Editorial June 16, 1934 Issue

"Confirming the word"

W. Stuart Booth

During his three years' ministry among men Christ Jesus repeatedly stressed the importance of supporting Christian precepts with Christian practice. For instance, he said, "By their fruits ye shall know them;" and, "Believe me for the very works' sake." When commissioning his disciples, he gave them definite instruction that healing of the sick should accompany their preaching of the gospel. A parrot might be taught to repeat portions of the multiplication table, but because the bird could not apply the rules in solving problems it would not be regarded as a mathematician. The master Christian knew that lip service was not sufficient proof of Christian discipleship, and so he commanded that the word be verified by works in accordance with his example.

That Christ Jesus' instruction was heeded is evidenced by the statement in Mark's Gospel that after the Master's ascension the disciples "went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." Likewise, although the teachings of Christian Science appeal to mankind's sense of justice and reason, the unanswerable logic of verifying healing works furnishes the greatest appeal to most men. As Mrs. Eddy states in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 488) : "The result of our teachings is their sufficient confirmation. When, on the strength of these instructions, you are able to banish a severe malady, the cure shows that you understand this teaching, and therefore youreceive the blessing of Truth." Nevertheless, as our Leader has stated, the prime aim and purpose of Christian Science in its healing activities is the overcoming of sin and the spiritualization of human consciousness. Because Christ Jesus plainly indicated the association of sin with sickness, it is obvious that healing by spiritual power and means has an important part in Christian service and true worship.

In response to the natural inquiry regarding the word which is confirmed by healing works, Christian Science answers with a simple but satisfying statement about God and His creation, including man. It declares that, since divine Love, the Father-Mother of man and the universe, is good, harmonious, and perfect in expression as in nature, it follows that evil, discord, and imperfection lack divine sanction and support, and hence are unreal. Without doubt, however, if Christian Science offered to mankind nothing more tangible than this idealistic argument, it would not fulfill Christ Jesus' commands, and certainly it would not have attracted such a host of sincere and grateful adherents as now testify to the confirming healing they have experienced.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

"Confirming the word"

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access