368. 主是人裡面的義與信, 人是主裡面的義與信
從下列經文可明顯看出, 教會的成員在主裡面, 主在他们裡面:
耶穌說:"你們要常在我裡面,我也常在你們裡面。我是葡萄樹,你們是枝子。常在我裡面的,我也常在他裡面,這人就多結果子"(約翰福音15:4-5)。吃我肉喝我血的人,常在我裡面,我也常在他裡面(約翰福音6:56)。到那日你們就知道我在父裡面,你們在我裡面,我也在你們裡面(約翰福音14:20)。凡認耶穌為上帝兒子的,上帝就住在他裡面,他也住在上帝裡面(約翰福音4:15)。
並非人自己能夠在主裡面, 是主賜給人裡面的義與信能夠在主裡面, 這二者使人成為本質上的人。
然而, 為了能使人們在這個奧秘上有所啟示, 讓認知去領會其意, 我們應當按以下次序來探究:
(1)與上帝的聯合提供了人的拯救與永生。
(2)不可能與父上帝聯合, 只有可能與主聯合, 通過祂與父上帝聯合。
(3)與主的聯合是相互的, 因此主在人裡面, 人在主裡面。
(4)如此相互的聯合是憑藉義與信產生的。
通過以下逐一說明, 這些觀點的真相將變得清晰。
368. 7. The Lord Is Goodwill and Faith within Us; We Are Goodwill and Faith within the Lord
People of the church are in the Lord and the Lord is in them. This is clear from the following passages in the Word:
Jesus said, "Live in me and I [shall live] in you. I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who live in me and I in them bear much fruit. " (John 15:4-5)
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me and I in them. (John 6:56)
On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me and I am in you. (John 14:20)
If any confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them, and they live in God. (1 John 4:15)
We ourselves cannot be in the Lord, but the goodwill and faith that are in us from the Lord can. These two make us essentially human.
We can shed some light on this mystery to disclose it to the intellect if we explore it in the following sequence:
a. Our partnership with God is what gives us salvation and eternal life.
b. It is impossible for us to have a partnership with God the Father. What is possible is a partnership with the Lord, and through the Lord, with God the Father.
c. Our partnership with the Lord is reciprocal: the Lord is in us and we are in the Lord.
d. This reciprocal partnership comes about through goodwill and faith.
The truth of these points will become clear from the following explanation.
368. VII. The Lord is charity and faith in the person, and the person is charity and faith in the Lord.
It is evident from the following passages in the Word that a member of the church is in the Lord, and the Lord is in him:
Jesus said, Remain in me, and I in you. I am the vine and you are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, John 15:4-5.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him, John 6:56.
On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you, John 14:20.
If anyone shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God. 1 John 4:15.
But the person cannot himself be in the Lord; it is the charity and faith which the Lord grants to be in a person which can, and it is these which make a human being to be essentially human. However, to throw some light upon this secret and allow the understanding to grasp it, we must study it in the following order.
(i) It is being linked with God, which affords a person salvation and everlasting life.
(ii) A link is impossible with God the Father, but it is possible with the Lord, and through Him with God the Father.
(iii) The link with the Lord is reciprocal, so that the Lord is in the person, and he is in the Lord.
(iv) This reciprocal link is created by means of charity and faith.
The truth of these propositions will become plain from the succeeding explanation.
368. VII. THE LORD IS CHARITY AND FAITH IN MAN, AND MAN IS CHARITY AND FAITH IN THE LORD.
That the man of the church is in the Lord and the Lord in him, can be seen from the following passes in the Word:
Jesus said, Abide in Me, and I in you; I am the Vine and ye are the branches. He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same beareth much fruit (John 15:4, 5).
He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood, abideth in Me and I in him (John 6:56).
In that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you (John 14:20).
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him and he in God (1 John 4:15).
Yet man himself cannot be in the Lord, but charity and faith that are in him from the Lord, from which two he is essentially man. But in order to make this arcanum somewhat clear to the understanding, it shall be investigated in the following order:
(1) It is by conjunction with God that man has salvation and eternal life.
(2) Conjunction with God the Father is not possible, but only conjunction with the Lord, and through Him with God the Father.
(3) Conjunction with the Lord is reciprocal, that is, the Lord is in man and man in the Lord.
(4) This reciprocal conjunction is effected by means of charity and faith. The truth of these propositions will be obvious from the following explanation.
368. VII. THE LORD IS CHARITY AND FAITH IN MAN, AND MAN IS CHARITY AND FAITH IN THE LORD.
The man of the Church is in the Lord, and the Lord is in him, as is evident from these passages in the Word:
Jesus said, "Abide in me, and I in you... I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit" John 15:4-5.
"He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him" John 6:56.
"At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you" John 14:20.
"Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God" 1 John 4:15.
A man himself, however, cannot be in the Lord, but the charity and faith can, which are in him from the Lord, and in virtue of which he is essentially a man. In order that this abstruse truth may be manifested to the understanding in a somewhat clear light, it shall be examined in detail as follows:
(1) It is by conjunction with God that a man has salvation and eternal life.
(2) There cannot be conjunction with God the Father, but with the Lord, and through Him with God the Father.
(3) Conjunction with the Lord is reciprocal, that is, the Lord is in man, and man in the Lord.
(4) This reciprocal conjunction is effected by means of charity and faith.
The truth of these propositions will become clear from the following explanation.
368. VII. Quod Dominus sit charitas et Fides in homine, et quod Homo sit Charitas et Fides in Domino.
Quod homo Ecclesiae sit in Domino, et Dominus in illo, constat ex his in Verbo, Jesus dixit, MANETE IN ME, ET EGO IN VOBIS: Ego sum Vitis et vos palmites; QUI MANET IN ME, ET EGO IN ILLO, hic fert fructum multum, Johannes 15:4-5. Qui manducat meam Carnem et bibit meum Sanguinem, IN ME MANET ET EGO IN ILLO, Johannes 6:56. In die illo cognoscetis, quod Ego in Patre meo, et VOS IN ME, ET EGO IN VOBIS, 1 Johannes 14:20. Quisquis confessus fuerit, quod Jesus sit Filius Dei, DEUS IN ILLO MANET, ET ILLE IN DEO, 2 1 Johannes 4:15. Sed non potest ipse homo in Domino esse, sed Charitas et Fides quae a Domino apud hominem sunt, ex quibus duabus homo essentialiter est homo. Verum enim vero ut hoc Arcanum in aliqua luce coram intellectu appareat, 3 rimandum est in hac serie. I. Quod conjunctio cum Deo sit, per quam homini salus et vita aeterna. II. Quod non dabilis sit conjunctio cum Deo Patre, sed cum Domino, et per Ipsum cum Deo Patre. III. Quod Conjunctio cum Domino sit reciproca, 4 quae est quod Dominus sit in homine, et homo in Domino. IV. Quod reciproca haec conjunctio fiat per charitatem et fidem. Quod haec ita sint, patebit a sequente explicatione.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: ILLO.
2. Prima editio: Deus in illo manet, et ille in Deo (cum italicis).
3. Prima editio: appateat.
4. Sic Errores Typographici.