6637.“这些是以色列众子的名字”表教会的本质。这从“名字”的含义，以及“以色列众子”的代表和“以色列”的代表清楚可知：“名字”是指本质（参看144，145，1754，1896，2009，2628，2724，3006，3421节）；“以色列众子”是指属灵真理（5414，5879，5951节）；“以色列”是指真理之良善，或属灵良善（3654，4598，5803，5806，5812，5817，5819，5826，5833节）。由于“以色列”代表真理之良善，或属灵良善，而他的“众子”代表属世层中的属灵真理，故“以色列众子”代表教会；因为构成教会的，是属灵良善和源于该良善的真理。没有属灵良善，就是仁之良善，也没有属灵真理，就是信之真理的人并不属于教会，哪怕他生在教会。因为主的整个天国都处于爱与信之良善；除非教会也处于这良善，否则它不可能是教会，因为它没有与天堂联结；事实上，教会是主在地上的国。
之所以用“教会”这个词，是因为它是圣言和取自圣言的教义所在的地方，或因为它是认识主并举行圣礼的地方。确切地说，它之所以是教会，是因为它照着圣言或取自圣言的教义生活，并寻求使这些教义成为它的生活准则。不这样生活的人就不属教会，而是在教会之外；那些过着邪恶生活，因而违背教义生活的人远在教会之外，比对圣言、主或圣礼一无所知的外邦人还远。事实上，前者因认识教会的良善与真理而毁灭了自己里面的教会；这种事外邦人是无法做到的，因为他们不知道这些事。还要知道，凡过着仁与信之良善生活的人都是主的一个教会和国度，并由此而被称为一座圣殿，以及神的一个家。那些身为教会的个体人，无论相距如何遥远，便构成一个总体教会。这就是此处和下文“以色列的众子”所指的教会。
Potts(1905-1910) 6637
6637. And these are the names of the sons of Israel. That this signifies the quality of the church, is evident from the signification of "name," as being the quality (see n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2628, 2724, 3006, 3421); from the representation of the sons of Israel, as being spiritual truths (n. 5414, 5879, 5951); and from the representation of Israel, as being the good of truth, or spiritual good (n. 3654, 4598, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833). As Israel represents the good of truth, or spiritual good, and his sons spiritual truths in the natural, therefore the sons of Israel represent the church; for the church is the church from spiritual good and from the derivative truths. He who is not in spiritual good, that is, in the good of charity, and in spiritual truths, that is, in the truths of faith, is not of the church, in spite of his having been born within it. For the whole heavenly kingdom of the Lord is in the good of love and of faith; and unless the church is in the like, it cannot be the church, because it is not conjoined with heaven, for the church is the Lord's kingdom on earth. [2] Its being called the church is not from the fact that the Word is there, and that there are doctrinal things therefrom, nor from the fact that the Lord is known there, and that the sacraments are there; but it is the church from the fact that men live according to the Word, or according to doctrine from the Word, and so that the doctrine is the rule of life. They who are not of this character are not of the church, but are outside of it; and they who live in evil, thus they who live contrary to doctrine, are further outside the church than the Gentiles who know nothing whatever of the Word, of the Lord, and of the sacraments; for the former, because they know the goods and truths of the Church, extinguish the church in themselves, which the Gentiles cannot do, because they do not know them. Be it further known that everyone who lives in the good of charity and of faith is a church and kingdom of the Lord, and from this is called a temple, and also a house, of God. The church in general is constituted of those who are churches in particular, however far apart they may be. This then is the church which is meant here and in what follows by the "sons of Israel."
Elliott(1983-1999) 6637
6637. 'These are the names of the children of Israel' means the essential nature of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of' the name as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2628, 2724, 3006, 3421; from the representation of 'the sons of Israel' as spiritual truths, dealt with in 5414, 5879, 5951; and from the representation of 'Israel' as the good of truth, which is spiritual good, dealt with in 3654, 4598, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833. Since Israel' represents the good of truth or spiritual good and 'his sons' represent spiritual truths in the natural, 'the sons of Israel' also represent the Church, for what makes it the Church is spiritual good and the truths that spring from that good. A person without spiritual good, that is, the good of charity, and without spiritual truths, that is, the truths of faith, does not belong to the Church in spite of having been born within the Church. The whole of the Lord's heavenly kingdom possesses the good of love and faith, and unless the Church possesses good like that it cannot be the Church since it is not joined to heaven; for the Church is the Lord's kingdom on earth.
[2] The term 'Church' is not used because it is the place where the Word is and teachings drawn from it, or because it is where the Lord is known and the sacraments are celebrated. Rather it is the Church because it lives in accordance with the Word or with teachings drawn from the Word, and seeks to make those teachings its rule of life. People who do not live like this do not belong to the Church but are outside it; and those who lead wicked lives, thus lives contrary to that teaching, are further away outside the Church than gentiles who know nothing whatever about the Word, the Lord, or the sacraments. For since those people are acquainted with the forms of good that the Church fosters and with the truths it teaches they annihilate the Church within themselves, something gentiles cannot do because they are unacquainted with those things. It should also be realized that everyone who leads a good life, in charity and faith, is a Church, and is a kingdom of the Lord. He is for that reason also called a temple, and a house of God too. Those who are Churches individually, no matter how remote from one another they may be, constitute one Church collectively. This then is the Church meant by the expression 'the children of Israel' here and in what follows.
Latin(1748-1756) 6637
6637. `Haec nomina filiorum Israelis': quod significet quale Ecclesiae, constat ex significatione `nominis' quod sit quale, de qua n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2628, 2724, 3006, 3421; ex repraesentatione `filiorum Israelis' quod sint vera spiritualia, de qua n. 5414, 5879, 5951; et ex repraesentatione `Israelis' quod sit bonum veri seu bonum spirituale, de qua n. 3654, 4598, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833. Quia `Israel repraesentat bonum veri seu bonum spirituale ac `filii ejus' vera spiritualia in naturali, ideo `filii Israelis' repraesentant Ecclesiam, nam Ecclesia est Ecclesia ex bono spirituali et ex veris inde; qui non est in bono spirituali, hoc est, in bono charitatis {1}, et in veris spiritualibus, hoc est, in veris fidei, non est ab Ecclesia utcumque natus est intra Ecclesiam; totum enim regnum caeleste Domini est in bono amoris et fidei; nisi Ecclesia sit in simili,{2} non potest esse Ecclesia quia non conjuncta cum caelo', nam Ecclesia est regnum Domini in terris {3}. Quod Ecclesia dicatur, non est ex eo quod Verbum ibi sit et quod doctrinalia inde, nec ex eo quod Dominus ibi notus sit et quod sacramenta sint ibi, sed Ecclesia est ex eo quod secundum Verbum seu secundum doctrinam e Verbo vivatur, {4}ac ut doctrina sit norma vitae; qui non tales sunt non ab Ecclesia sunt sed sunt extra illam; et qui in malo vivunt, ita qui contra doctrinam, sunt longius extra Ecclesiam quam gentiles qui prorsus nihil sciunt de Verbo, de Domino, deque sacramentis; nam illi quia sciunt bona et vera Ecclesiae, apud se exstinguunt Ecclesiam, quod Gentiles nequeunt facere quia ignorant illa. Sciendum quoque quod unusquisque qui in bono charitatis et fidei vivit sit Ecclesia, et quod sit regnum Domini; inde etiam vocatur templum, ut et domus Dei; ex illis qui sunt Ecclesiae in particulari, utcumque dissiti sunt, constituitur Ecclesia in communi; hoc nunc est Ecclesia quae per `filios Israelis' hic et in sequentibus {5}intelligitur. @1 i est$ @2 i et sic conjuncta coelo,$ @3 i, et utrumque, tam coelum quam Ecclesia, in simili$ @4 utque$ @5 i in sensu interno$