227.藉着教义，圣言不仅被理解，还照亮理解力，因为此时，它就像一盏点亮的灯台。因此，人在其中所看到的事物比以前看到的更多，还能明白以前所不理解的东西。那些模糊和不一致的事物，他要么不看，忽略过去，要么看后把它们解释得合乎教义。基督教界的经验清楚表明，教义决定了当如何看待和解读圣言。所有改革宗教会都根据自己的教义看待圣言，并相应解读它。天主教徒同样根据自己的教义看待并解读它。甚至，犹太人也是根据自己的教义看待并解读它。因此，错误的教义会造成错误的观念，正确的教义会带来正确的观念。这些事实说明，正确的教义就像照亮黑暗的一盏明灯和指明方向的路标。
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227. 因著教義, 聖言不僅能夠被理解, 還照亮了我們的悟性, 就像點亮的燈檯。於是, 人能看到比之前更多的東西, 明白之前未曾明白之事。那些模糊不清和前後矛盾之事, 要麼無需解釋就立即消釋, 要麼照著教義來理解和解釋便能和諧一致。
據基督徒世界的經驗明顯得知, 教義決定人們如何看待聖言, 也決定了聖言當如何解釋。但凡更正教徒, 皆以其教義為指引來看聖言, 他們的教義決定了他們如何解經。類似的, 天主教徒以其教義為指引來看聖言並以其教義為基礎來解釋聖言。甚至猶太教徒也以如此方式看待舊約和解釋舊約。因此, 錯誤或迷信的教義會導致錯誤或迷信的觀念, 正確或正信的教義帶來正確的觀念。這些事實足以說明:正信的教義如同黑暗中的明燈, 如同道路上的路標。
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227. With the help of a body of teaching, the Word is not only understood, it shines in our intellect - it is like a lampstand with the lamps lit. Then we see much more than we had seen before and understand things we had not understood before. Things that are unclear or out of harmony we either pass by without noticing or we notice and explain in such a way that they harmonize with our body of teaching.
The Word is viewed on the basis of a given body of teaching and explained along its lines. Our experience of the Christian world testifies to this. All Protestants see the Word through their body of teaching and use it to explain the Word. So do all Roman Catholics. Jews do likewise. A body of false teaching yields false beliefs, and a body of true teaching yields true beliefs. Clearly then, a body of true teaching is like an oil lamp in the dark and a signpost on a roadway.
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227. As a result of doctrine the Word not only becomes intelligible, but is a light to the understanding, for it resembles a lampstand with its lamps lit. Then a person sees more than he had seen before, and understands too things he had not previously understood. What is obscure and in disagreement he either does not see and passes over, or he sees and explains them so that they are in harmony with the doctrine. The experience of Christians is evidence that doctrine determines how the Word is viewed, and also how it is to be explained. All the Reformed churches view the Word in the light of their doctrine and this determines how they explain it; likewise the Roman Catholics view it in the light of their doctrine, and their explanation is determined by this. Even the Jews view it in the light of their doctrine, and their explanation is determined by this. Thus false doctrine produces false ideas, true doctrine true ideas. These facts show that true doctrine is like a lamp shining in the darkness, and like a sign-post on a road.
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227. By means of doctrine not only is the Word understood, it also shines in the understanding, since it then becomes like a candelabrum with its lamps lighted. Thus man sees in it more things than he saw before, and also understands things he did not understand before; and things obscure and discordant he either passes over without seeing, or he so sees and explains them as to bring them into accord with doctrine. That the Word is looked at from doctrine and is explained according to it, the practice of the Christian world testifies. All the Reformed look at the Word from their own doctrine and explain it accordingly; likewise, the Papists from their doctrine, and even the Jews from theirs; consequently from false doctrines they see falsities and from true doctrine truths. All this makes clear that true doctrine is like a lamp in the dark, or a guidepost by the wayside.
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227. By doctrine not only is the Word understood, but it also gives enlightenment to the understanding; for it is then like a lampstand with its lamps burning. A man then sees more than he saw before, and also understands what before was unintelligible. Obscure and discordant things he either does not notice and passes by, or else he sees and explains them, reconciling them by means of doctrine. That men see and interpret the Word according to doctrine is borne out by experience in the Christian world. All Reformers regard the Word from their own doctrinal point of view, and explain it accordingly; the Roman Catholics and also the Jews do likewise. Thus men see and interpret falsities according to false doctrine, but the truth in accordance with true doctrine. From this, it is clear that true doctrine is like a lamp in darkness, and a guide-post by the wayside.
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227. Verbum per Doctrinam non modo intelligitur, sed etiam in intellectu lucet, est enim sicut Candelabrum cum accensis lucernis; 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 vident Verbum ex sua Doctrina, et Verbum secundum illam explicant; similiter Pontificii ex sua, et secundum illam; imo Judaei ex sua, et secundum illam; consequenter falsa ex Doctrina falsa, et vera ex Doctrina vera. Ex his patet, quod Doctrina vera sit instar lucernae in tenebris, ac instar indicis in viis.