13. It is necessary for there to be scandals in the world, said Jesus, because humans are imperfect while on the earth and are thus inclined to do evil, just as bad trees bear bad fruit. Therefore, one must understand by these words that evil is a consequence of humans’ imperfections and not that there is an obligation for them to commit it.

14. It is necessary that scandals come because,  being  in a state of expiation while on the earth, humans are punished by means of contact with their vices, of which they are the first victims, and whose inappropriateness they end up understanding. Once they are tired of suffering from evil, they seek the remedy in the good. The reaction to these vices therefore serves at the same time as punishment for some and trials for others. This is how God enables the good to emerge from evil and humans themselves to profit from bad and disagreeable things.

15. If such is the case, one might say that evil is necessary and will last forever, because if it were to disappear, God would be deprived of a powerful means of punishing the guilty; hence, it is pointless to try to improve humankind. However, if there were no longer the wrongdoer, there would be no more need for punishment. Let us imagine humankind transformed into moral individuals: no one would try to do evil to his or her neighbor and everybody would be happy because they would be good. Such is the state of advanced worlds where evil is excluded; such will be the state of the earth when it has progressed sufficiently. Nevertheless, while some worlds evolve, others are formed, peopled by primitive spirits. These worlds serve as habitations of exile and places of expiation for imperfect, rebellious, persistently evil spirits who have been barred from worlds that have become blissful.