SS78.此外，主正是通过圣言而与人同在并与他结合的，因为主就是圣言，实际上以圣言与人说话。主也是神性真理本身，正如祂是圣言。由此明显可知，主照着一个人对圣言的理解而与他同在，同时与他结合，或也可说，人对圣言的理解程度决定主与他同在，同时与他结合的程度。这是因为人照着对圣言的理解而拥有真理和由此衍生的信，以及爱和由此衍生的生命，或也可说，人对圣言的理解决定了他所拥有的真理和由这真理所产生的信，以及他所拥有的爱和由这爱所产生的生命。诚然，主通过人阅读圣言而与他同在，但却通过并照着对来自圣言的真理的理解而与他结合；主与一个人结合到何等程度，教会就在他里面到何等程度。教会在人里面；在他之外的教会，是许多拥有教会在自己里面之人的教会。这就是主对问神的国几时到来的法利赛人所说这句话的意思：
神的国就在你们里面。（路加福音17:21）
此处“神的国”表示主和来自祂的教会。
78. To continue, the Lord is present with us and united to us through the Word because the Lord is the Word and is virtually talking with us in it. There is also the fact that the Lord is divine truth itself, and that is what the Word is.
We can see from this that the extent to which we understand the Word determines the extent to which the Lord is present with us and at the same time united to us. This is because our understanding of the Word determines the truth we possess, as well as the faith that arises from that truth. Similarly, our understanding of the Word determines the love we have, as well as the way in which we live, which arises from that love. The Lord is present with us when we read the Word; but he is united to us only when we understand what is true from the Word and only in proportion to that understanding; and to the extent that the Lord is united to us the church is within us.
And the church is indeed something within us. The church that is outside us is the church of the many who have the church within them. This is the meaning of what the Lord said to the Pharisees when they asked him when the kingdom of God was coming-“The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). Here the kingdom of God means the Lord, and the church from him.
78. Furthermore, the Lord is present in a person and conjoined with him through the Word, since the Lord embodies the Word and speaks in it as it were with the person. And because the Lord embodies Divine truth itself, so also does the Word embody it.
It is apparent from this that the Lord is present in a person and at the same time conjoined with him in accordance with his understanding of the Word, for it is in accordance with this that a person possesses truth and a resulting faith, as well as love and a resulting life.
The Lord is indeed present in a person by his reading of the Word, but He is conjoined with the person through his understanding of truth derived from the Word and in accordance with it. And the more conjoined the Lord is with the person, the more the person has the church in him.
The church exists in a person. The church around him is the church in all the other people who have the church in them. This is what the Lord meant when, to the Pharisees asking Him when the kingdom of God was coming, He said, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). The kingdom of God there means the Lord and the church formed by Him.
78. Moreover, the Lord is present and conjoined with man through the Word because the Lord is the Word, and He, as it were, converses in it with man; and further, because the Lord is Divine Truth itself, and the Word also is Divine Truth. From this it is evident that the Lord is present with man, and at the same time conjoined with him, according to his understanding of the Word; for, according to that, man has truth and consequently faith, and also love and consequently life. The Lord, however, is present with man through the reading of the Word; but He is conjoined with him through his understanding of truth from the Word and according to it; and in the degree that the Lord is conjoined with man, the Church is in him. The Church is within man. The Church that is outside of him is the Church among the many within whom the Church exists. This is meant by the Lord's words to the Pharisees who asked when the kingdom of God should come:
The kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21.
By the kingdom of God is here meant the Lord, and the Church from Him.
78. Further, it is through the Word that the Lord is present with a man and is conjoined with him, for the Lord is the Word, and as it were speaks with the man in it. The Lord is also Divine truth itself, as likewise is the Word. From this it is evident that the Lord is present with a man and is at the same time conjoined with him, according to his understanding of the Word, for according to this the man has truth and the derivative faith, and also love and the derivative life. The Lord is indeed present with a man through the reading of the Word, but he is conjoined with him through the understanding of truth from the Word, and according thereto; and in proportion as the Lord has been conjoined with a man, in the same proportion the church is in him. The church is within man; the church that is outside of him is the church with a number of men who have the church within them. This is meant by the Lord's words to the Pharisees who asked when the kingdom of God would come:
The kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21).
Here the "kingdom of God" means the Lord, and from him, the church.
78. Praeterea Dominus apud hominem praesens est et ei conjunctus per Verbum, quoniam Dominus est Verbum, et in illo quasi loquitur cum homine; tum quia Dominus est ipsum Divinum Verum, et quoque Verbum est illud. Ex hoc patet quod Dominus apud hominem praesens sit, et simul illi conjunctus, secundum intellectum Verbi; nam secundum illum est homini veritas et inde fides, tum etiam amor et inde vita. Sed est Dominus praesens apud hominem per lectionem Verbi, at ei conjunctus per intellectum veri ex Verbo, et secundum illum; et quantum Dominus homini conjunctus est, tantum in homine est ecclesia. Ecclesia est in homine; ecclesia quae extra illum est, est ecclesia apud plures in quibus est ecclesia. Hoc intelligitur per Domini verba ad Pharisaeos interrogantes quando venit regnum Dei,
"Regnum Dei intra vos est" (Lucas 17:21):
Per "regnum Dei" intelligitur ibi Dominus, et ab Ipso ecclesia.