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。

785. Verse 3. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been wounded to death, signifies the discordance of their doctrinals with the Word, in which "love," "life," and "works," which do not at all agree with that religious principle, are so often mentioned. This is evident from the signification of the "heads" of that beast, as being the knowledge of the holy things of the Word which are falsified and adulterated (See above, n. 775). When the church and those of the church are treated of in the Word, "head" signifies intelligence and wisdom; and in the most universal sense the understanding of truth and the will of good. But as this treats of those who are not willing that the understanding should enter into the mysteries of faith, but who wish it to be held captive under obedience to their mysteries, and as these are described by "the dragon" and this his "beast," it follows that the "head" of this beast signifies knowledge [scientia]; for where the understanding does not see there is no intelligence, but in place of it knowledge. Moreover, intelligence cannot be predicated of those who are in falsities, but only knowledge (See about this in the New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine, n. 33). The above is evident also from the signification of "being wounded to death," as being in disagreement with the Word; for doctrine which disagrees with the Word is dead; and this death is what is signified by "being wounded to death."

[2] The discordance is that they separate the life of love, which is good works, from faith, and make faith alone justifying and saving, and they take away everything of justification and salvation from the life of love or from good works; and as loving and doing are mentioned in the Word in a thousand passages, and it is declared that man is to be judged according to his deeds and works, and as this does not agree with that religious principle, therefore this is what is signified by the death-stroke of the head of this beast. From this it can be seen that the words, "I saw one of the heads of the beast as if it had been wounded to death," signifies disagreement with the Word, in which "love," "life," and "works," which do not at all agree with that religious principle, are so often mentioned. That they do not agree is clearly evident from the fact that it is a dogma of that religion that faith alone, without the works of the law, justifies and saves, yea, that if anything of salvation be placed in works it is damnable, because of man's merit and what is his own [proprium] in them. For this reason many abstain from doing them, saying in their heart, Good works do not save me, and evil works do not damn me, because I have faith. From this principle they also assert that those are saved who about the hour of death declare with some confidence that they have faith, whatever their life may have been. But "deeds" and "works," also "doing" and "loving," are mentioned in the Word in a thousand passages, and as these disagree with that religious principle, therefore its dogmatists have devised means of conjoining them with faith. This, therefore, is the signification of the words "he saw one of the heads of the beast as if it had been wounded to death," and "the stroke of his death was healed, and the whole earth wondered after the beast." But how that stroke was healed, namely, by devised modes of conjunction, shall be said in the following article.

[3] In the first place, some passages shall here be quoted from the Word where "deeds," "works," "doing," and "working," are mentioned, that everyone may see the discordance that is here signified by "one of the heads wounded to death;" also that this stroke is wholly incurable unless man lives according to the precepts of the Word by doing them.

In Matthew:

Everyone that heareth My words and doeth them is like to a prudent man; but everyone that heareth My words and doeth them not is like to a foolish man (Matthew 7:24, 26).

In Luke:

Why call ye Me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say? Everyone who cometh to Me and heareth My words and doeth them is like a man that built a house upon a rock; but he that heareth and doeth not is like unto a man that built a house upon the ground without a foundation (Luke 6:46-49).

In Matthew:

He that was sown in good earth, this is he that heareth the Word and giveth heed, and who thence beareth fruit, and yieldeth some a hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold (Matthew 13:23).

In the same:

Whosoever shall break the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of the heavens; but whosoever doeth and teacheth them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 5:19).

In John:

Ye are My friends if ye do whatsoever I command you (John 15:14).

In the same:

If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them (John 13:17).

In the same:

If ye love Me keep My commandments. He that hath My commandments and doeth them, he it is that loveth Me; and I will love him, and will manifest Myself unto him. And I ¹ will come unto him and will make ² My abode with him. But he that loveth Me not keepeth not My words (John 14:15, 21-24).

In Luke:

Jesus said, My mother and My brethren are those who hear My ³ word and do it (Luke 8:21).

In Matthew:

I was an hungered and ye gave Me to eat, I was thirsty and ye gave Me to drink, I was a sojourner, and ye took Me in, I was naked and ye clothed Me, I was sick and ye visited Me, I was in prison and ye came unto Me. And to these the Lord said, Come, ye blessed, possess as inheritance the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. And to those who had not done these things He said, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:31-46 the end).

In John:

My Father is the vinedresser; every branch that beareth not fruit He taketh away (John 15:1, 2).

In Luke:

Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance; every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire.

By their fruits ye shall know them (Luke 3:8, 9; Matthew 7:19, 20).

In John:

Herein is My Father glorified, that ye may bear much fruit and become My disciples (John 15:7, 8).

In Matthew:

The kingdom of God shall be taken away from them, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof (Matthew 21:40-43).

In John:

He that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest that they have been wrought in God (John 3:21).

In the same:

We know that God heareth not sinners, but if anyone worship God and do His will, him He heareth (John 9:31).

In Matthew:

The Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall render unto everyone according to his deeds ( Matthew 16:27).

In John:

Then shall come forth they that have done goods into the resurrection of life, but they that have done evils into the resurrection of judgment (John 5:29).

In Revelation:

I will give unto you to everyone according to his works; he that overcometh and keepeth My works unto the end (Revelation 2:23, 26).

Their works shall follow them (John 14:13).

The dead were judged out of the things that were written in the books according to their works. And the dead were all judged according to their works (Revelation 20:12, 13).

Behold I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give unto everyone according to his works (Revelation 22:12).

Happy are they that do His commandments (Revelation 22:14).

He said to the angel of the church of Ephesus, I have against thee that thou hast left thy first charity; remember whence thou hast fallen, and do the first works; but if not, etc. (Revelation 2:4, 5).

It was said to the angel of the church in Smyrna, I know thy works; to the angel of the church in Pergamos, I know thy works; to the angel of the church in Thyatira, I know thy works; to the angel of the church in Sardis, I know thy works; and to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, I know thy works (Revelation 2:9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8).

These two chapters treat of the exploration and judgment of those seven churches as to what they are and will be from their works and according to their works.

[4] Also in the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of Matthew from their beginning to their end the Lord teaches good works, and what they must be, and that thence is heavenly happiness; likewise in the parables of the laborers in the vineyard, of the husbandmen and servants, of the traders to whom pounds [minae] were given and those to whom talents were given; of the fig-tree in the vineyard which was to be cut down if it bore no fruit; of the man wounded by robbers, to whom the Samaritan showed mercy, respecting whom the Lord asked the lawyer which of the three was a neighbor, who answered, "He that showed mercy," and Jesus said to him, "Go and do thou likewise;" of the ten virgins, of whom five had oil in their lamps and five had none, "oil in the lamps" signifying charity in faith; also in other passages.

[5] Moreover, the twelve disciples of the Lord represented the church in respect to all things of faith and charity in the complex; and of them, Peter, James, and John represented faith, charity, and good works in their order, Peter faith, James charity, and John good works; therefore the Lord said to Peter, when Peter saw John following the Lord:

What is that to thee, Peter? Follow thou Me, John; for Peter said of John, What of him? (John 21:21-22).

This signifies that those who do good works must follow the Lord. Because John represented the church in respect to good works, he reclined at the Lord's breast. That the church is with those who do good works is also signified by the Lord's words from the cross to John:

Jesus saw His mother, and spoke to the disciple whom He loved, who was standing by; and He said to His mother, Woman, behold thy son; and He said to that disciple, Behold thy mother; and from that hour that disciple took her unto himself (John 19:26-27).

This signifies that where good works are, there the church will be, for in the Word "woman," like as "mother," signifies the church. Thus much from the New Testament; there are yet more passages in the Old Testament, as where:

All are called blessed who keep and do the statutes, the judgments, and the commandments, and those cursed who do them not (as in Leviticus 18:5; 19:37; 20:8; 22:31-33; 26:3-4, 26:14, 26:16; Numbers 15:39-40; Deuteronomy 5:9-10; 6:25; 15:5; 17:19; 27:26 in a thousand other passages).

[6] Besides those passages in the Word where "deeds" and "doing" are mentioned there are also very many where "love" and "loving" are mentioned; and "loving" means the like as "doing," since he that loves does, for to love is to will, since everyone wills what he interiorly loves; and to will is to do, since everyone does that which he wills when he is able. Moreover, what is done is nothing but the will in act. Respecting love the Lord teaches in many passages (as in Matthew 5:43-48; 7:12; Luke 6:27-39, 6:43-49; 7:36-50 to the end; John 13:34, 35; 14:14-23; 15:9-19; 17:22-26; 21:15-23), and in brief in these words:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God in thy whole heart and from thy whole soul; this is the first and great commandment. The second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:35-38, 40; Luke 10:27, 28; Deuteronomy 6:5).

"To love God above all things, and the neighbor as oneself," is to do His commandments (John 14:21-24); and "the law and the prophets" signify the Word in all things and in every particular. From all these passages cited from the Word it is fully evident that it is not faith separated from good works that saves, but faith from good works and with them. For he who does good works has faith, but he who does them not has no faith.

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