Article October 24, 1908 Issue

FAIR INTERPRETATION

W. A. BOSWELL

Gratitude for the fresh light that is thrown on the Bible by Science and Health, is often expressed in our churches; and the following account may help to show the wider and more reasonable way in which people learn to read the Bible after becoming interested in Christian Science.

A relative of mine who had been brought up in a very strict Calvinistic family, where the sinfulness of all amusements and the terrors of eternal damnation were constantly emphasized, had often discussed with me the question of future life. The possibilities for further growth, increased activity, and a larger hope, heard of in later life, were, however, generally overshadowed by the early teaching, together with haunting dread that, instead of heaven with its possibilities of increased good, hell with all its appalling accompaniments might be her ultimate destination. One text particularly filled her with apprehension, and she had often mentioned it, saying how terrible it was to think that our Lord might say to her, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity;" for if he said this to some who had "done many wonderful works" in his name, how could those who had never done any wonderful works feel sure that they would not be dealt with in the same way, even though they might have been doing what they thought was right.

Shortly after I had become interested in Christian Science, this lady spoke to me on the subject; but this time, instead of accepting her interpretation of the passage as correct, I looked up the original and found, much to my surprise, that the whole lesson was on the importance, the absolute necessity, of doing the works of Christ instead of talking about them. Beginning with the statement, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven," down to that which says that he who does the works is likened to a man who built his house on the rock, and the man who does not do the works is compared to some one who built on sand, this teaching is made clear; and as one reads it carefully it becomes evident that those were condemned who merely made professions, who said they had done all these things, but who in fact had never done them.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

"THE DISFIGURED PICTURE"