136.“我曾给她悔改淫行的时间，她却不肯悔改”表那些已确认该教义之人没有停下来，尽管他们在圣言中看到反对它的话。“悔改她的淫行”在此表示不再歪曲圣言。他们看见与其教义相反的话，这从经上论及诸恶莫作、众善奉行，行善者入天堂、作恶者下地狱，信心若无行为便是死的、邪恶的等大量经文明显可知。若问他们歪曲了圣言的哪个部分，或他们在哪里从灵性上与圣言行淫，答案是他们歪曲了整部圣言。因为整部圣言无非是爱主爱邻的教义，主说这两条爱的诫命是一切律法和先知的总纲（马太福音22:40）。圣言也含信之教义，却非脱离仁之信的教义，而是爱之信的教义。
136. "'And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.'" (2:21) This symbolically means that those who confirm themselves in that doctrine do not turn back from it, even if they see things contrary to it in the Word.
To turn back from sexual immorality here means, symbolically, to turn back from falsifying the Word. The fact that those people see things contrary to their doctrine is apparent from a thousand places in the Word where we are told that evils are to be abstained from and good deeds done, that people who do good deeds go to heaven and people who do evil deeds go to hell, and that faith without works is lifeless and diabolic.
But the question is, what part of the Word did they falsify? Or in what way did they commit sexual immorality spiritually with the Word? The answer is that they falsified the entire Word, inasmuch as the entire Word teaches nothing else than love toward the Lord and love for the neighbor. For the Lord says that "on these two commandments hang... the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:40). One also finds faith taught in the Word, yet not their kind of faith, but a faith connected with love.
136. [verse 21] 'And I gave her time to repent of her whoredom, and she repented not' signifies that those who have confirmed themselves in that doctrine do not withdraw, although they see things against it in the Word.
By withdrawing from whoredom is understood here withdrawing from falsifying the Word. That they see things contrary to their doctrine is plain from a thousand passages in the Word where it is said that evils are to be shunned and goods to be done; also that they who do goods come into heaven, and they who do evils come into hell, as also that faith without works is dead and devilish. But it may be asked, What have they falsified of the Word, or where have they spiritually committed whoredom with the Word? The answer is that they have falsified the whole of the Word, for the whole Word is nothing but the Doctrine of love [that is] directed to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, for the Lord says that on the commandments concerning those two loves 'hang all the Law and the Prophets' (Matthew 22:38-40). There is also in the Word a doctrine of faith, yet not of such a faith, but of the faith of love.
136. Verse 21. And I gave her time to repent of her whoredom, and she repented not, signifies that they who have confirmed themselves in that doctrine, will not recede, although they see things contrary to it in the Word. By receding from whoredom, is here signified to recede from falsifying the Word. That they see things contrary to their doctrine, is evident from a thousand passages in the Word, where it is said that evils are to be shunned, and that goods are to be done; also that they who do goods come into heaven, and they who do evils into hell, as also that faith without works is dead and diabolical. But it may be asked, what part of the Word have they falsified, or where have they spiritually committed whoredom with the Word? It may be answered, that they have falsified the whole Word; for the whole Word is nothing else but the doctrine of love to the Lord, and of love towards the neighbor, for the Lord says, that on the commandments concerning those two loves hang all the law and the prophets, (Matthew 22:40). There is also in the Word the doctrine of faith, yet not of such faith, but of the faith of love.
136. (Vers. 21.) "Et dedi illi tempus ut resipisceret a scortatione sua, et non resipuit," significat quod qui confirmarunt se in illa doctrina, non recedant, tametsi vident contraria in Verbo. - Per recedere a scortatione, hic significatur recedere a falsificando Verbum; quod videant contraria doctrinae suae, patet a mille locis in Verbo, ubi dicitur quod mala fugienda sint, et bona facienda, tum quod qui bona faciunt in Caelum veniant, et qui mala in Infernum, ut et quod fides absque operibus mortua et diabolica sit. Sed quaeritur, quid Verbi falsificaverunt, seu ubinam cum Verbo spiritualiter scortati sunt; respondetur, quod falsificaverint totum Verbum; totum enim Verbum non est nisi quam Doctrina amoris in Dominum et amoris erga proximum; nam dicit Dominus, quod Ex mandatis de binis illis amoribus "Lex et Prophetae pendeant," (Matthaeus 22:40). 1
Est quoque in Verbo doctrina fidei, sed non talis fidei, verum fidei amoris.
Footnotes:
1. 40 pro "38"