Ancient Churches Lexicon Entry:

Charity

Back to: Lexicon Index | Lexicon Home


Every one of the Lord’s churches on earth began by having no other doctrinal teaching than that of charity. But after a time, every church successively turned away from the doctrine of charity and rejected it, acknowledging no other doctrine than that of faith. And the doctrine of faith, without the doctrine of charity, conspires with a life of evil (AC 2417). As each church removed itself from the doctrine of charity, and therefore removed itself from heaven, it also removed itself from wisdom (HD 9). Each church perished when charity no longer existed in it (AC 1850).

The Most Ancient Church was a celestial church, characterized by love of the Lord and, from this, charity toward the neighbor (AC 2023, AC 2417). However, even in that church there were some who cultivated the doctrine of faith. And when they separated faith from charity, they were called “Cain” (AC 2417).

It was the same in the Ancient Church, a spiritual church that made charity the principle thing (EU 85). Within this church, there were many distinct churches with many differences in doctrinal matters. Nevertheless, they all made one church because each acknowledged love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor as the most essential thing (AC 2982). Eventually, though, the people called “Ham” fostered the doctrine of faith, and separated it from charity. These people led a life of evil (AC 2417).

See also:

Cain, Doctrine, Faith, Ham, Last Judgments

Passages relating to Charity and the Ancient Churches:

AC 325; AC 615; AC 617; AC 653; AC 784; AC 835; AC 836; AC 838; AC 886; AC 995; AC 1013; AC 1023; AC 1025; AC 1062; AC 1063; AC 1083; AC 1179; AC 1285; AC 1327; AC 1442; AC 1850; AC 2023; AC 2243; AC 2385; AC 2417; AC 2435; AC 2571; AC 2722; AC 2913; AC 2982; AC 3268; AC 3324; AC 3412; AC 3420; AC 4302; AC 4433; AC 4448; AC 4500; AC 4680; AC 4844; AC 4925; AC 6269; AC 6628; AC 10248; AE 277; AE 376; AE 411; AE 633; AE 746; AE 817; DP 242; EU 85; HD 4; HD 8; HD 9; HD 106; HD 107; HD 121; HD 186; HD 246; HH 481; HH 558; LJ 39; LJ 54
Help with References and Abbreviations