Doctrine of Holy Scripture - Swedenborg Foundation

DOCTRINE OF HOLY SCRIPTURE 193man asks not from himself but from the Lord is given; for this alsois what the Lord says,If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, andit shall be done unto you (John 15:7).[4] The Lord says,Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God (Luke 6:20).Without doctrine it may be thought that heaven is for the poor andnot for the rich, but doctrine teaches that the poor in spirit aremeant, for the Lord says,Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt.5:3).[5] The Lord says,Judge not, that ye be not judged; for with what judgment ye judge ye shallbe judged (Matt. 7:1–2; Luke 6:37).Without doctrine this might be cited to confirm the notion that itis not to be said of what is evil that it is evil, thus that an evilperson is not to be judged to be evil; yet according to doctrine it islawful to judge, but justly; for the Lord says,Judge righteous judgment (John 7:24).[6] Jesus says,Be not ye called teacher, for one is your teacher, even the Christ. And callno man your father on the earth; for one is your Father in the heavens.Neither be ye called masters; for one is your master, the Christ (Matt.23:8–10).Without doctrine it would seem that it is not lawful to call anyperson teacher, father, or master; but from doctrine it is knownthat in the natural sense it is lawful to do this, but not in thespiritual sense.