SS54.凭借教义，圣言不仅被理解，还发出光来。这是因为没有教义，圣言无法被理解，就像没有灯的灯台，如前所示。故凭借教义，圣言能被理解，就像带有点亮的灯盏的灯台。这时，人会看到比以前还要多的东西，还能明白以前不明白的事。至于模糊和矛盾之处，他要么不看，直接略过去，要么看到后把它们解释得合乎教义。基督教界的经验证明，人们通过教义来看圣言，也根据教义解释圣言。显然，所有新教徒都在自己的教义之光中看圣言，并据此解释圣言。天主教徒同样在自己的教义之光中看圣言并解释圣言，甚至犹太人也是如此。因此，从假教义看见的都是虚假，从真教义看见的都是真理。由此明显可知，真教义就像黑暗中的一盏灯和路上的一个指路牌。然而，教义不仅必须取自圣言的字义，还必须被字义证实；因为如果它没有被字义证实，那么教义的真理看似只包含人自己的聪明，丝毫没有主的神性智慧；如此教义就像一座在空中，而非在地上的房子，也就是没有地基的房子。
54. The reason the Word is not only understood but also shines with the aid of a body of teaching is that the Word is not understandable apart from a body of teaching but is like a lampstand with no lamp, as just noted [52]. So the Word understood by means of a body of teaching is like a lampstand with a burning lamp on it. We then see more than we had seen before and understand what we had not understood before. Things that are obscure and contradictory we either do not see and ignore or we see and explain in such a way that they harmonize with our body of teaching.
The experience of the Christian world bears witness to the fact that people see the Word through their body of teaching and explain it from that perspective. Obviously, all Protestants see the Word in the light of their teachings and explain it accordingly. Catholics too see it and explain it in the light of their teachings, and Jews see it and explain it in the light of theirs. A body of false teaching yields false beliefs, and a body of true teaching yields true beliefs. We can therefore see that a body of true teaching is like a light in the darkness and like signposts along the way.
However, our body of teaching must not only be drawn from the literal meaning of the Word, it must be supported by it as well, since if it is not supported by it, the truth of our body of teaching would seem to contain only our own intelligence and none of the Lord’s divine wisdom. That would make our body of teaching a castle in the air and not on the ground, a castle with no foundation.
54. Doctrine not only makes the Word understandable, but also to shine, so to speak, and that is because the Word is not understood apart from doctrine and is like a lampstand without any light, as we showed above. Doctrine is what makes the Word understandable, therefore, so as to be like a lampstand with its lamp lit. A person then sees much more than he saw before, and also understands what he had not understood before. Dark and conflicting passages he either does not see and passes on by, or sees and explains them so as to be in harmony with the doctrine.
The Word’s being viewed in the light of doctrine, and moreover explained in accordance with it, is something experience in the Christian world attests. For the Protestant Reformed all see the Word in the light of their doctrine and explain the Word in accordance with it. Roman Catholics likewise see the Word in the light of their doctrine and explain it in accordance with that doctrine. Indeed, Jews do the same. Consequently falsities are seen in the light of a false doctrine, and truths in the light of a true doctrine.
It is apparent, therefore, that a true doctrine is like a lamp shining in darkness, and like a signpost pointing the way.
Doctrine, however, must not only be drawn from the Word’s literal sense, but it must also be verified by it. For if not verified by it, doctrinal truth has the appearance of having only man’s intelligence in it, and not the Lord’s Divine wisdom, and in that case doctrine would be like a house in the air and not on the ground, thus one without its foundation.
54. The Word by means of doctrine is not only understood, but it also as it were gives light; because without doctrine it is not understood, and it is like a lampstand without a light, as was shown above. The Word, therefore, by means of doctrine is understood, and is like a lampstand with its lamp lit. Man then sees more things than he had seen before, and he also understands those things which he had not understood before. Things obscure and out of agreement he either does not notice and passes over, or he sees and explains them as in agreement with doctrine. The experience of the Christian world testifies that the Word is understood from doctrine, and also that it is explained according to doctrine. For all the Reformers see the Word from their own doctrine and they explain the Word according to it; so too the Roman Catholics see it from their doctrine and they explain it accordingly; and even the Jews do likewise; thus falsities are seen from false doctrine, and truths from true doctrine. Hence it is evident that true doctrine is like a lamp in darkness and a sign-post on the way.
Doctrine, however, must not only be taken from the sense of the Letter of the Word, but it must also be confirmed by that sense. For if not confirmed by it, the truth of doctrine appears as if it were only man's intelligence in it and not the Lord's Divine Wisdom; and thus doctrine would be like a house in the air, and not on the ground, and consequently without a foundation.
54. That by means of doctrine the Word not only becomes intelligible, but also as it were shines with light, is because without doctrine it is not understood, and is like a lampstand without a lamp, as has been shown above. By means of doctrine therefore the Word is understood, and is like a lampstand with a lighted lamp. The man then sees more things than he had seen before, and also understands those things which before he had not understood. Dark and contradictory things he either does not see and passes over, or sees and interprets them so that they agree with the doctrine. The experience of the Christian world attests that the Word is seen from doctrine, and is also interpreted according to it. All the Reformed see and interpret the Word from and according to their own doctrine; so do the Papists from and according to theirs, and even the Jews do so from and according to theirs; thus from a false doctrine all see falsities, and from a true doctrine truths. It is evident therefore that true doctrine is like a lamp in the dark, and a guidepost on the way. But doctrine is not only to be drawn from the sense of the letter of the Word, but must also be confirmed thereby; for if not so confirmed the truth of doctrine appears as if only man's intelligence were in it, and not the Lord's Divine wisdom; and so the doctrine would be like a house in the air, and not on the earth, and would lack a foundation.
54. Quod Verbum per doctrinam non modo intelligatur, sed etiam quasi luceat, est quia Verbum absque doctrina non intelligitur, et est sicut candelabrum absque lumine, ut supra ostensum est; ideo Verbum per doctrinam intelligitur et est sicut candelabrum cum accenso lumine. Homo tunc videt plura quam prius viderat, et quoque intelligit illa quae non prius intellexerat; obscura et discordantia vel non videt et praeterit, vel videt et explicat ut cum doctrina concordent. Quod Verbum ex doctrina videatur, et quoque secundum illam explicetur, testatur experientia in Christiano Orbe. Omnes Reformati enim vident Verbum ex sua doctrina, et Verbum secundum illam explicant; similiter Pontificii ex sua et secundum illam; immo Judaei ex sua et secundum illam; consequenter falsa ex doctrina falsa, et vera ex doctrina vera. Inde patet, quod doctrina vera sit instar lucernae in tenebris, ac instar indicis in viis. At doctrina non modo ex sensu litterae Verbi haurienda est, sed etiam per illum confirmanda: nam si non per illum confirmatur, apparet verum doctrinae sicut modo intelligentia hominis foret in illa, et non Divina Sapientia Domini et sic foret doctrina sicut domus in aere, et non super terra, ita non fundata.