409.在主降世之前，几乎无人知道何为内在人或何为仁爱。这就是为何祂在多处教导亲兄弟之爱，也就是仁爱的原因；这也是新旧约的不同之处。在马太福音中，主教导当出于仁爱向对手或仇敌行善：
你们听见古时有话对他们说：“当爱你的邻舍，恨你的仇敌。”只是我告诉你们，要爱你们的仇敌，向恨你的人行善，为那咒诅你们的祝福。这样，就可以作你们天父的儿子。（马太福音5:43，44，45）
当彼得问祂，若有人得罪他，当饶恕对方多少次，饶恕七次可不可以，祂这样回答：
不是到七次，乃是七十个七次。（马太福音18:21，22）
我从天上听说，主宽恕每个人的罪，从不因罪惩罚任何人，甚至不将罪归咎于任何人，因为祂是爱之本和善之本；不过，罪不会因此被洗掉，除非通过悔改。当主告诉彼得要饶恕人七十个七次，还有主不会做的事吗？
409. 在主降世之前, 幾乎無人知道什麼是內在人或者什麼是義。這就是為何祂在多處教導仁(愛)與義, 這是舊約與新約的不同之一。
在『馬太福音』中, 主教導我們應當出於仁愛對仇敵行善:你們聽見有話對古人說:"當愛你的鄰舍, 恨你的仇敵。"只是我告訴你們, 要愛你們的仇敵, 向恨你的人行善, 為那逼迫你們的禱告。這樣就可以作你們天父的兒子(馬太福音5:43-45)。
當彼得問祂, 若有人得罪他, 當饒恕對方多少次, 饒恕七次可不可以, 祂這樣回答:"不是到七次, 乃是七十個七次"(馬太福音18:21-22)。
我從天國聽說, 主饒恕每個人的罪, 從不因罪而懲罰任何人, 甚至不將罪歸咎給任何人, 因為祂是仁愛之本和良善之本。不過, 罪不會因此被抹去; 除非悔改, 沒什麼能抹去人的罪。
主告訴彼得, 當饒恕人七十個七次, 主自己難道不會這樣饒恕我們嗎？
409. Before the Lord came into the world, almost no one knew what the inner self was or what goodwill was. That is why in so many passages the Lord teaches love and goodwill. This is a distinguishing feature between the Old Testament or Covenant and the New.
In Matthew the Lord teaches that we are to do good to our adversaries and enemies and have goodwill toward them:
You have heard the statement made to the ancients, "You are to love your neighbor and hate your enemy. " But I am saying to you, love your enemies, bless the people who are cursing you, do good to the people who are hating you, and pray for the people who are hurting you and persecuting you, so that you may be children of your Father who is in the heavens. (Matthew 5:43-45)
To Peter, who was asking how many times he should forgive someone who was sinning against him - whether he should give forgiveness as many as seven times - the Lord answered,
I do not say as many as seven times, but as many as seventy times seven. (Matthew 18:21-22)
I have also heard from heaven that the Lord forgives everyone's sins and never takes revenge or even assigns spiritual credit or blame, because he is love and goodness itself. Yet for all that, our sins are not washed away. Nothing washes our sins away except repentance. Since the Lord told Peter to forgive up to seventy times seven instances of sin, at what point would the Lord stop forgiving us?
409. Before the Lord came into the world hardly anyone knew what the internal man was or what charity was. This is why in many places He taught loving care, which is charity; and this is a difference between the Old and New Testaments (or Covenants). The Lord taught that kindness should be done out of charity to an opponent or enemy in this passage of Matthew:
You have heard that the men of old were told, You are to love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who hurt and persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in the heavens, Matthew 5:43-45.
And when Peter asked Him how many times he should forgive one who sinned against him, whether it should be as many as seven times, He replied:
Not up to seven times, I tell you, but up to seventy times seven times, Matthew 18:21-22.
I have been told from heaven that the Lord forgives everyone his sins, and never punishes him for them, or even imputes them to him, because He is love itself and good itself. Nevertheless the sins are not wiped away by this, for it is only by repentance that they can be wiped away. For if he told Peter to forgive up to seventy times seven times, is there anything that the Lord Himself would not do?
409. Before the Lord came into the world scarcely anyone knew what the internal man is or what charity is, and this is why in so many places He taught brotherly love, that is, charity; and this constitutes the distinction between the Old Testament or Covenant and the New. That good ought to be done from charity to the adversary and the enemy the Lord taught in Matthew:
Ye have heard that it hath been said to them of old time, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that hurt you and persecute you; that ye may be sons of your Father who is in the heavens (Matthew 5:43-45).
And when Peter asked Him how often he should forgive one sinning against him, whether he should do so until seven times, He replied:
I say not unto thee, until seven times, but until seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21, 22).
And I have heard from heaven that the Lord forgives to everyone his sins, and never takes vengeance nor even imputes sin, because He is love itself and good itself; nevertheless, sins are not thereby washed away, for this can be done only by repentance. For when He told Peter to forgive until seventy times seven, what will not the Lord do?
409. Before the Lord came into the world, scarcely anyone knew what the internal man and charity were. This is why He so frequently taught loving-kindness, and this is charity; and this makes the difference between the Old Testament or Covenant and the New. That good ought to be done, from the spirit of charity, to an adversary and an enemy, the Lord taught in Matthew:
"Ye have heard that it hath been said (to them of old time), Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven" 5:43-45.
And when Peter asked Him how often he should forgive one sinning against him, whether he should forgive him until seven times, Jesus answered:
"I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, until seventy times seven" 18:21-22.
I have also heard from heaven that the Lord forgives every man his sins, and never punishes for them, and does not even impute them, because He is Love itself and Good itself; nevertheless, that sins are not wiped out on this account, for that can only be done by repentance. Since then He told Peter that he should forgive until seventy times, what will not the Lord do?
409. Antequam Dominus in Mundum venit, vix aliquis novit quid Internus homo, et quid Charitas, quapropter tam multis in locis docuit 1 Dilectionem, hoc est Charitatem; et hoc facit discrimen inter Testamentum seu Foedus Vetus et Novum. 2 Quod Adversario et Inimico ex Charitate benefaciendum sit, Docuit Dominus apud Matthaeum, Audivistis quod dictum sit veteribus, Amabis proximum tuum, et odio habebis inimicum tuum, Ego vero dico vobis, Amate inimicos vestros, benedicite maledicentibus vobis, benefacite odio vos habentibus, et orate pro laedentibus et persequentibus vos, ut sitis filii Patris vestri qui in Coelis, Cap. 5:43-45: Et Petro interroganti quoties peccanti contra se remitteret, num usque ad septies, respondit, non dico tibi ad septies, sed usque ad septuagies septies, Matthaeus 18:21-22; Et audivi e Coelo, quod Dominus remittat unicuique peccata ejus, et nusquam vindicet, et ne quidem imputet, quia est ipse Amor et ipsum Bonum, sed quod usque per id peccata non abstersa sint, haec enim non nisi quam per poenitentiam absterguntur; cum enim dixit Petro, quod remitteret usque ad septuagies septies, quid non Dominus.
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