Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. (Matthew 13:34) With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to…
Blog Archives
Was Jesus a Literalist?
Tagged with: Biblical literalism, Christianity, Creation, Creationism, fundamentalism, Jesus, Jesus Christ, literalism, spiritual meaning, the Bible, typology, young Earth creationism
Posted in The Bible Re-Viewed
Posted in The Bible Re-Viewed
How Did the People of Eden Live?
In a question posted on Christianity StackExchange a few years ago, a person named Ambrosia asked: I’ve lately been interested in the life of the people in Eden. According to Emanuel Swedenborg, how separated is it from the life we…
Tagged with: Adam, Adam and Eve, Emanuel Swedenborg, Garden of Eden, humanity, innocence, love, marriage, peace, spiritual marriage, spiritual meaning, the Bible
Posted in Sex Marriage Relationships, The Bible Re-Viewed
Posted in Sex Marriage Relationships, The Bible Re-Viewed
How Can We Believe What the Gospels Say about Jesus?
Recently a reader named Gary submitted a Spiritual Conundrum to Spiritual Insights for Everyday Life in which he asked, among other things: I want to understand how you, from a Swedenborgian perspective, conclude that Jesus’ stories are true. How do…
Tagged with: God, Jerusalem, Jesus, material reality, resurrection, Revelation, spiritual meaning, spiritual reality, Swedenborg, the Bible, the empty tomb
Posted in All About God, The Bible Re-Viewed
Posted in All About God, The Bible Re-Viewed
The Eternal Word
Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. (Psalm 119:89) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things…
Tagged with: clouds of heaven, Jesus Christ, literal meaning, parables, Psalms, spiritual meaning, the Bible, The Word of God
Posted in The Bible Re-Viewed
Posted in The Bible Re-Viewed
Why Isn’t Paul in Swedenborg’s Canon?
Here is a Spiritual Conundrum submitted to Spiritual Insights for Everyday Life by a reader named Luca: Paul’s letters have a central role in Christian doctrine, yet Swedenborg does not mention them. Why? Thanks. Thanks for the good question, Luca.…
Tagged with: biblical canon, Christianity, Emanuel Swedenborg, faith alone, Jesus Christ, Paul, spiritual meaning, Swedenborg, Swedenborg's canon, the Bible, the Epistles
Posted in The Bible Re-Viewed
Posted in The Bible Re-Viewed
War, Military Service, Violence, and Self-Defense: What’s a Christian to Do?
The Bible sends mixed messages about war. The Lord is presented as the Prince of Peace; the Lord is also presented as a warrior, commanding the people in battle. How can a Christian decide about war, military service, violence, and…
Tagged with: Christianity, just war theory, peace, self-defense, soldiers, spiritual meaning, spiritual warfare, the Bible, violence, war
Posted in Pain and Suffering, The Bible Re-Viewed
Posted in Pain and Suffering, The Bible Re-Viewed
Answering the Lord’s Invitation
The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. (Matthew 25:1)
The Biggest Banquet Ever
The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. (Matthew 22:2)
Debits and Credits
The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. (Matthew 18:23)
Lee & Annette Woofenden
Great Truths on Great Subjects
By Jonathan Bayley
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Spiritual Insights for Everyday Life 
The Tree of Life, by Louis G. Hoeck – A Swedenborgian Commentary on the Bible
I am pleased to bring back into print a classic Swedenborgian Bible commentary by the Rev. Louis G. Hoeck, originally published in four saddle-stitched volumes in 1940. Though the text is freely available online at various websites, this is the…
Posted in Books and Literature, The Bible Re-Viewed