306.“孝敬父母”的灵义是指崇敬和热爱神与教会。从灵义上说，父亲是指神，祂是所有人的父亲；母亲是指教会。天堂的孩子和天人不认识其他的父或母，因为主借着教会使他们重生。因此，主说：
不要称呼地上的人为父，因为只有一位是你们的父，就是在天上的父。（马太福音23:9）
这是对着天堂的孩子和天人说的，不是对着地上的孩子和世人说的。在主祷文中，也有类似的教导，如：“我们在天上的父，愿人都尊祢的名为圣。”
在灵义上，母亲是指教会，原因是：教会用属灵的食物喂养子女，犹如世上的母亲用属世的食物喂养子女。这也是为何在圣言中，教会经常被称作母亲。如：
你们要与你们的母亲大大争辩；因为她不是我的妻子，我也不是她的丈夫。（何西阿书2:2，5）
又如：
我休你们的母亲，休书在那里呢？我将你们卖给我那一个债主呢？（以赛亚书50:1；以西结书16:45；19:10）
再如福音书：
耶稣伸手指着门徒，说：“凡遵行我天父旨意的人，就是我的弟兄姐妹和母亲了”。（马太福音12:49，50；马可福音3:33－35；路加福音8:21；约翰福音19:25－27）
306. "孝敬父母"的屬靈意思是指崇敬和熱愛上帝及教會。在這層意思裡, 父親意指上帝, 祂是萬人之父; 母親意指教會。在天國之中的小孩和天人只會如此理解父與母的含義, 因為是主使他們藉著教會重生。
這就是為什麼主說:不要稱呼地上的人為父, 因為只有一位是你們的父, 就是在天上的父(馬太福音23:9)。(這些話適於天國的小孩和天人, 並不適於地上的小孩和人們。)在主的禱告文中, 祂教導了類似的事情, 這樣的禱告在所有基督徒教會中共用:"我們在天上的父, 願人都尊禰的名為聖。"
在屬靈之義中, 母親代表教會的原因是:如同地上的母親用自然界食物餵養她的兒女, 教會用屬靈食物餵養。這也是為何在聖言中常稱教會為母親。例如在『何西阿書』中:"你們要與你們的母親大大爭辯; 因為她不是我的妻子, 我也不是她的丈夫"(何西阿書2:2, 5)。在『以賽亞書』:"我休你們的母親, 休書在那裡呢？我將你們賣給我那一個債主呢？"(以賽亞書50:1;以西結書16:45; 19:10)
還有, 在福音書中, 耶穌伸手指著門徒, 說:"凡遵行我天父旨意的人, 就是我的弟兄姐妹和母親了"(馬太福音12:49-50;馬可福音3:33-35;路加福音8:21;約翰福音19:25-27)
306. In the spiritual meaning, honoring your father and your mother refers to revering and loving God and the church. In this sense "father" means God - the Father of all - and "mother" means the church. In the heavens little children and angels know no other father or mother, since their rebirth in that world comes from the Lord through the church. This is why the Lord says, "Do not call anyone on earth your father, for your father is the One in the heavens" (Matthew 23:9). (These words apply to little children and angels in heaven, but not to little children and people on earth.) The Lord teaches something similar in the prayer that is shared by all Christian churches: "Our Father, who is in the heavens: your name must be kept holy. "
In the spiritual meaning, "mother" stands for the church because as mothers on earth nourish their children with physical food, so the church nourishes people with spiritual food. For this reason in various places in the Word the church is called "mother;" for example, in Hosea: "Bring charges against your mother. She is not my wife and I am not her husband" (Hosea 2:2, 5). In Isaiah: "Where is the certificate of your mother's divorce, whom I put away?" (Isaiah 50:1; Ezekiel 16:45; 19:10). In the Gospels: "Jesus reached his hand toward the disciples and said, My mother and my brothers and sisters are those who hear the Word of God and do it" (Matthew 12:48-50; Mark 3:33-35; Luke 8:21; John 19:25-27).
306. In the spiritual sense honouring one's father and mother means reverencing and loving God and the church. In this sense father means God, who is the Father of all, and mother means the church. Children and angels in the heavens know of no other father or mother, since the Lord causes them to be born anew there by means of the church. This is why the Lord says:
Do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in the heavens, Matthew 23:9.
This is said for the benefit of children and angels in heaven, not for children and people on earth. The Lord teaches the same lesson in the prayer shared by all Christian churches: 'Our Father in the heavens, may your name be hallowed.'
The reason why mother in the spiritual sense means the church, is that just as a mother on earth feeds her children with natural food, so the church does with spiritual food. This too is why in the Word the church is frequently called mother. For instance, in Hosea:
Strive with your mother; she is not my wife, and I am not her husband, Hosea 2:2, 5.
In Isaiah:
Where is the divorce document of your mother, whom I have sent away? Isaiah 50:1; also Ezekiel 16:45; 19:10.
And in the Gospels:
Jesus, stretching out his hand to the disciples, said, My mother and my brothers are those who hear the Word of God, and do it, Matthew 12:49-50; Mark 3:33-35; Luke 8:21; John 19:25-27.
306. In the spiritual sense, "to honor father and mother" means to reverence and love God and the church. In this sense, God who is the father of all, is meant by "father" and the church by "mother." In the heavens little children and the angels know no other father and no other mother, since they are there born anew of the Lord through the church. Therefore the Lord says:
Call no man your father on the earth; for one is your Father, who is in the heavens (Matthew 23:9).
This was said with reference to children and angels in heaven, and not of children and men on earth. The Lord teaches the same thing in the common prayer of the Christian churches, "Our Father who art in the heavens, hallowed be Thy name." In the spiritual sense, "mother" means the church, because as a mother on earth nourishes her children with natural food; so does the church nourish her children with spiritual food, and this is why the church is frequently called "mother" in the Word, as in Hosea:
Plead with your mother; she is not my wife, and I am not her husband (2:2, 6).(Hosea 2:5
In Isaiah:
Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? (50:1; Ezekiel 16:46; 19:10).
And in the Gospels:
Jesus stretched forth His hand towards His disciples, and said, My mother and My brethren are these who hear the Word of God and do it (Matthew 12:48-50; Mark 3:33-36; Luke 8:21; John 19:25-27).
306. In the spiritual sense, by honoring father and mother is meant venerating and loving God and the Church. In this sense, father means God, who is the Father of all, and mother means the Church. Children and angels in heaven know no other father and no other mother, since they are there born anew from the Lord by means of the Church. The Lord therefore says,
"Call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven" Matthew 23:9.
This was said for children and angels in heaven, but not for children and men on earth. The Lord teaches the same thing in the common prayer of the Christian Churches, "Our Father, who art in the heavens, hallowed be thy name." In the spiritual sense, mother means the Church, because, as a mother on earth nourishes her children with natural food, so the Church nourishes her children with spiritual food. In the Word, therefore, the Church is everywhere called mother, as in Hosea,
"Plead with your mother... for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband" Hosea 2:2, 5;
and in Isaiah,
"Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away?" Isaiah 50:1; and in Ezekiel 16:45; 19:10;
and in the Evangelists:
Jesus, stretching forth His hand toward the disciples, said, "My mother and my brethren are these which hear the Word of God, and do it" Matthew 12:48-49; Mark 3:33-35; Luke 8:21; John 19:25-27.
306. In SENSU SPIRITUALI, per honorare Patrem et Matrem intelligitur venerari et amare Deum et Ecclesiam; in hoc Sensu per Patrem intelligitur Deus, qui est Pater omnium, et per Matrem Ecclesia; Infantes et Angeli in Coelis non alium Patrem, nec aliam Matrem sciunt, quoniam a Domino per Ecclesiam ibi e novo nati sunt; quare Dominus dicit, Patrem ne vocetis vestrum in terra, unus namque est Pater vester, qui in Coelis est, Matthaeus 23:9 haec dicta sunt pro Infantibus 1 et Angelis in Coelo, non autem pro infantibus et hominibus in terra. Simile docet Dominus in Oratione Ecclesiarum Christianarum communi, Pater noster, qui est in Coelis, sanctificetur Nomen tuum. Quod per Matrem in sensu spirituali, intelligatur Ecclesia, est quia sicut Mater in terra alit suos liberos victu naturali, ita Ecclesia illos victu spirituali; quare etiam Ecclesia in Verbo passim vocatur Mater, ut apud Hoscheam, Contendite cum MATRE VESTRA; non illa uxor mea, et Ego non Maritus ejus, 2:2, 5. Apud Esajam, Ubi est libellus repudii MATRIS VESTRAE, quam dimiserim, 50:1. et Ezechiel 16:45; 19:10. Et apud Evangelistas, Jesus extendens manum suam ad Discipulos, dixit, MATER MEA, et fratres mei sunt, qui audiunt Verbum Dei, et faciunt illud, Matthaeus 12:48-49, 50; 2 Marcus 3:33-35; Luca 8:21; Johannes 19:25-26.
Footnotes: