530、如前所述，本章所用的人名都表示教会，或也可说，表示教义，因为教会凭教义存在并得其名。因此，“挪亚”表示古教会，或从上古教会保留下来的教义。前面已经说明教会或教义的情况，即：它们逐渐萎缩，直到信之良善与真理荡然无存。这时，教会在圣言中被称为“荒废”。然而，总有余剩，或保留信之良善与真理的一些人得以保存，尽管为数很少。因为除非信之良善与真理被保存在这少数人当中，否则就不会有天堂与人类的结合。
至于个人里面的余剩，它们越少，他所拥有的理性概念和记忆或事实知识就越不可能获得光明，因为良善与真理之光从余剩，或经由余剩从主流入。如果一个人里面没有余剩，他将不是一个人，而是远比动物还要糟糕。余剩越少，他越不是一个人；余剩越多，他越是一个人。余剩就像天上的一颗星，越小，来自它的光就越弱，越大，来自它的光就越亮。从上古教会保留下来的少数事物就在那些构成被称为“挪亚”的教会之人当中。然而，这些事物不是感知的余剩，而是完美，以及源于上古教会所感知到的事物的教义的余剩。这时，一个新教会被主兴起。该教会因在性情上完全不同于上古众教会，故将被称为古教会；古是因为它存在于大洪水之前的末期和大洪水之后的初期。关于该教会，蒙主的神性怜悯，容后详述。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]530. The names in this chapter, as noted [468:1, 483], symbolize different churches or doctrinal systems (which are the same thing, since a church develops out of doctrine and is called a church because of its doctrine). So Noah symbolizes the ancient church, or the doctrine left from the earliest church.
The way matters stand with churches and their theologies has been mentioned before [468, 494:2]: they tend to dwindle until none of the goodness or truth associated with faith remains any longer, and then the Word describes the church as devastated.
Still, a remnant — certain people, no matter how few, in whom religious goodness and truth endure — is always preserved. If that goodness and truth were not preserved in them, there would be no bond joining heaven and the human race together.
[2] About the remnant that exists in an individual person: The fewer the traces [of goodness and truth] remaining with us, the weaker the light that shines on our rational concepts and the facts we know. The light of good and truth flows in from those traces, or rather through them from the Lord. If we had no remnant, we would not be human but much worse than an animal. The smaller a remnant we have, the less human we are; the larger a remnant, the more human. A remnant is like a star in the sky; the smaller it is the less light it gives, and the larger it is the more light it gives.
The few traces that remained from the earliest church were present with those composing the church called Noah. What they retained, though, was not vestiges of perception but of integrity and of the theology derived from the perceptions of the earliest churches. Consequently a new church was now raised up by the Lord for the first time. Because its character was completely different from that of the earliest churches, it must be called the ancient church. It is called ancient because it existed at the end of the centuries preceding the Flood and in the first era following it.
The Lord in his divine mercy willing, this church will be discussed further in what follows.{*1}
Footnotes:
{*1} The ancient church is dealt with throughout the next six chapters (547-1382). [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 530
530. By the names in this chapter, as we have said, are signified churches, or what is the same, doctrines; for the church exists and has its name from doctrine; thus by "Noah" is signified the Ancient Church, or the doctrine that remained from the Most Ancient Church. How the case is with churches or doctrines has already been stated, namely, that they decline, until there no longer remains anything of the goods and truths of faith, and then the church is said in the Word to be vastated. But still remains are always preserved, or some with whom the good and truth of faith remain, although they are few; for unless the good and truth of faith were preserved in these few, there would be no conjunction of heaven with mankind. As regards the remains that are in a man individually, the fewer they are the less can the matters of reason and knowledge that he possesses be enlightened, for the light of good and truth flows in from the remains, or through the remains, from the Lord. If there were no remains in a man he would not be a man, but much viler than a brute; and the fewer remains there are, the less is he a man, and the more remains there are, the more is he a man. Remains are like some heavenly star, which, the smaller it is the less light it gives, and the larger, the more light. The few things that remained from the Most Ancient Church were among those who constituted the church called Noah; but these were not remains of perception, but of perfection, and also of doctrine derived from the things of perception in the most ancient churches; and therefore a new church was now raised up by the Lord, which being of an entirely different native character from the most ancient churches, is to be called the Ancient Church-Ancient from the fact that it existed at the close of the ages before the flood, and during the first period after it. Of this church, by the Divine mercy of the Lord, more will be said hereafter.
Elliott(1983-1999) 530
530. As has been stated, the names used in this chapter mean Churches, or what amounts to the same, doctrinal systems, for it is by virtue of its doctrine that a Church exists and takes its name. Thus Noah means the Ancient Church, or the doctrine that remained from the Most Ancient Church. The situation with Churches or doctrines has been stated already, namely that they dwindle away until nothing remains any longer of the goods and truths of faith. And when that point has been reached, the Church is in the Word called vastated. Nevertheless a remnant is always preserved, that is, some people are preserved, no matter how few, with whom the good and truth of faith persist. And unless that good and truth of faith were preserved with those people there would be no conjunction of heaven with the human race.
[2] As regards the remnants that reside with the individual, the fewer they are the less possible it is for the rational concepts and the factual knowledge he possesses to receive light; for the light of good and truth flows in from the remnants, or rather from the Lord by way of the remnants. If there were no remnants residing with a person, he would not be a human being, but someone far inferior to any animal. The fewer the remnants, the less he is a human being, while the more they are, the more he is a human being. Remnants are like a star in the sky; the smaller it is the weaker the light coming from it, but the greater it is, the brighter the light coming from it. The few things that did remain from the Most Ancient Church resided with those who constituted the Church called Noah. Those things were not however the remains of perception but of integrity, and also of doctrine deriving from the things of the Most Ancient Churches that were matters of perception. At that point therefore a new Church was raised up by the Lord. Being entirely different in disposition from the Most Ancient Churches, it is to be referred to as the Ancient Church, ancient from the fact that it existed at the last stage before the Flood and in the first period of time after it. This Church will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with later on.
Latin(1748-1756) 530
530. Per nomina in hoc capite significantur, ut dictum, Ecclesiae, seu quod idem est, doctrinae, nam ex doctrina est et vocatur Ecclesia; ita per 'Noahum' Ecclesia Antiqua seu doctrina remanens ab Antiquissima: quomodo se habent Ecclesiae aut doctrinae, prius dictum, quod nempe decrescant, usque dum nihil amplius remaneat de bonis et veris fidei; et tunc vocatur Ecclesia vastata in Verbo: sed usque semper conservantur reliquiae, seu quidam apud quos bonum et verum fidei permanet, tametsi pauci sunt; apud quos nisi conservaretur bonum et verum fidei, nulla conjunctio foret caeli cum genere humano. [2] Quod reliquias attinet quae apud hominem in particulari: quo pauciores sunt, eo minus illustrari possunt ejus rationalia et scientifica; nam lux boni et veri, a reliquiis seu per reliquias a Domino, influit; si nullae reliquiae apud hominem, non foret homo sed multo vilior bruto; quo pauciores reliquiae, eo minus est homo; et quo plures, eo magis est homo: reliquiae se habent sicut aliquod sidus caeleste, quo minus est, eo minus lucis inde; quo majus, eo plus lucis inde. Pauca quae remanebant ab Ecclesia Antiquissima, fuerunt apud illos qui Ecclesiam Noahus dictam constituerunt: sed remanentiae non erant perceptionis sed integritatis, tum doctrinae ex perceptivis Antiquissimarum Ecclesiarum, quare nunc primum nova Ecclesia a Domino exsuscitata fuit; quae quia prorsus diversae indolis fuit ab Antiquissimarum vocanda est Ecclesia Antiqua, Antiqua ex eo quod in fine saeculorum ante diluvium et in primo tempore post diluvium: de qua Ecclesia ex Divina Domini Misericordia, in sequentibus.