Article December 21, 1918 Issue

A minister, as reported, endeavored to advise his hearers...

George C. Palmer

Saskatoon (Saskatchewan, Canada) Phoenix

A minister, as reported, endeavored to advise his hearers on the subject of Christian Science. It is true that Christian Science teaches that Jesus was human, but no student of the Bible need be confused over the exact meaning of the words "Jesus" and "Christ." A glance at Josephus' history of the Jews shows that many men of that period were called Jesus. The name is identical with Joshua and Jeshua. Jesus was born of Mary. On the other hand the Christ existed both before and after the human Jesus appeared to humanity. Jesus himself said: "Before Abraham was, I am;" "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." He prayed for that glory he had with the Father "before the world was." None of these statements referred to the son of Mary, but to Jesus' divine selfhood, the eternal Christ. To say Christian Scientists deny the divinity of the Christ is but to show the advisability of becoming familiar with a subject before criticizing it. When Mrs. Eddy says, on page 332 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," "The Christ is incorporeal, spiritual,—yea, the divine image and likeness, dispelling the illusions of the senses; the Way, the Truth, and the Life, healing the sick and casting out evils, destroying sin, disease, and death," she destroys forever the notion that Christian Science does not teach the divinity of the Christ.

The fact that Jesus' healing was metaphysical and that he taught his followers to heal, is unequivocal. It is surely apparent that the mere fact that the Vedas represent probably the first attempt to systematize metaphysics is no more reason for confusing the metaphysics of pure Christianity with the semimetaphysical systems of ancient India, than to assert that because Shakespeare and Mark Twain both wrote in English their works are identical.

The Christian Scientist is well able to judge, and is satisfied that Christian Science begins, continues, and concludes with the teachings of Jesus and none other, and that the world needs Christ and only Christ.

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A minister, as reported, endeavored to advise his hearers...

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