CHAPTER XVIII. Extracts from the Theological Writings OF THE HON. EMANUEL SWEDENBORG. VERSE 11. The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Whereas by cup, as by wine, are signified in the opposite sense the falses productive of evils, also falses derived from evils, hence likewise by cup is signified temptation, inasmuch as this is effected when the false fights against truth, and thence evil against good; the cup is spoken of instead of temptation, and concerning it, in Luke, Jesus prayed, saying, If thou wilt that this cup may pass from me, nevertheless not my will, but thine be done, xxii. 49; in like manner the cup here denotes temptation, where it is written, "Jesus said to Peter, Put up thy sword into it's sheath, the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it." A. C. 5120. Verse 27. Then Peter denied again, and immediately the cock crew. For the explication of these words, see Extracts above, at verse 38 of chap. xiii. Verse 37. Pilate therefore saith unto Him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king: For this was I born, and for this I came into the world, that I might bear witness unto the truth. From these words it is evident that the Messiah, the Anointed, and a King, is the same as divine truth. A. C. 3009. See also Ap. Ex. 27. That by King in the Word is meant the Lord as to divine truth, is evident from the above words of the Lord himself to Pilate; from Pilate's question, What is truth? it is evident that he understood that the Lord called truth a king, but whereas he was a Gentile, and knew nothing of the Word, he could not be instructed that divine truth was from the Lord, and that He was divine truth, therefore after the question he immediately went out to the Jews, saying, I find no fault in Him; and afterwards set over the cross, This is Jesus, the King of the Jews; and when the chief priests said to him, Write not the King of the Jews, but that He said, I am the King of the Jews, Pilate replied, What I have written I have written. Ap. Ex. 31. CHAPTER XVIII. Translator's Notes and Observations. VERSE 1. Jesus saying these things, went forth with His disciples beyond the torrent of cedars. In the common version of the Greek Testament, what is here rendered the torrent of cedars, is called the brook Kedron, but in the original Greek the words are το χειμάρῥε τῶν κέδρων, which is literally the torrent of cedars, being doubtless so expressed on account of the internal sense. Verse 21. Ask them that heard what I have spoken to them; behold, they know what I have said. In the common version of the New Testament, no distinction is made between speaking and saying in this passage, both terms being rendered by the verb say; whereas in the original Greek, the terms are distinguished, because to speak, in the internal sense, has more respect to truth, whilst to say has more respect to good. See note at verse 49 of chap. xii. JOHN. CHAPTER XIX. 1. THEN Pilate therefore took JESUS and scourged [Him]. 2. And the soldiers, platting a crown of thorns, put [it] on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe, 3. And said, Hail, King of the Jews; and they gave Him blows with a rod. 4. Then Pilate went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring Him forth to you, that ye may know that I find in Him no fault. 5. Then came JESUS forth bearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe; and saith unto them, Behold the Man! 6. When therefore the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, Crucify, crucify. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye Him and crucify, for I find no fault in Him. 7. The Jews answered Him, We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made himself the Son of GOD. THE INTERNAL SENSE. THAT they, who are in the falses of ignorance, treat the Word with contumely, being misled by those who are in knowledges, v. 1. And even they, who fought in favour of truths, falsified and adulterated those truths, v. 2, 3, Still they, who are in the falses of ignorance, are dis posed to acknowledge the LORD's integrity, who at that time represented the divine Word as to it's quality in the Jewish church, where it was suffocated by the falses of concupiscencies, v. 4, 5. Therefore, notwithstanding His rejection by the perverted church, they still maintain His innocence, and are led into further enquiry concerning His divinity, which is denied in the perverted church, v. 6, 7, 8, 9. 8. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid, 9. And entered again into the governor's hall, and saith to JESUS, Whence art thou? But JESUS gave him no an swer. 10. Then saith Pilate unto Him, Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? 11. JESUS answered, Thou wouldest have no power against me, unless it were given thee from above; therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. 12. From this Pilate sought to release Him; but the Jcws cried out, saying, If thou release this [man], thou art not Cæsar's friend; every one who maketh himself a king, speak eth against Cæsar. 13. Pilate then hearing this saying, brought JESUS forth; and sat down in the tribunal, in a place called the pavement, but in Hebrew Gabbatha. 14. But it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour; and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King. 15. But they cried out, Away with, away with, crucify Him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Cæsar. 16. Then delivered he Him therefore unto them to be cru But on this subject they receive no instruction, until they are first instructed concerning the laws of divine permission and providence, to which all human power is subjected, v. 10, 11. By which instruction they are the more confirmed in favour of the LORD's integrity, and divinity, and notwithstanding what is urged by the perverted church, that temporal dominion is more to be consulted than the dominion of the eternal truth, they continue stedfast in asserting the dominion of truth, thus of the LORD's DIVINE HUMANITY, v. 12, 13, 14. Which spiritual dominion is entirely rejected by the perverted church, so that they acknowledge no dominion but what is temporal, or of the world, v. 15. And thus they also, who are in the falses of ignorance, are cified; and they took JESUS and led [Him] away. 17. And He bearing the cross, went forth into a place called [the place] of a scull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha. 18. Where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, on this side and on that side, but JESUS in the midst. 19. But Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross; but the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20. This title then read many of the Jews, for the place where JESUS was crucified was nigh to the city, and it was written in Hebrew, in Greek, in Latin. 21. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, the King of the Jews; but that He said, I am the King of the Jews. 22. Pilate answered, What I have written I have written. 23. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified JESUS, took His garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part, and the coat; but the coat was without seam wrought from the top throughout. 24. They said therefore one to another, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be; that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my garments among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots: These things therefore the soldiers did. led to reject the LORD, who, as to His humanity, is totally rejected by the perverted church, together with faith and charity, v. 16, 17, 18. Still they insist that the LORD, in His humanity, is divine truth, or the Word, thus contumeliously treated, notwithstanding what is urged to the contrary by the perverted church, v. 19, 20, 21, 22. Who, whilst they ought to fight in favour of truth, dissipate and destroy every truth of the Word, except the internal spiritual truth, which they are not able to destroy, and this according to prediction, v. 23, 24. |