is the One, the Christ” (Matthew 23 : 8 , 9 , 10 ). Without a body of teach-
ing we might think we were forbidden to call anyone teacher, father, or
governor. From a body of teaching, however, we come to know that
doing this is acceptable in its earthly meaning, although it is not accept-
able in its spiritual meaning.
[ 7 ] Jesus said to his disciples, “When the Son of Humankind sits on
the throne of his glory, you too will sit on twelve thrones judging the
twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19 : 28 ). On the basis of these words we
might conclude that the Lord’s disciples were going to judge people
when in fact the disciples could not judge anyone. A body of teaching
unveils the secret when it teaches that the Lord alone, who is omniscient
and knows the hearts of all, is going to be the judge and is able to judge.
His twelve disciples mean all the forms of goodness and truth that the
church has received from the Lord through the Word. On this basis a
body of teaching concludes that these forms of goodness and truth are
going to judge everyone, as the Lord says in John 3 : 17 , 18 ; 12 : 47 , 48.
There are many other situations like these in the Word. From them it
is perfectly obvious that the Word is not understandable without a body
of teaching.
With the help of a body of teaching, the Word is not only under- 227
stood, it shines in our intellect—it is like a lampstand with the lamps lit.
Then we see much more than we had seen before and understand things
we had not understood before. Things that are unclear or out of har-
mony we either pass by without noticing or we notice and explain in
such a way that they harmonize with our body of teaching.
The Word is viewed on the basis of a given body of teaching and
explained along its lines. Our experience of the Christian world testifies
to this. All Protestants see the Word through their body of teaching and
use it to explain the Word. So do all Roman Catholics. Jews do likewise.
A body of false teaching yields false beliefs, and a body of true teaching
yields true beliefs. Clearly then, a body of true teaching is like an oil
lamp in the dark and a signpost on a roadway.
It stands to reason, then, that people who read the Word without a 228
body of teaching are in the dark about every truth. Their mind is mean-
dering and undecided, liable to go astray, and even susceptible to here-
sies. Such people will in fact embrace heresies if those heresies have
gained any popularity or authority and their own reputation is therefore
not in danger. To them the Word is like a lampstand that gives no light.
In the shadows they think they see many things, but in fact what they see
is practically nothing, because a body of teaching is the only oil lamp.
§228 sacred scripture 303