SS76.教会来自圣言，这一点是毋庸置疑的，因为圣言是神性真理本身（1-4节）；教会的教义来自圣言（50-61节）；与主的结合经由圣言而来（62-69节）。然而，可能产生质疑的是，对圣言的理解是否构成教会，因为有些人认为，他们之所以属于教会，是因为他们拥有圣言，阅读它，或从讲道人那里听见它，对它的字义有所了解。但他们不知道圣言中这句或那句话当如何理解，其中一些人甚至不怎么重视。因此，有必要证明构成教会的不是圣言，而是对圣言的理解，并且对圣言的理解在教会里的人当中如何，教会本身就如何，或说教会的品质取决于教会里的人当中对圣言的理解的品质。对这一点的证明如下。
76. The Existence of the Church Rests on the Word, and Its Quality Depends on the Quality of Its Understanding of the Word
THERE can be no doubt that the existence of the church rests on the Word, since the Word is divine truth itself (1-4), the teachings of the church come from the Word (50-61), and our union with the Lord comes through the Word (62-69). However, some may doubt that our understanding of the Word is what makes the church, if only because there are people who believe that they are part of the church solely by virtue of having the Word, reading it, or hearing it from the pulpit, and by thus having acquired some knowledge of its literal meaning. They do not know how to understand a single thing in the Word, though, and some of them do not even attach much importance to the Word at all. So at this point I need to show that it is not the Word that makes the church but the way the Word is understood, and that the quality of the church depends on the quality of the understanding of the Word among the people who are in the church. This is shown by the following.
76. The Church Is Formed by the Word, and Its Character Is Such as Its Understanding of the Word
That the church is formed by the Word is not something to be doubted, for the Word is Divine truth itself (see nos. 1-4). The Word is the source of the church’s doctrine (nos. 50-61). And the Word makes possible a conjunction with the Lord (nos. 62-69).
But that it is an understanding of the Word that forms the church — this may be doubted, since there are people who believe they are part of the church because they possess the Word, read it or hear it from a preacher, and know something of its literal sense. But they do not know how this or that in the Word is to be understood, and some people place little value in it.
We must show here, therefore, that it is not the Word that forms the church, but people’s understanding of it, and that the character of the church is such as the understanding of the Word among the people in the church.
Confirmation of this is as follows:
76. VIII. The Church exists from the Word, and it is such as is its understanding of the Word.
There is no doubt that the Church exists from the Word; for the Word is Divine Truth itself, Nos. 1-4; the doctrine of the Church is from the Word Nos. 50-61; and conjunction with the Lord is effected by means of the Word. It may, however, be doubted that it is the understanding of the Word which constitutes the Church, as there are some who believe that they belong to the Church because they have the Word, read it or hear it read by a preacher and know something of the sense of the Letter, although they do not know how certain passages in it are to be understood; while some regard this of no importance. It will be necessary, then, to prove that it is not the Word, but the understanding of it, which constitutes the Church, and that the quality of the Church is according to the understanding of the Word with those who are in the Church. This is proved by the following considerations.
76. VIII. THE CHURCH IS FROM THE WORD, AND IS SUCH AS IS ITS UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORD
That the church is from the Word does not admit of doubt, for the Word is Divine truth itself (n. 1-4); the doctrine of the church is from the Word (n. 50-61) and through the Word there is conjunction with the Lord (n. 62-69). But doubt may arise as to whether the understanding of the Word is what makes the church, for there are those who believe that they are of the church because they have the Word, read it or hear it from a preacher, and know something of its sense of the letter, yet how this or that in the Word is to be understood they do not know, and some of them little care. It shall therefore be proved that it is not the Word that makes the church, but the understanding of it, and that such as is the understanding of the Word among those who are in the church, such is the church itself. The proof of this is as follows.
76. (VIII.) QUOD ECCLESIA SIT EX VERBO, ET QUOD TALIS SIT QUALIS EI EST INTELLECTUS VERBI.
Quod ecclesia sit ex Verbo, hoc non venit in dubium; nam Verbum est ipsum Divinum Verum (1-4): ex Verbo est doctrina ecclesiae (50-61): et per Verbum est conjunctio cum Domino (62-69). Sed quod intellectus Verbi faciat ecclesiam, hoc in dubium venire potest, quoniam sunt qui credunt quod ab ecclesia sint quia Verbum habent, id legunt vel a praedicatore audiunt, et aliquid ex sensu litterae ejus sciunt: sed quomodo hoc et illud in Verbo intelligendum est, non sciunt, et quidam non tanti aestimant. Quare hic confirmabitur quod non Verbum faciat ecclesiam, sed intellectus ejus et quod ecclesia talis sit, qualis est intellectus Verbi apud illos qui in ecclesia sunt. Hoc confirmatur ex his.