The Epistles of Jacob Behmen

☞ If we had everything that the prophets, Christ, and his Apostles ever spoke and taught, along with the knowledge of all divinely illuminated men in their various gifts recorded in writings, and if we were to read them for many years; yet, if we did not desire to become one with that same spirit of divine knowledge, and endeavor to have it become innate and essential within us—as a living expression of divine love and righteousness—these writings would be nothing more than dark and historical accounts to us. Furthermore, the frame and structure of knowledge which we would build for ourselves upon that foundation by our own artificial reason would be merely an insubstantial original: "vapouring" — boastful or lacking substance, like a mist. notion; a blind, pedantic, and prideful display original: "Luciferian ostentation" — a display of arrogance or vanity, referencing the pride of Lucifer. of Pharisaic knowledge that would not edify, but puff up original: "not edifie, but puffe up" — a reference to 1 Corinthians 8:1: "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.".

☞ From this self-conceited, verbal, high-flown, and contrived knowledge—which wise, "letter-learned" reason, lacking the illumination of the Holy Spirit, has gathered in various forms through its own imaginary understandings and interpretations of the writings of holy men—many mental idols, opinions, contentions, rifts, and divisions have arisen in the Christian world. These have almost entirely destroyed all brotherly love. But may the God of love—through the outflow and breaking forth of His divine light and Holy Spirit within us—so expel and drive these divisions into the abyss of darkness from which they come, that in the various dispensations of His divine gifts and manifestations of light