8. THE WORD IS NOT UNDERSTOOD EXCEPT BY MEANS OF DOCTRINE FROM THE WORD. The doctrine of the Church must be from the Word, (n. 3464, 5402, 6832, 10763, 10765). The Word is not understood without doctrine, (n. 9025, 9409, 9430, 10324, 10431, 10582). True doctrine is a lamp to those who read the Word, (n. 10400). Genuine doctrine must be from those who are in enlightenment from the Lord, (n. 2510, 2516, 2519, 9424, 10105). The Word can be understood by means of doctrine formed by one who is enlightened, (n. 10324). They who are in enlightenment form doctrine from the Word for themselves, (9382, 10659). There is a distinction between those who teach and learn from the doctrine of the Church, and those who do so from the sense of the letter of the Word alone; its quality shown, (n. 9025). Those who are in the sense of the letter of the Word without doctrine do not arrive at any understanding of divine truths, (n. 9409, 9410, 10582). They fall into many errors, (n. 10431). When they who are in the affection of truth for the sake of truth become adults, and are able to see from their own understanding, they do not simply remain in the doctrinals of their Church, but find out from the Word whether they are true, (n. 5402, 5432, 6047). Otherwise, everyone's truth would be derived from another, and from the land of his birth, whether he were born a Jew or a Greek, (n. 6047). Nevertheless the things which have become matters of faith from the literal sense of the Word are not to be blotted out except after full consideration, (n. 9039). The true doctrine of the Church is the doctrine of charity and faith, (n. 2417, 4766, 10763, 10765), [10764]. The doctrine of faith does not constitute the Church, but the life of faith, which is charity, (n. 809, 1798, 1799, 1834, 4468, 4672, 4766, 5826, 6637). Doctrinal things are nothing unless man lives in accordance with them: everyone can see that they are for the sake of life, and not for the sake of the memory and something of thought therefrom, (n. 1515, 2049, 2116). In the Churches at the present time there is a doctrine of faith, but not of charity; the doctrine of charity has been degraded into a science, which is given the name of moral theology, (n. 2417). The Church would be one if men were acknowledged to be of the Church on account of life, and so of charity, (n. 1285, 1316, 2982, 3267, 3445, 3451, 3452). How much superior is the doctrine of charity to the doctrine of faith separate from charity, (n. 4844). They who know nothing of charity are in ignorance concerning heavenly things, (n. 2435). They who hold only the doctrine of faith, and not that of charity, fall into errors, concerning which see, (n. 2383, 2417, 3146, 3325, 3412, 3413, 3416, 3773, 4672, 4730, 4783, 4925, 5351, 7623-7627, 7752-7762, 7790, 8094, 8313, 8530, 8765, 9186, 9224, 10555), [2385]. Those who are only in the doctrine of faith and not in the life of faith, which is charity, were formerly called the uncircumcised, or Philistines, (n. 3412, 3413, 3463, 8093, 8313, 9340). With the ancients there was the doctrine of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbour, and the doctrine of faith was made of service to this, (n. 2417, 3419, 4844, 4955). Doctrine formed by one who is enlightened can afterwards be confirmed by rational things and by knowledges, (scientifica), and it is thus more fully understood and corroborated, (n. 2553, 2719, 2720, 3052, 3310, 6047), [2557, 3057]. More concerning this subject may be seen in THE NEW JERUSALEM AND ITS HEAVENLY DOCTRINE, (n. 51). Those who are in faith separate from charity would have the doctrinals of the Church simply believed without any rational consideration, (n. 3394). It is not the part of a wise man to confirm dogma, but to see whether it be true before it is confirmed, and this happens with those who are in enlightenment, (n. 1017, 4741, 7012, 7680, 7950). The light of confirmation is natural light, and not spiritual, and is possible even with the evil, (n. 8780). All things, even those that are false, can be so far confirmed as to appear as if they were truths, (n. 2480, 2490, 5033, 6865, 8521).