318.就属灵之义而言，“偷盗”表示剥夺他人从其信仰所获得的真理；这是虚假和异端邪说造成的影响。牧师若履行牧职只是为了名或利，并且教导他们通过圣言看到或能看到不真实的那类事，就是属灵的盗贼。因为他们拿走了人们得救的工具，即信之真理。在圣言经文中，这类人被称为盗贼，如：
人进羊圈，不从门进去，倒从别处爬进去，那人就是贼，就是强盗。盗贼来，无非要偷窃，杀害，毁坏。（约翰福音10:1，10）
不要为自己积攒财宝在地上，只要积攒财宝在天上，那里没有贼来偷。（马太福音6:19，20）
盗贼若来在你那里，或强盗夜间而来（你何竟被剪除），岂不偷窃，直到够了呢？（俄巴底亚书1:5）
它们蹦上城，蹿上墙，爬上房屋，进入窗户如同盗贼。（约珥书2:9）
他们行事虚谎，内有贼人入室偷窃，外有强盗成群骚扰。（何西阿书7:1）
318. 就屬靈之義而言, "不可偷盜"表示剝奪他人由其信仰獲得的真理; 這是因偽謬和異端信條造成的影響。作為祭司, 如果履行牧職只是為了求利或求榮, 以及教導聖言中他們看見(或者至少能看見)的並不真實的事情, 他們就是盜賊。他們拿走了人們獲得拯救的工具——信仰之真理。
此類的祭司們被稱為"賊", 參看以下經文:不從門進去, 倒從別處爬進去, 那人就是賊, 就是強盜。盜賊來, 無非要偷竊, 殺害, 毀壞(約翰福音10:1, 10)。不要積攢財寶在地上, 要積攢在天上, 沒有賊進來偷(馬太福音6:19-20)。盜賊夜間而來——你何竟被剪除——豈不偷竊直到夠了呢(俄巴底亞書1:5)？它們蹦上城, 躥上牆, 爬上房屋, 進入窗戶如同盜賊(約珥書2:9)。他們行事虛謊, 內有賊人入室偷竊, 外有強盜成群騷擾(何西阿書7:1)。
318. In the spiritual meaning, "stealing" refers to using false and heretical ideas to deprive others of the truths of their faith. Priests are spiritual thieves if they minister only for financial benefit or status and they teach things that on the basis of the Word they see, or at least could see, are not true. They rob people of the means of salvation, which are the truths related to faith.
Priests like this are called thieves in the following passages in the Word:
Those who do not enter through the door to the sheepfold but climb up some other way are thieves and robbers. Thieves do not come in except to steal, slaughter, and destroy. (John 10:1, 10)
Store up treasures, not on earth but in heaven, where thieves do not come in and steal. (Matthew 6:19-20)
If thieves, if people who knock things over in the night, come to you, how might you be cut off? Are they not going to steal whatever satisfies them? (Obadiah, verse 5)
They run here and there in the city, they run on the wall, they climb into houses, they come in through windows like a thief. (Joel 2:9)
They made a lie; the thief comes in, and the crowd scatters outside. (Hosea 7:1)
318. In the spiritual sense stealing means depriving others of the truths they get from their faith; this is the effect of falsities and heretical beliefs. Priests, whose ministry is conducted solely for the sake of profit or to seek honours, and who teach the sort of things which they see, or could see, from the Word not to be true, are spiritual thieves, since they take away from the people their means of salvation, the truths of faith. Such people are called thieves in the following passages of the Word:
He who does not enter into the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs in somewhere else, is a thief and a robber. A thief does not come except to steal, to slaughter and destroy, John 10:1, 10.
Lay up your treasures not upon earth, but in heaven, where thieves do not come and steal, Matthew 6:19-20.
If thieves come to you, if wreckers come by night, how will you be cut off? Will they not steal enough to satisfy them? Obadiah verse 5.
They will run about the city, they will run on the wall, they will climb into houses, they will enter through windows like a thief, Joel 2:9.
They made a lie, and a thief comes, and his troop pours out of doors, Hosea 7:1.
318. In the spiritual sense, to steal means to deprive others of the truths of their faith, which is done by means of falsities and heresies. Priests, who minister solely for gain or from a lust for honor, and teach what they see or might see from the Word to be untrue, are spiritual thieves, since they take away from the people the means of salvation, which are the truths of faith. Such are called thieves in the Word, in the following passages:
He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. The thief cometh not but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (John 10:1, 10).
Lay not up treasures upon earth, but in heaven, where thieves do not come and steal (Matthew 6:19, 20).
If thieves come to thee, if robbers by night, how art thou cut off; will they not steal what is enough for them? (Obadiah 1 verse 5).
They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief (Joel 2:9).
They have committed falsehood, and the thief cometh in, and the troop spreadeth itself without (Hosea 7:1).
318. In the spiritual sense, to steal means to rob others of the truths of their faith and this is done by means of falsities and heresies. Priests, who minister only for the sake of gain or worldly honor, and who teach what they perceive or may perceive from the Word to be untrue, are spiritual thieves; for they rob the people of the means of salvation, which are the truths of faith. They are moreover called thieves in the Word, in the following passages:
"He that entereth not by the door into the sheep-fold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber... The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" John 10:1, 10.
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth but in heaven... where thieves do not break through nor steal" Matthew 6:19-20.
"If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough?" Obadiah, 5 verse.
"They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall; they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief," Joel 2:9.
"For they commit falsehood and the thief cometh in and the troop... spoileth without," Hosea 7:1.
318. In SENSU SPIRITUALI per furari intelligitur deprivare alios suae fidei veris, quod fit per falsa et haeretica: Sacerdotes, qui solum propter lucrum aut honoris ambitum ministrant, ac docent talia, quae vident aut possunt videre ex Verbo quod non vera sint, spirituales fures sunt, quoniam media salutis, quae sunt vera fidei, populo auferunt; hi quoque vocantur fures in Verbo in his locis, Qui non ingreditur per januam in ovile, sed ascendit aliunde, is est fur et latro; fur non venit nisi ut furetur, mactet et perdat, Johannes 10:1, 10. Reponite thesauros non in terra, sed in Coelo, ubi fures non veniunt, et furantur, Matthaeus 6:19-20. Si fures veniunt tibi, si eversores noctu, quomodo excisus eris, nonne furabuntur quod illis satis, 1 Obadias 1:5. In Urbe discurrent, in muro current, in domos ascendent, per fenestras ingredientur, sicut fur, Joel 2:9. Fecerunt mendacium, et fur venit, et diffundit se turma foras, Hoschea 7:1.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: satis.