The End For Which The Church Exists...
The end of the Church is to enter and receive in mind and heart, the spiritual and celestial things of the Internal Sense of the Word of the Lord... thus the formation of an Internal Church in each individual person through the circle of life and light from the Lord, a circle of Spirit and of Life which the Word in itself is.
(See: Details , Circle of Life )

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Mission Statement of the Philadelphia Society...
To grow a spiritual community that fosters the formation of heaven within each person through studying, contemplating, and living the Word of the Lord.*

Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?

"It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches." 
( Luke 13:18-19  )



And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.
( Mark 4:26-27 )



Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so.  ( Genesis 1:11 )



He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. ( Psalms 1:3 )



"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  ( Matthew 12:33 )



And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
( Revelation 22:1-2 )



"A man (h) is like a tree, which first grows up from a seed into a shoot, and when it increases in height puts forth branches and from these stems, and clothes itself continually with leaves; and when it comes to maturity, which takes place in its middle age, puts forth flowers, and produces fruits; in each one it places seeds, which being cast into the earth, as into a womb, grow up into similar trees and thus into a garden. And if you are willing to believe it, that same garden remains with the man (h) after death; he dwells in it, and is delighted daily with the sight of it, and with the use of its fruits. It is such a man (h) who is described in David by these words:

He shall be like a tree planted beside the rivers of waters, which shall bring forth its fruit in its season, and its leaf shall not fall off (Psalms 1:3 and likewise Revelations 22:1-2)."

( Coronis 7 )

"8326. And plant them. [Exodus 15:17].  That this signifies regeneration continually [ that is, being "born again" continually ], is evident from the signification of "planting," as being to regenerate, for regeneration is circumstanced like planting.

For when a tree is planted, it grows into branches, leaves, and fruits, and from the seeds of the fruits it grows into new trees; and so on.

Similar is the case with regeneration in man (h) [ that is, being "born again" ], and therefore in the Word [of God] a man (h) is also compared to a tree, and a regenerate man (h) to a garden or paradise; the truths of faith with him are compared to the leaves, and the goods of charity to the fruits, the seeds from which come new trees to the truths which are from good, or what is the same, to the faith which is from charity.

It is said "regeneration continually" [ that is, being "born again" continually ], because regeneration begins in a man (h), but never ceases, being continually perfected, not only while he lives in the world, but also in the other life to eternity; and yet it can never arrive at any such perfection that it can be compared to the Divine."
( Arcana Coelestia 8326 )

"586. That man (h) can only be regenerated gradually [ that is, be "born again" gradually ], may be illustrated by each and all things that come into existence in the natural world.

A tree cannot reach its full growth in a day, but there is first growth from the seed, then from the root, and then from the shoot, which becomes the trunk, and from this go forth branches and leaves, and finally blossoms and fruit.

Wheat or barley does not ripen for the harvest in a day; a house is not built in a day, nor does a man (h) acquire his full stature in a day, still less wisdom; a church is not established and perfected in a day, nor is there any progression to an end except from a beginning.

Those who have a different conception of regeneration [ that is, of being "born again" ] know nothing of charity and faith, nor of the growth of either according to man's (h) cooperation with the Lord. From all this it is clear that regeneration is effected in a manner analogous to that in which man (h) is conceived, carried in the womb, born and educated."
( True Christian Religion 586 )

8549. Man (h) is not born of his parents into spiritual life, but into natural life. Spiritual life is to love God above all things, and to love the neighbor as oneself, and this according to the commandments of faith which the Lord has taught in the Word [ of God ]. But natural life is to love self and the world above the neighbor, yea above God Himself.
( Arcana Coelestia 8549 )

The very affection of the good which is of charity, and the affection of the truth which is of faith, are spiritual life. Man's (h) life without these is a natural, worldly, bodily, and earthly life, which is not spiritual life if it does not have that which is spiritual in it, but is merely a life as he has in common with animals."
( Arcana Coelestia 5561 ) 

 "Spiritual life means the life of heaven, and in the Word [of God] this also is called simply "life;" but life not spiritual is such a life as those have who are in hell, and this in the Word [ of God ] is also called "death.""
( Apocalypse Explained 381:2 )

"For whether you speak of the spiritual man (h) or the spiritual church, it is the same thing; because the spiritual man (h) is a church in particular, and a number are a church in general. If a man (h) were not a church in particular, there would not be any church in general. A congregation in general is what in common speech is called a church, but in order that there may be any church, everyone in this congregation must be such as is the church in general..."
( Arcana Coelestia 4292 )

 "6113. That was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan. [Genesis 47:14]. That this signifies that was in the natural and in the church, is evident from the signification of the "land of Egypt," as being the natural where memory-knowledges are (of which above, n. 6111); and from the signification of the "land of Canaan," as being the church (of which also above, n. 6067).

By the church is here meant that which is of the church with man (h), for man (h) is a church when he is in good and truth, and an assemblage of such men (h) makes the church in common."
( Arcana Coelestia 6113 )

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The Formation of Heaven Within Each Person...

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  (John 3:3-5)




""To be born" is to be regenerated because spiritual things are understood in the internal sense [ of the Word of God ], and spiritual birth is regeneration, which is also called rebirth;

and therefore when "birth" is mentioned in the Word [of God], no other birth is understood in heaven than that which is effected by "water and the spirit," that is, through faith and charity; because it is by his being born again or regenerated that man (h) becomes man (h), and is wholly distinguished from the brutes; for he then becomes a son and heir of the Lord's kingdom. (That spiritual births are signified by the births which are mentioned in the Word [of God] may be seen above, n. 1145, 1255, 3860, 3868, 4070, 4668.)"
( Arcana Coelestia 5160 )





"572. I. UNLESS A MAN (H) IS BORN AGAIN, AND, AS IT WERE, CREATED ANEW (E NOVO), HE CANNOT ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

That unless a man (h) is born again he cannot enter into the kingdom of God, is the Lord's doctrine in the following passages from John:

Jesus said to Nicodemus, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God; and again, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God; That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of spirit is spirit (3:3, 5, 6).

"The kingdom of God" means both heaven and the church, for the church is the kingdom of God on earth. So in other places, where the kingdom of God is mentioned (as in Matt. 11:11; 12:25; 21:43; Luke 4:43; 6:20; 8:1, 10; 9:11, 60, 62; 17:21; and elsewhere).

"To be born of water and the spirit" signifies to be born by means of truths of faith and a life in accordance with them.

That "water" signifies truths, may be seen in the Apocalypse Revealed (n. 50, 614, 615, 685, 632);

that "spirit" signifies a life in accordance with Divine truths is clear from the Lord's Words in John (6:63). "Verily, verily" [or "Amen, amen"], signifies that this is the truth; and the Lord used that expression so frequently because He was the truth itself.

He Himself is also called "the Amen" (Apoc. 3:14).

In the Word [of God] the regenerate are called "Sons of God" and "born of God," and regeneration is described by "a new heart and a new spirit.""
( True Christian Religion 572 )




"When man (h) is being regenerated, he is then becoming altogether another, and is being made new; therefore also when he has been regenerated, he is called "born again," and "created anew."

Then, although he has a similar face and a similar speech, yet his mind is not similar; his mind, when he is regenerate, is open toward heaven, and there dwells therein love to the Lord and charity toward his neighbor, together with faith. It is the mind that makes a man (h) another, and a new man (h)...

This shows what a regenerate-person is, or one who is born again, or created anew; namely, that he is altogether another, and is a new man (h)."
(Arcana Coelestia 3212)





"82. IV. IT IS BY MEANS OF THESE TWO FACULTIES (RATIONALITY AND LIBERTY) THAT MAN (H) IS REFORMED AND REGENERATED BY THE LORD; AND WITHOUT THEM HE CANNOT BE REFORMED AND REGENERATED.

The Lord teaches that

Except one be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. John iii. 3, 5, 7.

Very few, however, know what it is to be born again or regenerated, because it has not been known what love and charity are, nor consequently what faith is.

For one who does not know what love and charity are cannot know what faith is, since charity and faith make one, like good and truth, and like affection which belongs to the will and thought which belongs to the understanding.

Concerning this union see the treatise THE DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM (n. 427-431); also THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM* (n. 13-24); and also above (n. 3-20).
* See THE NEW JERUSALEM AND ITS HEAVENLY DOCTRINE."
( Divine Providence 82 )

 (2) [4] As every man (h) has two minds, a natural and a spiritual, and the natural mind is opened and formed by such things as are in the world, while the spiritual mind is opened and formed by such things as are in heaven;

And as the things that are in heaven are all spiritual, so a man's (h) spiritual mind must needs be opened and formed by such things as are in the Word [of God], in which all things are spiritual because they are Divine.

In the Word [of God] there are truths that are to be known and thought, and goods that must be willed and done; therefore it is by these goods and these truths that man's (h) spiritual mind is opened and formed.

From this it follows, that unless the spiritual mind is opened and formed by truths and goods from the Word [ of God ] it remains closed; and when this is closed the natural mind only is opened and formed by such things as are in the world, from which man (h), indeed, derives a natural lumen, but such as has in it no wisdom from heaven.

From this it is clear, in the second place, that faith is not faith so long as the natural mind only is opened, but that if the thought that a thing is so is called faith it is historical faith, which is nothing but knowledge from which the natural man (h) thinks.
( Apocalypse Explained 790 )

"He who knows the formation of good from truths, knows the veriest secrets of heaven, for he knows the secrets of the formation of man (h) anew, that is, of the formation of heaven or of the Lord's kingdom with him.

All Christian good, or spiritual good, has in itself the truths of faith, for the quality of this good is from the truths which are of faith. Good which has not its quality from the truths of faith is not Christian good, but natural good, which does not give eternal life."
 ( Arcana Coelestia 8772 )

 


"54. It can in no sense be said that heaven is outside of any one; it is within him. For it is in accordance with the heaven that is within him that each angel receives the heaven that is outside of him.

This makes clear how greatly misled is he who believes that to come into heaven is simply to be taken up among angels, without regard to what one's interior life may be, thus that heaven is granted to each one by mercy apart from means;# when, in fact, unless heaven is within one, nothing of the heaven that is outside can flow in and be received

There are many spirits who have this idea. Because of this belief they have been taken up into heaven; but when they came there, because their interior life was contrary to the angelic life, their intellectual faculties began to be blinded until they became like fools; and they began to be tortured in their voluntary faculties until they became like madmen.

In a word, if those that have lived wickedly come into heaven they gasp for breath and writhe about, like fishes out of water in the air, or like animals in ether in an airpump when the air has been exhausted.

From this it can be seen that heaven is not outside of a man, but within him.##

# Heaven is not granted from mercy apart from means, but in accordance with the life; yet everything of the life by which man (h) is led to heaven by the Lord belongs to mercy; this is what is meant by mercy (n. [AC] 5057, 10659).

If heaven were granted from mercy apart from means it would be granted to all (n. [AC] 2401).

About some evil spirits cast down from heaven who believed that heaven was granted to everyone from mercy apart from means (n. [AC] 4226).

## Heaven is in man (h) (n. [AC] 3884)."
( Heaven and Hell (1758) Passage 54 )

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1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

2  He was in the beginning with God. 

3  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 

4  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 

5  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John 1:1-5, 14)




1. UNIVERSAL HOLY SCRIPTURE TREATS OF THE LORD: THE LORD IS THE WORD.

We read in John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men (h). And the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not (John 1:1-5).

The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

The light is come into the world and men (h) loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil (John 3:19).

While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be sons of light. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth in Me should not abide in the darkness (John 12:36, 46).

From these passages it is evident that the Lord is God from eternity, and that this God is the selfsame Lord who was born in the world; for it is said that the Word was with God, and God was the Word, and also that without Him was not anything made that was made; and it is added that the Word was made flesh, and they beheld Him.

It is but little understood in the church why the Lord is called the Word. It is because "the Word" signifies Divine truth or Divine wisdom, and the Lord is Divine truth itself or Divine wisdom itself.

And this is why He is called the Light, of which also it is said that it came into the world.

As the Divine wisdom and the Divine love make a one, and in the Lord had been a one from eternity, it is said,

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men (h)."

"Life" is Divine love; and "light" is Divine wisdom. It is this one that is meant by,

"In the beginning the Word was with God, and God was the Word."

"With God," is in God; for wisdom is in love, and love in wisdom.

So in another place in John:

And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own Self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was (John 17:5).

"With Thine own Self," is in Thyself, and therefore it is said, "and God was the Word;"

and elsewhere, that the Lord is in the Father, and the Father in Him; and that He and the Father are one.

As therefore the Word is the Divine wisdom of the Divine love, it follows that it is Jehovah Himself, thus the Lord by whom all things were made that are made; for all things have been created from Divine love by means of Divine wisdom.
( Doctrine of the Lord, 1 )




"That the Lord is called Father is seen from these passages:
 

Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, God, FATHER OF ETERNITY, Prince of Peace.  Isa. 9:6.

Thou, O JEHOVAH, ART OUR FATHER; REDEEMER FROM ETERNITY is Thy name.   Isa. 63:16.
 
Jesus said, He that seeth Me seeth the FATHER that sent Me. 
John 12:44, 45.
 
If ye had known me, ye should have known my FATHER also; and from henceforth ye have known Him, and have seen Him. 
John 14:7.
 
Philip saith, Show us the FATHER. Jesus saith unto him, He that hath seen Me hath seen the FATHER. How sayest thou then, Show us the FATHER? 
John 14:8, 9.

Jesus said, THE FATHER AND I are one.
John 10:30.

All things whatsoever the FATHER hath are MINE. 
John 16:15; 17:10.
 
THE FATHER IS IN ME, and I IN THE FATHER.
John 10:38; 14:10, 11, 20.

 
That the Lord and His Father are one as soul and body are one; that God the Father descended from heaven and assumed the Human to redeem and save men (h); and that His Human is what is called the Son sent into the world, is fully shown in THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED."
( Conjugial Love, Passage 118 )

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 *NOTE: The use of "(h)" in the text above after the word "man"  indicates that the original Latin Text in the Third Testament uses a form of the Latin word "homo," which means "human being," both male and female, and NOT just to a male human being.

The Latin word "homo" (human being) should not be confused with the Greek word "homo," which means "same."