916、“一切野兽、一切爬行物”表示他的良善：“野兽”表示内在人的良善，“爬行物”表示外在人的良善；“一切飞鸟，和爬在地上的一切”表示真理：“飞鸟”表示内在人的真理，“爬在地上的一切”表示外在人的真理。这从前一节关于“野兽”、“飞鸟”、“爬行物”的阐述和说明清楚可知，那里提到“爬行的爬行物”，因为“爬行物”和“爬物”（creepingthingandthatwhichcreeps）表示外在人的良善和真理。由于本节是对前文的一个总结，所以加上了该教会的这些属性，也就是它的真理和良善。它们也表明了这个教会的性质，即：它是一个属灵教会，并且因变得属灵而是一个以仁爱或良善为主的教会。这就是为何此处先提及“野兽和爬行物”，然后提及“飞鸟”和“爬物”。
当教会出于仁爱，或仁之良善行动时，它就称为属灵的；而当它声称它拥有无仁之信时，永远不会称为属灵的，因为在这种情况下，它甚至算不上一个教会。除了仁之教义外，信之教义算什么呢？除了人要行出信之教义外，这教义还有其它目的吗？仅仅知道并思想它的教导是无效的，只有行出它的教导才是有效的。因此，当出于仁，也就是真正的信之教义行动时，属灵教会才开始成为一个教会，或也可说，教会成员才开始成为一个教会。同样，诫命是为了什么呢？不仅仅为了让人知道，还为了让他照诫命生活。当如此行时，他就拥有主的国在自己里面，因为主的国只在于相爱及其幸福。
那些将信与仁分离，把救赎置于没有仁之善行的信之人，就是杀死兄弟亚伯，也就是仁爱的“该隐”。他们就像盘旋在尸体周围的鸟，因为这种信就像一只鸟，而缺乏仁爱的人则像一具尸体。在基督教界，众所周知，他们还获得一种假良心，即：他们可以活得像魔鬼，可以仇恨和迫害邻舍，可以终生通奸，却仍能得救。还有比听说并说服自己相信，即便活得像野兽，他也能得救更讨人喜欢的吗？就连外邦人都觉得这是一个谎言，其中许多人因看到基督徒的生活而憎恶他们的教义。从以下事实也能清楚看出这种信的真正性质，即：没有哪个地方的生活比基督教界的更令人憎恶的了。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]916. Every wild animal and every creeping thing symbolize good things in them — the wild animal, good things in the inner self, and the creeping thing, good things in the outer self. In addition, every bird, everything creeping on the earth symbolizes truth — the bird, truth in the inner self, and the thing creeping on the earth, truth in the outer self. This is established by the statements and explanations at the previous verse [Genesis 8:17] concerning the wild animal, the bird, and the creeping thing creeping. (That verse referred to a creeping thing creeping because it symbolized both the goodness and the truth in the outer self.)
Because these words sum up the preceding verses, they include this addendum about the church, specifically about its goodness and truth, and the phrase indicates what kind of church it was: a spiritual one. It also shows that it became the kind of church that placed its chief emphasis on charity, or goodness, which is why the verse mentions the wild animal and creeping thing first and the bird and thing creeping afterward.
[2] A church is called spiritual when it acts from charity, or from the good that charity urges, and never when it claims to have faith without charity. Under those circumstances, it is not even a church. After all, what do the church's teachings about faith deal with if not charity? And why would the church teach anything about faith if not to have its teachings carried out? To know and think as faith teaches cannot have any reality; doing what faith teaches — this alone exists. A spiritual church first becomes a church when it acts as bidden by charity, charity being the true teaching of faith. To put it another way, this is when a person in the church first becomes a church.{*1} Consider: what is a commandment? It does not order us to know a precept but to live by what it says. This is when we first have the Lord's kingdom inside us, because the Lord's kingdom consists solely in mutual love and the happiness it brings.
[3] There are some who divide faith from charity and believe that the source of salvation is faith — a faith that is devoid of the good deeds urged by charity. They are followers of Cain, who kill their brother Abel, that is, charity. They are also like birds circling over a corpse, because such a faith is a bird and the corpse is a person who lacks charity. They scrape together a pseudo-conscience that tells them they can behave like devils, hate and persecute their neighbor, spend their whole lives in adultery, and yet be saved, as is extremely familiar in the Christian world. What could be sweeter to us than to hear and persuade ourselves that we can be saved, even if we live like a savage beast? Even non-Christians see that this is false, and many of them shudder at Christian teachings when they observe how Christians live. Another conclusion to be drawn is that nowhere do people live in a more despicable way than in the Christian world.
Footnotes:
{*1} On the identification of an individual person as a church, see 82, 869, 872. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 916
916. That "every wild animal and every creeping thing" signify the goods of the man of the church; "wild animal" the goods of the internal man; "creeping thing" those of the external man; and that "every fowl and everything that creepeth upon the earth" signify truths; "fowl" the truths of the internal man; and "thing that creepeth upon the earth" those of the external man, is evident from what was said and shown under the preceding verse in regard to wild animal, fowl, and creeping thing, where it is said "creeping thing that creepeth" because both good and truth of the external man were signified. Inasmuch as what is here said is the conclusion to what goes before, these things which are of the church are added, namely, its goods and truths; and by them is indicated the quality of the church, that it is spiritual, and that it became such that charity or good was the principal thing; and therefore "wild animal and creeping thing" are here first mentioned, and afterwards "fowl and thing that creepeth." [2] The church is called spiritual when it acts from charity, or from the good of charity-never when it says that it has faith without charity, for then it is not even a church. For what is the doctrine of faith but the doctrine of charity? And to what purpose is the doctrine of faith, but that men should do what it teaches? It cannot be merely to know and think what it teaches, but only that what it teaches should be done. The spiritual church is therefore first called a church when it acts from charity, which is the very doctrine of faith. Or, what is the same thing, the man of the church is then first a church. Just in the same way, what is a commandment for? not that a man may know, but that he may live according to the commandment. For then he has in himself the kingdom of the Lord, since the kingdom of the Lord consists solely in mutual love and its happiness. [3] Those who separate faith from charity, and make salvation consist in faith without the good works of charity, are Cainites who slay the brother Abel, that is, charity. And they are like birds which hover about a carcass; for such faith is a bird, and a man without charity is a carcass. Thus they also form for themselves a spurious conscience, so that they may live like devils, hold the neighbor in hatred and persecute him, pass their whole life in adulteries, and yet be saved, as is well known in the Christian world. What can be more agreeable to a man than to hear and be persuaded that he may be saved, even if he live like a wild beast? The very Gentiles perceive that this is false, many of whom abhor the doctrine of Christians because they see their life. The real quality of such a faith is evident also from the fact that nowhere is there found a life more detestable than in the Christian world.
Elliott(1983-1999) 916
916. 'Every wild animal and every creeping thing means his goods, 'wild animal' goods belonging to the internal man, 'creeping things' goods belonging to the external, while 'every bird, and everything creeping over the earth' means truths, 'bird' truths belonging to the internal man, creeping thing over the earth' truths belonging to the external. This becomes clear from what has been stated and shown in the previous verse about 'wild animals', 'birds', and 'creeping things that creep'. That verse mentions 'creeping thing that creeps', for the two phrases -'creeping thing' and 'that which creeps' - meant both the good and the truth belonging to the external man. Since this verse forms a conclusion to what goes before it, these attributes of the Church, namely its truths and goods, are added. These also indicate the character of the Church, namely that it was a spiritual one, and that having become spiritual it was a Church where charity or good was the chief thing. This is why 'wild animal and creeping thing' are here mentioned first, and 'bird' and 'that which creeps' after that.
[2] It is called a spiritual Church when its actions spring from charity, that is, from the good of charity, but never when it claims to have faith independently of charity. In that case it is not even a Church. For what does faith teach but that which charity teaches? And what other purpose does the teaching of faith have but that what it teaches may be practised? Merely knowing and thinking what it teaches is ineffectual. It is only the practice of what it teaches that is effectual. Consequently the spiritual Church starts to be a Church, or what amounts to the same, the member of the Church starts to be a Church, when its actions spring from charity, the substance of what faith teaches. What is the purpose of a commandment? Not merely that a person may know but that he may live according to what is commanded. And when he does so he has the Lord's kingdom within him, for the Lord's kingdom consists solely in mutual love and resulting happiness.
[3] People who separate faith from charity and place salvation in faith apart from the good works of charity are 'Cainites' who slay brother Abel, that is, charity. They are like birds hovering around a corpse, for that kind of faith is like a bird, and a person devoid of charity like a corpse. And as is very well known in the Christian world they also acquire a false (spuria) conscience to the effect that they may live as the devil does, may hate and harass the neighbour, may go on committing adultery all through life, and nevertheless be saved. What can sound sweeter to a person's ears and more persuasive than the suggestion that he is able to be saved even though he lives like an utter brute? Even gentiles perceive that this is a falsehood, many of whom on seeing the way Christians live find their teaching abhorrent. This is clear also from the fact that nowhere else is the way people live more despicable than in the Christian world.
Latin(1748-1756) 916
916. Quod 'omnis fera et omne reptile' significent bona ejus: 'fera' bona interni hominis, 'reptile' bona externi, tum quod 'omni' avis et omne repens super terra' significent vera, 'avis' vera interni hominis, 'repens super terra' vera externi, constare potest ab illis quae in vers. praec. de fera, de avi et de reptili repente dicta et ostensa sunt:' ibi 'reptile repens,' quia utrumque tam bonum quam verum externi hominis significabat. Quia haec clausula sunt praecedentium, adjunguntur haec quae sunt Ecclesiae, nempe bona et vera ejus; per quae quoque indicatur qualis Ecclesia, nempe quod spiritualis, et quod facta talis, nempe quod charitas seu bonum esset principale; quare hic primum nominatur 'fera et reptile,' et deinde 'avis et repens.' [2] Ecclesia spiritualis vocatur cum ex charitate, seu ex bono charitatis, agit; nusquam cum se dicit habere fidem absque charitate; tunc ne quidem est Ecclesia; nam quid doctrina fidei, nisi doctrina charitatis? et cur doctrina fidei, nisi ut fiat sicut docet? Scire et cogitare sicut docet non potest esse; sed fieri sicut docet, hoc solum est; quare Ecclesia spiritualis tunc primum est Ecclesia quando ex charitate, quae est ipsa fidei doctrina, agit; seu quod idem est, homo Ecclesiae tunc primum est Ecclesia; sicut quid est praeceptum, non ut sciat, sed ut secundum praeceptum vivat; tunc enim in se habet regnum Domini, nam regnum Domini solum in amore mutuo et felicitate inde consistit; [3] qui separant fidem a charitate et in fide absque bonis charitatis ponunt salutem, sunt 'Cainitae' qui occidunt fratrem Habelem, hoc est, charitatem; et sunt sicut aves quae volitant circum cadaver, nam talis fides est avis, et cadaver est homo absque charitate; sic etiam comparant sibi spuriam conscientiam, quod vivere possint sicut diaboli, odio habere et persequi proximum, in adulteriis agere totam vitam, et usque salvari, sicut notissimum est in orbe Christiano. Quid dulcius potest esse homini quam audire et persuaderi quod salvari possit, si vel vivat ut immanis fera? ipsi gentiles percipiunt quod hoc falsum sit; quorum multi quia vitam Christianorum vident, doctrinam abhorrent; constat quoque inde quod nusquam alicubi detestabilior vita detur quam in orbe Christiano.