Editorial October 3, 1925 Issue

Bringing the Body into Subjection

Ella W. Hoag

"I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." In these words the Apostle Paul stated an important factor in the warfare with the flesh, which every one must sometime understand and demonstrate.

From Paul's time to ours Christians have thought much of just how to bring the body into subjection—to bring it under complete control. Believing as they have that the body was matter and largely superior to mind, it has generally been accepted as a foregone conclusion that in a majority of cases the struggle between the two would end with victory on the side of matter. Efforts to control the body to any great extent have therefore seemed well-nigh hopeless, and it has scarcely been strange under such circumstances that the flesh has often appeared to be all-powerful.

Even though Jesus taught so clearly and proved so perfectly that "it is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing," men failed almost totally to grasp this truth—to understand either Jesus' teaching or his demonstration of it. They went on bowing down to the body, accepting almost universally what they imagined to be its irrevocable dictates. They believed it could be sick and die quite contrary to their intent or desire; and they also imagined it could cause them to sin in spite of the fact that they knew such sinning was evil and wrong. Only with the revelation of Christian Science has the correct interpretation of Paul's statement become so apparent that all may know how to practice it and thus reap the advantage which Paul knew must follow such dominion: for did he not say it would prevent his becoming a castaway?

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