Doctrine of Holy Scripture - Swedenborg Foundation

DOCTRINE OF HOLY SCRIPTURE 196favors, and their reputation is not endangered. For the Word is tothem like a lampstand without a lamp, and in their gloom theyseem to see many things, and yet see scarcely anything, for doctrinealone is a lamp. I have seen such persons examined by angels, andfound to be able to confirm from the Word whatever they please,and it was also found that they confirm what is of their own loveand of the love of those whom they favor. And I have seen themstripped of their garments, a sign that they were devoid of truths;for in the spiritual world garments are truths.53. (b) Doctrine must be drawn from the sense of the letter of theWord, and be confirmed thereby. The reason of this is that there andnot elsewhere is the Lord present with man, and enlightens himand teaches him the truths of the church. Moreover the Lord neveroperates anything except in what is full, and the Word is in itsfullness in the sense of the letter, as has been shown above. This iswhy doctrine must be drawn from the sense of the letter.54. That by means of doctrine the Word not only becomesintelligible, but also as it were shines with light, is because withoutdoctrine it is not understood, and is like a lampstand without alamp, as has been shown above. By means of doctrine therefore theWord is understood, and is like a lampstand with a lighted lamp.The man then sees more things than he had seen before, and alsounderstands those things which before he had not understood.Dark and contradictory things he either does not see and passesover, or sees and interprets them so that they agree with thedoctrine. The experience of the Christian world attests that theWord is seen from doctrine, and is also interpreted according to it.All the reformed see and interpret the Word from and according totheir own doctrine; so do the papists from and according to theirs,and even the Jews do so from and according to theirs; thus from afalse doctrine all see falsities, and from a true doctrine truths. It isevident therefore that true doctrine is like a lamp in the dark, and aguidepost on the way. But doctrine is not only to be drawn fromthe sense of the letter of the Word, but must also be confirmedthereby; for if not so confirmed the truth of doctrine appears as ifonly man’s intelligence were in it, and not the Lord’s Divine