We hereby continue the methodical study of "The Gospel According to Spiritism" by Allan Kardec, the third of the works of the Kardecian Pentateuch. The first edition was published in April, 1864. The answers to the questions suggested for discussion are at the end of the text below.
Questions for discussion
A. According to Paul of Tarsus, what are the qualities of charity?
B. What are the errors existing in the maximum "Without the church there is no salvation" and "Without the truth there is no salvation"?
C. Paul of Tarsus states in his message about charity that man's destiny on Earth and in Heaven is contained in the maxim "Without charity there is not salvation". What does he mean by this?
D. What is the meaning of the parable of talents?
Reading text
219. It is not the father that creates the Spirit of his child. He just supplies the body wrapping, although it is his duty to assist the child regarding its intellectual and moral development, in order to its further progress. Those that incarnate in a family, especially as close relations, are, many a times, friendly Spirits linked by past relationships, and express themselves by means of a mutual affection in their earthly lives. (Chapter XIV, section 8)
220. But, it can also happen that they are complete strangers to one another, separated by past antagonism, which manifests itself on this Earth by a mutual aversion and represents the ordeal each one has to go through. The real family ties are not those of blood, but those of mutual sympathy and communion of ideas, which hold the Spirits together, before, during and after their incarnations. (Chapter XIV, section 8)
221. This is what Jesus tried to make clear, when He said to His disciples: Here is my mother and my brothers, this is, my family by Spiritual ties, because everyone that obeys my Father's will, who is in Heaven, is my brother, my sister and my mother. (Chapter XIV, section 8)
222. Oh! Spiritists! You must understand the great role that Humanity has to play! You must be aware that when a body is formed, the soul, which incarnates in it, has come from space in order to progress. So acquaint yourselves with your duties and then put all your love into bringing this soul nearer to God. This is the mission with which you have been entrusted and for which you will receive a just reward, if you fulfill your trust faithfully. (Chapter XIV, section 9, Saint Augustine)
223. Have in mind that God will ask every father and mother: What have you done with the child entrusted to you? If you allowed this child to remain behind time regarding its spiritual progress, then as punishment you will have to watch it amongst the suffering Spiritis, when it depended upon you to help your child towards happiness. Regretting what you did, you will ask for a second chance to remedy your error. For yourself and your child, you will beg for another incarnation in which you will shower that Spirit with all your care and love, and grateful it will offer you its love in turn. (Chapter XIV, section 9, Saint Augustine)
224. Mothers, embrace the child that causes so much grief and say to yourself: One of us is guilty! Teach your child that the reason why it is on this Earth is to improve, to love and bless. Make yourself worthy of the joys that God linked to motherhood. (Chapter XIV, section 9, Saint Augustine)
225. The task is not as difficult as it may seem. One does not need to be wise. Both an ignorant and a wise person may accomplish it, and Spiritism will help you, by teaching what causes imperfections in the human soul. From its early life, the child shows good or bad instincts, which were brought from a previous life. It is necessary that parents study them, because all evil is caused by selfishness and pride. Be alert for the least sign revealing these vices. Fight them, not allowing them to become deep roots. Do like the good gardener does. He cuts all shoots with imperfections, as soon as they grow on the tree. If you allow selfishness and pride to develop, do not be surprised if, later on, you are paid back with ingratitude. (Chapter XIV, section 9, Saint Augustine)
226. "Master – asked a doctor of law –, which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus answered: You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. The second is similar to the first: You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself. These two commandments contain all law and the prophets. (Matthew, Chapter XXII, verses 34 to 40.)
Charity and humility, are the only way to salvation. Selfishness and pride are the paths to downfall. This principle is found in the answer given by Jesus to the doctor of law, meaning that we are not capable of truly loving God, if we do not love our neighbor, and we cannot love our neighbor, if we do not love God (Chapter XV, sections 4 and 5)
227. Paul of Tarsus, in his considerations about charity, places it undoubtedly above faith. The reason is that charity is within the reach of everybody, and is independent of any particular belief. He does even more: he defines true charity by showing that it is not only based on benevolence, but also on an entirety of qualities of the heart, such as goodness and benevolence towards our neighbor. (Chapter XV, section 7)
228. The maxim - "without charity there is no salvation" - establishes the principle of equality before God, as well as freedom of conscience. It determines that all men are brothers and, whatever is the manner in which they worship the Creator, they stretch out their hands and pray for each other.
On the contrary, the dogma "without the church there is no salvation" separates men and makes them pursue one another, living as enemies. The father does not ask for his son, the son does not ask for his father, nor for his friend and vice-versa. Therefore, it is a dogma essentially contrary to Christ's teachings and the Gospel law. (Chapter XV, section 8)
Answers to the proposed questions
A. According to Paul of Tarsus, what are the qualities of charity?
Paul of Tarsus places charity above faith and hope, and defined it very clearly. He shows that when we practice beneficence, this is charity too, and charity is also in all other qualities of the heart, such as goodness and kindness to others. (The Gospel According to Spiritism, Chapter XV, sections 6 and 7.)
B. What are the errors existing in the maximum "Without the church there is no salvation" and "Without the truth there is no salvation"?
Without the church there is no salvation. This dogma, instead of basing itself on the fundamental faith in God and on the immortality of the soul, which is a faith common to all religions, on the contrary it is based on a special faith, in specific dogmas, which are exclusive and absolute. This is its mistake.
Far from uniting God's children, it separates them. Instead of inciting them to love one another, it feeds and approves the anger among the followers of different cults, who reciprocally consider each other to be eternally damned, despite the fact that these same followers may be relatives and friends.
And the dogma "Without the church there is no salvation" separates men and makes them pursue one another, living as enemies. The father does not ask for his son, the son does not ask for his father, nor for his friend and vice-versa, since they mutually consider themselves condemned without remission. Therefore, it is a dogma essentially contrary to Christ's teachings and the Gospel law.
The maxim "Without truth there is no salvation" is the same as "Without the church there is no salvation", and this would also be exclusive, since all existing sects claim to hold the privilege of truth. No man can boast that he possesses the truth, because knowledge increases permanently and is altered on a daily basis. Absolute truth belongs exclusively to the most developed Spirits and man cannot possess it, since he does not own the right to total knowledge. Mankind is only allowed to acknowledge relative truth and proportionate to the level of its progress. If God had made absolute truth a specific condition for future happiness, He would have pronounced a verdict of general proscription, while charity, even in its broadest sense, can be practiced by all.
Spiritism, in accordance with the Gospel, admits the possibility of salvation for every person, independently of any beliefs, provided that God's laws are observed. It does not say that without Spiritism there is no salvation. And, since it does not intend to teach all the truth, neither does it say without truth there is no salvation, because this maxim, instead of uniting would only separate and also perpetuate antagonisms. (Ibid, Chapter XV, sections 8 and 9.)
C. Paul of Tarsus states in his message about charity that man's destiny on Earth and in Heaven is contained in the maxim "Without charity there is not salvation". What does he mean by this?
Paul, himself, explained what he meant regarding this sentence, by adding these words: on Earth, they shall live in peace, when living under the shadow of the flag of charity; in Heaven, because those who practiced charity, shall be thanked before the Lord.
This phrase is the heavenly beam, the luminous column, which guides men in the desert of life, leading them to the Promised Land. It shines in Heaven as a saintly halo, on the forehead of the chosen ones, and on Earth it is engraved on the hearts of those to whom Jesus shall say: "Go to the right, those who are blessed by my Father". Nothing expresses so well mankind's obligations, as this divine order. Spiritism could not better prove its origin, than presenting it as a rule, since it is a reflection of the most pure Christianism. (Ibid, Chapter XV, section 10.)
D. What is the meaning of the parable of talents?
By highlighting the loyalty of the servants who knew how to multiply the talents received, the Lord, through the parable in question, expressly proffers a serious warning by saying: "Give to the one who already has, and take away from the one who has not". A Spiritual benefactor explained this statement, as follows:
The one who has, that is, who received, is the one who possesses the real sense of the divine word; he only received because the Lord, in His merciful love, encourages all efforts that lead us to being good. By enduring and persevering in these efforts, one attracts the graces of the Lord. They are similar to a magnet that draws what is gradually better for us, the abundant graces that make us strong to climb the holy mountain, in the summit of which we shall find the rest after labor.
"It is taken from the one who does not have, or has little." This is a figurative antithesis. God does not take away from His creatures the good He has done to them. It is not God that takes away from the one that received little: it is the Spirit itself, who being prodigal and careless, does not know how to keep what he has, and by fertilizing it, multiply the alms that was dropped in his heart.
The son who does not cultivate the field earned from his father by inheritance, shall see it covered with weeds. Is it his father that took away from him? His the father responsible for the harvest his son did not prepare? Is the father responsible if the son, due to his own lack of care, allowed the seeds, supposed to produce the crop, to wither and produce nothing? No, he is not.
Instead of accusing the one who previously prepared everything for him, instead of criticizing the donations he received, let him complain to the real author of his miseries, and repentant and wishing to become a hard-worker, let him work with courage; work the ungrateful soil with his will-power; plough the soil deeply with the assistance of his repentance and hope; Then, with confidence, sow the good seeds, which he has previously separated from the bad; water it with love and charity; and God, the God of love and charity, shall give to him, who has already received. Then, he shall see his efforts crowned with success and one grain shall produce a hundred and another a thousand. (Ibid, Chapter XVI, section 6 and Chapter XVIII, sections 13 to 15.)
