4802.还有些灵人虽然邪恶，但仍在某种程度上被允许进入天堂之光，并接受信之真理，以便他们拥有对真理的某种觉知。他们也急切地接受真理，但不是为了照之生活，而是为了夸耀他们比别人更有洞察力和敏锐性。因为人的理解力具有这样的性质，它能接受真理；然而，除了那些照真理生活的人外，真理不会被归给任何人。人的理解力若不是这样，没有人能被改造。
那些在世时就具有这种性质，也就是理解真理，却过着邪恶生活的人在来世同样具有这种性质。不过，他们在那里会滥用理解真理的能力，以获得统治权；因为在那里他们知道，他们通过真理拥有与天堂某些社群的交流，因而知道他们能在恶人当中拥有能力；在来世，真理在他们里面拥有能力。但是，由于他们的生活是邪恶的，所以他们在地狱里。
我曾与两个在世时具有这种性质的人交谈过，他们对于自己身在地狱感到惊愕，因为他们在信之真理上一直信得很坚定。但我告诉他们说，他们理解真理所凭借的光就像世上的冬日之光。我说，物体显现在它们的美丽与色彩中，和显现在夏日之光中是一样的；然而，在这冬日之光中，万物凋零，没有任何宜人、可喜之物产生。然后，我告诉这两个灵人说，由于他们理解真理的目的是他们自己的荣耀，因而是自我，所以当他们的目的所放射的气场朝内层天堂上升到那里的天使那里时，唯独觉察目的的天使无法容忍该气场，于是便抛弃它。这就是为何他们身在地狱。
我继续说，在以前的时代，相比其他人，这种人更被称为知识树上的蛇；因为当出于生活进行推理时，他们便出言反对真理；更有甚者，他们就像长有一张可爱的脸，却浑身散发恶臭，因而无论到哪里，都被社群拒绝的女人。由此也明显可知缺乏信之生活的信是什么。
Potts(1905-1910) 4802
4802. There are also spirits who though evil still in some measure admit the light of heaven and receive the truths of faith, so that they have some perception of truth. They also eagerly receive truths, yet not for the purpose of living according to them, but that they may glory in seeming more intelligent and sharpsighted than others; for the intellect of man is such that it can receive truths, and yet truths are not appropriated to any but those who live according to them. Unless man's intellect were such he could not be reformed. [2] They who in the world have been of such a quality, that is, have understood truths and yet have lived a life of evil, are in the other life also of this quality, but there abuse their capacity to understand truths in order to acquire dominion; for they know there that by means of truths they have communication with some societies of heaven, and consequently that they can be with the evil and have power; for in the other life truths have power in them; but because their life is evil they are in hell. [3] I have spoken with two persons who had been such in the life of the body, and they wondered at their being in hell, when yet they had had a persuasive belief in the truths of faith. But they were told that the light with them by which they understood truths was a light like that of winter in the world, in which objects appear in their beauty and colors equally as in the light of summer; but that nevertheless in this winter light all things are torpid, and nothing pleasant and gladsome is produced; and that as their end of understanding truths had been glorying, and consequently self, therefore when the sphere of their ends exalts itself toward the interior heavens to the angels there, by whom ends only are perceived, it cannot be endured, but is rejected; and that for this reason they are in hell. [4] It was added that formerly such persons were pre-eminently called serpents of the tree of knowledge, because when they reason from the life they speak against truths; and moreover that they were like a woman with a lovely face, and a noisome odor, and who wherever she goes is therefore rejected from societies. Moreover, when in the other life such persons come to angelic societies they actually have a foul smell, and this even they themselves perceive as soon as they approach those societies. From this also it is evident what faith is without a life of faith.
Elliott(1983-1999) 4802
4802. There are also spirits who, even though they are evil ones, do to some extent allow the light of heaven to come in and who accept the truths of faith, so that they have some perception of truth. They accept the truths enthusiastically, yet not so that they may live according to them, but so that they may boast about being seen to have more understanding and keen-sightedness than others. For the human understanding is such that it can accept truths, even though none make truths their own except those people who live according to them. Unless the human understanding was like this no one could be reformed.
[2] Those who have been like this in the world, that is to say, have understood truths and yet have led a life of evil, remain the same in the next life. But there they put their ability to understand truths to the misuse of gaining dominion over others; for there they know that in truths they have a means of communication with some communities of heaven, and consequently that they can exist among the evil and be strong; for truths in the next life have power within them. But because their life is one of evil they are in hell.
[3] I have talked to two who during their lifetime were like this. They were amazed they should be in hell even though they had believed very strongly in the truths of faith. But I told them that the light in them by which they understood truths was like that of winter in the world. I said that objects in all their beauty and colours were no less visible than in the light of summer; yet in that winter light everything died off and nothing at all pleasant and delightful showed itself. Then I told those two spirits that because the end they had in view to understanding truths had been their own exaltation and consequently had been a selfish end, the sphere emanating from their ends in view when these rose towards the interior heavens, to the angels there, who perceived solely people's ends, could not be tolerated and were cast aside. This is why they were in hell.
[4] I went on to say that in former times people of this kind, more than any others, were called serpents of the tree of knowledge; for when life is the subject of their reasoning they speak against truths. They are, what is more, like a woman who has a lovely face but a foul stench, and who is therefore an outcast from society wherever she goes. Like her, when such people in the next life move towards angelic communities they are in actual fact emitting a stench, which even they themselves are aware of when they approach those communities. From this also one may see what faith is when devoid of the life of faith.
Latin(1748-1756) 4802
4802. Sunt etiam tales spiritus qui quodammodo admittunt lucem caeli ac recipiunt vera fidei, et usque mali sunt, sic ut aliquam perceptionem veri habeant, et quoque vera cupide recipiunt, sed non ob finem ut vivant secundum illa, at {2} ut glorientur inde quod prae aliis intelligentes et lyncei videantur; intellectuale enim hominis tale est ut recipere possit vera, sed usque vera illis non appropriantur nisi vivant secundum illa; nisi tale foret intellectuale hominis, non potuisset reformari. [2] Qui tales fuerunt in mundo quod nempe intellexerint vera et tamen vixerint vitam mali, etiam tales sunt in altera vita, sed ibi facultate sua intelligendi vera abutuntur ad dominandum; sciunt enim ibi quod per vera communicationem habeant cum aliquibus societatibus caeli, consequenter quod apud malos esse possint et valere, nam vera in altera vita potentiam secum habent; sed quia vita mali illis, in inferno sunt. [3] Cui binis qui tales fuerunt in vita corporis, locutus sum, qui mirati quod in infert essent, cum tamen persuasive crediderint vera fidei; sed illis dictum est quod lux apud illos per quam intelligunt vera, sit {3} (t)lux qualis hiemis in mundo, in qua objecta cum sua pulchritudine et cum suis coloribus aeque apparent, sicut in luce aestatis, sed usque in luce illa torpent omnia, et nihil amoeni laeti sistitur: et quia finis intelligendi vera fuerat {4} gloriatio et inde propter se, quod sphaera finium illorum cum exaltat se versus interiores caelos ad angelos ibi a quibus unice fines percipiuntur, non sufferri possit, sed quod rejiciatur, inde est quod in inferno essent; [4] addebatur quod tales olim prae reliquis dicti fuerint serpentes arboris scientiae quia cum ratiocinantur vita, tunc loquuntur contra vera; et praeterea quod similes sint feminae quae venusta facie est et tamen graveolenter fetet, quae ideo rejicitur ubicumque venit, e societatibus; etiam tales in altera vita cum veniunt ad societates angelicas, actualiter {5} fetent, quod etiam ipsi sentiunt cum ad illas approximant. Inde quoque constare potest quid fides absque vita fidei. @1 ita$ @2 sed$ @3 fit I$ @4 fuerit$ @5 i ita$