Spiritual Life and the Word of GodSwedenborg, Emanuel
Religion
Spiritual Life and the Word of God
Swedenborg, Emanuel
Spiritual life; Ten commandments; Word of God (Christian theology)
When Mary the mother of Jesus had been betrothed to Joseph, "before they
came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit." And the
angle said to Joseph in a dream, "Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy
wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit" . . .
This came to pass that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the
Lord by the prophet: . . . "Behold a virgin shall be with child, and
shall bring forth a son." And Joseph "knew her not until she had
brought forth her firstborn son; and he called His name Jesus" (i.
18-25).
And in Luke from these words:
The angel said to Mary, "Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and
bring forth a son, and shalt call His name Jesus; He shall be great, and
shall be called the Son of the Most High." . . . Then Mary said unto the
angel, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" The angel answered
her, "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most
High shall overshadow thee; wherefore also the Holy Thing that shall be
born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (i. 30-35).
It was because He was conceived of Jehovah that He is so frequently
called in the Word "the Son of God," and Jehovah is called His "Father."
Jehovah in respect to His Esse (being) is Divine love, and in respect to
His Existere (outgo) He is Divine good united to Divine truth.
From this it can be seen what is meant by:
The Word that was with God and that was God, and also was the light that
enlighteneth every man (John i. 1-10), namely, that it was Divine truth
going forth from the Lord, thus the Lord in respect to His Existere
(outgo). That the Lord in respect to His Existere was Divine truth, and
that this was His Divine Human, because this came forth from His Divine
Esse as a body from its soul, these words in John clearly certify:
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory
as of the only begotten of the Father (i. 14).
"The Word" is the Divine truth, which also is "glory"; "flesh" means the
Divine Human; "the only begotten of the Father" means the springing
forth or going forth from the Divine Esse in Him. (A.E., n. 1069.)
But as the world does not know how the words in John (i. 1, 2, 14) that
the Lord is the Word, are to be understood, this shall be further
explained. It is known in the church that God is good itself and truth
itself, and thus that all the good that an angel has and that a man has
is from God, and likewise all truth. Now since the Lord is God He is
also Divine good and Divine truth; and this is what is meant by "the
Word, that was with God, and was God," and also was "the light that
enlighteneth every man," and that also "became flesh," that is, Man in
the world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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