱主，也是爱的回报。于是，他问："那这个人该怎么做呢？"看来，所需要的和谐还没有出现，彼得对这种关系的联结感到嫉妒，可能是希望自己是第一，希望能得到保证...........但这并没有实现。皮特只是告诉他，这并不重要，他需要做的是完成交给他的工作。

我想起了雅各和以扫的故事，在 创世记25以扫是长子，以扫是长子，他将继承以撒应得的出生权和祝福。雅各用他母亲的诡计欺骗了以撒，偷了以扫的东西。然后，他跑到帕丹亚兰，和他的叔叔一起住在那里，并变得富有。只有在他回来的路上，他与天使搏斗，改名为以扫，才再次遇到以扫。这个名字的改变意味着，现在雅各因着道的真理而富有了，再加上与以扫的友好会面，也是富有的，这两对双胞胎可以用比喻的方式，合并成一个人，叫作以色列，意思是在思想上把善和真理结合在一起。

以扫的意思与约翰相似，他们都代表良善或真正的慈善。雅各的意思与彼得相似，他们都代表从道里学到的真理。在他们之间任何看似敌意，认为哪一个更重要，都会使他们两个人都变得一无是处，而在一个正在成为天使的人身上（正如每个人都应该追求的那样），没有敌意。真理能使善，而善又能激发出真理，才能使人有成就感。虽然我们可以分别思考和谈论它们，但它们（在主里是完全的，在天使里就更不那么完美了）连成一体，以至于被看成是夫妻。主的神圣的善和神圣的真理的结合是一切创造的起源。是的，所有的创造都是如此。

这种善与真理的结合，以及两者在我们的生活中平衡、和谐地发挥作用的必要性，是新基督教的核心理念。

在《福音书》中，仅有一个故事发生在这个故事之后。在这个故事中，其余的门徒加入这里提到的七人，听主最后的命令。

443. Verse 7. Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand sealed, signifies obedience, and that all who are in obedience are in heaven, and come into heaven. This is evident, from the representation and consequent signification of "the tribe of Simeon," as being obedience (of which presently); and from the signification of "twelve thousand sealed," as being all who are in heaven and who come into heaven (of which above). The tribes of Simeon, Levi, and Issachar, which are now mentioned, and which constitute the third class of the sealed, signify those who are in the first or lowest heaven, and who come into that heaven. For, as was said above, all who are in heaven, and who come into heaven are here treated of; and as there are, three heavens, the third or inmost, the second or middle, and the first or lowest, those who are in the third, in the second, and in the first are separately treated of. Those who are in the third or inmost heaven and who come into that heaven are signified by "Judah, Reuben, and Gad," these constituting the first class of those sealed; those who are in the second or middle heaven and who come into that heaven are signified by "Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh," these, therefore, constituting the second class of those sealed; but those who are in the first or lowest heaven and who come into that heaven are signified by "Simeon, Levi, and Issachar," these constituting the third class of those sealed.

[2] Those belonging to this first or lowest heaven are all obedient in doing the truths and goods that are commanded in the Word or in the doctrine of the church in which they were born, or that they have heard from some master or religious teacher, from whom they have heard that this or that is true and good, and ought to be done. Most of these are not in truths themselves, but in falsities from ignorance, nevertheless these falsities are accepted by the Lord as truths because they have the good of life for their end, and by this the evils that usually cling to falsities are removed (respecting these falsities, and those who are in them, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 21). Such, then, are in the lowest or first heaven. But in the second or middle heaven are all such as are in the spiritual affection of knowing and understanding truth and good, and in the affection of doing it; while in the third or inmost heaven are all such as are in love; but these two classes have already been spoken of above.

[3] "Simeon" and his tribe signify those who are in obedience, because Simeon, the father of the tribe, was named from the word that means "to hear," and "to hear" signifies to obey. This can be seen from the words of Leah his mother when she bare him, which are these:

And Leah conceived again and bare a son, and said, Because Jehovah hath heard that I was hated He hath therefore given me this one also; and she called his name Simeon (Genesis 29:33).

(For explanation of these words see Arcana Coelestia 3867-3872; and that "to hear" signifies to obey there, n. 2542, 3869, 4653-4660, 5017, 5471, 5475, 7216, 8361, 8990, 9311, 9397, 9926, 10061; and above, n. 14, 108, 249.) Because "Simeon" signifies obedience he also signifies faith, for faith becomes faith in man when he obeys and does the commandments; before this is done the knowledge of such things as man has drawn from the Word, from the doctrine of the church and from preaching, appears as faith, but this is not faith until man does these things; until then it is merely a matter of thought from the memory, in which there is nothing of the will, consequently nothing of the man, for the will is the man himself; it is therefore when a man does this, that is, obeys, that it enters the will, thus the man himself and becomes faith.

[4] This faith, which is obedience, is signified also by Peter, when he is called "Simon;" and the faith that is the affection of truth is signified by Peter when he is called "Simon son of Jonah" (as in Matthew 16:17-19, et seq.; Mark 1:16-18, 36; 14:37, 38; Luke 5:3-11; 7:40-43; 22:31-33, et seq.; Luke 24:34; John 1:40-42; 21:15-21). Because "Simeon" in the Hebrew signifies hearing and hearkening, and thence obedience, as was said above, and "the son of Jonah" signifies truth from good, but "Peter" truth itself, Peter is called by the Lord sometimes "Peter," sometimes "Simon Peter," and sometimes "Simon son of Jonah." That these names have such a signification anyone can see from Peter's having been called by the Lord now "Peter," now "Simon," now "son of Jonah," which was not done without cause or meaning. What was said to him at the time makes clear what is meant; thus when he confessed that the Lord was the Son of God, and in consequence the keys of the kingdom of the heavens were given to him, he is called "Simon son of Jonah" (Matthew 16:17, et seq.) and is also called a rock (petra), as the Lord Himself often is in the Prophets. Again, he is called "Simon son of Jonah" when the Lord said to him, "Lovest thou Me," and he answered, "I love Thee;" but when he presently turned himself away from the Lord and was indignant because John, who signifies the good of charity, was following Jesus, he is called "Peter" (John 21:15-21), "Peter" here signifying truth without good, or faith separate from charity.

[5] From this it can be seen that "Simon," when Peter is so named, has a similar signification as "Simeon" the son of Jacob, namely, obedience, the faith of charity, the affection of truth, and in general, truth from good; for in the Hebrew Simon means hearing, hearkening, and obedience, and Jonah in the Hebrew means a dove, which signifies in the spiritual sense the good of charity; and "the son of Jonah" signifies the truth of that good, or the faith of charity; while "rock" [petra], from which he is named Peter, signifies truth and faith, and in the contrary sense, falsity and absence of faith (See above, n. 411).

[6] That "Simeon" the son of Jacob, with the tribe named from him, signifies obedience, and truth in the will, and thence faith, can also be seen from the contrary sense, in which he signifies non-obedience, and falsity in the will, and thus faith separate from the will, which is no faith; for most things in the Word have also a contrary sense, in which they signify the opposite things. It is in this sense that Simeon is mentioned by Israel his father in the prophecy respecting his sons, where it is said:

Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of violence are their swords; into their secret let not my soul come; in their assembly let not my glory be united. For in their anger they slew a man, and in their good pleasure ¹ they houghed an ox. Accursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their fury, for it is hard. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel (Genesis 49:5-7).

"Simeon and Levi are brethren" signifies faith separate from charity; "instruments of violence are their swords" signifies that their doctrinals serve to destroy the works of charity, thus charity itself; "into their secret let not my soul come" signifies that spiritual good does not wish to know the evils of their will; "in their assembly let not my glory be united" signifies that spiritual truth does not wish to know the falsities of their thoughts; "for in their anger they slew a man" signifies that they have wholly turned themselves away from truths, and in their aversion have extinguished faith; "and in their good pleasure they houghed an ox" signifies that from their depraved will they have wholly disabled external good which is of charity; "accursed be their anger, for it is fierce" signifies a grievous aversion from good, and consequent damnation; "and their fury, for it is hard" signifies aversion from truth that is from good; "I will divide them in Jacob" signifies that this faith is to be exterminated from the external church; "and scatter them in Israel" signifies from the internal church also. (For fuller explanation of this see Arcana Coelestia 6351-6361.)

[7] The first three sons, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, were rejected and condemned by their father Israel because that prophecy describes the establishment of the church, and the church is not established by faith separate from charity, but by truth and good from the Lord; for the church, even at that time, had fallen into the error that merely knowing the Word, and saying that it is holy, is the essential of the church, and not life or charity, and that the God of heaven and earth is some other than the Lord. For this reason in that prophecy the three sons born first, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, were rejected, because "Reuben" there signifies faith alone, "Simeon" faith without charity, and "Levi" the absence of the good of charity; consequently these three in the series signify no church; for when faith alone is assumed as the essential of salvation, charity is immediately rejected and regarded as nonessential and of no value in respect to salvation; and because these three things were signified by these three sons, therefore they were rejected by Israel their father, who signified the church. Moreover, each of these three destroyed the representative of the church, Reuben:

By lying with Bilhah, the maidservant and concubine of his father (Genesis 35:22).

and Simeon and Levi:

By slaying Hamor, his son Shechem, and the whole city, which was the nation descended from Hamor, for no other reason than that Shechem loved their sister Dinah (Genesis 34 to the end).

This deed signifies in the spiritual sense that these two sons of Jacob, in other words, that constituent of the church which they represented, extinguished the truth and good of the Ancient Church, which church yet survived in the nation of Hamor; for this deed signifies in the spiritual sense that every truth and good of the church is extinguished by faith separated from charity. This, therefore, is what is meant in particular by the words of Israel, "into their secret let not my soul come; in their assembly let not my glory be united; for in their anger they slew a man, and in their good pleasure they houghed an ox;" for "man" [vir] signifies in the Word truth and intelligence, and "ox" moral and natural good. (For fuller explanation of this see Arcana Coelestia 4426-4522.)

[8] And for this reason Simeon was passed by in the blessing of Moses (Deuteronomy 33), and instead of him Ephraim and Manasseh are mentioned, by whom the truth and good of the church are signified. But although Simeon and Levi were such, yet elsewhere they signify the faith of charity and charity, "Simeon" the faith of charity, and "Levi" charity. Yea, the tribe of Levi was appointed to the priesthood; for it matters not of what quality the person is who represents, provided he is in external worship according to the laws and statutes; for representation does not regard the person, but only the thing, and nothing is required in the person except the external of worship. (On this see Arcana Coelestia 665, 1097, 1361, 3147, 3670, 3881, 4208, 4281, 4288, 4292, 4309, 4444, 4500, 6304, 7048, 7439, 8588, 8788, 8806, 9229.) For this reason "the tribe of Simeon" in this passage of Revelation and elsewhere in the Word signifies obedience, the faith of charity, the affection of truth, and in general, truth from good, as has been said above. (That "Simeon" and his tribe, when mentioned in a good sense, signify in the highest sense providence, in the internal sense faith in the will, in the interior sense obedience, and in the external sense hearing, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 3869.)

脚注: