4824. About Paul's Ep[istles].
That Paul's letters do not have an inner meaning is known in the other life. But they were permitted to be in the church lest those of the Church do evil to the Word of the Lord, in which there is an inner meaning, because if people live in an evil way and still believe in the holy Word, they then do evil to heaven. Therefore Paul's epistles were permitted, and therefore Paul was not allowed to take up one parable, not even a teaching of the Lord, and present and explain it, but took up all things from himself. The Church does indeed explain the Word of the Lord but does so using Paul's Epistles, on which account it has withdrawn everywhere from the good of charity and taken up the truth of faith, which even though the Lord taught it, He did so in such a way that the good of charity was everything.
4824. CONCERNING THE EPISTLES OF PAUL.
That the Epistles of Paul have not an internal sense is known in the other life; but it is permitted that they may be in the Church, lest those who are of the Church should work evil to the Word of the Lord, in which is the internal sense. For if man lives ill, and yet believes in the holy Word, then he works evil to heaven; therefore the Epistles of Paul are permitted, and therefore Paul was not permitted to take one parable, not even a doctrine, from the Lord, and to expound and unfold it; but he took all things from himself. The Church, indeed, explains the Word of the Lord, but by means of the Epistles of Paul; for which reason also it everywhere departs from the good of charity, and accepts the truth of faith; which, however, the Lord has taught, but in such wise that the good of charity should be the all.
4824. De Epist. Pauli
Quod Pauli epistolae non sensum internum habeant, notum est in altera vita, sed permissum est ut in Ecclesia sint, ne illi qui ab Ecclesia malum facerent Verbo Domini, in quo sensus internus est; nam si homo male vivit, et usque credit Verbo sancto, tunc malum facit coelo, ideo Pauli epistolae permissae sunt: et ideo Paulo non permissum fuit sumere unam parabolam, ne quidem doctrinam ex Domino, et exponere et explicare, sed a semet omnia sumsit. Ecclesia quidem explicat Domini Verbum, sed per Epistolas Pauli, quapropter etiam recedit ubivis a bono charitatis, et accipit verum fidei, quod tamen Dominus docuit, sed ita ut bonum charitatis esset omne.