257. The Word is not understood except through doctrine from the Word. The doctrine of the Church must be from the Word, Nos. 3464, 5402, 6832, 10763, 10765. The Word is not understood without doctrine, nos. 9025, 9409, 9424, 9430, 10324, 10431, 10582. True doctrine is a lamp to those who read the Word, no. 10400. Genuine doctrine should be from those who are in enlightenment from the Lord, nos. 2510, 2516, 2519, 9424, 10105. The Word is understood by means of a doctrine made by one who has been enlightened, no. 10324. Those who are in enlightenment make doctrine for themselves from the Word, nos. 9382, 10659. The difference between those who teach and learn from the doctrine of the Church, and those who teach and learn from the mere sense of the letter, no. 9025. Those who are in the sense of the letter apart from any doctrine, do not come into any understanding of Divine Truths, nos. 9409, 9410, 10582. They lapse into many errors, no. 10431. When those who are in the affection of the truth for the sake of the truth, arrive at adult age, and are able to see by virtue of their own understanding, they do not simply remain in the doctrinals of their Church, but examine from the Word whether they are true, nos. 5402, 5432, 6047. Otherwise every man's truth would be derived from another person, and from his native soil, whether he be born a Jew or Greek, no. 6047. Nevertheless such things as have become matters of faith from the literal sense of the Word, ought not to be put off, except after a full examination, no. 9039. The true doctrine of the Church is the Doctrine of Charity and Faith, nos. 2417, 4766, 10763, 10764. The doctrine of faith does not constitute the Church, but the life of faith which is charity, nos. 809, 1798, 1799, 1834, 4468, 4672, 4766, 5826, 6637. Doctrinals are nothing unless a man lives according to them, nos. 1515, 2049, 2116, In the Churches at the present day, there is the doctrine of faith, but not the doctrine of charity, the latter being delegated to a science called Moral Theology, no. 2417. The Church would be one, if men were acknowledged to be members of the Church from their life, and thus from their charity, nos. 1285, 1316, 2982, 3267, 3445, 3451, 3452. How much the Doctrine of Charity excels the doctrine of faith separate from charity, no. 4844. Those who know nothing about heavenly things are in ignorance concerning charity, no. 2435. Into how many errors those fall who have only the doctrine of faith, and not at the same time the doctrine of charity, nos. 2388, 2417, 3146, 3325, 3412, 3413, 3416, 3773, 4672, 4730, 4783, 4925, 5351, 7623-7627, 7752-7762, 7790, 8094, 8313, 8530, 8765; 9186, 9224, 10555. Those who are only in the doctrine of faith, and not in the life of faith, which is charity, were formerly called uncircumcised or Philistines, nos. 3412, 3413, 8093. Among the ancients there was the doctrine of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbour, and the doctrine of faith was subservient to it, nos. 2417, 3419, 4844, 4955. The doctrine which has been formed by one enlightened, may afterwards be confirmed by means of things rational; and thus it is more fully understood and corroborated, nos. 2553, 2719, 2720, 3052, 3310, 6047 (see more on this subject above, no. 51). Those who are in faith separated from charity desire the doctrinals of the Church to be simply believed, without any rational intuition, no. 3394. It is not the part of a wise man to confirm a dogma, but to see whether it is true before it is confirmed; and this is done among those who are in enlightenment, nos. 1017, 4741, 7012, 7680, 7950. The light of confirmation is natural, not spiritual, light, and may exist even with the wicked, no. 8780. All things, even falsities, may be confirmed, so as to appear like truths, nos. 2480, 2490, 5033, 6865, 8521.