German Theology

¶ To the 40th. A question: whether one may know God and not love Him; and how there are two kinds of light and love, true and false.

☞ To the 41st. By what signs one may recognize a truly divinized person original: "vergotten menschen"; a central concept in German mysticism regarding the soul's union with God, and what characterizes them; and what also characterizes a false light or a false "free spirit" The "Free Spirit" refers to a medieval movement often accused of spiritual pride and antinomianism—the belief that the "perfected" soul is above moral law..

¶ To the 42nd. How nothing else is against God except self-will original: "eigener will"; and whoever seeks their own benefit as their own property does not find it; and how a person knows or can do nothing good of themselves.

☞ To the 43rd. Where the life of Christ is, there is also Christ; and how the life of Christ is the very best and noblest life that ever was or ever may be.

¶ To the 44th. How complete sufficiency and rest are found in God alone, and in no creature; and whoever wishes to be obedient to God must be obedient to all things in a yielding, patient manner original: "leidender weise"; implying a state of passive acceptance or suffering. And how one who wishes to love God must love all things in the One.

☞ To the 45th. Whether one should also love sin, if one is to love all things.

¶ To the 46th. How one must first believe certain things regarding divine truth before one comes to a true knowledge and experiential finding.

☞ To the 47th. Concerning self-will, and how Lucifer and Adam fell from God through self-will. How this present time is a paradise and a suburb original: "vorstatt"; an outer court or entryway of the kingdom of heaven; and within it there is nothing more than one tree forbidden to man, which is: self-will.

¶ To the 48th. Why God created self-will if it is entirely against Him.

☞ To the 49th. How one should understand the two sayings that Christ spoke: the one, "No one comes to the Father except through me"; the other, "No one comes to me unless the Father draws him." He teaches this through seven chapters until the end of this book.

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