Why Jesus Was Born

[Harry1941]

Why Jesus Was Born - Swedenborg and Life.

1. Jehovah God came down into the world as Divine Truth (The Divine Truth is the Word), in order that He might work redemption; and redemption consisted in subjugating the hells, restoring the heavens to order, and after this establishing a church. This Divine Good is inadequate to effect; it can be done only by the Divine Truth from the Divine Good. The Divine Good, viewed in itself, is like the round hilt of a sword, or a blunt piece of wood, or a bow without arrows; while Divine Truth from Divine Good is like a sharp sword, or wood in the form of a spear, or a bow with its arrows, all which are effective against an enemy. (In the spiritual sense of the Word “swords,” “spears,” and “bows” mean truths combating, as may be seen in the Apocalypse Revealed, n. 52, 299, 436, where this is shown. ) The falsities and evils in which all hell was and always is, could have been assaulted, conquered, and subjugated in no other way than by means of Divine truth from the Word; nor could the new heaven that was then constituted have been built up, formed, and arranged in order by any other means; nor could a new church on the earth have been established by any other means. Moreover, all the strength, energy, and power of God belong to the Divine Truth from the Divine Good. This explains why Jehovah God came down as Divine Truth, which is the Word. Therefore it is said in David:

Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O mighty One, and in Thy majesty mount up; ride upon the Word of truth; Thy right hand shall teach Thee wonderful things. Thine arrows are sharp, Thine enemies shall fall under Thee (Ps. 45:3-5). This is said of the Lord, of His conflicts with the hells, and of His victories over them.
[youtube.com/watch?v=VsbuxkXYbRI&t=1157s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsbuxkXYbRI&t=1157s)

 

[David_Nacey]

Harry, thank you for posting on a very interesting topic. From a Catholic perspective, allow me to reply. I was born into an anti-Trinitarian faith tradition, namely Jehovah’s Witnesses, before becoming Catholic (albeit on a very circuitous route). I will allow there are many doctrinal differences between the New Church (Swedenborgian) and the JW’s, but rejection of the Blessed Trinity is the main thread between them. While the JW’s only accept God as the Father (Jehovah) and reject the Divinity of Christ, Swedenborg unites the Father and Son as one divine entity.

We are not really all that terribly far apart. As Catholics, we also believe in the Unity of God, and Unity in Trinity. It is a mystery, and human minds are ill-equipped to completely grasp many divine truths. We thank God, that He gave us our Holy Mother, the Church, and infused Her, through the Holy Spirit, with the unique magisterial authority to define and express doctrines of this kind. Without the Church, men will twist the scriptures into a never-ending, spiraling mass of contradictory confessions and doctrines, such as we see in the world today. We must all pray that we may become one (ut unum sint), under one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Kyrie Eleison.

 

[OneBlanketBoss]

Harry, thank you for posting on a very interesting topic. From a Catholic perspective, allow me to reply. I was born into an anti-Trinitarian faith tradition, namely Jehovah’s Witnesses, before becoming Catholic (albeit on a very circuitous route). I will allow there are many doctrinal differences between the New Church (Swedenborgian) and the JW’s, but rejection of the Blessed Trinity is the main thread between them. While the JW’s only accept God as the Father (Jehovah) and reject the Divinity of Christ, Swedenborg unites the Father and Son as one divine entity.

We are not really all that terribly far apart. As Catholics, we also believe in the Unity of God, and Unity in Trinity. It is a mystery, and human minds are ill-equipped to completely grasp many divine truths. We thank God, that He gave us our Holy Mother, the Church, and infused Her, through the Holy Spirit, with the unique magisterial authority to define and express doctrines of this kind. Without the Church, men will twist the scriptures into a never-ending, spiraling mass of contradictory confessions and doctrines, such as we see in the world today. We must all pray that we may become one (ut unum sint), under one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Kyrie Eleison.

with or without the Church, men will Interpret scriptures into a never-ending, spiraling mass of contradictory confessions and doctrines, such as we *always * have seen in the world!

Remember, before the Bible has been compiled there were different groups existing who had very very very similar Gospels that were divided due to the sheer fact by disagreeing on the nature of Jesus. In the Second Century in fact!

The Gospels were so similar but yet their beliefs about Jesus so so different. Why don’t we have any teachings of the alleged First Pope Peter himself clarifying who Jesus Christ really was ??

 

[Vonsalza]

with or without the Church, men will Interpret scriptures into a never-ending, spiraling mass of contradictory confessions and doctrines, such as we *always * have seen in the world!

This is a solid indictment of a “bible-alone” approach to Christian truth.

Remember, before the Bible has been compiled there were different groups existing who had very very very similar Gospels that were divided due to the sheer fact by disagreeing on the nature of Jesus. In the Second Century in fact!

I agree. Heresy, it appears, is only seconds younger than the doctrine it rejects.

The Gospels were so similar but yet their beliefs about Jesus so so different. Why don’t we have any teachings of the alleged First Pope Peter himself clarifying who Jesus Christ really was ??

Here I’ll dissent. Arguments from silence aren’t useful for anything. We only have what survives and the assumption that what DOES survive is somehow systematically complete is an absurd one.

 

[OneBlanketBoss]

This is a solid indictment of a “bible-alone” approach to Christian truth.

I agree. Heresy, it appears, is only seconds younger than the doctrine it rejects.

Here I’ll dissent. Arguments from silence aren’t useful for anything. We only have what survives and the assumption that what DOES survive is somehow systematically complete is an absurd one.

Catholics were also Heresies according to those who disagreed Jesus was God Almighty. So if we don’t have Peters (The first pope) teachings about Jesus, can you provide anybody who personally knew Jesus that could confirm what the Catholic Church teaches?