306# 在灵义中，“孝敬父母”意谓敬畏并爱上帝与教会。于此意义中，“父”指上帝，祂是众人之父；“母”则指教会。天上的婴孩与天使并不知有别的父、别的母，因为他们是在那里由主藉教会重新出生的。故主说：“不要称呼地上的人为你们的父；因为只有一位是你们的父，就是在天上的父。”（太23:9）此言乃为天上的婴孩与天使而说，并非为地上的婴孩与人而说。主在基督教会通用之祷文中亦教导同一真理：“我们在天上的父，愿你的名为圣。
在灵义中，“母”指教会，其理在于：正如地上的母亲以自然食物养育其子女，教会亦以属灵食物养育他们。因此，圣言中亦多处称教会为“母”。如何西阿书云：“你们要与你们的母亲争辩；……她不是我的妻子，我也不是她的丈夫。”（何2:2，5）以赛亚书云：“我休你们母亲的休书在哪里呢？”（赛50:1；结16:45；19:10）福音书中亦云，耶稣“伸手指着门徒，说：……凡听了上帝之道而遵行的人，就是我的母亲、我的弟兄。”（太12:48，49；可3:33—35；路8:21；约19:25—27）
306# 在属灵意义上上，“孝敬父母”是指崇敬和热爱神和教会。在属灵意义上，“父”是指神，祂是所有人的父亲，“母”是指教会。在天堂，小孩子和天使都不认识其他父和其他母，因为在天堂，他们通过教会从主那里重新出生。因此，主说：
不要称呼地上的人为父，因为只有一位是你们在天上的父。（马太福音23:9）
这话是对天上的孩子和天使说的，不是对地上的孩子和人们说的。在基督教会的主祷文中，主教导了类似的事，即：“我们在天上的父，愿人都尊你的名为圣。”在属灵意义上，“母”是指教会，因为正如地上的母亲用属世食物喂养自己的孩子，教会用属灵食物喂养自己的孩子。这就是为何在圣言中，教会经常被称为“母亲”，如何西阿书：
你们要与你们的母亲争辩；她不是我的妻子，我也不是她的丈夫。（何西阿书2:2，5）
以赛亚书：
我休你们的母亲，休书在那里呢？（以赛亚书50:1; 以西结书16:46; 19:10）
福音书：
耶稣伸手指着门徒说，凡遵行我天父旨意的人，就是我的弟兄、姐妹和母亲了。（马太福音12:48-50; 马可福音3:33-36; 路加福音8:21; 约翰福音19:25-27）
306. In the spiritual meaning, honoring your father and your mother refers to revering and loving God and the church. In this sense "father" means God - the Father of all - and "mother" means the church. In the heavens little children and angels know no other father or mother, since their rebirth in that world comes from the Lord through the church. This is why the Lord says, "Do not call anyone on earth your father, for your father is the One in the heavens" (Matthew 23:9). (These words apply to little children and angels in heaven, but not to little children and people on earth.) The Lord teaches something similar in the prayer that is shared by all Christian churches: "Our Father, who is in the heavens: your name must be kept holy. "
In the spiritual meaning, "mother" stands for the church because as mothers on earth nourish their children with physical food, so the church nourishes people with spiritual food. For this reason in various places in the Word the church is called "mother;" for example, in Hosea: "Bring charges against your mother. She is not my wife and I am not her husband" (Hosea 2:2, 5). In Isaiah: "Where is the certificate of your mother's divorce, whom I put away?" (Isaiah 50:1; Ezekiel 16:45; 19:10). In the Gospels: "Jesus reached his hand toward the disciples and said, My mother and my brothers and sisters are those who hear the Word of God and do it" (Matthew 12:48-50; Mark 3:33-35; Luke 8:21; John 19:25-27).
306. In the spiritual sense honouring one's father and mother means reverencing and loving God and the church. In this sense father means God, who is the Father of all, and mother means the church. Children and angels in the heavens know of no other father or mother, since the Lord causes them to be born anew there by means of the church. This is why the Lord says:
Do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in the heavens, Matthew 23:9.
This is said for the benefit of children and angels in heaven, not for children and people on earth. The Lord teaches the same lesson in the prayer shared by all Christian churches: 'Our Father in the heavens, may your name be hallowed.'
The reason why mother in the spiritual sense means the church, is that just as a mother on earth feeds her children with natural food, so the church does with spiritual food. This too is why in the Word the church is frequently called mother. For instance, in Hosea:
Strive with your mother; she is not my wife, and I am not her husband, Hosea 2:2, 5.
In Isaiah:
Where is the divorce document of your mother, whom I have sent away? Isaiah 50:1; also Ezekiel 16:45; 19:10.
And in the Gospels:
Jesus, stretching out his hand to the disciples, said, My mother and my brothers are those who hear the Word of God, and do it, Matthew 12:49-50; Mark 3:33-35; Luke 8:21; John 19:25-27.
306. In the spiritual sense, "to honor father and mother" means to reverence and love God and the church. In this sense, God who is the father of all, is meant by "father" and the church by "mother." In the heavens little children and the angels know no other father and no other mother, since they are there born anew of the Lord through the church. Therefore the Lord says:
Call no man your father on the earth; for one is your Father, who is in the heavens (Matthew 23:9).
This was said with reference to children and angels in heaven, and not of children and men on earth. The Lord teaches the same thing in the common prayer of the Christian churches, "Our Father who art in the heavens, hallowed be Thy name." In the spiritual sense, "mother" means the church, because as a mother on earth nourishes her children with natural food; so does the church nourish her children with spiritual food, and this is why the church is frequently called "mother" in the Word, as in Hosea:
Plead with your mother; she is not my wife, and I am not her husband (2:2, 6).(Hosea 2:5
In Isaiah:
Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? (50:1; Ezekiel 16:46; 19:10).
And in the Gospels:
Jesus stretched forth His hand towards His disciples, and said, My mother and My brethren are these who hear the Word of God and do it (Matthew 12:48-50; Mark 3:33-36; Luke 8:21; John 19:25-27).
306. In the spiritual sense, by honoring father and mother is meant venerating and loving God and the Church. In this sense, father means God, who is the Father of all, and mother means the Church. Children and angels in heaven know no other father and no other mother, since they are there born anew from the Lord by means of the Church. The Lord therefore says,
"Call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven" Matthew 23:9.
This was said for children and angels in heaven, but not for children and men on earth. The Lord teaches the same thing in the common prayer of the Christian Churches, "Our Father, who art in the heavens, hallowed be thy name." In the spiritual sense, mother means the Church, because, as a mother on earth nourishes her children with natural food, so the Church nourishes her children with spiritual food. In the Word, therefore, the Church is everywhere called mother, as in Hosea,
"Plead with your mother... for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband" Hosea 2:2, 5;
and in Isaiah,
"Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away?" Isaiah 50:1; and in Ezekiel 16:45; 19:10;
and in the Evangelists:
Jesus, stretching forth His hand toward the disciples, said, "My mother and my brethren are these which hear the Word of God, and do it" Matthew 12:48-49; Mark 3:33-35; Luke 8:21; John 19:25-27.
306. In SENSU SPIRITUALI, per honorare Patrem et Matrem intelligitur venerari et amare Deum et Ecclesiam; in hoc Sensu per Patrem intelligitur Deus, qui est Pater omnium, et per Matrem Ecclesia; Infantes et Angeli in Coelis non alium Patrem, nec aliam Matrem sciunt, quoniam a Domino per Ecclesiam ibi e novo nati sunt; quare Dominus dicit, Patrem ne vocetis vestrum in terra, unus namque est Pater vester, qui in Coelis est, Matthaeus 23:9 haec dicta sunt pro Infantibus 1 et Angelis in Coelo, non autem pro infantibus et hominibus in terra. Simile docet Dominus in Oratione Ecclesiarum Christianarum communi, Pater noster, qui est in Coelis, sanctificetur Nomen tuum. Quod per Matrem in sensu spirituali, intelligatur Ecclesia, est quia sicut Mater in terra alit suos liberos victu naturali, ita Ecclesia illos victu spirituali; quare etiam Ecclesia in Verbo passim vocatur Mater, ut apud Hoscheam, Contendite cum MATRE VESTRA; non illa uxor mea, et Ego non Maritus ejus, 2:2, 5. Apud Esajam, Ubi est libellus repudii MATRIS VESTRAE, quam dimiserim, 50:1. et Ezechiel 16:45; 19:10. Et apud Evangelistas, Jesus extendens manum suam ad Discipulos, dixit, MATER MEA, et fratres mei sunt, qui audiunt Verbum Dei, et faciunt illud, Matthaeus 12:48-49, 50; 2 Marcus 3:33-35; Luca 8:21; Johannes 19:25-26.
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