“I have had conversation with spirits and angels for many years now; and no spirit has dared, nor has any angel wished, to tell me anything, still less to instruct me, about what is in the Word, or about any matter of doctrine from the Word. I have been taught by the Lord alone, who was revealed to me… and He has enlightened me.” Divine Providence n. 135 (E. Swedenborg)
As a life-long member of the Church of the New Jerusalem, I can say with confidence that some of your statements about "Swedenborgianism" are completely accurate, and some of them are completely inaccurate. Here are some examples: "The New Church" does have a Bible that differs from the Protestant Bible. Yes, agreed. Of course, the Protestant Bible also differs from the earlier Catholic Bible. Does it follow that the Protestants have "taken away" from the Bible? Let's not forget that Luther wanted to exclude the Book of Revelation from Scripture, something that most Christians today, including members of the New Church, would find absolutely appalling and completely unacceptable. Swedenborg states that he did NOT receive any doctrine from spirits or angels, but from the mouth of the Lord alone. Swedenborg, or rather the Lord through Swedenborg, actually quoted Paul on numerous occasions to support the teachings of the New Church. We consider Paul's works to be useful, but not Divinely inspired. I, for one, can't understand how anyone could consider Paul's thoughts to be superior to the very words spoken by the Lord Himself, and to words of the disciples who actually walked with Him. The speaker is correct in saying that the book Heaven and Hell doesn't contain many quotes from the Bible. Yes, agreed. However anyone who is in the least bit familiar with New Church doctrinal works knows that thousands of quotes from Scripture are put forward in other books. The amount of Scripture quoted in New Church docrine is almost overwhelming. We do not at all believe Jesus was sinful. Indeed,, we believe He perfectly conquered in every temptation. We believe that His soul was Divine, and that His earthly external temporarily took on the sinful inheritance of His earthly mother Mary. It was Mary's sinful inheritance that Jesus (the Lord) fought against and gradually conquered, and that the passion of the cross was His final earthly contest and victory, whereby He became completely Divine down to His flesh and bones. And we absolutely believe that Jesus rose bodily and fully glorified into heaven. We absolutely do NOT believe that the Holy Spirit is an "It." We believe, as the Bible teaches, that after Jesus was glorified, He possessed the Holy Spirit, or was One with the Holy Spirit. The Bible clearly states that Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." The Holy Spirit and Jesus were not two separate gods, they were One in Jesus. You are absolutely correct that New Church doctrine rejects tri-personal gods. We reject them completely. As Paul himself said, "In Jesus Christ dwells the fullness of God bodily." Jesus is the One God. As the Lord Himself declared, "Before Abraham was, I AM." You are also completely correct that we reject faith alone as being saving. As James said, "Faith without works is dead." Believing isn't enough. Jesus said we also need to take up our own crosses and follow Him. Whoever does not do it is not worthy of Him. The Bible also clearly states that we are to bear much fruit. Faith alone is not enough. If I was going to summarize the religion of a New Churchman in a single sentence, it would be, "Those who obey the Commandments of God, and have the Testimony of Jesus." If anyone would be interested in reading New Church teachings for themselves, I'd recommend the book True Christian Religion.
The idea that "Swedenborgianism" is "an easier faith" than Protestanism is completely opposite to the reality of the matter. We believe the hard truth that the Bible teaches: that we need to do more than just believe in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, we need to take our own crosses up and follow Him. We believe in self-sacrifice, not just the lip service of saying, "Lord, Lord."
@@benjaminpendleton7797 I'm reading and learning more about the New Church. Would you be willing to answer some questions for me on New Church theology and doctrine?
Don't forget a literalist interpretation of the historical stories of the bible. There is a clear attempt by what Catholics call "Modernists" to mythologize everything in the bible. To such an a extent the bible becomes a mish mash of moral teachings, and not true history of the acts of God. We also the wisdom of the holy ghost necessary to interpret prophecy, and to believe prophecy describing future events.
Well, if we don't need the plus, then we don't need the speaker recording telling people what not to believe, because he would be the plus also. Just leave us all alone and we can make our own decisions on what to believe. With that being said, I don't believe anything he said. Respectfully!
You need to repent, you are being foolish, nothing Brother Pawson says or any other preacher, for that matter, is adding anything to Scripture. But Swedenborg and all other sects and heresies claim extra revelation not found in the Scriptures, but somehow to put more credence on what they all say they have to say that they are the true teachers of the Doctrine of God and Christ and the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.
I’m reading a book on cults and this sect was presented. This speaker is very good and helped a lot in understanding. Thank you. I’m a new subscriber.
David Pawson died 3 yrs. ago, he is a great christian teacher!
“I have had conversation with spirits and angels for many years now; and no spirit has dared, nor has any angel wished, to tell me anything, still less to instruct me, about what is in the Word, or about any matter of doctrine from the Word. I have been taught by the Lord alone, who was revealed to me… and He has enlightened me.” Divine Providence n. 135 (E. Swedenborg)
All outside of Scripture, of course,
@MichaelLancuba You obviously haven't read The Four Doctrines, True Christian Religion or Arcana Coelestia.
I almost got caught up in Swedenborgism. Thank God He showed me the truth of the Bible and dragged me out before I got in too deep.
Thank you for posting this.
It’s crazy how few people have criticized Swedenborgian esotericism. What’s even more crazy is how many people actually believe it.
21:05 Basis of belief being "the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible"
As a life-long member of the Church of the New Jerusalem, I can say with confidence that some of your statements about "Swedenborgianism" are completely accurate, and some of them are completely inaccurate. Here are some examples:
"The New Church" does have a Bible that differs from the Protestant Bible. Yes, agreed. Of course, the Protestant Bible also differs from the earlier Catholic Bible. Does it follow that the Protestants have "taken away" from the Bible? Let's not forget that Luther wanted to exclude the Book of Revelation from Scripture, something that most Christians today, including members of the New Church, would find absolutely appalling and completely unacceptable.
Swedenborg states that he did NOT receive any doctrine from spirits or angels, but from the mouth of the Lord alone.
Swedenborg, or rather the Lord through Swedenborg, actually quoted Paul on numerous occasions to support the teachings of the New Church. We consider Paul's works to be useful, but not Divinely inspired. I, for one, can't understand how anyone could consider Paul's thoughts to be superior to the very words spoken by the Lord Himself, and to words of the disciples who actually walked with Him.
The speaker is correct in saying that the book Heaven and Hell doesn't contain many quotes from the Bible. Yes, agreed. However anyone who is in the least bit familiar with New Church doctrinal works knows that thousands of quotes from Scripture are put forward in other books. The amount of Scripture quoted in New Church docrine is almost overwhelming.
We do not at all believe Jesus was sinful. Indeed,, we believe He perfectly conquered in every temptation. We believe that His soul was Divine, and that His earthly external temporarily took on the sinful inheritance of His earthly mother Mary. It was Mary's sinful inheritance that Jesus (the Lord) fought against and gradually conquered, and that the passion of the cross was His final earthly contest and victory, whereby He became completely Divine down to His flesh and bones. And we absolutely believe that Jesus rose bodily and fully glorified into heaven.
We absolutely do NOT believe that the Holy Spirit is an "It." We believe, as the Bible teaches, that after Jesus was glorified, He possessed the Holy Spirit, or was One with the Holy Spirit. The Bible clearly states that Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." The Holy Spirit and Jesus were not two separate gods, they were One in Jesus.
You are absolutely correct that New Church doctrine rejects tri-personal gods. We reject them completely. As Paul himself said, "In Jesus Christ dwells the fullness of God bodily." Jesus is the One God. As the Lord Himself declared, "Before Abraham was, I AM."
You are also completely correct that we reject faith alone as being saving. As James said, "Faith without works is dead." Believing isn't enough. Jesus said we also need to take up our own crosses and follow Him. Whoever does not do it is not worthy of Him. The Bible also clearly states that we are to bear much fruit. Faith alone is not enough.
If I was going to summarize the religion of a New Churchman in a single sentence, it would be, "Those who obey the Commandments of God, and have the Testimony of Jesus."
If anyone would be interested in reading New Church teachings for themselves, I'd recommend the book True Christian Religion.
The idea that "Swedenborgianism" is "an easier faith" than Protestanism is completely opposite to the reality of the matter. We believe the hard truth that the Bible teaches: that we need to do more than just believe in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, we need to take our own crosses up and follow Him. We believe in self-sacrifice, not just the lip service of saying, "Lord, Lord."
Thank you for your thorough response.
@@lloyddale3818 Sure, you're welcome.
@@benjaminpendleton7797 I'm reading and learning more about the New Church. Would you be willing to answer some questions for me on New Church theology and doctrine?
@@perilousrange Sure, I'd be happy to. I'm not a priest or a scholar, but I can do my best or pass you on to someone who knows more than I do.
Pity Helen Keller...whom I as a child was taught to admire had some strange religious views...amo g some other views as well...
He is nothing but a true believer in the cult of Christianity.
Don't forget a literalist interpretation of the historical stories of the bible. There is a clear attempt by what Catholics call "Modernists" to mythologize everything in the bible. To such an a extent the bible becomes a mish mash of moral teachings, and not true history of the acts of God.
We also the wisdom of the holy ghost necessary to interpret prophecy, and to believe prophecy describing future events.
Well, if we don't need the plus, then we don't need the speaker recording telling people what not to believe, because he would be the plus also. Just leave us all alone and we can make our own decisions on what to believe. With that being said, I don't believe anything he said. Respectfully!
You need to repent, you are being foolish, nothing Brother Pawson says or any other preacher, for that matter, is adding anything to Scripture. But Swedenborg and all other sects and heresies claim extra revelation not found in the Scriptures, but somehow to put more credence on what they all say they have to say that they are the true teachers of the Doctrine of God and Christ and the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.