225. 5. The Church's Body of Teaching Has to Be Drawn from the Word's Literal Meaning and Supported by It
The preceding part of this chapter showed that the Word is complete, holy, and powerful in the literal meaning. Because the Lord is the Word and is the First and the Last, as he says in Revelation 1:17, it follows that the Lord is most present in the literal meaning. From it he teaches and enlightens us. These thoughts need to be put forward in the following sequence:
1. The Word is not understandable without a body of teaching.
2. A body of teaching has to be drawn from the Word's literal meaning.
3. Nevertheless, the divine truth needed for a body of teaching becomes manifest only to those who have enlightenment from the Lord.
