9192.“还祭祀别神的”表由邪恶所生的虚假构成的敬拜。这从“祭祀”和“神”的含义清楚可知：“祭祀”是指敬拜，“祭祀”之所以表示敬拜，是因为祭祀是以色列和犹太人民当中敬拜的主要形式（参看923，6905，8680，8936节）；“神”是指虚假（4402e，4544，7873，8941节）。此处之所以提到由邪恶所生的虚假构成的敬拜，是因为这种敬拜与由源于良善的真理所构成的敬拜相对立。事实上，一切敬拜的准则都是宗教教义；这些教义在何等程度上源于良善，就在何等程度上是真理，在何等程度上来自于邪恶，就在何等程度上是虚假。因为真理从良善获得自己的本质和生命，而另一方面，虚假则从邪恶获得自己的死亡。
此处的情形如下：有些人拥有纯正的真理，有些人拥有不纯正的真理，有些人则拥有虚假。然而，那些拥有纯正真理的人往往被诅咒，而那些拥有不纯正的真理之人，以及那些拥有虚假的人则往往得救。在大多数人看来，这一点似乎是自相矛盾的，但却是事实。实际经历本身也向我证明了这一点。我在地狱见过那些在源于圣言和其教会教义的真理上比其他人更有学问的人，包括高级教士和其他人。另一方面，我在天堂见过那些拥有不纯正的真理之人，甚至那些拥有虚假的人，包括基督徒和外邦人。
前者之所以在地狱，是因为他们虽拥有真理，但在生活上却沉浸于邪恶。后者之所以在天堂，是因为他们在教义上虽拥有不纯正的真理，但生活上却处于良善。有些灵人刚刚进入来世，我蒙允许与他们交谈；他们惊讶地发现，那些在圣言和其教会教义上比其他人更有学问的人却在受诅咒者之列。他们原以为这些人会在天上闪耀，正如但以理书中这些话所说的：
智慧人必发光，像穹苍的光辉；那使多人归义的，必如星辰，直到永永远远。（但以理书12:3）
但他们被告知，“智慧人”是指那些拥有真理并教导真理的人；“那使多人归义的”是指那些处于良善并将其他人引向良善的人；这就是为何主说：
义人在他们父的国里，要发出光来，像太阳一样。（马太福音13:43）
公义论及良善，因此“义人”是指那些处于良善的人（参看2235节）。
我继续告诉这些灵人说，在教义上有学问，但在生活上邪恶的人，就是主在以下经文中所指的那些人：
当那日，必有许多人对我说，主啊，主啊，我们不是奉你的名说预言，奉你的名赶鬼，奉你的名行许多异能吗？我必向他们声明，我从来不认识你们，你们这些作恶的人，离开我去吧！（马太福音7:22，23）
路加福音：
那时，你们开始说，我们在你面前吃过、喝过，你也在我们的街上教训过人。祂要说，我告诉你们，我不晓得你们是哪里来的。你们这一切作恶的人，离开我去吧！（路加福音13:26-27）
他们又被告知，马太福音中所记的灯里没油的愚拙童女也表示这些人：
其余的童女，随后也来了，说，主啊，主啊，给我们开门。祂却回答说，我实在告诉你们，我不认识你们。（马太福音25:11-12）
“灯里有油”表示属于教会信仰的真理里面有良善（4638节），“油”是指爱之良善（参看886，4582节）。
我还告诉这些灵人说，主在马太福音中所指的，就是那些虽拥有不纯正的真理，甚至由于无知而拥有虚假，然而却处于良善，并由此渴望认识真理的人：
我又告诉你们：从东从西，将有许多人来，在天国里与亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各一同坐席；惟有本国的子民，竟被赶到外边黑暗里去。（马太福音8:11-12）
路加福音：
从东、从西、从北、从南将有人来，在神的国里坐席。看吧，必有末后的成了首先的，首先的成了末后的。（路加福音13:29-30）
处于良善的外邦人，即便由于无知而拥有不纯正的真理，仍被接入天堂（参看2589-2604，2861，2863，3263，4190，4197节）。
由此可见，“祭祀别神的”表示那些其敬拜由邪恶所生的虚假组成的人；他们就是“必要灭绝”，也就是要被逐出的人。邪恶所生的虚假就是外在形式上的邪恶，因为当邪恶在光中显现，并披上外在形式时，它就被称为虚假。正因如此，人们若在生活上陷入邪恶，即便在教义上拥有真理，仍沉浸在他们的邪恶所产生的虚假之中。这一事实在来世是显而易见的；当这些人任由自己时，他们便出于自己的邪恶思想反对他们所曾知道并信奉的真理；因而思想虚假。他们在世上独自思想时，就是如此行的；因为那时，他们要么歪曲真理，要么否认真理，以扞卫其生活的邪恶。
但那些处于良善，然而却拥有不纯正的真理的人，甚至那些由于无知而拥有虚假的人（他们当中有许多人在教会里，也有许多人在教会之外，被称为外邦人）的确视虚假为真理；但由于这些虚假是从良善发出的，并且这些人把它们折向良善，所以这些虚假里面没有什么有害的东西，不像那些由邪恶所产生的虚假。由于良善所产生的虚假是温和、柔顺的，所以这些人能接受真理，并且当被天使教导时，的确接受它们。这些虚假好比看上去是坏的，吃起来却很美味的食物；而邪恶所生的虚假则好比看上去是坏的，里面也腐烂的食物。然而，邪恶所生的真理好比看上去是好的，但却含有有害之物的食物，或即便伴随伪善，也是有毒的，如主在马太福音中所教导的：
你们这假冒为善的文士和法利赛人有祸了。因为你们好像粉饰的坟墓，外面好看，里面却装满了死人的骨头，和一切的污秽。（马太福音23:27）
Potts(1905-1910) 9192
9192. He that sacrificeth to gods. That this signifies the worship of falsities from evil, is evident from the signification of "sacrificing," as being worship (that "to sacrifice" denotes worship is because sacrifices were the chief things of worship with the Israelitish and Jewish people, see n. 923, 6905, 8680, 8936); and from the signification of "gods," as being falsities (n. 4402, 4544, 7873, 8941). The worship of falsities from evil is here mentioned, because this is opposed to the worship of truths from good. For all worship has matters of doctrine for its rules; and these matters of doctrine are truths insofar as they are from good; and they are falsities insofar as they are from evil; for truths have their essence and life from good, and on the other hand falsities have their death from evil. [2] But the case herein is as follows. There are some who are in genuine truths, some who are in truths not genuine, and some who are in falsities; and yet those who are in genuine truths are often damned, while those who are in truths not genuine, and also those who are in falsities, are often saved. This will appear paradoxical to most people, but still it is the truth. Experience itself has confirmed it; for there have been seen in hell those who had been more learned than others in truths from the Word and from the doctrine of their church, both dignitaries and others; on the other hand there have been seen in heaven those who had been devoid of truths, and even those who had been in falsities, both Christians and Gentiles. [3] The reason why the former were in hell, was that they had indeed been in truths as to doctrine but in evils as to life; and the reason why the latter were in heaven, was that they had not indeed been in truths as to doctrine but nevertheless had been in good as to life. Some spirits recently deceased, with whom it was given me to speak, wondered that those who had been preeminent for learning in the Word and in the doctrine of their church, were among the damned, whom they nevertheless had believed would become shining lights in heaven, according to these words in Daniel:
The intelligent shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever (Dan. 12:3). But they were told that "the intelligent" are those who are in truth, and who teach truths, and that "they who turn others to righteousness" are those who are in good, and who lead to good; and that therefore the Lord said:
The righteous shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matt. 13:43). (That righteousness is predicated of good, and thus that "the righteous" are those who are in good, see n. 2235.) [4] And they were further told that those who are learned as to doctrine, but evil as to life, are those who are meant by the Lord in the following passages:
Many shall say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied by Thy name, and by Thy name have cast out demons, and in Thy name done many mighty deeds? But then will I confess unto them, I know you not; depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity (Matt. 7:22, 23). Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets. But He will say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity (Luke 13:26-27). And they were also told that the same were meant by "the foolish virgins who had no oil in their lamps," of whom it is written in Matthew:
At last came the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He answering said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not (Matt. 25:11-12);
"to have oil in the lamps" denotes good in the truths which are of the faith of the church (n. 4638; that "oil" denotes the good of love, see n. 886, 4582). [5] They were told furthermore, that those who are not in truths, nay, who are in falsities from ignorance, and yet are in good and from this in the affection of knowing truth, were meant by the Lord when He said:
I say unto you, that many shall come from the east even unto the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of the heavens; but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast forth into the outer darkness (Matt. 8:11-12). They shall come from the east and west, and from the north and south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last (Luke 13:29-30). (That the Gentiles who are in good, though from ignorance in things not true, are received into heaven, see n. 2589-2604, 2861, 2863, 3263, 4190, 4197.) [6] From all this it can now be seen that by "those who sacrifice unto gods" are signified those who are in the worship of falsity from evil, and that these are they who shall be "accursed," that is, shall be cast out. For falsities from evil are evils in form, because when evil shows itself in the light, and takes form, it is called falsity. Hence it is that those who are in evil as to life, although in truths as to doctrine, are nevertheless in the falsities of their evils. That this is so is clearly visible in the other life; for when these persons are left to themselves they think from their evil against the truths which they had known and professed; thus they think falsities. And they do the very same in this world when thinking by themselves; for they then either pervert truths, or deny them, in order to defend the evils of their life. [7] But they who are in good, and yet in things not true, nay, who are in falsities from ignorance, as are many within the church, and many also outside of the church who are called Gentiles, these indeed regard their falsities as truths; but because their falsities come forth from good, they bend them to good, and therefore there is nothing wicked in these falsities, as there is in those which are from evil. And as falsities from good are mild and pliant, such persons are in the capacity of receiving truths, and moreover, do receive them when they are instructed by the angels. These falsities may be compared to foods which look unclean, but yet are savory; whereas falsities from evil may be compared to unclean foods which inwardly are putrid. But truths from evil may be compared to foods which look clean, but are inwardly baneful, and if attended with hypocrisy are poisonous; as the Lord teaches in Matthew:
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye make yourselves like unto whited sepulchers which outwardly indeed appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness (Matt. 23:27).
Elliott(1983-1999) 9192
9192. 'He who sacrifices to the gods' means worship composed of falsities arising from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'offering sacrifice' as worship, worship being meant by 'offering sacrifice' because sacrifices were the chief forms of worship among the Israelite and Jewish people, 923, 6905, 8680, 8936; and from the meaning of 'the gods' as falsities, dealt with in 4402(end), 4544, 7873, 8941. The expression 'worship composed of falsities arising from evil' is used since it is the opposite of worship composed of truths springing from good. For the guidelines of all worship are religious teachings, which to the extent that they spring from good are truths, and to the extent that they arise from evil are falsities. The truths derive the essence and the life that is theirs from the good, while on the other hand the falsities derive the death that is theirs from the evil.
[2] The implications of all this are that there are some people who possess authentic truths, some who possess unauthentic truths, and some who possess falsities. And yet those who possess the authentic truths are often damned, while those who possess the unauthentic truths, and those too who possess falsities, are often saved. To most people this will seem to be paradoxical, but it is nevertheless the truth. Actual experience has proved it to me. I have seen in hell those who were more learned than others in truths derived from the Word and from the teachings of their Church, both prelates and others. On the other hand I have seen in heaven those who possessed unauthentic truths, and even those who possessed falsities, both Christians and gentiles.
[3] The reason why the former were in hell was that in doctrine they had indeed possessed truths, but in life they had been steeped in evils. And the reason why the latter were in heaven was that in doctrine they had indeed possessed unauthentic truths, but in life they had nevertheless been governed by good. Some spirits who had arrived recently in the next life and to whom I was allowed to speak were amazed that those who were more learned than others in the Word and in the teachings of their Church should be among the damned. They had supposed that these would be leading lights in heaven, in accordance with the following words in Daniel,
Those who have intelligence will shine like the brightness of the expanse, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and into eternity. Dan 12:3.
But I told those spirits that 'those who have intelligence' are people who possess truth and teach truths, and 'those who turn others to righteousness' are people who are governed by good and lead others to good, and that this was why the Lord said,
The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Matt 13:43.
The word 'righteousness' has reference to good, so that 'the righteous' are those governed by good, see 2235.
[4] I went on to tell those spirits that people who are learned in doctrine but evil in the life they lead are the ones to whom the Lord was referring in Matthew,
Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy through Your name, and through Your name cast out demons, and do many mighty works in Your name? But then I will confess to them, I do not know you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. Matt 7:22, 23.
And in Luke,
Then you will begin to say, We ate in Your presence and we drank; You taught in our streets. But He will say, I say to you, I do not know where you come from; depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity. Luke 13:26, 27.
The same people were also meant by the foolish virgins who had no oil in their lamps, who are spoken of in Matthew,
Finally those virgins came, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He replying said, Truly I say to you, I do not know you. Matt 25:11, 12.
'Having oil in their lamps' means having good within truths that belong to the Church's faith, 4638, 'oil' being the good of love, see 886, 4582.
[5] I also told those spirits that those who possess unauthentic truths, and indeed those who as a result of their ignorance possess falsities, yet are governed by good and therefore desire to know the truth, were meant by the Lord in Matthew,
I say to you that many will come from the east even to the west and will recline with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast into outer darkness. Matt 8:11, 12.
And in Luke,
They will come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, reclining in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last. Luke 13:29, 30.
The fact that gentiles who are governed by good, even though as a result of their ignorance they possess unauthentic truths, are received into heaven, see 2589-2604, 2861, 2863, 3263, 4190, 4197.
[6] From all this it now becomes clear that 'those who sacrifice to the gods' means people whose worship consists of falsity arising from evil, and that they are the ones who 'shall be utterly destroyed', that is, cast out. Falsities arising from evil are evils in an outward form, for when evil steps out into the light and dons an outward form it is called falsity. So it is that if people are ruled by evil in the life they lead, then even though in doctrine they possess truths, they are still steeped in falsities arising from their evil. The truth of this is plain to see in the next life. When those people are left to themselves, then evil that goes against the truths they have known and claimed to believe in governs their thinking, that is, falsities compose it. Those same people behave in a similar way in the world if left to themselves; for then their thoughts are such that those people either pervert truths or deny truths, in order to justify the evils of their life.
[7] But people who are governed by good yet possess unauthentic truths, and even people who possess falsities because they know no better (of whom there are very many within the Church, and also very many outside it, called gentiles), do indeed regard their falsities as truths. But since these falsities proceed from good and those people bend them towards good, there is nothing harmful about them, as there is about falsities that arise from evil. And since falsities arising from good are gentle and yielding, those people are capable of receiving truths, and do indeed receive them when given instruction by angels. These falsities may be compared to food that looks bad but is nevertheless palatable, whereas falsities arising from evil may be compared to bad-looking food that is rotten inside. Truths that arise from evil however may be compared to food that looks good yet contains what is harmful, or if hypocrisy is present is poisonous, as the Lord teaches in Matthew,
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you make yourselves like white-washed sepulchres, which outwardly do indeed appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and of all uncleanness. Matt 23:27.
Latin(1748-1756) 9192
9192. `Sacrificans diis': quod significet cultum falsorum ex malo, constat ex significatione `sacrificare' quod sit cultus; quod `sacrificare' sit cultus, est quia sacrificia erant primaria cultus apud populum Israeliticum et Judaicum, n. 923, 6905, 8680, 8936; et ex significatione `deorum' quod sint falsa, de qua n. 4402 fin., 4544, 7873, 8941. Cultus falsorum ex malo dicitur quia opponitur cultui verorum ex bono, nam omnis cultus pro normis habet doctrinalia, quae sunt vera quatenus ex bono sunt et falsa quatenus ex malo; nam vera habent essentiam et vitam suam a bono, et vicissim illa suam mortem a malo. [2] Sed cum hoc ita se habet: sunt qui in genuinis veris sunt, sunt qui in non genuinis veris, et {1} sunt qui in falsis; et tamen illi qui in genuinis veris sunt saepe damnantur, et qui in non genuinis veris, et quoque qui in falsis, saepe salvantur; hoc ut paradoxon apparebit plerisque, sed usque veritas est; ipsa experientia id confirmavit, (o)nam visi sunt in inferno qui prae aliis docti fuerunt in veris ex Verbo et ex doctrina Ecclesiae suae, tam antistites quam alii, et (o)vicissim visi sunt in caelo qui in non veris, etiam qui in falsis, tam Christiani quam gentiles; [3] causa quod illi in (x) inferno essent, erat quod quidem in veris quoad doctrinam fuerint {2}, sed in malis {3} quoad vitam; et quod hi in caelo essent, erat quod quidem in non veris quoad doctrinam sed usque in bono quoad vitam fuerint; aliqui recentes spiritus cum quibus loqui datum est mirati sunt quod illi qui docti fuerunt prae aliis in Verbo et in doctrina Ecclesiae (o)suae, inter damnatos (x)essent, quos tamen crediderunt futuros lumina in caelo, secundum haec apud Danielem, Intelligentes splendebunt sicut splendor expansi, et justificantes multos sicut stellae in saeculum et aeternitatem, xii 3;sed illis dictum est quod `intelligentes' sint qui in vero sunt et vera docent, et quod `justificantes' qui in bono sunt et ad bonum ducunt, et quod ideo Dominus dixerit (o)quod Justi fulgebunt ut sol in regno Patris sui, Matth. xiii 43;
quod `justitia' dicatur de bono, et sic `justi' qui in bono sunt, videatur n. 2235. [4] Porro dictum est quod docti illi quoad doctrinam, sed mali quoad vitam, sint qui intellecti a Domino apud Matthaeum, Multi dicent Mihi in illa die, Domine, Domine, nonne per nomen Tuum prophetavimus, et per nomen Tuum daemonia ejecimus, et in nomine Tuo (t)multas virtutes fecimus? sed tunc confitebor illis, Non novi vos; discedite a Me, operarii iniquitatis, vii 22, 23:
et apud Lucam, Tunc incipietis dicere, Edimus coram Te et bibimus, in plateis nostris docuisti; sed dicet, Dico vobis, Non novi vos unde estis; discedite a Me, omnes operarii iniquitatis, xiii 26, 27;
et quod (t)illi etiam intellecti sint per `virgines stultas, quae non oleum habebant in lampadibus,' de quibus apud Matthaeum, Tandem venerunt illae virgines, dicentes, Domine, Domine, aperi nobis; ille vero respondens dixit, Amen dico vobis, Non novi vos, xxv {4} 11, 12;
`habere oleum in lampadibus' est bonum in veris quae fidei Ecclesiae, n. 4638; quod `oleum' sit bonum amoris, videatur n. 886, 4582. [5] Tum quod illi qui in non veris sunt, immo qui in falsis ex ignorantia, et tamen in bono et inde in affectione sciendi verum, intellecti sint a Domino, apud Matthaeum, Dico vobis quod multi ab oriente usque ad occidentem {5} venient, et accumbent cum Abrahamo, et Isaco, et Jacobo, in regno caelorum; filii vero regni ejicientur in tenebras exteriores, viii 11, 12:
et apud Lucam, Venient ab ortibus et occasibus, et a septentrione et meridie, accumbentes in regno Dei; et ecce sunt extremi qui erunt primi, et sunt primi qui erunt ultimi, xiii 29, 30;
quod gentiles qui in bono, tametsi ex ignorantia in non veris, recipiantur in caelum, videatur n. 2589-2604, 2861, 2863, 3263, 4190, 4197. [6] Ex his nunc constare potest quod per `sacrificantes diis' significentur qui in cultu falsi ex malo sunt, et quod illi sint qui devovebuntur, hoc est, ejicientur; falsa enim ex malo sunt mala in forma, nam malum cum se ostendit in luce ac se format, dicitur falsum; inde est quod qui in malo sunt quoad vitam, tametsi in veris quoad doctrinam, usque tamen in falsis sui mali sint: quod ita sit, se manifestat clare in altera vita; illi cum sibi relinquuntur, cogitant ex malo contra vera quae sciverunt et professi sunt, ita falsa; similiter faciunt iidem in mundo cum sibi relicti cogitant; tunc enim vel pervertunt vera, vel negant vera {6}, ad patrocinandum malis vitae suae; at qui in bono sunt et usque in non veris, immo qui in (x)falsis ex ignorantia, ut sunt plures intra Ecclesiam, et quoque plures extra Ecclesiam, qui gentiles vocantur, hi {7} spectant quidem sua falsa ut vera, sed quia falsa illa exeunt ex bono, {8} flectunt illa ad bonum, ideo nihil maligni illis inest sicut inest falsis quae a malo; et quia falsa inde sunt mitia et flexibilia, illi in facultate sunt recipiendi vera, et quoque recipiunt cum instructi ab angelis; falsa illa comparari possunt cibis ad visum immundis sed usque sapidis, at falsa ex malo comparari possunt cibis immundi, qui intus putidi sunt; vera autem ex malo comparari possunt cibis ad visum mundis sed qui intus maligni sunt et, si hypocrisis, venenati, {8} sicut Dominus docet apud Matthaeum, Vae vobis Scribae et Pharisaei, hypocritae! quia similes vos facitis sepulcris dealbatis, quae foris quidem apparent pulchra,intus vero sunt plena ossibus mortuorum et omni immunditie, xxiii 27. @1 i quoque$ @2 After vitam$ @3 malis altered to malo$ @4 i 2,$ @5 et occidente$ @6 After vitae suae$ @7 illi$ @8 i et$