Article October 16, 1915 Issue

An evangelist who visited Waterloo recently took occasion...

John L. Rendall

Waterloo (Iowa) Courier and Reporter

An evangelist who visited Waterloo recently took occasion to state in his sermons that Christian Scientists do not believe in the divinity of Christ. The same criticism of Christian Science has been made by many other ministers who perhaps did not fully understand just what Christian Science teaches in this respect. If they mean to include in their criticism that Christian Scientists do not believe in the divine origin of Christ Jesus, then their criticism is incorrect, for if there is any one thing in the teachings of Christian Science which stands out clearly and distinctly, it is the fact that Christ is divine. On the other hand, if "divinity" is used with the definite article, it must necessarily refer to God, the Supreme Being, the one infinite creator of the universe and man. Therefore, if this critic and others intended to convey the idea that Christian Scientists deny that Jesus is "the divinity," or God, then their statement is correct. Christian Scientists have Jesus' own authority for denying that he is God, and it might be difficult to find better authority.

If one carefully reads the gospel according to John, he cannot fail to be impressed with the fact that Jesus did not claim to be God, but "the Son of God," and again he referred to himself as "the Son of man." In John v. 30 and 31 Jesus stated: "I can of mine own self do nothing ... I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true." In John vii. 16 and 17 we read: "Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."

The theory that God, infinite Spirit, could come to earth in a fleshly form is not accepted by Christian Scientists. They do, however, accept the teaching that Christ Jesus, "the Son of God," is of divine origin, and is the Wayshower for mankind. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy (p.583) Christ is defined as follows: "The divine manifestation of God, which comes to the flesh to destroy incarnate error." On page 30 we read, "Born of a woman, Jesus' advent in the flesh partook partly of Mary's earthly condition, although he was endowed with the Christ, the divine Spirit, without measure." On page 25 we read, "The divinity of the Christ was made manifest in the humanity of Jesus," and on page 26: "The Christ was the Spirit which Jesus implied in his own statements: 'I am the way, the truth, and the life;' 'I and my Father are one.' This Christ, or divinity of the man Jesus, was his divine nature, the godliness which animated him."

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