How does the Swedenborgian Church explain passages where Jesus talks/prays to the Father?
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One of the key points in the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) is that the traditional understanding of the Trinity - three persons in one God - is mistaken. Instead, God is seen as having three "essential components." Lee Woofenden does a good job of explaining what this means in this article on his blog.
However, there are some passages in the Bible where Jesus prays to the Father, says he has incomplete knowledge, and so on, which would seem to suggest that he is a distinct person, at least at that time. This apparent personhood, distinct from the Father, is especially poignant in a passage such as Luke 22:42:
> "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done."
Here Jesus seems to have his own personality, knowledge, desires, and so on. My question is, how are these sorts of passages explained within Swedenborgian thought?
Asked by ThaddeusB
(7891 rep)
Aug 9, 2015, 02:20 AM
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