Article August 26, 1916 Issue

The article by a clergyman on the subject of Christian Science...

W. D. Kilpatrick

Jackson (Mich.) Patriot

The article by a clergyman on the subject of Christian Science indicates that the gentleman not only has a mistaken sense of the teachings of Christian Science on some of the points mentioned by him, but that he has also allowed his interpretation of the Scriptures to be considerably influenced by an education evidently based on the teachings of man-made creeds and dogma.

The statement made in an authorized Christian Science lecture, that "no reference can be found in the Scriptures wherein Jesus ever claimed to be God," is not only distinctly true from a reasonable interpretation of the Scriptures, but it is also true that the quotations from the Bible given us by the reverend gentleman in no particular controvert the statement just quoted. In his interpretation of those parts of Scripture pertaining to the relations of Jesus the Christ to God, the gentleman has failed for some reason or other to discover the distinction made in the Bible between "Jesus" and "the Christ."

Nowhere throughout the New Testament can it be found that Jesus claimed to be God, and in the light of Jesus' teachings such a contention is untenable. Jesus called himself at times the "Son of God," and in other instances it is recorded that he referred to himself as the "Son of man." If Jesus had never uttered any other words than "I and my Father are one," we might find, without giving spiritual significance to his works, excuse for the temporary delusion that Jesus was God; but taking the words and works of Jesus together in their entirety, it could not by any possible perversion be deduced that Jesus meant to convey the impression that he was God. Take, for instance, his words in the tenth chapter of St. Mark in reply to the question, "Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" when he said, "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." Furthermore, it should be evident that any one claiming to be God could have only the characteristics of God, and therefore must necessarily bear none of the characteristics of a mortal. Jesus himself said, "God is a Spirit." No one would contend that the man Jesus was a spirit. In connection with this it is well to consider the words of Jesus in the gospel of John : "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

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