231.⑶教义必由纯正真理构成，唯有那些从主得到启示的人才能在圣言字义中看到这些纯正真理。启示唯独来自主，存在于那些因真理而热爱真理，并以真理指导有用的生活之人里面。而其他人不可能在圣言中得到启示。启示唯独来自主，因为圣言来自衪，因而衪在圣言里面。启示之所以被赋予那些因真理而热爱真理，并以真理指导有用的生活之人，是因为他们在主里面，主在他们里面。主是真理本身，如关于主那一章所说明的；人若照着主的神圣真理生活，也就是通过这些真理而致用，就是爱主。如约翰福音中所教导的这些话：
到那日，你们就知道我在父里面，你们在我里面，我也在你们里面。有了我的命令又遵守的，这人就是爱我的；我也要爱他，并且要亲自向他显现，并且要到他那里去，与他同住。（约翰福音14:20，21，23）
这些人就是阅读圣言时得到启示的人，对他们来说，圣言是发光和透明的。
圣言对他们来说之所以是发光和透明的，是因为圣言的每一个细节都包含一个属灵之义和一个属天之义，这些意义充满天堂之光。因此，主藉由它们及其光流入圣言的属世之义，并流入人里面属世之义的光中。结果，人凭内在直觉承认真理，然后在自己的思维过程中看到它。每当人因真理而拥有对真理的情感时，这种情形就会发生。情感通向直觉，直觉通向思维，被称为信的承认就这样产生了。
231. (3)聖言文字意義中的,教義以此為基礎的純正真理, 除了向主所啟示之人, 不向其它任何人顯明。
啟示唯從主來, 給那些熱愛真理之人——因真理之真而熱愛, 使其成為有用生活的指導。其他人不能在聖言發現啟示, 啟示唯有從主而來, 因為聖言來自於祂,因而祂在聖言中。只啟示給那些熱愛真理之人, 原因在於他們在主裡面,主在他們裡面; 又因為主是真理本身, 正如關於主的那章所述; 當某人按照祂的聖理而生活,因而通過這些真理的指引而造就有用的服務, 這就是愛主。正如『約翰福音』中所說:到那時, 你們就知道你們在我裡面, 我也在你們裡面。有了我的命令又遵守的, 這人就是愛我的, 我也要愛他, 並且要向他顯現。並且我們要到他那裡去, 與他同住"(約翰福音14:20-21, 23)。
上述之人, 當他們讀經時受主啟示, 聖言從他們,並通過他們散發光芒。
[2]為何聖言從他們,並通過他們散發光芒？因為聖言的細節都包含屬靈和屬天意義, 這些意義被天國之光充滿。因此, 主藉著屬靈和屬天意義,它們的光芒湧進聖言的屬世意義, 這些光芒因而照亮人。因此, 人是通過內心的感知來承認真理, 然後在他的思想過程中認知真理; 當他因著真理的緣故而對真理喜愛時, 這些就會發生。因為渴望而導致感知, 因感知導致思考, 並因此而承認, 就是我們所稱的信。
231. 3. The genuine truth in the Word's literal meaning, the truth that is needed for a body of teaching, becomes manifest only to those who have enlightenment from the Lord. Enlightenment comes from the Lord alone and affects people who love truths because they are true and who make them useful in their lives. Other people do not have enlightenment concerning the Word. Enlightenment comes from the Lord alone because the Word is from him, and therefore he is in it. Enlightenment comes to people who love truths because they are true and who make them useful in their lives, because these people are in the Lord and the Lord is in them. The Lord is truth itself, as I showed in the chapter on the Lord. Loving the Lord is living by his divine truths, that is, doing useful things with those truths, as we read in the following words in John:
On that day you will recognize that you are in me and I am in you. The people who love me are the people who have my instructions and follow them. I will love them and will manifest myself to them. I will come to them and make a home with them. (John 14:20-21, 23)
These are the people who are enlightened when they read the Word. For them the Word shines and becomes translucent.
The Word shines for these people and becomes translucent to them because the details in the Word have spiritual and heavenly meanings inside. These meanings are in the light of heaven. The Lord flows through these meanings and their light into the Word's earthly meaning and its light in the people. As a result of this light, the people first acknowledge the truth with deep perception and then see it in their own thought. This happens whenever people have a desire for truth because it is true. This desire, you see, leads to perception, and perception leads to thought. This process leads to the acknowledgment that is known as faith.
231. (iii) THE GENUINE TRUTH IN THE LITERAL SENSE OF THE WORD, ON WHICH DOCTRINE IS BASED, IS NOT VISIBLE TO ANY BUT THOSE WHO ARE ENLIGHTENED BY THE LORD.
Enlightenment comes only from the Lord, and to those who love truths because they are true, and make them their guide to a useful life. No others find enlightenment in the Word. Enlightenment comes only from the Lord, because the Word is from Him and so He is in it. The reason only those are enlightened who love truths because they are true, and make them a guide to a useful life, is that they are in the Lord and the Lord is in them; for the Lord is truth itself, as was shown in the chapter on the Lord. The Lord is loved when one lives in accordance with His Divine truths, and so useful deeds are done by their guidance, as stated in this passage of John:
On that day you will know that you are in me and I in you; he who has my commandments and keeps them loves me, and I shall love him, and I shall show myself to him, and come to him, and make my dwelling with him, John 14:20-21, 23.
Those are meant who are enlightened when they read the Word, and for whom the Word shines and shows through.
[2] The reason why for them the Word shines and shows through is that the details of the Word contain a spiritual and a celestial sense, and these senses are filled with the light of heaven. Therefore the Lord by means of them and their light floods into the natural sense of the Word and the light this sheds on man. So it is that a person acknowledges truth by an inward perception, and then sees it in his thought processes; this happens whenever he has affection for truth for truth's sake. The affection leads to perception, the perception to thought, and thus comes the acknowledgment we call faith.
231. (3) Genuine Truth, of which doctrine must consist, can be seen in the sense of the letter of the Word only by those who are in enlightenment from the Lord. Enlightenment is from the Lord alone, and exists in those who love truths because they are truths, and who make truths uses of life. To no others is enlightenment in the Word possible. Enlightenment is from the Lord alone, because the Word is from Him, and consequently He is in it. Enlightenment is given to those who love truths because they are truths, and who make them uses of life, because such are in the Lord, and the Lord is in them; for the Lord is Truth itself (as shown in the chapter that treats of the Lord); and men love the Lord when they live in accordance with His Divine truths, that is, when from those truths they perform uses, as is taught in these words in John:
In that day ye shall know that ye are in Me and I in you. He that hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me, and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him and I will come unto him, and make My abode with him (John 14:20, 21, 23).
Such as these are in enlightenment when they read the Word; and with such the Word is both luminous and translucent. With such the Word is both luminous and translucent because a spiritual sense and a celestial sense are contained in every particular of the Word, and these senses are in the light of heaven; and thus by means of these and the light of these the Lord inflows into the natural sense of the Word and into the light of that sense in man; and in consequence man acknowledges truth from an interior perception, and then sees it in his thought, and this as often as he is in an affection for truth for the sake of truth. For perception comes from affection, and thought from perception; and thus the acknowledgment, which is called faith, is produced.
231. (3) GENUINE TRUTH, WHICH IS THE SOURCE OF DOCTRINE, IS MANIFEST IN THE SENSE OF THE LETTER OF THE WORD ONLY TO THOSE WHO ARE ENLIGHTENED BY THE LORD.
Enlightenment comes from the Lord alone, and is granted to those who love truths because they are truths, and who apply them to the uses of life; with others, there is no enlightenment in the Word. Enlightenment comes from the Lord alone, because the Word is from Him, and consequently He is in it; and it is granted to those who love truths because they are truths, and who apply them to the uses of life, because they are in the Lord and the Lord in them; for the Lord is Truth itself, as was shown in the chapter concerning Him. Then the Lord is loved when men live according to His Divine truths, and so perform uses from them, according to these words in John:
"At that day ye shall know... that ye are in Me, and I in you. He that hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me... and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him... and I (A.V., we) will make My (A.V., our) abode with him" 14:20-21, 23.
These are they who are enlightened when they read the Word, and with whom the Word is lucid and transparent. With them the Word so appears, because there is a spiritual as well as a celestial sense in every part of it, and these senses are in the light of heaven. Therefore by means of these senses and their light, the Lord flows into the natural sense of the Word and into the light of this sense in man. Consequently a man acknowledges the truth from an interior perception, and afterwards sees it in his own thought. This happens as often as he is in the affection of truth for its own sake; for perception comes from affection, and thought from perception; and thus arises that acknowledgment which is called faith.
231. III. QUOD GENUINUM VERUM, QUOD DOCTRINAE ERIT, IN SENSU LITERAE VERBI, NON APPAREAT ALIIS, QUAM QUI IN ILLUSTRATIONE SUNT A DOMINO. Illustratio est a Solo Domino, et apud illos, qui amant vera quia vera sunt, et faciunt illa usus vitae; apud alios non datur illustratio in Verbo. Quod illustratio sit a Solo Domino, est quia Verbum est ab Ipso, et inde Ipse in illo; quod illustratio sit illis, qui amant vera quia vera sunt, et faciunt illa usus vitae, est quia illi in Domino sunt et Dominus in illis, est enim Dominus ipsa Veritas, ut in Capite de Domino ostensum est; et tunc Dominus amatur, quando vivitur secundum Divina Ipsius vera, ita quando fiunt usus ex illis, secundum haec apud Johannem, "In die illo cognoscetis, quod vos in Me, et Ego in vobis; qui habet praecepta Mea et facit illa, ille amat Me, et Ego amabo illum, et manifestabo illi Me Ipsum, et ad illum veniam, et mansionem apud illum faciam," Cap. 14:20-21, 23. Hi sunt, qui in illustratione sunt, cum legunt Verbum, et apud quos Verbum lucet et translucet.
[2] Quod Verbum apud illos luceat et transluceat, est quia singulis Verbi Sensus spiritualis et Coelestis inest, et hi Sensus sunt in luce Coeli, quare Dominus per illos et illorum lucem, influit in Sensum naturalem Verbi, et in hujus lucem apud hominem; inde homo ex interiore perceptione agnoscit Verum, et dein in cogitatione sua videt illud, et hoc quoties in affectione veri propter Verum est; ex affectione enim venit perceptio, ex perceptione cogitatio, et sic fit agnitio, quae fides vocatur.