Article October 10, 1925 Issue

The Interpreter

JULIA SALOME KINNEY

No sermon was ever preached, no church ever built, no creed ever formulated, that did not seek to satisfy the hunger of the human heart for a fuller interpretation of the Scriptures. Each Biblical teaching or doctrine claims to give a clearer interpretation of the Word of God, and survives only as it is able to fulfill this claim. The Protestant church was largely a protest against the clerically controlled interpretation of the Bible. The reformers Wycliffe, Luther, Calvin and others reformed or changed the universal thought in its attitude toward the Scriptures, and revealed the need for individual study and interpretation of their pages.

Thus was universal thought prepared for the advent of Christian Science as defined by Mrs. Eddy's statement found on page 1 of "Rudimental Divine Science," where, in answer to the question, "How would you define Christian Science?" she replies, "As the law of God, the law of good, interpreting and demonstrating the divine Principle and rule of universal harmony." In linking the words "interpreting" and "demonstrating," the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science indicates that demonstration must accompany interpretation, and that the true interpreter is also a demonstrator of health and harmony as spiritual facts. This advanced step is seen to be perfectly logical when one considers that when requested in a foreign language to do a certain deed, the performance of the act is the best possible evidence of having understood the request. Since Christ Jesus commands his followers to "heal the sick, cleanse the lepers," is not the performance of these acts the best possible evidence of having interpreted aright the new tongue of the Scriptures?

Christian Science, being the scientific interpretation of the Christ-principle, furnishes a rule the practicability of which any one who so desires may prove for himself. In this connection, however, it is well to remember that no intellectual proficiency can wrest from the Bible its spiritual import; for it plainly states, "The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." Consequently, nothing in the way of true interpretation can be gained by running here and there to those who may freely quote from the Bible or talk smoothly about Biblical characters and their achievements. As Elihu explained to Job, "If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness: then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit." These words give one a glimpse of the interpreter that is the deliverer of mankind from the pit of sin and disease. The attainment of this interpreter is explained by Mrs. Eddy on page 461 of the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," where she states, "Only by the illumination of the spiritual sense, can the light of understanding be thrown upon this Science, because Science reverses the evidence before the material senses and furnishes the eternal interpretation of God and man."

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