On hearing this the old man became so angry that he jumped out of
his chair and shouted to his copyists to throw me out. When I walked
out right away on my own, he picked up a book that happened to be at
hand and threw it at me from the doorway. The book was the Word.
The fourth memorable occurrence.A dispute came up among spirits 162
about whether any of us can see any theological or doctrinal truth in the
Word unless we have help from the Lord. All agreed on one point: none
of us can see truth in the Word unless we have help from God, because
“we cannot receive anything unless it is given to us from heaven” (John
3 : 27 ). Therefore the topic of debate was whether any of us can see truth in
the Word without going directly to the Lord. One side said that we have
to go directly to the Lord because he isthe Word. The other side said that
we also see doctrinal truth when we go straight to God the Father.
A side topic came up for discussion: whether it is acceptable for any
Christian to circumvent the Lord and go directly to God the Father.
Someone asked, “Isn’t that an improper, dangerous, insolent, and outra-
geous thing to do, since the Lord says that no one comes to the Father
except through him (John 14 : 6 )?”
So the spirits left this point alone. Next they said that we can all see
doctrinal truth from the Word in our own earthly light. That was
rejected. They insisted nonetheless that we can see truth if we pray to
God the Father.
Something from the Word was read to them. They prayed on their
knees for God the Father to enlighten them. In reference to the things
that had been read to them from the Word, they stated that this or that
point there was true, although it was really false. The experiment was
repeated several times to the point where it became tiresome. They
finally admitted that they could not do it.
Spirits on the side that went directly to the Lord, however, saw things
that were true and taught the others.
[ 2 ] After the debate had been settled that way, up came some spirits
from the abyss. They looked at first like locusts, then like little people.
They were spirits who while in the world had prayed to God the Father
and had convinced themselves that people are justified by faith alone.
They were the same as the spirits depicted by Revelation 9 : 1 – 11.
They maintained that in a clear light and also on the basis of the
Word they could see that we are justified by faith alone without having
to do the works of the Law. They were asked, “By which faith?”
“Faith in God the Father,” they answered.
§162 the holy spirit & divine action 231