Jayhawker Soule

Oy vey

A3

{quote]Let us take a recess and read the Book of Romans[/quote]
While you do that there is something we might not agree on. My view on Paul’s Epistles, as based on what Swedenborg has written, is not favorable. And that is puting it mildly. I think that they are the primary reason why religion leaves such a bad taste in many people’s mouths and why they go elsewhere to look for God.

Some of the things that are based on these Epistles are:
The notion that some people are not God’s children, in fact that God hates them.
That celibacy is to be prefered over marriage.
That faith is all saving, regardless of what you do.
That on your arrival you are send to heaven or hell depending on God’s mood.
That Paul’s words are more important that the Lord’s.

And this is what Swedenborg wrote:

CONCERNING THE EPISTLES OF PAUL.

The Epistles of Paul do not have an internal [or spiritual] sense; but it is permitted that they may be in the Church, lest those who are of the Church should work evil to the Word of the Lord, in which is the internal sense. [like a crumple zone in a car] For if man lives ill, and yet believes in the holy Word, then he works evil to heaven; therefore the Epistles of Paul are permitted, and therefore Paul was not permitted to take one parable, not even a doctrine, from the Lord, and to expound and unfold it; but he took all things from himself. The Church, indeed, explains the Word of the Lord, but by means of the Epistles of Paul; for which reason also it everywhere departs from the good of charity, and accepts the truth of faith; while the Lord has taught that the good of charity should be the all in all.

CONCERNING PAUL.

Paul is among the worst of the apostles, which has been made known to me by ample experience. The love of self, whereby he was ensnared before he preached the gospel, remained with him also afterwards, and because he was then, for the most part, in a like state, he was prompted by that love and by his nature to wish to be in scenes of tumult. He did all things with the goal of being greatest in heaven, and of judging the tribes of Israel. That he remained such afterwards appears from very much experience, for I spoke with him more than with others; nay, he is such, that the rest of the apostles in the other life rejected him from their company, and no longer recognize him for one of themselves. If all the things which I know concerning Paul should be related, they would fill many pages. That he wrote Epistles does not prove that he was such as that would seem to imply, for even the impious can preach well and write Epistles. Moreover he has not mentioned the least word of what the Lord taught, nor cited one of his parables, so that he received nothing from the life and discourse of the Lord, while in the Evangelists is the very Gospel itself.
A3

[ March 22, 2002: Message edited by: A3 ]</p>