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(一滴水译,2024-2025)

932# “那些战胜了兽的人”表示过着仁爱生活,因而没有歪曲圣言的人。

这从“战胜了兽”的含义清楚可知,“战胜了兽”是指过着仁爱生活的人;因为“兽”表示那些处于与仁分离之信的人,或也可说,那些处于没有善行的信,并照着这信生活的人;因此,那些没有活出这种信,而是活出仁之信的人就战胜了兽,因为他们在生活中与那信争战。他们因是得胜者,故在世上的生活结束之后也接受得胜的赏赐。由于“兽”还表示对分离之信的来自圣言的确认,因而表示对圣言的歪曲,所以“战胜了兽”也表示没有歪曲圣言。第13章所论述的龙的“两只兽”表示与生活良善分离的信,以及为确认这信而对圣言的歪曲(可参看AE773,815a节)。

仁之良善

由于在解释之前的两章,即第12和13章时,我们论述了与仁之良善分离的信,所以在解释这一章和接下来的一章时,我们必须论述仁之良善。如今在基督教界,由于唯信,即与仁之良善分离之信的宗教的盛行,大多数人不知道什么是仁之良善,或善行。事实上,如果只有信有助于得救,仁之良善毫无用处,那么人们就会认为,这些良善可以不用行。但有些人认为应该做善行,却不知道什么是善行。他们以为,善行只在于给予穷人,向穷乏的、寡妇和孤儿行善,因为圣言提到了这些事,似乎也吩咐了。有些人以为,如果为了永生必须做善行,那么他们就必须给穷人他们所拥有的一切,正如在初期教会所行的那样,也正如主吩咐富人要变卖他所有的一切,分给穷人,拿起十字架跟从祂(马太福音19:21)那样。不过,下文会解释在圣言中,善行是什么意思。

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Apocalypse Explained (Tansley translation 1923) 932

932. And them that have victory over the beast. That this signifies those who have lived a life of charity, and consequently have not falsified the Word, is clear from the signification of having victory over the beast, as denoting to live a life of charity. For by the beast are signified those who are in faith separated from charity, or, what is the same thing, who are in faith without good works, and live according to that faith. Those therefore who do not live that faith, but the faith of charity, have victory over the beast; for they fight against that faith in their life. And because they come off conquerors, they also receive the reward of victory after the life in the world.

Because the beast also signifies confirmation from the Word of separated faith, and thence its falsification, therefore by having the victory over the beast is also signified, that they have not falsified the Word.

That by the two beasts of the dragon treated of in chapter xiii. is signified faith separated from the goods of life, and also the falsification of the Word to confirm it, may be seen above (n. 773, 875).

[2] Since in the explanations of the two preceding chapters (xii. and xiii.), faith separated from the goods of charity, which are good works, also faith from charity, have been treated of; in the explanations to this chapter and the following, the goods of charity must be treated of.

What the goods of charity or good works are, is at this day unknown to most of the Christian world, because of the prevalence of the religion of faith alone, which is a faith separated from the goods of charity; for if these contribute nothing to salvation, but faith only, it is thought that they may be left undone. But there are some who believe that good works are to be done, and yet do not know what constitutes good works. They suppose that they consist in merely giving to the poor, and in helping the needy, widows, and the fatherless, because such things are mentioned and so commanded in the Word. Some suppose, that if they are to be done for the sake of life eternal, they ought to give to the poor all they possess, as was done in the Primitive Church; and, as the Lord commanded the rich man, that he should sell all that he had, and give to the poor, and take up his cross and follow Him. But what the good works are that are meant in the Word shall be explained, in order, in the following articles.

Apocalypse Explained (Whitehead translation 1912) 932

932. And them that have victory over the beast, signifies who have lived a life of charity, and thus have not falsified the Word. This is evident from the signification of "having victory over the beast," as being to live a life of charity; for "the beast" signifies those who are in faith separated from charity, or what is the same, those who are in faith without good works, and who live according to that faith; consequently those who do not live that faith but the faith of charity "have victory over the beast," for they fight against that faith in their life; and as they come off victors they receive the reward of victory after their life in the world. As "the beast" signifies also the confirmation from the Word of faith separate, and thus falsification of the Word, so "to have the victory over the beast" signifies also not to have falsified the Word. (That "the two beasts" of the dragon treated of in chapter 13 signify faith separated from the goods of life, also falsification of the Word to confirm that faith, may be seen above, n. Matthew 19:21). But what is meant in the Word by good works shall be told in order in what follows.

Apocalypsis Explicata 932 (original Latin 1759)

932. "Et victoriam habentes de bestia." - Quod significet qui vitam charitatis vixerunt, et inde non falsificarunt Verbum, constat ex significatione "victoriam habere de bestia", quod sit vitam charitatis vivere; nam per "bestiam significantur qui in fide separata a charitate, seu quod idem, qui in fide absque bonis operibus sunt, et secundum illam fidem vivunt; qui itaque non illam fidem, sed fidem charitatis vivunt, "victoriam de bestia habent"; nam contra illam fidem vita sua pugnant, et quia victores evadunt, etiam victoriae praemium post vitam in mundo recipiunt. Quoniam per "bestiam" etiam significatur confirmatio fidei separatae ex Verbo, et inde falsificatio ejus, etiam per "victoriam habere de bestia" significatur quod non falsificaverint Verbum. (Quod per "binas bestias" draconis, de quibus in capite 13 agitur, significetur fides separata a bonis vitae, et quoque falsificatio Verbi ad confirmandam illam, videatur supra, n. 773, 815 [a] .)

[De Bonis Charitatis.]

Quoniam in explicationibus ad bina capita praecedentia (12 et 13) actum est de fide separata a bonis charitatis, quae sunt bona opera, tum de fide ex charitate, in explicationibus ad hoc et ad sequens caput agendum est de bonis charitatis. Quid bona charitatis seu bona opera, in Christiano orbe hodie a plerisque ignoratur, ex causa quia invaluit religio de sola fide, quae est fides separata a bonis charitatis; nam si haec nihil ad salutem faciunt, sed solum fides, in animo est quod possint omitti. Aliqui vero qui credunt quod bona opera facienda sint, non sciunt quid bona opera; cogitant quod bona opera sint solum dare pauperibus, ac benefacere egenis, viduis et pupillis, quia talia nominantur et sicut mandantur in Verbo. Quidam credunt quod si facienda sint propter vitam aeternam, datum sint pauperibus omnia quae possident, sicut in primitiva ecclesia factum est, et sicut a Domino mandatum est diviti, quod "venderet omnia quae haberet, et daret pauperibus, ac tollens crucem sequeretur Ipsum" [ (Matthaeus 19:21)] . Sed quid bona opera, quae intelliguntur in Verbo, dicetur ordine in sequentibus.


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