746# “因为那控告我们弟兄的，已经被摔下去了”表示当那些攻击信仰生活，也就是仁爱的人与天堂分离，并被判入地狱时。这从“被摔下去”和“控告我们弟兄的”的含义清楚可知：“被摔下去”当论及龙时，是指“龙”所指的那些人与天堂分离，并被判入地狱(对此，参看AE 739a, 742节)；“控告我们弟兄的”是指那些攻击信仰生活，也就是仁爱的人，因为“控告者”表示一个攻击、斥责和指责的人，因为控告的人也攻击、斥责和指责。此外，在原文，这个词也表示一个对手和一个指责的人；神奇的是，那些身为“龙”的人虽轻视生活，但在灵界，他们若在信徒身上发现任何无知的邪恶，就会指控信徒，因为他们调查信徒的生活，以便控告信徒，给信徒定罪，因此他们被称为控告者。
但他们所控告的“弟兄”是指所有在天堂里的人，以及地上所有处于仁之良善的人。这些人被称为“弟兄”，因为他们都有一个父，就是主；那些处于对主之爱的良善和对邻之仁的良善之人是祂的儿子，被称为“神的儿子”、“天国之子”和“继承者”。由此可推知，他们因是一个父亲的儿子，所以也是弟兄。此外，主，即父亲的首要诫命是，他们要彼此相爱，因此，正是爱使他们成为弟兄；爱也是属灵的结合。对古人来说，在以仁爱为本质的教会中，所有人都被称为弟兄，便由此而来；我们的基督教会起初也是这样。这就是为何“弟兄”在灵义上表示仁爱。以前，所有属于一个教会的人都自称弟兄，主也称那些处于对主之爱和对邻之仁的人为弟兄，这一点可从圣言中的许多经文清楚看出来。但为了能清楚明白“弟兄”表示什么，要从圣言来说明。
746b.(1)所有属于犹太教会的人都自称“弟兄”，这一点可从以下经文清楚看出来。以赛亚书：
他们必将你们一切的弟兄从所有民族中领出来，作为供物献给耶和华。(以赛亚书66:20)
耶利米书：
谁也不可使一个犹太人去侍奉他的弟兄。(耶利米书34:9)
以西结书：
人子啊，你的弟兄、你的弟兄、你亲属的儿子、以色列全家。(以西结书11:15)
弥迦书：
直等到他其余的弟兄回到以色列人那里。(弥迦书5:3)
摩西五经：
摩西出去到他弟兄那里, 看他们的重担。(出埃及记2:11)
出埃及记：
摩西对他岳父叶忒罗说，求你容我回到我在埃及的弟兄那里。(出埃及记4:18)
利未记：
当你的弟兄渐渐贫穷时。(利未记25:25, 35, 47)
又：
只是你们的弟兄以色列人，人不可严严地辖管他的弟兄。(利未记25:46)
民数记：
巴不得我们的弟兄死在耶和华面前时，我们也死了。(民数记20:3)
又：
看哪，以色列人中有一个人来把一个米甸女人带到他弟兄那里去。(民数记25:6)
申命记：
你要向你的弟兄松开手；当你的弟兄，一个希伯来男人或希伯来女人被卖给你时，他要服侍你六年。(申命记15:11, 12)
又：
若有人窃取他弟兄的灵魂，从中谋利。(申命记24:7)
又：
你只可打他四十下，不可加多，免得你的弟兄在你眼里被视为卑贱。(申命记25:3; 以及别处)
由此可见，以色列人彼此称弟兄；他们被如此称呼的主要原因是，他们都是雅各的后代，雅各是他们共同的祖先；但更远的原因是，“弟兄”表示仁之良善，由于该良善是教会的本质，所以所有人都通过它被属灵地结合起来。另一个原因是，“以色列”在至高意义上表示主，因此“以色列人”表示教会。
746c.(2)他们也自称“人和弟兄”，同样自称“同伴和弟兄”，如在以下经文中。以赛亚书：
地已变黑，百姓变得像火的燃料；他们不怜惜人他的弟兄；他们各人要吃自己膀臂上的肉，玛拿西吞吃以法莲，以法莲吞吃玛拿西。(以赛亚书9:19–21)
“人和弟兄”表示真理和良善，在反面意义上表示虚假和邪恶，故经上说“玛拿西吞吃以法莲，以法莲吞吃玛拿西”，因为“玛拿西”表示自愿良善或意愿的良善，“以法莲”表示智力真理或理解力的真理，两者都是外在教会的，在反面意义上表示邪恶和虚假。不过，前面解释了这些话(可参看AE 386b, 440b, 600b, 617e节)。
同一先知书：
我要把埃及与埃及混在一起，他们就打起仗来，各人攻击自己的弟兄，各人攻击自己的同伴，城攻击城，国攻击国。(以赛亚书19:2)
“埃及”在此表示与属灵人分离的属世人；这属世人因没有处于真理之光，所以不断争论良善和邪恶，真理和虚假，这种争论由“我要把埃及与埃及混在一起，他们就打起仗来，各人攻击自己的弟兄，各人攻击自己的同伴”来表示，“弟兄和同伴”表示真理所来自的良善和来自良善的真理，在反面意义上表示虚假所来自的邪恶和来自邪恶的虚假；故经上补充说：“城攻击城，国攻击国。”“城”表示教义，“国”表示来自教义的教会，它将以同样的方式争论。
又：
他们帮助人他的同伴，他对他的弟兄说，要刚强。(以赛亚书41:6)
“同伴和弟兄”在此与前面的具有相同的含义。耶利米书：
你们当谨防他同伴的人，不可信靠弟兄；因为每个弟兄都欺骗，每个同伴都诽谤。(耶利米书9:4)
又：
我要使他们，就是人与他的弟兄分散。(耶利米书13:14)
又：
你们各人要对同伴，各人要对弟兄如此说，耶和华回答什么？(耶利米书23:35)
又：
你们没有听从我，各人向弟兄，各人向同伴宣告自由。(耶利米书34:9, 17)
以西结书：
人的剑必攻击自己的弟兄。(以西结书38:21)
约珥书：
他们，就是人和他的弟兄，必不拥挤。(约珥书2:8)
弥迦书：
他们都为血埋伏，他们用网罗猎取人他的弟兄。(弥迦书7:2)
撒迦利亚书：
各人以怜悯和同情待他的弟兄。(撒迦利亚书7:9)
玛拉基书：
我们各人怎么以诡诈待弟兄呢？(玛拉基书2:10)
摩西五经：
埃及全地有幽暗；人看不见他的弟兄。(出埃及记10:22, 23)
申命记：
在七年末，凡债主借给同伴东西时，都要松手，不可向同伴或弟兄追讨。(申命记15:1, 2)
以及别处。在最近的意义上，“人”是指每个人，“弟兄”是指同一支派中的一个人，因为具有血亲关系，“同伴”是指另一个支派中的一个人，因为只是通过结盟联合起来；但在灵义上，“人”表示凡处于真理的人，在反面意义上表示凡处于虚假的人；“弟兄”表示凡处于仁之良善的人，在抽象意义上表示该良善本身，“同伴”表示凡处于来自仁之良善的真理之人，在抽象意义上表示该真理本身；这些在反面意义上表示与仁之良善对立的邪恶，以及与来自该良善的真理对立的虚假。经上用“弟兄”和“同伴”这两个词，是因为有两样事物构成教会，即仁和信，正如有两样事物构成人的生命，即意愿和理解力；因此，有两个部分行如一体，如两只眼睛、两只耳朵、两个鼻孔、两只手、两只脚、两个肺叶、两个心室、两个脑半球，等等，其中一个部分指向真理所来自的良善，另一部分指向来自良善的真理。这就是为何经上说“弟兄和同伴”，又为何“弟兄”表示良善，“同伴”表示它的真理。
746d.(3)主称其处于仁之良善的教会之人为“弟兄”，这可从以下经文清楚看出来。福音书：
耶稣伸手指着门徒说，看哪，我的母亲，我的弟兄；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)
主伸手所指的“门徒”表示所有属于其教会的人；“祂的弟兄”表示那些处于来自祂的仁之良善的人，“姐妹”表示那些处于来自这良善的真理之人，而“母亲”表示由这些人构成的教会。
马太福音：
耶稣对抹大拉的马利亚和另一个马利亚说，不要害怕！你们去告诉我的弟兄，叫他们往加利利去，在那里必看见我。(马太福音28:10)
此处“弟兄”也是指门徒，门徒表示所有处于仁之良善的教会之人。约翰福音：
耶稣对马利亚说，你往我弟兄那里去，告诉他们说，我要升到我父那里去。(约翰福音20:17)
门徒在此又被称为“弟兄”，因为与“弟兄”一样，“门徒”也表示所有处于仁之良善的其教会之人。
马太福音：
王回答他们说，我告诉你们，你们做在我这最小弟兄中的一个身上，就是对我做的。(马太福音25:40)
从前面的话明显可知，那些行仁爱的善行之人在此被主称为弟兄。但要知道，尽管主是他们的父，祂仍称他们为“弟兄”；祂凭神性之爱为他们的父，凭从祂发出的神性真理为弟兄。这是因为在众天堂，所有人都是从主发出的神性的接受者；从主发出的神性(他们是这神性的接受者)就是天上，也是教会里的主；这神性不属于天使或世人，而是属于他们里面的主；因此，主称他们里面属于祂的仁之良善本身为弟兄，同样称天使和世人为弟兄，因为他们是该良善的接受主体。总之，发出的神性，也就是主在众天堂里的神性就是从天上的主而生的神性；因此，作为这神性的接受者的天使凭该神性被称为“神的儿子”，这些人因在他们自己里面所接受的神性而为弟兄，故他们里面的主说“弟兄”，因为当天使从仁之良善说话时，他们不是从自己说的，而是从主说的。这就是为何主说：“你们做在我这最小弟兄中的一个身上，就是对我做的。”因此，前几节经文所列举的仁之良善就是灵义上的主的弟兄，并被主称为弟兄，原因刚才已经给出了。此外，如此称呼他们的“王”表示发出的神性；一言以蔽之，该神性被称为神性真理或属灵神性，属灵神性本质上是仁之良善。
因此，必须牢记在心的是，主称他们为“弟兄”，不是因为根据基督教界所接受的观点，祂是一个像他们一样的人。因此，任何人都不允许称主为“弟兄”，因为祂甚至在人身方面也是神，神不是弟兄，而是父。在地上的教会中，主被称为弟兄，是因为他们对祂的人身所形成的概念，与他们对其他任何人的人身所形成的概念是一样的；然而，主的人身是神性。
由于以前“王”代表神性真理方面的主，主的属灵国度的天使所接受的神性真理与神性属灵良善是一样的，而属灵良善是仁之良善，所以被任命管理以色列人的王称其臣民为“弟兄”，尽管另一方面，臣民不可以称他们的王为“弟兄”，主更不可被如此称呼，因为主是万王之王，万主之主。因此，在诗篇：
我要将你的名传与我的弟兄；我要在会众中间赞美你。(诗篇22:22)
又：
我向我的弟兄为陌生人，向我母亲的儿子为外邦人。(诗篇69:8)
又：
因我弟兄和同伴的缘故，我要说，愿平安在你中间。(诗篇122:8)
大卫说的这些话似乎涉及他自己；然而，此处大卫在代表性的属灵意义上表示主。
摩西五经：
你必从你弟兄中间立一王管理他们；你不可立一个为外人、不是你弟兄的人管理他们；免得他高举自己的心在他弟兄以上。(申命记17:15, 20)
“弟兄”(可能会从他们当中立一王管理他们)表示所有属于教会的人，因为经上说：“你不可立一个为外人的人管理他们。”“一个为外人的人”和“陌生人”表示一个不属教会的人。
申命记：
耶和华你的神要从你、你弟兄中间给你兴起一位先知像我，你们要听从他。(申命记18:15, 18)
这是关于“先知”所指的主的一个预言，即：耶和华神要从弟兄中兴起。他们被称为“你的弟兄”，也就是摩西的弟兄，是因为“摩西”在代表意义上表示圣言方面的主，“先知”表示一个教导圣言的人；因此，所指的也是圣言和取自圣言的教义，这就是为何经上说“像我”。“摩西”代表律法，因而圣言方面的主(可参看《属天的奥秘》，4859e, 5922, 6723, 6752, 6771, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382, 9372, 10234节)。
746e.(4)所有承认主，并处于来自祂的仁之良善的人都被主称为“弟兄”，这一点从以下事实可推知：主是所有人的父，也是所有人的老师，一切仁之良善都来自作为父的主，该良善的一切真理都来自作为老师的主。因此，主在马太福音中说：
你们不应被称为老师，只有一位是你们的老师，就是基督；你们都是弟兄。不要称呼地上的人为你们的父，因为只有一位是你们在天上的父。(马太福音23:8, 9)
由此清楚明显地看出，主的话必须属灵地来理解。因为身为老师的，难道不能被称为老师吗？或者，身为父亲的，难道不能被称为父亲吗？但由于“父亲”表示良善，“在天上的父”表示神性良善，“老师”或“拉比”表示真理，“老师，基督”表示神性真理，所以考虑到在圣言的一切事物中的灵义，经上说“不要称呼地上的人为你们的父，因为只有一位是你们在天上的父”，这是指属灵意义，不是指属世意义。在属世意义上，世人可以被称为老师和父亲，但只是代表性地；也就是说，世上的老师的确教导真理，但却是从主，而不是从他们自己教导的；世上的父的确是善的，并把他们的孩子引向良善，但却是从主，而不从他们自己如此行。由此可推知，尽管他们被称为老师和父亲，但他们却不是老师和父亲，只有主才是老师和父亲。在圣言中，“称呼”和“按名称呼某人”表示认识某人的品质。由于天堂和教会里的所有人都是主的门徒和儿子，主是他们的老师和父亲，所以主说：“你们都是弟兄。”因为主凭天堂和教会里的所有人通过来自祂的爱联合，因而通过相爱，也就是仁爱而称他们为“儿子和继承者”；因此，他们从主而为弟兄；在主里，所有人都是弟兄这句俗话必须以这种方式来理解。
746f.由此也清楚可知，主所说的“弟兄”是指谁，即是指所有承认主，并处于来自祂的仁之良善的人，因而是指那些属于祂教会的人。在以下经文中，主所说的“弟兄”也是指这些人。路加福音：
耶稣对彼得说，你回转过来的时候，要坚固你的弟兄。(路加福音22:32)
“弟兄”这个词在此不是指犹太人，而是指所有承认主，处于来自仁与信的良善之人，因而是指所有要通过彼得接受福音的人，无论犹太人还是外邦人，因为在福音书的圣言中，“彼得”表示来自良善的真理，因而也表示来自仁的信；但此处“彼得”表示与仁分离之信，因为刚刚之前的话是指着他说的：
西门，看哪，撒但要求你们，好筛你们像麦子一样。但我已经为你祈求，叫你的信不至失掉。(路加福音22:31, 32)
后来又对他说：
彼得，我告诉你，今日鸡还没有叫，你要三次否认你认识我。(马太福音22:34)
这就是无仁之信。但“回转过来的彼得”表示从主而来的来自良善的真理；故经上说：“你回转过来的时候，要坚固你的弟兄。”
马太福音：
彼得说，主啊，我弟兄得罪我，我当饶恕他几次呢？(马太福音18:21)
又：
你们各人若不从心里饶恕自己的弟兄，饶恕他们的罪过，我天父也要这样待你们了。(马太福音18:35)
又：
倘若你的弟兄得罪你，你就去趁着只有你和他在一处的时候责备他；他若听你，你便得了你的弟兄。(马太福音18:15)
此处“弟兄”表示总体上的邻舍，因而表示每个人；但它具体表示一个处于仁之良善，由此处于来自主的信之人，无论他是谁；因为这些经文论述的是仁之良善；经上还说“他若听你，你便得了你的弟兄”，这表示如果他承认自己的罪过，并回转过来。
又：
为什么你看见你弟兄眼中的木屑，却不想自己眼中的梁木呢？你自己眼中有梁木，怎能对你弟兄说，让我除掉你眼中的木屑呢？你这假冒为善的人，先除掉自己眼中的梁木，然后才能看得清楚，好除掉你弟兄眼中的木屑。(马太福音7:3–5)
此处经上也用了“弟兄”这个词，因为所论述的主题是仁爱；事实上，“除掉弟兄眼中的木屑”表示给予关于虚假和邪恶的教导，并改造。主之所以说“除掉弟兄眼中的木屑”、“除掉自己眼中的梁木”，是因为灵义就包含在主所说的每句话中；若没有灵义，那么看别人眼中的木屑，却不想自己眼中的梁木，或先除掉自己眼中的梁木，再除掉别人眼中的木屑会是什么后果呢？“木屑”表示小的邪恶之虚假，“梁木”表示大的邪恶之虚假，“眼睛”表示理解力，也表示信。“木屑”和“梁木”表示邪恶之虚假，是因为“木”表示良善；因此，“梁木或栋梁”表示良善之真理，在反面意义上表示邪恶之虚假，“眼睛”表示理解力和信。这清楚表明，“看木屑和梁木”、“除掉眼中的它们”表示什么。“木”表示良善，在反面意义上表示邪恶(可参看《属天的奥秘》，643, 3720, 4943, 8354, 8740节)；“眼睛”表示理解力，也表示信(AC 2701, 4403–4421, 4523–4534, 9051, 10569节；AE 37, 152节)。此外，在一些经文中，经上提到“栋梁或梁木”，它表示邪恶之虚假(如创世记19:8; 列王纪下6:2, 5, 6; 哈巴谷书2:11; 雅歌1:17)。
又：
凡遵行又教导的，他在天国里必称为大的。我告诉你们，你们的义若不胜于文士和法利赛人的义，断不能进天国。你们听见古时有吩咐他们的话，说，不可杀人，凡杀人的，应受审判。但是我告诉你们，凡无缘无故向弟兄发怒的，应受审判；凡对弟兄说拉加的，应受公会的审断；凡说你这个傻瓜的，必遭受地狱的火，你若在祭坛上献礼物，在那里想起弟兄对你怀恨，就把礼物留在坛前，先去同弟兄和解，然后来献礼物。(马太福音5:19–24)
这一整章论述的主题是人的内在生命，也就是他灵魂的生命，因而他的意愿和由此而来的思维的生命；因此，它论述的是仁爱的生活，也就是属灵的道德生活。以前雅各的子孙对这种生活一无所知，因为从他们的列祖往下，他们都是外在人。因此，他们也照着代表敬拜和教会的内在事物的外在条例而保持遵守外在敬拜。但主在这一章教导，教会的内在事物不仅必须由外在行为来代表，还必须从灵魂和内心被热爱和实行；因此，“凡遵行又教导的，他在天国里必称为大的”表示凡出于内在生命实行并教导教会的外在事物的，都会得救。“你们的义若不胜于文士和法利赛人的义，断不能进天国”表示除非生命是内在的，并由此而是外在的，否则天堂不在人里面，人也不会被接到天堂；“义”表示来自仁之良善的生活良善，“胜于文士和法利赛人的义”表示生命必须是内在的，而不是没有内在的外在的。文士和法利赛人只处于代表性的外在，没有处于内在。十诫中“不可杀人”这条诫命教导了来自内在生命的外在生命；但他们不知道，想要杀一个人就是在杀他了；因此，经上首先说：“你们听见古时有吩咐他们的话，说，不可杀人，凡杀人的，应受审判。”因为自古以来，以下教义或观点就在犹太人当中盛行，即：杀那些伤害他们的人，尤其杀外邦人是可接受的，他们照着敌对的情况为此受到或轻微或严厉的惩罚，因而仅涉及身体，不涉及灵魂；这就是“应受审判”的意思。
“凡无缘无故向弟兄发怒的，应受审判”表示一个没有充分理由就恶意思想邻舍的人会在灵魂上受到轻微的惩罚；“发怒”表示恶意思想，因为“说拉加”和“说你这个傻瓜”是有区别的。“弟兄”表示邻舍，也表示仁之良善，“应受审判”表示要根据情况接受检查和惩罚。“凡对弟兄说拉加的，应受公会的审断”表示一个出于邪恶的思维诽谤邻舍，从而蔑视仁之良善，视之为毫无价值的人会受到严厉的惩罚，因为“说拉加”表示视为无用和毫无价值，“弟兄”表示仁之良善。“凡说你这个傻瓜的，必遭受地狱的火”表示一个仇恨邻舍的人，也就是一个完全憎恶仁之良善的人就被判入地狱，说“你这个傻瓜”表示完全憎恶，“弟兄”表示仁之良善，“地狱的火”(即火之地狱)表示那些仇恨该良善，从而仇恨邻舍的人所在的地狱。这三者描述了三种程度的仇恨：第一种出于邪恶的思维，也就是“发怒”；第二种出于随之而来的邪恶的意图，也就是“说拉加”；第三种出于邪恶的意愿，也就是“说你这个傻瓜”。所有这些都是反对仁之良善的仇恨的程度，因为仇恨是仁之良善的对立面。“审判”、“公会”和“地狱的火”(即火之地狱)表示三种程度的惩罚；“审判”表示对轻微邪恶的惩罚，“公会”表示对更严重的邪恶的惩罚，“地狱的火”(即火之地狱)表示对最严重的邪恶的惩罚。
由于整个天堂都处于对邻之仁的良善，整个地狱都处于对邻舍的愤怒、敌意和仇恨，因此这些是该良善的对立面，还由于对主的敬拜当是内在的时，是来自天堂的敬拜，但它若有什么东西来自地狱，就不是敬拜，而没有内在的外在敬拜来自地狱，所以经上说：“你若在祭坛上献礼物，在那里想起弟兄对你怀恨，就先去同弟兄和解，然后来在坛上献礼物。”“坛上的礼物”表示出于爱和仁对主的敬拜，“弟兄”表示邻舍，在抽象意义上表示仁之良善；“对你怀恨”表示愤怒、敌意或仇恨，“和解”表示对这些的驱散，以及随之而来的通过爱实现的结合。
由此可见，主所说的“弟兄”与“邻舍”意思是一样的，“邻舍”在灵义上表示整体上或整个范围内的良善；整体上或整个范围内的良善就是仁之良善。在旧约的许多经文中，“弟兄”在灵义上的意思是一样的。如摩西五经：
你不可心里恨你的弟兄。(利未记19:17)
诗篇：
看哪，弟兄和睦同居，是何等的善，何等的快乐！(诗篇133:1)
也是在这层意义上，罗得称所多玛的居民为弟兄(创世记19:7)；这也是以色列人与以东之间的弟兄盟约(阿摩司书1:9)，以及犹大与以色列的弟兄情谊(撒迦利亚书11:14)的意思。因为“以色列人与以东”，以及“犹大与以色列”在灵义上不是指这些人，而是指天堂和教会的良善和真理，这些良善和真理都彼此结合在一起。
746. Because the accuser of our brethren is cast down.- That this signifies after those have been separated from heaven, and condemned to hell, who fought against the life of faith, which is charity, is evident from the signification of being cast down, when said of the dragon, as denoting that those meant by the dragon were separated from heaven and condemned to hell (concerning which see above, n. 739, 742), and from the signification of the accuser of our brethren, as denoting those who fought against the life of faith, which is charity. For an accuser signifies one who attacks, rebukes, and reproaches, for he who accuses also attacks, rebukes, and reproaches; moreover, in the original, an adversary and one who reproaches are expressed by the same word. What is wonderful, although those who are dragons make no account of life, yet they accuse the faithful in the spiritual world, if they observe [in them] any evil of ignorance, for they inquire into their life in order that they may reproach and condemn them, and therefore they are called accusers.
[2] But by the brethren whom they accuse are meant all those in the heavens, and also all those on earth who are in the good of charity. Such are called brethren because they all have one Father, that is, the Lord; and those who are in the good of love to the Lord, and in the good of charity towards the neighbour, are His sons, and are also called sons of God, sons of the kingdom, and heirs. It follows, therefore, that since they are the sons of one Father, they are also brethren. Moreover, it is the chief commandment of the Lord the Father, that they should love one another, consequently it is love that makes them brethren; love also is spiritual conjunction. From this it came to pass that with the ancients, in the churches in which charity was the essential, all were called brethren; the same was the case in our Christian Church at its beginning. This is why brother, in the spiritual sense, signifies charity. That formerly all those who were of one church called themselves brethren, and that the Lord calls those brethren, who are in love to Him and in charity towards the neighbour, is evident from many passages in the Word. But in order that what is signified by brother may be distinctly seen, it shall be illustrated from the Word.
[3] (I.) All who were of the Israelitish Church called themselves brethren, as is clear from the following passages.
In Isaiah:
"Then shall they bring all your brethren, out of all nations, a gift to Jehovah" (66:20).
In Jeremiah:
"No one shall cause a Jew, his brother, to serve" (34:9).
In Ezekiel:
"Son of man, thy brethren, thy brethren, the sons of thy kindred and the whole house of Israel" (11:15).
In Micah:
"Until the remnant of his brethren return unto the sons of Israel" (5:3).
In Moses:
"Moses went out unto his brethren, that he might see their burdens" (Exodus 2:11):
Moses said unto Jethro his father-in-law,
"I will return to my brethren, who are in Egypt" (Exodus 4:18);
"When thy brother shall be impoverished" (Leviticus 25:25, 35, 47).
"But as to your brethren, the sons of Israel, a man shall not rule over his brother with rigour" (Leviticus 25:46);
"Would to God that we had died when our brethren died before Jehovah" (Numbers 20:3).
"Behold, a man of the sons of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman" (Numbers 25:6).
"Thou shalt open thine hand to thy brother; when thy brother, a Hebrew man or Hebrew woman, shall be sold to thee, he shall serve thee six years" (Deuteronomy 15:11, 12).
"If any man shall steal the soul (animam) of his brethren and shall make gain thereof" (Deuteronomy 24:7).
"Forty times shall he strike him, and not exceed, lest thy brother be accounted vile in thine eyes" (Deuteronomy 25:3; and elsewhere).
It is evident from these passages that the sons of Israel were all called brethren among themselves; the chief reason of their being so called was that they were descended from Jacob, who was their common father; but a reason more remote was that brother signifies the good of charity, and as this good is the essential of the church, also all are spiritually conjoined by it. Another reason is that Israel, in the highest sense, signifies the Lord, and consequently the sons of Israel signify the church.
[4] (II.) They also called themselves man and brother, and also companion and brother, as in the following passages.
In Isaiah:
"The land is darkened and the people are become as fuel for the fire; they shall not spare a man (vir) his brother, they shall eat a man (vir) the flesh of his own arm, Menasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Menasseh" (386:2, 440:4, 600:13, 617:29).
[5] In the same:
"I will mingle Egypt with Egypt, that they may fight, a man (vir) against his brother, and a man against his companion, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom" (19:2).
Egypt here signifies the natural man separated from the spiritual; and because this is in no light of truth, it is continually disputing about good and evil, and about truth and falsity; and such disputation is signified by "I will mingle Egypt with Egypt, that they may fight, a man against his brother, and a man against his companion," brother and companion signifying good from which is truth, and truth from good, and in the opposite sense, evil from which is falsity, and falsity from evil. Therefore it is also said, "City against city, and kingdom against kingdom, city denoting doctrine, and kingdom the church from doctrine, which will contend in a similar manner.
[6] In the same:
"They help a man his companion, and one saith to his brother, Be strong" (41:6).
The signification of companion and brother is similar to that explained above.
In Jeremiah:
"Take ye heed a man of his companion, and trust not in any brother; for every brother supplanteth, and every companion slandereth" (Jeremiah 60:4).
In the same:
"I will scatter them, a man with his brother" (13:14).
In the same:
"Thus shall ye say a man to his companion, and a man to his brother, What hath Jehovah answered" (23:35).
In the same:
"Ye have not hearkened unto me, to proclaim liberty a man to his brother, and a man to his companion" (34:9, 17).
In Ezekiel:
"A man's sword shall be against his brother" (38:21).
In Joel:
"They shall not drive forward, a man his brother" (2:8).
In Micah:
"They all lie in wait for bloods, they hunt, a man his brother, with a net" (7:2).
In Zechariah:
"Show kindness and compassion, a man to his brother" (7:9).
In Malachi:
"Wherefore do we deal treacherously, a man against his brother" (2:10).
In Moses:
"There was a thick darkness of darkness over all the land of Egypt, a man saw not his brother" (Exodus 10:22, 23).
In the same:
"At the end of seven years every creditor shall withhold his hand when he hath loaned anything to his companion, neither shall he urge his companion or his brother" (Deuteronomy 15:1, 2).
In the nearest sense a man means every one, and brother one of the same tribe, because in blood relationship; and companion means one who is of another tribe, because so only by alliance. But in the spiritual sense a man signifies every one who is in truths, and in the opposite sense, every one who is in falsities; brother signifies every one who is in the good of charity, and, in an abstract sense, that good itself, while companion signifies every one who is in truth from that good, and, in an abstract sense, that truth itself; and in the opposite sense these signify the evil opposite to the good of charity, and the falsity opposite to the truth from that good. The terms brother and companion are both used, because there are two things that make the church - charity and faith, just as there are two things that make the life of man, will and understanding. There are in man two things which act as one, as the two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, two hands and feet, two lobes of the lungs, two chambers of the heart, two hemispheres of the brain, and so on, of which one has reference to good from which is truth, and the other to truth from good. This is why it is said brother and companion, and why brother signifies good, and companion its truth.
[7] (III.) The Lord calls those of His church who are in the good of charity brethren, as is clear from the following passages.
In the Evangelists:
Jesus "stretching out his hand over his disciples, said, Behold my mother and my brethren; whosoever shall do the will of my Father, he is my brother and sister and mother" (Matthew 12:49, 50; Mark 3:33-35).
The disciples over whom the Lord stretched out His hand signify all those who are of His church; His brethren signify those who are in the good of charity from Him; sisters, those who are in truths from that good; while mother signifies the church from these.
[8] In Matthew:
Jesus said to Mary Magdalene and to the other Mary, "Fear not, go ye, tell my brethren to go into Galilee, and there they shall see me" (28:10).
Here also brethren mean the disciples, who signify all those of the church who are in the good of charity.
In John:
Jesus said to Mary, "Go to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend to my Father" (20:17).
Similarly here the disciples are called brethren, because the disciples, equally as brethren, signify all those of His church who are in the good of charity.
[9] In Matthew:
"The King answering said unto them, I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (25:40).
That those who have done the good works of charity are here called by the Lord brethren is evident from the words which precede the above. It must, however, be understood that although the Lord is their Father, still He calls them brethren; but He is their Father from the Divine Love, and brother from the Divine which proceeds from Him. The reason is that all in the heavens are recipients of the Divine which proceeds from Him, and the Divine which proceeds from the Lord, of which they are recipients, is the Lord in heaven and also in the church; and this is not of angel or man, but of the Lord in them; therefore the good of charity itself in them, which is the Lord's own, He calls brother, as He also calls angels and men, because they are the recipient subjects of that good. In a word, the proceeding Divine, which is the Divine of the Lord in the heavens, is the Divine born of the Lord in heaven; therefore from that Divine, angels, who are its recipients, are called Sons of God, and since these are brethren, because of the Divine received in themselves, it is therefore the Lord in them who says "brother," for angels, when they speak from the good of charity, do not speak from themselves, but from the Lord.
This then is why the Lord says, "Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." The goods of charity, enumerated in the verses preceding, are therefore, in the spiritual sense, the brethren of the Lord, and are called brethren by the Lord, for the reason just given. The King, also, who thus calls them, signifies the proceeding Divine, which in one word is called Divine Truth or the Spiritual Divine, which in its essence is the good of charity.
[10] It must therefore be born in mind, that the Lord did not call them brethren because He was a man like themselves, according to an opinion received in the Christian world; for this reason it follows that it is not allowable for any man to call the Lord brother, for He is God even as to the Human, and God is not a brother, but a Father. The Lord is called brother in the churches on earth because the idea which they have of His Human is the same as that which they have of the human of another man; nevertheless the Lord's Human is Divine.
[11] Because kings formally represented the Lord as to Divine Truth, and as Divine Truth received by angels in the spiritual kingdom of the Lord is the same as Divine spiritual good, and as spiritual good is the good of charity, therefore the kings appointed over the sons of Israel called their subjects brethren, although on the other hand, the subjects were not permitted to call their king brother; much less should the Lord, who is King of kings and Lord of lords be so called.
So in David:
"I will declare thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee" (Psalm 22:22).
In the same:
"I am become an alien to my brethren, and a stranger to my mother's sons" (Psalm 69:8).
In the same:
"For my brethren and companions' sake I will say peace be unto thee" (Psalm 122:8).
David spoke these things as though they were about himself, yet David, in the representative spiritual sense, here means the Lord.
In Moses:
"Thou shalt set over them a king from the midst of thy brethren; thou mayest not set over them a man that is a stranger, who is not thy brother; but let him not lift up his heart above his brethren" (Deuteronomy 17:15, 20).
The brethren out of whom a king might be set over them, signify all who are of the church, for it is said, "Thou mayest not set over them a man that is a stranger," a man that is a stranger signifying one not of the church.
[12] In the same:
"Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet out of the midst of thee from thy brethren, like unto me; him shall ye obey" (Arcana Coelestia 4859 at end, 5922, 6723, 6752, 6771, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382, 9372, 10234).
[13] (IV.) That all those who acknowledge Him, and are in the good of charity from Him, are called brethren by the Lord, follows from this, that the Lord is the Father of all and the teacher of all, and from Him, as a Father, is all the good of charity, and from Him, as a teacher, all the truth of that good; therefore the Lord says in Matthew:
"Be not ye called teacher, for one is your teacher, the Christ, but all ye are brethren. And call [no man] your Father upon earth, for one is your Father who is in the heavens" (23:8, 9).
It is manifestly clear from this that the Lord's words must be spiritually understood. For what teacher is there who may not be called teacher? or what father is there who is not called father? But because father signifies good, and the Father in the heavens the Divine Good, and as teacher or Rabbi signifies truth, and the "teacher, the Christ," the Divine Truth, therefore, on account of the spiritual sense in all things of the Word, it is said that they should not call a father on earth their father, nor anyone teacher. This refers to the spiritual sense, but not to the natural sense. In the natural sense men may be called teachers and fathers, but representatively, that is to say, teachers in the world do indeed teach truths, but from the Lord, not from themselves; and fathers in the world are indeed good, and lead their children to good, but from the Lord, not from themselves. It therefore follows, that although they are called teachers and fathers, still they are not teachers, and fathers, but the Lord alone is Teacher and Father. To call, and to call any one by a name also signifies, in the Word, to recognise the quality of any one. Because all in heaven and in the church are disciples and sons of the Lord as their Teacher and Father, therefore the Lord says, "All ye are brethren"; for the Lord calls all in heaven and in the church sons and heirs, from their consociation by love from Him, and thus by mutual love which is charity. It is consequently from the Lord that they are brethren; in this way must the common saying be understood that all are brethren in the Lord.
[14] From these considerations also it is evident that the Lord means by brethren all those who acknowledge Him, and are in the good of charity from Him, consequently those who are of His church. Such also the Lord means by brethren in the following passages.
In Luke:
Jesus said to Peter, "When thou hast turned again, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:32).
Brethren here do not mean the Jews, but all those who acknowledge the Lord and are in good from charity and faith, thus all who should receive the gospel through Peter, both Jews and Gentiles; for Peter, in the Word of the Evangelists, means truth from good, consequently also faith from charity, but here Peter means faith separated from charity, for just previously it is said of him, "Simon, lo, Satan hath demanded you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not" (verses 31, 32); and afterwards it is said to him, "I say unto thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day until thou hast thrice denied that thou knowest me" (verse 34). Such also is faith without charity. But by Peter turned again is signified truth from good, which is from the Lord, or faith from charity, which is from the Lord, therefore it is said, "When then thou hast turned again, strengthen thy brethren."
[15] In Matthew:
"Peter said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?" (18:21).
In the same:
"So also will my heavenly Father do to you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses" (18:35).
In the same:
"If thy brother hath sinned against thee, go and accuse him between thee and him alone; if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother" (18:15).
Here brother means the neighbour in general, thus every man, but specifically one whoever he may be who is in the good of charity and thus in faith from the Lord; for these passages treat of the good of charity, since to forgive one who sins against you is of charity. It is also said, "If he hear, thou hast gained thy brother," which signifies if he acknowledges his trespasses, and turns again.
[16] Again in Matthew:
"Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye, when yet there is a beam in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye" (7:3-5).
Here also the term brother is used, because the subject treated of is charity; for to cast out the mote out of a brother's eye signifies to give instruction about falsity and evil, and to reform. The reason why the Lord said "a mote out of thy brother's eye," and "a beam out of one's own eye," is that a spiritual sense is contained in every thing which the Lord spoke; for without that sense, of what consequence would it be to see a mote in the eye of another, and not consider a beam in one's own eye, or to cast a beam out of one's own eye before one casts a mote out of another's eye? For a mote signifies a small falsity of evil, and a beam a great falsity of evil, while the eye signifies the understanding and also faith. Mote and beam signify the falsity of evil because wood signifies good; thus a beam signifies the truth of good, and, in the opposite sense, the falsity of evil, and the eye the understanding and faith. It is therefore plain what is signified by seeing the mote and the beam, and by casting them out of the eye. That wood signifies good, and, in the opposite sense, evil, may be seen in the Genesis 19:8; 2 Kings 6:2, 5, 6; Habak. 2:11; Cant. 1:17.
[17] Again in Matthew:
"He who doeth and teacheth shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens. I say unto you, Except your justice shall exceed the justice of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens. Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill, but whosoever shall kill shall be liable to the judgment; but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother rashly shall be liable to the judgment; but whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be liable to the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be liable to the gehenna of fire. If thou offer thy gift upon the altar, and there remember that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift" (5:19-24).
In the whole of that chapter the subject treated of is the interior life of man, which is that of his soul, consequently of his will and the thought therefrom, thus it treats of the life of charity, which is the spiritual moral life. Of this life the sons of Jacob knew nothing before, because even from their fathers downward they were external men. On this account also they were kept in the observance of external worship, according to external statutes that represented the internal things of worship and of the church. But the Lord in this chapter teaches that the interior things of the church ought not only to be represented by external acts, but must also be loved and done from the soul and heart. Therefore that whosoever from interior life teaches and does the external things of the church will be saved, is signified by "He who doeth and teacheth shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens." "Except your justice shall exceed the justice of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens," signifies that unless the life be internal, and from that, external, heaven is not in man and man is not received into heaven; justice signifies the good of life from the good of charity, and to exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees signifies that the life must be internal, and not external without the internal. The Scribes and Pharisees were only in representative externals, and not in internals.
External from internal life is taught in the commandment of the decalogue, "Thou shalt not kill." But they did not know that wishing to kill a man is the same as killing him, therefore it is first said, "Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall be liable to the judgment." For the opinion had prevailed among the Jews from ancient time, that it was lawful to kill those who injured them, especially the Gentiles, and that they were only to be punished for it lightly or grievously according to the state of the case in regard to the enmity manifested, consequently only as to the body and not as to the soul; this is meant by being liable to the judgment.
[18] That he who without adequate cause thinks ill of his neighbour, and turns himself away from the good of charity, will be punished lightly as to the soul, is signified by Whosoever is angry with his brother rashly shall be liable to the judgment; to be angry signifies to think ill, for it is distinguished from "to say Raca," and "to say Thou fool." Brother means the neighbour, and also the good of charity, and to be liable to the judgment means to be examined and punished according to circumstances. That he who from evil thought slanders his neighbour, and thus holds the good of charity in contempt as of no account, will be grievously punished, is signified by Whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be liable to the council, - for to say Raca signifies from evil thought to slander the neighbour, thus to hold in contempt the good of charity as of no account, to say Raca signifying to account as nothing, thus of no account, and brother the good of charity. That he who hates the neighbour, that is he who altogether turns away from the good of charity, is condemned to hell, is signified by Whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be liable to the gehenna of fire, - to say "Thou fool" denoting entire aversion, brother denoting the good of charity, and gehenna of fire denoting the hell where those are who hate that good and thus the neighbour. Three degrees of hatred are described by these three, the first is that of evil thought, which is "to be angry," the second is that of a consequent evil intention, which is "to say Raca," and the third is that of an evil will, which is "to say Thou fool." All these are degrees of hatred against the good of charity; for hatred is the opposite of this good. The three degrees of punishment are signified by the judgment, the council, and the gehenna of fire, punishments for the evils of a lighter kind being signified by the judgment, punishments for those of a more grievous kind by the council, and for the most grievous of all, by the gehenna of fire.
[19] Since the whole of heaven is in the good of charity towards the neighbour, and the whole of hell is in anger, enmity, and hatred against the neighbour, and as these are the opposites of that good, and as the worship of the Lord when it is internal is worship from heaven, but is not worship if anything of it is from hell, and yet external worship without internal is from hell, therefore it is said, "If thou offer thy gift upon the altar, and there remember that thy brother hath aught against thee, go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift upon the altar." The gift upon the altar signifies the worship of the Lord, from love and charity; brother means the neighbour, and in the abstract, the good of charity; to have aught against thee signifies anger, enmity or hatred, and to be reconciled signifies the dispersion of these, and consequent conjunction by love.
[20] It is evident from these things that the Lord meant by brother the same as by neighbour; and neighbour, in the spiritual sense, signifies good in its whole extent; and good in its whole extent is the good of charity. Brother has a similar meaning in the spiritual sense in many passages in the Old Testament.
As in Moses:
"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart" (Leviticus 19:17).
In David:
"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity" (Psalm 133:1).
In this sense also, Lot called the inhabitants of Sodom brethren (Genesis 19:7); and this is also meant by "the covenant of brethren" between the sons of Israel and Edom (Amos 1:9); and by "the brotherhood between Judah and Israel" (Zech. 11:14). For by the sons of Israel and Edom, also by Judah and Israel, are not meant these in the spiritual sense, but the goods and truths of heaven and the church, which are all conjoined one with another.
746. For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, signifies when those have been separated from heaven and condemned to hell who have assaulted the life of faith, which is charity. This is evident from the signification of "cast down," as being, in reference to the dragon, that those who are meant by "the dragon" have been separated from heaven and condemned to hell (of which above, n. 739, 742); also from the signification of "the accuser of our brethren," as being those who have assaulted the life of faith, which is charity, for an "accuser" signifies one who attacks, denounces, and reproaches, for he that accuses also attacks, denounces, and reproaches. Moreover, the same term in the original tongue means an adversary and one who reproaches; and what is wonderful, those who are "dragons," although they make no account of the life, yet in the spiritual world they accuse the faithful if they observe any evil of ignorance, for they inquire into their life for the purpose of arraigning and condemning, and thence they are called accusers.
[2] But "the brethren" whom they accuse mean all who are in the heavens as well as all on the earth who are in the good of charity; such are called "brethren" because they all have one Father, namely, the Lord, and those who are in the good of love to the Lord and in the good of charity towards the neighbor are His sons, and are called "sons of God," "sons of the kingdom," and "heirs." It follows, therefore, that as they are the sons of one Father they are brethren. Moreover, it is the primary commandment of the Lord, the Father, that they should mutually love one another, consequently it is love from which they are brethren; and love also is spiritual conjunction. From this it came that with the ancient people in the churches in which charity was the essential, all were called brethren, so likewise in our Christian Church at its beginning. This is why "brother" in the spiritual sense signifies charity. That formerly all who were of one church called themselves brethren and that the Lord calls those brethren who are in love to Him and in charity towards the neighbor, can be seen from many passages in the Word. But in order that what is signified by "brother" may be distinctly perceived it shall be illustrated from the Word.
[3] 1. That all who were of the Israelitish Church called themselves "brethren" can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:
Then shall they bring all your brethren out of all nations an offering unto Jehovah (Isaiah 66:20).
In Jeremiah:
No one shall cause a Jew to serve his brother (Jeremiah 34:9).
In Ezekiel:
Son of man, thy brethren, thy brethren, the sons 1of thy kindred, and the whole house of Israel (Ezekiel 11:15).
In Micah:
Until the remnant of his brethren return unto the sons of Israel (Micah 5:3).
In Moses:
Moses went out unto his brethren that he might see their burdens (Exodus 2:11).
Moses said unto Jethro his father-in-law, Let me return to my brethren that are in Egypt (Exodus 4:18).
When thy brother shall be waxen poor (Leviticus 25:25, 35, 47).
But in reference to your brethren, the sons of Israel, a man shall not rule over his brother with rigor (Leviticus 25:46).
Would that we had died when our brethren died before Jehovah (Numbers 20:3).
Behold a man of the sons of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman (Numbers 25:6).
Thou shalt open thine hand to thy brother; when thy brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, shall be sold to thee he shall serve thee six years (Deuteronomy 15:11, 12).
If anyone shall steal a soul of his brethren, and he shall make gain of him (Deuteronomy 24:7).
Forty times thou shalt strike 2him, and he shall not add, lest thy brother be accounted vile in thine eyes (Deuteronomy 25:3; and elsewhere).
From this it can be seen that all the sons of Israel were called brethren among themselves; the primary reason of their being so called was that they were all descendants of Jacob, who was their common father; but the remote reason was that "brother" signifies the good of charity, and as this good is the essential of the church, all are also spiritually conjoined by it. Another reason is that "Israel" in the highest sense signifies the Lord, and thence "the sons of Israel" signify the church.
[4] 2. They also called themselves "man and brother," likewise "companion and brother," as in the following passages. In Isaiah:
The land has been darkened, and the people have become as food of the fire; they shall not spare a man his brother; they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm, Manasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh (386, 440, 600, 617.)
[5] In the same:
I will commingle Egypt with Egypt, that they may fight a man against his brother and a man against his companion, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom (Isaiah 19:2).
"Egypt" here signifies the natural man separated from the spiritual; and because this is in no light of truth it is continually contending about good and evil and truth and falsity, and this contention is signified by "I will commingle Egypt with Egypt, that they may fight a man against his brother and a man against his companion," "brother and companion" signifying good from which is truth and truth from good, and in the contrary sense evil from which is falsity and falsity from evil; therefore it is added, "city against city, and kingdom against kingdom;" "city" signifying doctrine, and "kingdom" the church from doctrine, which will contend in like manner.
[6] In the same:
They help a man his companion, and he saith to his brother, Be strong (Isaiah 41:6).
"Companion and brother" have here a similar signification as above. In Jeremiah:
Take ye heed a man of his companion, and trust ye not in any brother; for every brother supplanteth, and every companion doth slander (Jeremiah 9:4).
In the same:
I will scatter them, a man with his brother (Jeremiah 13:14).
In the same:
Thus shall ye say a man to his companion and a man to his brother, What hath Jehovah answered? (Jeremiah 23:35)
In the same:
Ye have not hearkened unto Me, to proclaim liberty a man to his brother and a man to his companion (Jeremiah 34:9, 17).
In Ezekiel:
A man's sword shall be against his brother (Ezekiel 38:21).
In Joel:
They shall not thrust forward a man his brother (Joel 2:8).
In Micah:
They all lie in wait for bloods, they hunt a man his brother with a net (Mic. Micah 7:2).
In Zechariah:
Do mercy and compassion a man with his brother (Zechariah 7:9).
In Malachi:
Wherefore do we deal treacherously a man against his brother? (Malachi 2:10)
In Moses:
There was thick darkness of darkness over all the land of Egypt; a man saw 3not his brother (Exodus 10:22, 23).
In the same:
At the end of seven years every creditor shall remit his hand when he hath loaned anything to his companion, and he shall not exact from his companion or his brother (Deuteronomy 15:1, 2);
and elsewhere. In the nearest sense a "man" means everyone, and "brother" one of the same tribe because in blood-relationship, "and companion" one of another tribe because allied only by affinity; but in the spiritual sense "man" signifies anyone who is in truths, then also anyone who is in falsities; "brother" signifies anyone who is in the good of charity, and in an abstract sense that good itself, and "companion" anyone who is in truth from that good, and in an abstract sense that truth itself; and in the contrary sense these signify the evil opposite to the good of charity and the falsity opposite to the truth from that good. Both terms, "brother" and "companion," are used because 4there are two things, namely, charity and faith, that constitute the church, as there are two things that make up the life of man, will and understanding; so there are two parts that act as one, as the two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, two hands, two feet, two lobes of the lungs, two chambers of the heart, two hemispheres of the brain, and so on, of which the one has reference to good from which is truth, and the other to truth from good. This is why it is said "brother and companion," and why "brother" signifies good, and "companion" its truth.
[7] 3. The Lord calls those of His church "brethren" who are in the good of charity, as can be seen from the following passages. In the Gospels:
Jesus stretching out His hand over His disciples said, Behold My mother and My brethren; whosoever shall do the will of My Father, he is My brother and sister and mother (Matthew 12:49, 50; Mark 3:33-35).
The "disciples" over whom the Lord stretched out his hand signify all who are of His church; "His brethren" signify those who are in the good of charity from Him, "sisters" those who are in truths from that good, and "mother" the church constituted of these.
[8] In Matthew:
Jesus said to Mary Magdalene and to the other Mary, Fear not; go tell My brethren to go into Galilee, and there shall they see Me (Matthew 28:10).
Here, too, "brethren" mean the disciples by whom are signified all those of the church who are in the good of charity. In John:
Jesus said to Mary, Go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father (John 20:17).
The disciples are here again called "brethren" because "disciples," the same as "brethren," signify all those of His church who are in the good of charity.
[9] In Matthew:
The King answering said unto them, I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these My brethren ye did it unto Me (Matthew 25:40).
It is evident from what there precedes that those whom the Lord here calls "brethren" are such as have done the good works of charity; but let it be known that although the Lord is their Father He still calls them "brethren;" He is their Father from the Divine love, but brother from the Divine that proceeds from Him. This is because all in the heavens are recipients of the Divine that proceeds from Him; and the Divine that proceeds from the Lord, of which they are recipients, is the Lord in heaven and also in the church; and this is not of angel or man, but is of the Lord with them; consequently the good of charity itself with them, which is the Lord's, He calls brother, in like manner also angels and men, because they are the recipient subjects of that good. In a word, the Divine proceeding, which is the Divine of the Lord in the heavens, is the Divine born of the Lord in heaven; from that Divine, therefore, angels who are recipients of it are called "sons of God," and as these are brethren because of that Divine received in themselves, it is the Lord in them who says "brother," for when angels speak from the good of charity they speak not from themselves but from the Lord. This, then, is why the Lord says, "Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these My brethren ye did it unto Me." So in the spiritual sense the brethren of the Lord are the goods of charity that are enumerated in the verses preceding, and these are called by the Lord "brethren" for the reason just given. Moreover, "the King," who so calls them, signifies the Divine proceeding, which in one word is called Divine truth or the Divine spiritual, which in its essence is the good of charity.
[10] It is therefore to be kept in mind that the Lord did not call them "brethren" because He was a man like them, according to an opinion that is received in the Christian world; and for this reason it is not allowable for any man to call the Lord "brother," for He is God even in respect to the Human, and God is not a brother, but the Father. In the churches on the earth the Lord is called brother, because the idea of His Human which they have formed is the same as their idea of any other man's human, when yet the Lord's Human is Divine.
[11] As "kings" formerly represented the Lord in relation to Divine truth, and as Divine truth received by angels in the Lord's spiritual kingdom is the same as Divine spiritual good, and as spiritual good is the good of charity, therefore the kings appointed over the sons of Israel called their subjects "brethren," although on the other hand the subjects were not permitted to call their king "brother," still less should the Lord be so called, who is the King of kings and Lord of lords. So in David:
I will declare Thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee (Psalms 22:22).
In the same:
I am become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien to my mother's sons (Psalms 69:8).
In the same:
For the sake of my brethren and companions I will speak, Peace be in thee (Psalms 122:8).
This was said by David as if respecting himself, and yet in the representative spiritual sense David here means the Lord. In Moses:
Out of the midst of thy brethren shalt thou set a king over them; 5thou mayest not put a man that is an alien over them, who is not thy brother; but let him not exalt his heart above his brethren (Deuteronomy 17:15, 20).
The "brethren" from whom a king might be set over them signify all who are of the church, for it is said, "Thou mayest not put over them a man that is an alien;" "a man that is an alien" and a "stranger" signifying one who is not of the church.
[12] In the same:
Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren like unto me; unto him shall ye hearken (Arcana Coelestia 4859 at the end, 5922, 6723, 6752, 6771, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382, 9372, 10234.)
[13] 4. That all those are called "brethren" by the Lord who acknowledge Him and are in the good of charity from Him, follows from this, that the Lord is the Father of all and the Teacher of all, and from Him as Father is every good of charity, and from Him as Teacher is every truth of that good. Therefore the Lord says in Matthew:
Be ye not called teacher, for one is your Teacher, Christ; but all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon earth, for one is your Father who is in the heavens (Matthew 23:8, 9).
From this it is clearly evident that the words of the Lord must be understood spiritually; for who that is a teacher may not be called teacher? Or who that is a father may not be called father? But as "father" signifies good, and "the Father in the heavens" Divine good, and as "teacher" or "rabbi" signifies truth, and "the Teacher, Christ," Divine truth, so on account of the spiritual sense in all things of the Word it is said, "Call no man your father upon earth, nor anyone teacher," that is, in the spiritual sense, not in the natural sense. In the natural sense men may be called teachers and fathers, but representatively; that is to say, teachers in the world teach truths indeed, but from the Lord, not from themselves, and fathers in the world are good, and lead their children to good, but from the Lord, not from themselves. From this it follows that although they are called teachers and fathers still they are not teachers and fathers, but the Lord alone is Teacher and Father. "To call" and "to call by a name" signifies in the Word to recognize the quality of anyone. Because all in heaven and in the church are disciples and sons of the Lord, who is their Teacher and their Father, the Lord says, "all ye are brethren;" for the Lord calls all in heaven and in the church "sons and heirs" from their consociation by love from Him, and thus by mutual love, which is charity; therefore it is from the Lord that they are brethren. In this way the common saying that all are brethren in the Lord is to be understood.
[14] From this also it is clear whom the Lord means by "brethren," namely, all who acknowledge Him and are in the good of charity from Him, consequently who are of His church. Such are meant by the Lord by "brethren" in the following passages. In Luke:
Jesus said to Peter, When thou shalt be converted strengthen thy brethren (Luke 22:32).
The term "brethren" here does not mean the Jews, but it means all who acknowledge the Lord and are in good from charity and faith, thus all who were to receive the gospel through Peter, both Jews and Gentiles, for "Peter" in the Word of the Gospels means truth from good, thus also faith from charity; but here "Peter" means faith separated from charity, for just before it is said of him:
Simon, behold Satan demanded you that he might sift you as wheat. But I prayed for you that your faith fail not (Luke 22:31-32);
and afterwards it is said to him:
I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day until thou hast thrice denied that thou knowest Me (Luke 22:34).
Such is faith without charity. But "Peter converted" signifies truth from good, which is from the Lord, or faith from charity, which is from the Lord; therefore it is said, "When thou shalt have been converted strengthen thy brethren. "
[15] In Matthew:
Peter said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me and I should forgive him? (Matthew 18:21)
In the same:
So also shall My heavenly Father do to you if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses (Matthew 18:35).
In the same:
If thy brother hath sinned against thee go and reprove him between thee and him alone; if he hear thee thou hast gained thy brother (Matthew 18:15).
Here "brother" means the neighbor in general, thus every man; but in particular it means one who is in the good of charity and thence in faith from the Lord, whoever he may be; for these passages treat of the good of charity, since to forgive one who sins against you is of charity; also it is said, "if he hear, thou hast gained thy brother," which signifies, if he acknowledges his trespasses and is converted.
[16] In the same:
Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say unto thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye, when yet there is a beam in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye (Matthew 7:3-5).
Here too, because this treats of charity the term "brother" is used, for "to cast out the mote out of a brother's eye" signifies to instruct respecting falsity and evil, and to reform. It is said by the Lord, "a mote out of the brother's eye," and "a beam out of one's own eye," because of the spiritual sense in every particular of what the Lord said; for without that sense, of what consequence would it be to see a mote in the eye of another and not consider a beam in one's own eye, or to cast a beam out of one's own eye before he casts a mote out of another's eye? A "mote" signifies a slight falsity of evil, and a "beam" a great falsity of evil, and the "eye" signifies the understanding and also faith. "Mote" and "beam" signify the falsity of evil, because "wood" signifies good; and thus a "beam" signifies the truth of good, and in the contrary sense the falsity of evil, and the "eye" signifies the understanding and faith. This shows what is signified by "seeing the mote and the beam," and by "casting them out of the eye." (That "wood" signifies good, and in the contrary sense evil, may be seen in (Genesis 19:8; 2 Kings 6:2, 5, 6; Habakkuk 2:11; Song of Solomon 1:17).
[17] In the same:
Whosoever doeth and teacheth, he shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens. I say unto you, Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees ye shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens. Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill, but whosoever shall kill shall be liable to the judgment. But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be liable to the judgment; but whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be liable to the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be liable to the hell of fire. If thou offer thy gift upon the altar, and shalt there remember that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there 6the gift before the altar, and go, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming offer thy gift (Matthew 5:19-24).
This whole chapter treats of the interior life of man, which is the life of his soul, consequently of his will and thought therefrom; thus it treats of the life of charity, which is the spiritual moral life. This life the sons of Jacob knew nothing about before, because from their fathers down they were external men. For this reason also they were kept in the observance of external worship, according to statutes that were external, representing the internal things of worship and of the church. But in this chapter the Lord teaches that the interior things of the church must not only be represented by external acts, but must also be loved and done from the soul and heart; therefore "whosoever doeth and teacheth, he shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens," signifies that he will be saved who from interior life does and teaches the external things of the church. "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees ye shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens," signifies that unless the life is internal, and from that is external, heaven is not in man and man is not received into heaven; "righteousness" signifies the good of life from the good of charity, and "to exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees" signifies that the life must be internal, and not external without internal. The scribes and Pharisees were only in representative externals, and not in internals. External life from the internal is taught in the commandment of the Decalogue, "Thou shalt not kill;" but they did not know that wishing to kill a man is killing him; therefore it is first said, "Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall be liable to the judgment;" for the doctrine had prevailed with the Jews from ancient time, that it was admissible to kill those who injured them, especially the Gentiles, and that they were to be punished for this lightly or grievously according to the circumstances of the hostility, consequently in reference to the body only and not as to the soul; this is meant by "he shall be liable to the judgment."
[18] That one who thinks ill of his neighbor without adequate cause, and turns himself away from the good of charity, will be punished lightly as to his soul, is signified by "Whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be liable to the judgment;" "to be angry," signifies to think ill, for it is distinguished from "saying Raca," and "saying, Thou fool." "Brother" means the neighbor, and also the good of charity, and "to be liable to the judgment" means to be examined and to be punished according to circumstances. That one who from wrong thought slanders the neighbor, and thus despises the good of charity as of little value, will be punished grievously, is signified by "whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be liable to the council," for "to say Raca" signifies to slander the neighbor from evil thought, thus to hold the good of charity to be of little value, for "to say Raca" means to hold as useless and as of little value, and "brother" means the good of charity. That one who hates the neighbor, that is, one who is altogether averse to the good of charity, is condemned to hell, is signified by "whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be liable to the hell of fire," to say "Thou fool" meaning to be altogether averse to, "brother" meaning the good of charity, and "the hell of fire" the hell where those are who hate that good and thence the neighbor. These three describe three degrees of hatred: the first is from evil thought, which is "to be angry," the second is from consequent evil intention, which is "to say Raca," and the third is from an evil will, which is "to say Thou fool." All these are degrees of hatred against the good of charity, for hatred is the opposite of the good of charity. The three degrees of punishment are signified by "the judgment," "the council," and "the hell of fire;" the punishments for lighter evils are signified by "the judgment," the punishments for the more grievous evils, by "the council," and the punishments for the most grievous evils, by "the hell of fire."
[19] As the universal heaven is in the good of charity towards the neighbor, and the universal hell is in anger, enmity, and hatred against the neighbor, and hence these are the opposites of that good; and as worship of the Lord because it is internal is worship from heaven, but it is no worship if anything of it is from hell, and yet external worship without internal is from hell, therefore it is said, "If thou offer thy gift upon the altar, and shalt there remember that thy brother hath aught against thee, go, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming offer thy gift upon the altar;" "the gift upon the altar" signifying the worship of the Lord from love and charity, "brother" meaning the neighbor, and in an abstract sense the good of charity; "having aught against thee" signifying anger, enmity, or hatred, and "to be reconciled" the dispersion of these and the consequent conjunction by love.
[20] From this it can be seen that the Lord means by "brother" the like as by "neighbor," and "neighbor" signifies in the spiritual sense good in the whole complex, and good in the whole complex is the good of charity. "Brother" has a similar meaning in the spiritual sense in many passages in the Old Testament. As in Moses:
Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart (Leviticus 19:17).
In David:
Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity (Psalms 133:1).
In this sense, also:
Lot called the inhabitants of Sodom brethren (Genesis 19:7).
And this is meant by:
The covenant of brethren between the sons of Israel and Edom (Amos 1:9).
And by the brotherhood between Judah and Israel (Zechariah 11:14).
For by "the sons of Israel and Edom," as also by "Judah and Israel," these are not meant in the spiritual sense, but the goods and truths of heaven and the church, all of which are conjoined with each other.
Footnotes:
1. The Hebrew has "men. "
2. The Hebrew has "he shall strike," as found in 633; Arcana Coelestia 9437.
3. The Latin has "hated," but the Hebrew has "saw," as found in Arcana Coelestia 7716.
4. The Latin has "which."
5. The Hebrew has "thee."
6. The Latin has "for thee;" as found in Arcana Coelestia 2360, 9293.
746. "Quia projectus est accusator fratrum nostrorum." - Quod significet postquam separati a caelo sunt ac damnati inferno illi qui impugnaverunt vitam fidei quae est charitas, constat ex significatione "projectus esse", cum de dracone, quod sit quod illi qui per "draconem" intelliguntur, sint separati a caelo, ac damnati inferno (de qua supra, n. 739 [a] , 742): ex significatione "accusatoris fratrum nostorum", quod sint qui impugnarunt vitam fidei, quae est charitas; per "accusatorem" enim significatur impugnator, objurgator, et increpator; nam qui accusat, etiam impugnat, objurgat et increpat; eadem quoque vox in lingua originali significat adversarium et increpatorem; et quod mirum est, illi qui dracones sunt, tametsi vitam nihili faciunt, usque in mundo spirituali accusant fideles si aliquod ignorantiae malum animadvertunt, inquirunt enim eorum vitam, ut probro afficiant ac condemnent; inde accusatores vocantur;
[2] per "fratres" autem, quos accusant, intelliguntur omnes qui in caelis sunt, tum omnes qui in terris, qui in bono charitatis sunt; causa quod dicantur "fratres", est, quia unus est omnibus illis Pater, nempe Dominus; ac qui in bono amoris in Dominum sunt, et in bono charitatis erga proximum, sunt Ipsius filii, et quoque vocantur "filii Dei", "filii regni", et "heredes"; inde sequitur, quod quia sunt filii unius Patris, etiam fratres sint. Etiam mandatum ex Domino Patre primarium est, ut se mutuo ament; inde amor est ex quo sunt fratres: amor quoque est conjunctio spiritualis. Ex hoc derivatum est, quod apud antiquos in ecclesiis in quibus charitas fuit essentiale, omnes vocati sint fratres; similiter in Ecclesia nostra Christiana in principio ejus. Inde nunc est, quod "frater" in spirituali sensu significet charitatem. Quod omnes qui ab una ecclesia olim fuerunt, se vocaverint fratres, et quod Dominus illos qui in amore in Ipsum et in charitate erga proximum sunt, nominet fratres, constare potest ex multis locis in Verbo sed ut distincte percipiatur quid significat "frater", ex Verbo illustrabitur.
[3] (1) Quod omnes qui ab Ecclesia Israelitica fuerunt, vocaverint se "fratres", constat ex sequentibus his locis:
- Apud Esaiam,
"Tunc adducent omnes fratres vestros, ex omnibus gentibus, munus Jehovae" (66:20);
apud Jeremiam,
"Non servire facient Judaeum fratrem suum quisquam" (34:9);
apud Ezechielem,
"Fili hominis, fratres tui, fratres tui, 1
filii cognationis tuae, et tota domus Israelis" (11:[153]);
apud Mosen,
"Moses exivit ad fratres suos, ut videret onera illorum" (Exod. 2:11 2
);
Dixit Moses ad Jethronem socerum suum, "Revertar ad fratres meos qui in Aegypto" (Exodus 4:18);
"Quando depauperabitur frater tuus" (Leviticus 25:25, 35, 47);
"Quod ad fratres vestros filios Israelis, vir in fratrem suum non dominabitur cum saevitia" (Leviticus 25:46);
"Utinam emortui essemus, cum mortui sunt fratres nostri coram Jehovah" (Numeri 20:3);
Ecce "vir de filiis Israelis venit et adduxit ad fratres suos Midianitidem" (Numeri 25:6);
"Aperies manum tuam fratri tuo; .... quando venditur tibi frater tuus Hebraeus aut Hebraea, serviet tibi sex annos" (Deuteronomius 15:11, 12);
"Si quis furatus fuerit animam de fratribus suis, ...et questum fecerit in eo" (Deutr. 24:7 3
);
"Quadragies 4
percutiet eum, nec addet ne vilis habeatur frater tuus in oculis tuis" (Deuteronomius 25:3, et alibi):
ex his constare potest quod filii Israelis omnes inter se dicti fuerint fratres: quod ita dicti sint, fuit causa proxima, quia omnes fuerunt ex Jacobo, qui communis eorum pater fuit; at causa remota fuit, quia "frater" significat bonum charitatis, quod bonum, quia est essentiale ecclesiae, etiam omnes spiritualiter conjungit; tum quia "Israel" in supremo sensu significat Dominum, ac inde "filii Israelis" ecclesiam.
[4]): per "virum et fratrem" significatur verum et bonum, ac in opposito sensu falsum et malum; quare etiam dicitur, "Menascheh comedet Ephraimum, et Ephraimus Menaschen", per "Menascheh" enim significatur bonum voluntarium, et per "Ephraimum" verum intellectuale, utrumque ecclesiae externae, ac in opposito sensu malum et falsum. (Sed haec videantur explicata supra, n. 386 [b] 440 [b] 600 [b] 617 [c] .)
[5] Apud eundem,
"Commiscebo.. Aegyptum cum Aegypto, ut pugnent vir contra fratrem suum, et vir contra socium suum, urbs contra urbem, et regnum contra regnum" (19:2):
per "Aegyptum" hic significatur naturalis homo separatus a spirituali; qui quia in nulla luce veri est, disceptat continue de bono et malo, ac de vero et falso; disceptatio illa significatur per "Commiscebo Aegyptum cum Aegypto, ut pugnent vir contra fratrem suum, et vir contra socium suum"; per "fratrem" et "socium" significatur bonum ex quo verum, ac verum ex bono, et in opposito sensu malum ex quo falsum, ac falsum ex malo; quare etiam dicitur, "urbs contra urbem, et regnum contra regnum"; per "urbem" significatur doctrina, et per "regnum" ecclesia ex illa, quae similiter pugnaturae sunt.
[6] Apud eundem,
"Vir socium suum adjuvant, et fratri suo dicit, Confirma te" (41:6):
apud eundem,
"Dispergam eos, virum cum fratre suo" (13:14);
apud eundem,
"Sic dicetis vir ad socium suum, et vir ad fratrem suum, Quid respondit Jehovah?" (23:35);
apud eundem,
"Non obedivistis Mihi, ut proclamaretis libertatem vir fratri suo, et vir socio suo" (34:9, 17);
apud Ezechielem,
"Gladius viri contra fratrem suum erit" (Ezech. 38:21 5
);
apud Joelem,
"Non vir fratrem suum propellunt" (Joel. 2:8 6
);
apud Micham,
"Omnes sanguinibus insidiantur, vir fratrem suum venantur in reti" (7:2):
apud Sachariam,
"Benignitatem et misericordiam facite vir cum fratre suo" (7:9);
apud Malachiam,
"Quare perfide agimus, vir contra fratrem suum?" (2:10);
apud Mosen,
"Facta est caligo tenebrarum in omni terra Aegypti.., nec 7
vidit vir fratrem suum" (Exod. 10 [22,] 23);
apud eundem,
"A fine septem annorum.... remittet omnis creditor manum suam, quando credidit quid socio suo, nec urgeat socium suum, nec fratrem suum" (Deuteronomius 15:1, 2);
et alibi. In sensu proximo per "virum" intelligitur quisque, per "fratrem" qui ex eadem tribu, quia in cognatione, et per "socium" qui ex alia tribu, quia solum in affinitate; at in sensu spirituali per "virum" significatur omnis qui in veris est, tum qui in falsis, per "fratrem" omnis qui in bono charitatis est, et abstracte ipsum illud bonum, et per "socium" omnis qui in vero ex illo bono est, et abstracte ipsum illud verum; et in opposito sensu malum oppositum bono charitatis, ac falsum oppositum vero ex illo bono: quod "frater" et "socius" dicantur, est 8
quia duo sunt quae faciunt ecclesiam, nempe charitas et fides, sicut duo quae faciunt vitam hominis, voluntas et intellectus; inde etiam sunt duo quae sicut unum agunt; prout duo oculi, duae aures, duae nares, duae manus, duo pedes, duo lobi pulmonum, duae camerae cordis, duo hemisphaeria cerebri, et sic porro, quorum unum se refert ad bonum ex quo verum, et alterum ad verum ex bono; inde est quod dicatur "frater" et "socius", et quod "frater" significet bonum et "socius" verum ejus.
[7] (3) Quod Dominus illos qui ab ecclesia Ipsius in bono charitatis sunt, nominet "fratres", constat ex his:
- Apud Evangelistas,
Jesus "extendens manum suam super discipulos suos dixit, Ecce mater mea, et fratres mei; quisquis.. fecerit voluntatem Patris mei, ...ille meus frater et soror et mater est" (Matthaeus 12:49; Marcus 3:33-35):
per "discipulos", supra quos Dominus, extendit manum, significantur omnes qui ab ecclesia Ipsius; per "fratres Ipsius" significantur qui in bono charitatis ab Ipso sunt; per "sorores" qui in veris ex illo bono; et per "matrem" significatur ecclesia ex illis.
[8] Apud Matthaeum,
Jesus dixit Mariae Magdalenae et alteri Mariae, "Ne timetote; abite, annuntiate fratribus meis, ut abeant in Galilaeam, et ibi Me videbunt" (28:10):
per "fratres" etiam hic intelliguntur discipuli, per quos significantur omnes qui ab ecclesia in bono charitatis sunt.
Apud Johannem,
Jesus dixit Mariae, "Abi ad fratres meos, et dic illis, Ascendo ad Patrem meum" (20:17);
similiter hic discipuli vocantur "fratres", quia per "discipulos" aeque ac per "fratres" significantur omnes qui ab ecclesia Ipsius in bono charitatis sunt.
[9] Apud Matthaeum,
"Respondens Rex dixit illis, Dico vobis, in quantum fecistis uni ex his fratribus meis minimis, Mihi fecistis" (25:40):
quod illi qui bona charitatis praestiterunt hic dicantur a Domino "fratres", constat ex praecedentibus ibi; at sciendum est quod Dominus, tametsi illorum Pater est, usque nominet illos "fratres"; sed illorum Pater est ex Divino Amore, sed Frater ex Divino quod procedit ex Ipso: causa est, quia omnes in caelis sunt receptiones Divini quod procedit ex Ipso, ac Divinum quod procedit ex Domino, cujus receptiones sunt, est Dominus in caelo, et quoque in ecclesia; et hoc non est angeli nec hominis, sed Domini apud illos; quare Dominus ipsum bonum charitatis apud illos, quod est suum, vocat Fratrem; proinde etiam angelos et homines, quia sunt subjecta recipientia illius boni. Verbo, Divinum procedens, quod est Divinum Domini in caelis, est Divinum natum a Domino in caelo; quare ex illo Divino, angeli qui sunt recipientes ejus, vocantur "filii Dei"; et quia hi ex illo Divino apud se recepto sunt fratres, est Dominus in illis qui dicit "Frater"; angeli enim non loquuntur ex se sed ex Domino, dum ex bono charitatis: inde nunc est quod Dominus dicat, "In quantum fecistis uni ex his fratribus meis minimis, Mihi fecistis"; sunt itaque bona charitatis, quae in praecedentibus enumerantur, quae in sensu spirituali sunt Domini fratres, et quae propter praedictam causam vocantur a Domino "fratres": per "Regem" etiam, qui ita illos vocat, significatur Divinum procedens, quod una voce vocatur Divinum Verum, seu Divinum spirituale, quod in sua essentia est bonum charitatis.
[10] Tenendum itaque est quod Dominus non vocaverit illos "fratres" ex eo quod Ipse Homo fuerit sicut illi, secundum opinionem in Christiano orbe receptam; ex quo sequitur quod ideo non liceat alicui homini vocare Dominum fratrem; est enim Deus etiam quoad Humanum, et Deus non est frater, sed est Pater. Quod Dominus dicatur frater in ecclesiis in terris, est quia de Humano Ipsius non aliam ideam captaverunt quam sicut de humano alius hominis, cum tamen Humanum Domini est Divinum.
[11] Quoniam reges olim repraesentabant Dominum quoad Divinum Verum, ac Divinum Verum receptum ab angelis in regno Domini spirituali est idem cum Divino Bono spirituali, ac Bonum spirituale est Bonum charitatis, ideo etiam reges super filios Israelis vocabant subditos suos "fratres"; tametsi non licuerit vicissim subditis vocare regem suum fratrem; minus Dominum, qui est Rex regum et Dominus dominorum:
- Ut apud Davidem,
"Enarrabo nomen tuum fratribus meis, in medio congregationis laudabo Te" (Psalms 22:23 [B.A. 22]);
apud eundem,
"Alienus factus sum fratribus meis, et extraneus filiis matris meae" (Psalms 69:9 [B.A. 8]);
apud eundem,
"Propter fratres meos, et socios meos, loquar.. pacem in Te" (Psalms 122:8):
haec locutus est David sicut de se, sed usque per "Davidem" ibi in sensu repraesentativo spirituali intelligitur Dominus.
Apud Mosen,
"E medio fratrum tuorum pones super 9
eos regem, non poteris dare super 10
eos virum alienigenam, qui non frater tuus sit: .... sed ne efferat se cor ejus prae fratribus ejus" (Deuteronomius 17:15, 20):
per "fratres", ex quibus poneretur rex, significantur omnes qui ab ecclesia sunt: nam dicitur, "Non potes dare super 11
eos virum alienigenam"; per "virum alienigenam" et per "alienum" significatur qui non ab ecclesia est.
[12] Apud eundem,
"Prophetam e medio tui, de fratribus tuis, sicut me excitabit tibi Jehovah Deus tuus; Huic obedietis" (Deuteronomius 18:15, 20):
prophetia de Domino, qui intelligitur per "Prophetam", quem Jehovah Deus excitabit de fratribus; qui "fratres tui", ita Mosis, vocantur, ex eo quod per "Mosen" in sensu repraesentativo intelligatur Dominus quoad Verbum, ac per "prophetam" docens Verbum, ita quoque Verbum et doctrina e Verbo; inde est, quod dicatur, "Sicut me excitabit." (Quod Moses repraesentaverit Dominum quoad Legem, ita quoad Verbum, videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 4859 fin. , 5922, 6723, 6752, 6771, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382, 9372, 10234.)
[13] (4) Quod omnis illi "fratres" a Domino dicantur, qui Ipsum agnoscunt, et in bono charitatis ab Ipso sunt, sequitur ex eo, quod Dominus sit omnium Pater, et omnium Doctor, et ex Ipso ut Patre est omne bonum charitatis, et ex Ipso ut Doctore est omne verum illius boni. Quare dicit Dominus apud Matthaeum,
"Vos nolite vocari Doctor; unus enim est vester Doctor, Christus; omnes autem vos fratres estis. Et Patrem Vestrum ne vocetis in terra; unus namque est Pater vester qui in caelis est" (23:8, 9):
ex his manifeste patet quod verba Domini spiritualiter intelligenda sint; nam quis non potest vocari Doctor, qui doctor est? et quis non Pater, qui est pater? At quia per "patrem" significatur bonum, et per "Patrem in caelis" Divinum Bonum, et quia per "doctorem" seu "rabbi" significatur verum, et per "Doctorem Christum" Divinum Verum, ideo, propter spiritualem sensum in omnibus Verbi, dicitur quod "non patrem in terra vocarent Patrem, nec aliquem Doctorem"; nempe in spirituali sensu, non autem in naturali: in naturali sensu vocari possunt doctores et patres, sed repraesentative; nempe quod doctores mundi quidem' doceant verum, sed non a se sed a Domino; et quod patres mundi quidem sint boni, et ducant liberos ad bonum, sed non a se sed a Domino: inde sequitur quod tametsi vocantur doctores et patres, usque non sint doctores et patres, sed solum Dominus: "vocare" et "vocare nomine" aliquem, in Verbo etiam significat agnoscere quale alicujus. Quia omnes in caelo et in ecclesia discipuli et filii Domini sunt ut Doctoris ac ut Patris, ideo dicit Dominus, "Omnes vos fratres estis"; Dominus enim omnes in caelo et in ecclesia, ex consociatione per amorem ab Ipso, et inde per amorem mutuum, qui est charitas, vocat illos "filios" et "heredes"; inde est quod a Domino sint "fratres"; ita intelligendum est, quod usitato dicitur, quod omnes fratres sint in Domino.
[14] Ex his quoque constare potest quinam per "fratres" a Domino intelliguntur, nempe omnes qui agnoscunt Ipsum, ac in bono charitatis ab Ipso sunt, proinde qui ab ecclesia Ipsius sunt. Hi etiam per "fratres" a Domino intelliguntur in sequentibus locis:
- Apud Lucam,
Jesus dixit ad Petrum, "Tu quando conversus fueris, confirma fratres tuos" (22:32):
per "fratres" hic non intelliguntur Judaei, sed intelliguntur omnes qui Dominum agnoscunt, et in bono sunt ex charitate et fide, ita omnes qui per Petrum recepturi sunt Evangelium, tam Judaei quam gentes; nam per "Petrum" in Verbo Evangelistarum intelligitur verum ex bono, proinde etiam fides ex charitate: at ibi per "Petrum" intelligitur fides separata a charitate; nam mox prius de eo dicitur,
"Simon, ecce Satanas expostulavit vos, ut cribraret vos sicut triticum; Ego vero oravi pro te, ut non desinat fides tua" [ (vers. 31, 32)] ;
et dein ad illum dicitur,
"Dico tibi, Petre, non canet hodie gallus, priusquam ter abnegaveris, non te nosse Me" [ (vers. 34)] :
talis etiam est fides absque charitate: at per "Petrum conversum" significatur verum ex bono quod a Domino, seu fides a charitate quae a Domino; ideo dicitur, "Tu ergo quando conversus fueris, confirma fratres tuos."
[15] Apud Matthaeum,
"Dixit Petrus.., Domine, quoties peccabit in me frater meus, et remittere debeo illi?" (18:21);
apud eundem,
"Sic et Pater meus caelestis faciet vobis, si non remiseritis suo quisque fratri ex cordibus.. delicta eorum" (18:35);
apud eundem,
"Si.. peccaverit in te frater tuus, abi et argue illum inter te et illum solum; si te audierit, lucratus es fratrem tuum" (18:15):
hic per "fratrem" intelligitur in genere proximus, ita omnis homo; in specie autem qui in bono charitatis et inde fide a Domino est, quicunque sit; nam in illis locis de bono charitatis agitur, nam remittere alicui qui peccat contra illum, est charitatis; tum, "Si audierit, lucratus es fratrem", per quod significatur, si agnoscit delicta sua, et conversus fuerit.
[16] Apud eundem,
"Cur.. cernis festucam quae in oculo fratris tui, illam vero, quae in oculo tuo, trabem non animadvertis? Aut quomodo dices fratri tuo, Sine, ejiciam festucam ex oculo tuo, cum tamen trabs sit in oculo tuo? Hypocrita, ejice prius trabem ex oculo tuo, et tunc circum spicies ejicere festucam ex oculo fratris tui" (7:3-5):
hic quoque, quia de charitate agitur, dicitur "frater"; nam per "ejicere festucam ex oculo fratris" significatur informare de falso et malo, ac reformare: quod a Domino dicatur "festuca ex oculo fratris", et "trabs in oculo ejus", est propter sensum spiritualem in singulis quae Dominus locutus est; nam absque eo sensu, quid foret videre festucam in oculo alterius, et non animadvertere trabem in oculo suo? tum ejicere trabem ex suo oculo, antequam festucam ex oculo alterius? Per "festucam" enim significatur exile falsum mali, ac per "trabem" magnum falsum mali, ac per "oculum" significatur intellectus et quoque fides; quod per "festucam" et "trabem" significetur falsum mali, est quia per "lignum" significatur bonum, ac inde per "trabem" verum boni, ac in opposito sensu falsum mali, perque "oculum" intellectus et fides; inde patet quid per "videre festucam et trabem", ac per "ejicere illas ex oculo" significatur.
(Quod "lignum" significet bonum, et in opposito sensu malum, videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 643, 3720, 4943, 8354, 8740: et quod "oculus" significet intellectum et quoque fidem, n. 2701, 4403-4421, 4523-4534, 9051, 10569, ibi; et quoque supra, n. 37, 152:
etiam "trabs" aliquibus in locis nominatur, et per illam significatur falsum mali, ut Genesis 19:8; 2 Regnum 6:2, 5, 6; Habakuk 2:11; Cant. 1:17.)
[17] Apud eundem,
"Qui facit et docet, is magnus vocabitur in regno caelorum. Dico.. vobis, nisi abundaverit justitia vestra supra scribarum et Pharisaeorum, non intrabitis in regnum caelorum. Audivistis quod veteribus dictum sit, Non occides; quisquis autem occiderit, obnoxius erit judicio; Ego vero dico vobis, quod quisquis irascitur fratri suo temere, obnoxius erit judicio; quisquis vero dixerit fratri suo, Raka, obnoxius erit synedrio; quicunque autem dixerit, stulte, obnoxius erit gehennae ignis. Si obtuleris manus tuum super altare, et apud hoc recordatus fueris quod frater tuus habeat aliquid contra te, relinque 12
ibi manus coram altari, et abi, prius reconciliare fratri, et tunc veniens offer munus tuum" (5:19-24):
in toto illo capite agitur de vita interiore hominis, quae est ejus animae, proinde ejus voluntatis et inde cogitationis; ita de vita charitatis, quae est vita spiritualis moralis; quam vitam filii Jacobi prius ignorarunt, ex causa, quia externi homines usque a patribus eorum fuerunt: ideo etiam tenebantur vivere in cultu externo, secundum statuta, quae erant externa repraesentantia interna cultus et ecclesiae. At Dominus in hoc capite docet quod non solum per facta externa repraesentanda essent interiora ecclesiae, sed etiam quod anima et corde amanda et facienda; quare qui ex interiore vita externa ecclesiae facit et docet quod salvaretur, significatur per "Qui facit et docet, magnus vocabitur in regno caelorum": quod nisi interna vita sit et inde externa, non in homine caelum sit, et inde in caelo non recipiatur, significatur per "Nisi abundaverit justitia vestra supra Scribarum et Pharisaeorum, non intrabitis in regnum caelorum"; per "justitiam" significatur bonum vitae ex bono charitatis; et per "abundare super Scribarum et Pharisaeorum", significatur quod interna vita erit, et non externa absque interna; Scribae et Pharisaei solum in externis repraesentativis erant, et non in internis: vita externa ex interna docetur in praecepto Decalogi, quod "non occidendum"; sed nesciebant quod velle occidere hominem sit illum occidere; quare primum dicitur, "Audivistis quod veteribus dictum sit, Non occides, et quisquis occiderit, obnoxius erit judicio"; invaluerat enim apud Judaeos ab antiquo tempore dogma quod propter injurias sibi factas liceret occidere, imprimis gentes, et quod propter id punirentur modo leviter aut graviter secundum circumstantias quoad inimicitias, consequenter solum quoad corpus, et non quoad animam; hoc intelligitur per quod "obnoxius erit judicio."
[18] Quod qui absque sontica causa cogitat prave de proximo, ac se avertit a bono charitatis, quoad animam leviter plectetur, significatur per quod "quisquis irascitur fratri suo temere, obnoxius erit judicio"; "irasci" significat prave cogitare, nam distinguitur a "dicere raka", et "dicere stultum"; "frater" est proximus, et quoque bonum charitatis, et "obnoxius judicio" est inquiri et secundum circumstantias plecti: quod qui ex prava cogitatione contumelias afficit proximum, ita qui bonum charitatis sicut vile contemnit, is gravius plecteretur, significatur per "Quisquis dixerit fratri suo, Raka, obnoxius erit synedrio"; per "dicere raka" significatur ex cogitatione prava contumelias afficere proximum, ita vile habere bonum charitatis; nam "dicere raka" significat pro vacuo habere, ita pro viii, et "frater" est bonum charitatis; [quod] qui odio habet proximum, ita qui prorsus aversatur bonum charitatis, damnatus sit inferno, significatur per "Quicunque dixerit, Stulte, obnoxius erit gehennae ignis; "dicere stultum" est prorsus aversari, "frater" est bonum charitatis, et "gehenna ignis" est infernum, ubi illi qui id bonum et inde proximum odio habent. Tres gradus odii per illa tria describuntur; primus est pravae cogitationis, quod est "irasci"; alter est pravae intentionis inde, quod est "dicere, Raka"; et tertius est pravae voluntatis, quod est "dicere, Stulte"; omnes hi gradus sunt gradus odii contra bonum charitatis, nam odium est bono charitatis oppositum: et tres gradus punitionis significantur per "judicium", "synedrium", et "gehennam ignis"; punitiones pro malis levioribus significantur per "judicium", punitiones pro malis gravioribus per "synedrium", et punitiones pro malis gravissimis per "gehennam ignis."
[19] Quoniam universum caelum est in bono charitatis erga proximum, et universum infernum est in iracundia, inimicitia et odio contra proximum, et inde haec sunt opposita illi bono; et quia cultus Domini est cultus ex caelo, quia est internus, ac nullus cultus si ejus aliquid est ex inferno, et tamen ex inferno est cultus externus absque interno, ideo dicitur, "Si obtuleris munus tuum super altari, et apud hoc recordatus fueris quod frater tuus habeat aliquid contra te, abi, prius reconciliare fratri, et tunc veniens offer munus super altare"; per "munus super altari" significatur cultus Domini ex amore et charitate, per "fratrem" intelligitur proximus, et abstracte significatur bonum charitatis, per "habere contra te" significatur iracundia, inimicitia seu odium, et per "reconciliari" significatur dissipatio eorum, et inde sequens conjunctio per amorem.
[20] Ex his constare potest quod per "fratrem" a Domino intelligatur simile quod per "proximum"; et per "proximum" in spirituali sensu significatur bonum in omni complexu; et bonum in omni complexu est bonum charitatis. Simile per "fratrem" in Veteri Testamento in multis locis in sensu spirituali intelligitur:
- Ut apud Mosen,
"Non odio habebis fratrem tuum corde tuo" (Leviticus 19:17);
apud Davidem,
"Ecce quam bonum et quam jucundum habitare fratres una" (Psalms 133:1).
In hoc sensu etiam
Lothus habitatores Sodomae appellavit "fratres" (Genesis 19:7):
et quoque intelligitur
Per "foedus fratrum" inter filios Israelis et Edomum (Amos 1:9);
Ac per "fraternitatem inter Jehudam et Israelem" (Sach. 11:14 13
):
nam per "filios Israelis ac Edomum", tum per "Jehudam et Israelem" in sensu spirituali non intelliguntur illi, sed bona et vera caeli et ecclesiae, quorum omnia inter se conjuncta sunt.
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