77. The Word is the Word according to a person’s understanding of it, that is, according to how it is understood. If it is not understood, the Word is indeed called the Word, but it is not the Word in the person.

The Word is the truth according to a person’s understanding of it, for the Word [in him] may not be the truth. Indeed, it may be falsified.

The Word is spirit and life according to a person’s understanding of it, for the letter without an understanding of it is lifeless.

Since a person possesses truth and life according to his understanding of the Word, he possesses faith and love also in accordance with that understanding; for truth is connected with faith, and love with life.

Now because the church is formed by faith and love and in accordance with these, it follows that the church is a church in consequence of its understanding of the Word and in accordance with that understanding — a noble church if it possesses genuine truths, an ignoble one if it is without genuine truths, and a destroyed one if it possesses falsified truths.

114. Without the Word No One Would Have Any Knowledge of God, of Heaven and Hell, of Life after Death, and Still Less of the Lord

This follows as a general conclusion from everything we have already said and shown: That the Word is Divine truth itself (nos. 1-4). That the Word is the means of conjunction with angels in heaven (nos. 62-69). That the Word throughout contains a marriage of the Lord and the church and so a marriage of goodness and truth (nos. 80-89). That the character of a church is such as its understanding of the Word (nos. 76-79). That the Word exists also in the heavens and is the source from which angels have their wisdom (nos. 70-75). That it is by means of the Word that nations and peoples not in the church have spiritual light (nos. 104-113). And more as well.

One may conclude from this that without the Word no one would have any spiritual intelligence, which consists in having knowledge of God, of heaven and hell, and of life after death. And no one would have any knowledge at all of the Lord, and of faith in and love for Him, thus nothing of redemption, even though it is the means of salvation.

The Lord also says to His disciples, “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

And John [the Baptist] says, “A man can gain nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven” (John 3:27).

50. The Church’s Doctrine Must Be Drawn from the Word’s Literal Sense and Verified by It

In the preceding section we showed that in its literal sense the Word is in its fullness, in its holiness, and in its power. And because the Lord embodies the Word — inasmuch as He is the totality of the Word — it follows that the Lord is most present in that sense, and that He teaches and enlightens a person in the light of it.

This, however, needs to be demonstrated according to the following outline:

1. The Word is not understood apart from doctrine.

2. Doctrine must be drawn from the Word’s literal sense.

3. However, Divine truth, of which doctrine ought to consist, is apparent only to people who are enlightened by the Lord.