Editorial March 29, 1913 Issue

CHRIST JESUS GLORIFIED

Annie M. Knott

In St. Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians he begins by boldly challenging the vaunted wisdom of the Greeks,—all their learning,—and declares that "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise." Then he goes on: "I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified," an utterance which has been echoed in much of the world's religious thinking down to the present day. It is well known that the great Nazarene Teacher not only challenged "the wisdom of this world," especially its attempt to explain God and man by material theories, but he also gave proof of his own understanding of divine law throughout his earthly career. For doing this he was opposed by the learned men of his day, and was finally subjected to the torture and ignominy of crucifixion, yet Paul declared that he would make this the central point of his appeal to mankind.

Scholastic theology has made this to mean that because Jesus laid down his life for men, in order to secure their salvation,—because he paid the price due for their sins,—endless gratitude and devotion to him might be expected wherever this was made known. This does not, however, appear to have been Paul's message; indeed, he said, "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain." It was the Christ triumphant over sin, sickness, and death that the great apostle to the Gentiles preached, and this, too, "in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." Seen in this light, we can appreciate the meaning of our revered Leader's words, when she comments thus upon Paul's declaration: "Christian Science says: I am determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him glorified" (Science and Health, p. 200). An explanation of this may be found on page 44 of the text-book, where we read concerning Jesus' victory over death and the grave: "His three days' work in the sepulcher set the seal of eternity on time. He proved Life to be deathless and Love to be the master of hate." We may well ask how many of Jesus' professed followers remember this when they commemorate his crucifixion and resurrection! In that wonderful seventeenth chapter of John we find Jesus declaring that in his work for humanity he had glorified the Father, and he asks that the Father's glory may be reflected by him. Then he prays for his followers and says, "The glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: ... that the world may know that thou hast sent me."

When Christian Science came to the world, the old dogmas were losing their hold upon men because they were not supported either by reason or revelation. The so-called liberal thought in religion conceded to Jesus the place of a great moral teacher, but this was far from being his own estimate of himself. He said substantially: Believe me for the works' sake, or not at all! Without such works there would be no proof of God's presence and power. Without the kind of healing which he wrought, man would not be known as a spiritual being at all. Every attempt to cure by material means is but so much matter to matter, dust to dust.

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