952、有一个灵人以为他在世时过着神圣的生活，因为他被人们视为神圣，从而以为自己配上天堂。他说，他一直过着虔诚的生活，花大量时间来祷告，以为每个人照顾好自己和自己的福祉就足够了。他还说他是个罪人，愿意受苦，甚至被别人踩在脚下（他称之为基督徒的忍耐）；他想成为最小的，以便在天堂成为最大的。当被问及他是否为别人做过或愿意做任何善事，也就是说，是否有仁爱的行为时，他却说他不知道这些是什么，只知道他过着神圣的生活。他因以自己比他人更好为目的，从而视他人为他的下级，最重要的是视自己为圣徒，故一开始是以腰部以上可见的闪亮人形出现的。然后，他先变成暗蓝色，最后变成黑色。他因想凌驾于他人之上，蔑视他人，所以最终变得比别人更黑。关于那些想在天堂成为最大的之人，可参看450，452节。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]952. One individual felt he had lived a holy life in the world, his purpose being to win public admiration for his piety and in this way earn heaven. He said he had led a devout life and made time for prayer, believing that it was enough for us each to take care of ourselves and our own welfare. He added that he was a sinner and wanted to suffer, even to the point of being trampled underfoot by others (which he called Christian patience), and that he wanted to be the humblest person there was, in order to be the greatest in heaven. Questioned as to whether he had done or wished to do anyone any good — to perform works of charity, in other words — he declared that he had no idea what these were, that he had simply lived a holy life. Because this man's goal was to be better than others, whom he consequently deemed his inferiors, and most of all because he viewed himself as a saint, he appeared at first in a shining white human form that was visible down to the pelvis. Then he turned a dusky shade of blue and finally black. Since he wished to domineer over other people and held them in contempt, he ended up blacker than others.
Concerning those who want to be greatest in heaven, see above at 450, 452.{*1}
Footnotes:
{*1} The New Testament similarly depicts the disciples arguing about which of them will be greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Mark 9:33-35; Luke 9:46-48; 22:24-30). Christ's answer varies slightly in the different Gospels, but its gist is always the same; as he expresses it in Luke 9:48, "The least among all of you is the greatest" (New Revised Standard Version). Compare Marriage Love 7. [RS]
Potts(1905-1910) 952
952. A certain spirit supposed that he had lived holily in the world because he was esteemed as holy by men and so merited heaven. He said that he had led a pious life, and had spent much time in prayer, supposing it to be sufficient for each person to look out for his own interests. He also said that he was a sinner, and was willing to suffer even to being trodden under foot by others, which he called Christian patience; and that he was willing to be the least, in order that he might become the greatest in heaven. When examined in order to see whether he had performed or had been willing to perform anything of good, that is, any works of charity, he said that he did not know what these were; but only that he had lived a holy life. But because he had as his end his own preeminence over others, whom he accounted vile in comparison with himself, at first, because he supposed himself to be holy, he appeared in a human form shining white down to the loins, but was turned first to a dull blue, and then to black; and as he desired to rule over others, and despised them in comparison with himself, he became blacker than others. (Concerning those who desire to be greatest in heaven, see above, n. 450, 452.)
Elliott(1983-1999) 952
952. A certain spirit imagined that he had led a holy life while in the world because people thought that he was holy, and so merited heaven. He said that he had led a devotional life and set time aside for prayer, imagining that it was sufficient if each individual concerned himself with and took care of his own interests. He also said he was a sinner and was willing to suffer even to the point of being trodden underfoot by others, which he termed Christian endurance, and that he wished to be the least in order that he might become the greatest in heaven. He was then tested to see whether he had performed or had been willing to perform any good action, that is, the works of charity, for anybody else. He said he did not know what these were, only that he had lived a holy life. Because this spirit had as the end in view his own pre-eminence over others whom he thus rated inferior to himself, he was seen first of all - because he imagined he was holy - in human form, all white down to the loins. Then he seemed to change, first to dark blue, after that to black; and because he wished to rule over others whom he despised in comparison with himself, he became blacker than anybody else. Concerning people who wish to be the greatest in heaven, see what has been stated already in 450, 452.
Latin(1748-1756) 952
952. Quidam in mundo sancte se vixisse putavit ex causa ut sanctus aestimaretur ab hominibus, et sic caelum mereretur; dicebat se piam vitam egisse, precibus vacavisse, putans satis esse ut quisque sibi studeat et consulat; dicebat etiam quod peccator esset et quod voluerit pati usque ut ab aliis calcaretur sub pedibus, quod vocabat patientiam Christianam, et quod minimus esse vellet ut fieret maximus in caelo; hic examinatus num alicui praestiterit aut voluerit praestare aliquid boni, seu opera charitatis; dicebat se nescire quid essent, modo quod sancte vixerit; hic quia pro fine habuit praeeminentiam sui prae aliis, quos ita se viliores reputabat, primum quia putavit se sanctum, visus est in forma humana candida usque ad lumbos, sed conversus est primum in obscurum caeruleum, et dein in nigrum, et quia dominari voluit super alios et eos prae se contemneret, factus est aliis nigrior: de iis qui maximi volunt esse in caelo, videatur prius n. 450, 452.