SS77.圣言是不是圣言，取决于人对它的理解，也就是说，取决于人如何理解它。圣言若不被人理解，虽被称为圣言，但对这个人来说，并不是圣言。圣言照着对它的理解而为真理，事实上，圣言可能不是真理，因为它可能被歪曲。圣言照着对它的理解而为灵和生命，因为圣言的文字若不被理解，就是死的。一个人因照着他对圣言的理解而拥有真理和生命，故也照着对它的理解而拥有信和爱，因为真理属于信，爱属于生命。由于教会通过并照着信和爱而存在，所以可推知，教会通过并照着对圣言的理解而为教会；一个教会若专注于纯正的真理，就是尊贵的；若不专注于纯正的真理，就是卑贱的；若专注于被歪曲的真理，就是被毁坏的。
77. Whether or not the Word is the Word depends on our comprehension of it - that is, on how we understand it. If we do not understand it, we may of course call it “the Word, ” but for us it is not the Word.
The Word is truth depending on how it is understood, for the Word can be nontruth - it can be distorted. The Word is spirit and life depending on how we understand it, for the letter is dead if it is not understood.
Since we gain truth and life depending on how we understand the Word, we also gain faith and love depending on how we understand it, because its truth yields faith and its life yields love.
Since the church exists by means of its faith and love and is only as good as its faith and love, it follows that a church exists by means of its understanding of the Word and is only as good as its understanding of the Word. A church is worthy if it is focused on genuine truths, unworthy if it is not focused on genuine truths, and ruined if it is focused on distorted truths.
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.
77. The Word is the Word according to the understanding of it with man, that is, as it is understood. If it is not understood, the Word is indeed called the Word, but with man it does not exist. The Word is truth according to the understanding of it; for the Word may not be truth, as it can be falsified. The Word is spirit and life according to the understanding of it; for the Letter without the understanding of it is dead. Since man has truth and life according to his understanding of the Word, according to that also he has faith and love, for truth is of faith and love is of life. Now, since the Church exists through faith and love and according to these, it follows that through the understanding of the Word and according to it, the Church is a Church - a noble Church if it is in genuine truths, an ignoble Church if it is not in genuine truths, and a Church destroyed if it is in falsified truths.
77. The Word is the Word according to the understanding of it in a man, that is, as it is understood. If it is not understood, the Word is indeed called the Word, but it is not the Word with the man. The Word is the truth according to the understanding of it, for it may not be the truth, because it may be falsified. The Word is spirit and life according to the understanding of it, for its letter if not understood is dead. And as a man has truth and life according to his understanding of the Word, so has he faith and love according thereto, for truth is of faith, and love is of life. Now as the church exists by means of faith and love, and according to them, it follows that the church is the church through the understanding of the Word and according thereto; a noble church if in genuine truths, an ignoble church if not in genuine truths, and a destroyed church if in falsified truths.
77. Verbum est Verbum secundum intellectum ejus apud hominem, hoc est, sicut intelligitur, Si non intelligitur, Verbum quidem vocatur Verbum, sed apud hominem non est. Verbum est veritas secundum intellectum ejus, nam potest Verbum non veritas esse, potest enim falsificari. Verbum est spiritus et vita secundum intellectum ejus, nam littera absque intellectu ejus est mortua, Quoniam homini est veritas et vita secundum intellectum Verbi, est quoque ei fides et amor secundum illum; nam veritas est fidei, et amor est vitae. Nunc quia per fidem et amorem, et secundum illa, est ecclesia, sequitur quod per intellectum Verbi, et secundum illum, ecclesia sit ecclesia; ecclesia nobilis si in genuinis veris est, ignobilis si non in genuinis veris, et destructa si in falsificatis veris.