来自斯威登堡的著作

 

Arcana Coelestia#1419

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1419. 'And I will make your name great' means glory. This becomes clear without explanation. In the external sense 'making a name' and 'glory' mean something worldly, but in the internal sense something heavenly. This heavenly feature does not consist in seeking to be the greatest but, by serving all others, to be the least, as the Lord Himself has stated in Matthew,

It shall not be so among you, but whoever has the wish to become great among you must be your minister, and whoever has the wish to become first must be your servant, even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered to but to minister, and to give His life 1 as a redemption for many. Matthew 20:26-28; Mark 10:43-45.

This heavenly or celestial entity of love does not wish to exist for itself but for all, thus to impart all that is its own to others. It is in this that heavenly love essentially consists. Since the Lord is love itself, that is, the very essence and life of everyone's love in heaven, He wishes to impart to the human race everything that is His, which is what He meant when He spoke about the Son of Man coming to give His life as a redemption for many. From this it is clear that 'name' and 'glory' mean something altogether different in the internal sense from what they do in the external sense. All in heaven therefore who desire to become great and the greatest are cast out, for such desire is contrary to the essence and life of heavenly love which come from the Lord. For that reason also nothing is more contrary to heavenly love than self-love. For these matters, see what has been mentioned from experience in 450, 452, 952.

脚注:

1. literally, soul

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

圣经文本

 

John第17章:11

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11 I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are.

来自斯威登堡的著作

 

Arcana Coelestia#952

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952. A certain spirit imagined that he had led a holy life while in the world because people thought that he was holy, and so merited heaven. He said that he had led a devotional life and set time aside for prayer, imagining that it was sufficient if each individual concerned himself with and took care of his own interests. He also said he was a sinner and was willing to suffer even to the point of being trodden underfoot by others, which he termed Christian endurance, and that he wished to be the least in order that he might become the greatest in heaven. He was then tested to see whether he had performed or had been willing to perform any good action, that is, the works of charity, for anybody else. He said he did not know what these were, only that he had lived a holy life. Because this spirit had as the end in view his own pre-eminence over others whom he thus rated inferior to himself, he was seen first of all - because he imagined he was holy - in human form, all white down to the loins. Then he seemed to change, first to dark blue, after that to black; and because he wished to rule over others whom he despised in comparison with himself, he became blacker than anybody else. Concerning people who wish to be the greatest in heaven, see what has been stated already in 450, 452.

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