836.凡承认和敬拜一个神，宇宙创造者的人，都持有神是一个人的观念。他们说，人对神不可能有其它观念。当他们听说，很多人认为神象苍穹或一团云，就问这种人在哪儿，当被告知他们就在基督徒中时，他们觉得这不可能。但他们被告知，这些人之所以有这样的观念，是因为圣言中神被称为圣灵。提到灵，他们只会想到它是一种空灵的物质，或某种云，殊不知，每个灵和天人都是一个人。当进一步询问，以弄清其属灵观念是否类似于其属世观念时，发现对于那些内心承认主为天地之神的人来说，情况是不同的。我听一个年长者说，没人能设想一个神性之人，我看见他被带到不同的外邦人中，进入他们越来越深的内在，也进入他们的天堂，最后来到基督教天堂。所到之处，他都能感受到他们对神的内在感知；结果发现，除了神是一个神性之人外，他们对神没有别的观念，并且作为神形象和样式的人类绝不是其它神创造出来的。
836. 凡承认和敬拜一个神, 宇宙创造者的人, 都持有神是一个人的观念。 他们说, 人对神不可能有其它观念。 当他们听说, 很多人认为神象苍穹或一团云, 就问这种人在哪儿, 当被告知他们就在基督徒中时, 他们觉得这不可能。 但他们被告知, 这些人之所以有这样的观念, 是因为圣言中神被称为圣灵。 提到灵, 他们只会想到它是一种空灵的物质, 或某种云, 殊不知, 每个灵和天人都是一个人。 当进一步询问, 以弄清其属灵观念是否类似于其属世观念时, 发现对于那些内心承认主为天地之神的人来说, 情况是不同的。 我听一个年长者说, 没人能设想一个神性之人, 我看见他被带到不同的外邦人中, 进入他们越来越深的内在, 也进入他们的天堂, 最后来到基督教天堂。 所到之处, 他都能感受到他们对神的内在感知; 结果发现, 除了神是一个神性之人外, 他们对神没有别的观念, 并且作为神形象和样式的人类绝不是其它神创造出来的。
836. All non-Christians who acknowledge and worship one God as the Creator of the universe think of God as a human being. They say that no one could have any other idea of God. When they are told that many people think of God as ether or a cloud, they ask, "Where are there people like that?"
When they are told that some Christians are like that, they say, "That can't be right!"
They are told that some Christians get this idea from the fact that the Word refers to God as a spirit [John 4:24], and the only concept they have of a spirit is that it is like the material that ether is made of, or like some sort of cloud. These Christians do not know that every spirit and every angel is a human being. They are examined, however, to see whether the spiritual idea they have of God is the same as their earthly idea of him; it has been discovered that people who inwardly acknowledge the Lord our Savior as the God of heaven and earth have a spiritual idea of God that differs from their earthly idea of him.
I once heard a Christian minister saying that no one was capable of having the idea of a divine human being. I saw him taken around to various groups of non-Christians, each one of a deeper nature than the last, until he reached their heavens, and then eventually came to the Christian heaven; at every stage he was allowed to sense their inner awareness of God. To his surprise, all of them shared the view that God is a divine human being, and that we could not have been created by any other kind of God, since we are in his image and likeness.
836. All who acknowledge one God as Creator of the universe, and worship Him, entertain the idea of God as a human being; they say that no one can have any other idea of God. When they hear that many people have an idea of God as like ether or cloud, they ask where such people are to be found. On being told that they are among the Christians, they say that this is impossible. But they receive the reply that these people have acquired such an idea because God is called in the Word a Spirit; and they cannot think of spirit as anything but like the substance of the ether or some form of cloud, being unaware that every spirit and every angel is a human being. Still they were put to the test to see whether their spiritual idea resembled their natural one, and it was discovered that it is not similar in the case of those who inwardly acknowledge the Lord the Saviour as the God of heaven and earth. I heard a certain priest saying that no one can have any idea of the Divine Human. I saw him being taken to visit various nations, who lived further and further in, and also to their heavens, finally reaching the Christian heaven; everywhere he was allowed to share their inner perception of God, and he observed that they had no other idea of God than as a Divine human being; and that no other God could have created human beings, who are His image and likeness.
836. All who acknowledge and worship one God, the Creator of the universe, cherish an idea of God as being a Man; they say that no one can have any other idea of Him. When they hear that many cherish the idea that God is like ether or a cloud, they ask where such people are; and when told that they are among the Christians they deny that it is possible. But they are told that they get this idea from God's being called in the Word a Spirit, and of spirit they have no other idea than that it is an ethereal substance, or some kind of a cloud, not knowing that every spirit and every angel is a man. When a further inquiry is made to ascertain whether their spiritual idea is similar to their natural idea, it is found to be different with those who interiorly acknowledge the Lord as the God of heaven and earth. I heard a certain elder saying that no man could conceive of a Divine Human; and I saw him taken among different Gentile peoples, to the more and more interior of them, also to their heavens, and finally to the Christian heaven, and their interior perception of God was everywhere communicated to him; and he observed that they had no other idea of God than that of a Divine Man, and that by no other God could man, who is an image and likeness of God, have been created.
836. All who acknowledge and worship one God, the Creator of the universe, entertain the idea of God as Man; and they declare that no one can have any other idea, of God. When they hear that many entertain the idea of God as ether or cloud, they inquire where such people are; and when they are told that they are among Christians, they say that it is surely impossible. They are informed, however, that some Christians derive such an idea from the fact that God in the Word is called a Spirit, and they conceive spirit to be an ethereal substance, or some form of cloud; not knowing that every spirit and every angel is a man. When they inquire further whether the spiritual idea among them of God is similar to this natural idea, they learn that it is not the same with those who interiorly acknowledge the Lord the Savior as God of heaven and earth. I heard a certain clergyman say that no one can have an idea of a Divine Human; and I saw him conducted to various Gentile societies, to some more and more interior, and also to their heavens, and finally to the Christian heaven. Everywhere their interior perception of God was communicated to him; and he observed that they had no other idea of God than that of a, Divine Man, who alone could have created man in His own image and likeness.
836. Omnes qui unum Deum Creatorem Universi agnoscunt et colunt, ideam Hominis de Deo fovent; dicunt, quod nemo aliam de Deo possit habere: cum audiunt, quod plures de Deo foveant ideam sicut Aetheris aut Nubis, quaerunt ubinam illi sunt, et cum dicitur, quod sint inter Christianos, negant quod dabile sit; sed respondetur, quod sit illis talis idea ex eo, quod Deus in Verbo dicatur Spiritus, et de spiritu non aliter cogitant, quam sicut de substantia Aetheris, aut de aliqua forma Nubis, non scientes quod omnis Spiritus et omnis Angelus sit Homo; at usque exploratum est, num spiritualis illorum idea sit similis ideae illorum naturali, et compertum est, quod non similis sit apud illos, qui Dominum Salvatorem pro Deo Coeli et Terrae interius agnoscunt. Audivi quendam Presbyterum dicentem, quod nemo possit habere ideam Divini Humani, et vidi illum translatum ad varias Gentes ad interiores et interiores, et quoque ad Coelos illorum, et tandem ad Coelum Christianum, et ubivis data est communicatio perceptionis interioris illorum de Deo, et animadvertit, quod non alia illis idea Dei esset quam idea Divini Hominis, et quod non ab alio potuisset creari homo, qui imago et similitudo.