256. The Word is understood only by those who have been enlightened. The human Rational cannot comprehend Divine things, nor even spiritual things, unless it is enlightened by the Lord, nos. 2196, 2203, 2209, 2654. Wherefore, only those who have been enlightened comprehend the Word, no. 10323. To those who are being enlightened it is granted by the Lord to understand the truth, and to see how to reconcile those things in the Word which seem to contradict each other, nos. 9382, 10659. The Word in the sense of the letter is not consistent with itself, and sometimes appears contradictory to itself, no. 9025. Wherefore, by those who have not been enlightened it can be explained and twisted so as to confirm any opinion and any heresy whatever, and to favour any worldly and corporeal love, nos. 4783, 10330, 10400. Those are enlightened from the Word who read it from the love of truth and good, but not those who read it from the love of fame, of gain, and of places of honour, and thus from the love of self, nos. 9382, 10548, 10549, 10551. Those are enlightened who are in the good of life, and from it in an affection for the truth, no. 8694. Those are enlightened with whom their Internal has been opened; those consequently who as to their internal man can be elevated into the light of heaven, nos. 10400, 10402, 10691, 10694. Enlightenment consists in an actual opening, and also in an elevation into the light of heaven, no. 10330. Holiness from the Internal, that is, through the Internal from the Lord, flows in with those who deem the Word holy, they themselves being ignorant of it, no. 6789. Those are enlightened, and see truths in the Word, who are led by the Lord, but not those who are led by self, no. 10638. Those are led by the Lord who love the truth because it is true, and these are they who love to live according to Divine Truths, nos. 10578, 10645, 10829. The Word is vivified with a man, according to his life of love and faith no. 1776. Those things which are from self-intelligence have no life in them, because nothing or good proceeds from a man's Self (proprium) nos. 8941, 8944 Those who have confirmed themselves much in a false doctrine, cannot be enlightened, no. 10640. It is the understanding that is enlightened, nos. 6608, 9300. Because the understanding is the receptacle of the truth, nos. 6222, 6608, 10659. There are ideas Concerning every doctrinal of the Church, by, which the understanding of a thing is determined, nos. 3310, 3825. So long as a man lives in the world, his ideas are natural, because he then thinks in the Natural; nevertheless spiritual ideas lie concealed in them with those who are in the affection of the truth for the sake of truth, nos. 10237, 10240, 10551. Apart from any ideas on a subject there is no perception, no. 3825. The ideas concerning matters of faith are opened in the other life, and their quality is then seen by the angels, nos. 1869, 3310, 5510, 6200, 8885. Wherefore the Word is understood only by a rational man; for believing a thing without any idea of it, and without any rational view of it, means retaining in the memory words void of every life of perception and affection, which actually means not believing, no. 2553. The literal sense of the Word is what is enlightened, nos. 3436, 9824, 9905, 10548.