Editorial May 29, 1915 Issue

Witnesses

Annie M. Knott

In Isaiah's prophecy we read, "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord," a declaration which all Christian people would do well to ponder daily, since Christ Jesus announced to Pilate that his mission was to "bear witness unto the truth;" that he came to the world for this purpose. After Jesus' personal departure, the beloved disciple testified concerning him that he was "the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead," these two statements being closely related to each other. In Christian Science we can see that because Jesus always bore witness to the truth, he was prepared to meet and master, first for others and then for himself, the dire delusion of death which, as Mrs. Eddy tells us on page 113 of Science and Health, denies "good, omnipotent God, Life."

In the fourth gospel we are told that John the Baptist "came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light," and we are also told that "the life was the light of men." The Master said to his disciples, after his resurrection, that they would receive power, when the Holy Ghost came upon them, to be his witnesses even "unto the uttermost part of the earth;" and our deep desire most surely is that such witnesses may be found today in every land, bringing the light of Truth and Love to all "that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death." Those who know Christian Science can never plead ignorance as to the nature of the testimony which they should give in all their human relationships.

It is well to remember here that in all courts of justice the character of a witness is what gives weight to his testimony or discredits it. At first Jesus' students were not regarded with much favor by the rulers of their time, who simply thought of them as ignorant men, but Peter's boldness and eloquence caused them to marvel, and the reason for it was that he "had been with Jesus." Another unanswerable argument stood beside the apostles, namely, the lame man who had been healed. The rulers were even forced to say of this healing, "We cannot deny it," but they proceeded to devise means whereby all such work should be stopped. In spite of their threatenings, however, the common people rejoiced and glorified God for this evidence that God is with His own and supports them in their work. The characters of these men, moreover, were daily becoming more Christlike, hence their influence with all who were ready for the truth was greater and greater.

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