Article September 22, 1945 Issue

Teaching the Bible in the Sunday School

EDYTH S. ARMSTRONG

Our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, was truly cognizant of the vital contribution of the Bible to successful living. She made provision in the By-Laws of the Manual of The Mother Church for Scriptural instruction in Christian Science Sunday Schools. She knew that the youth of a nation as well as the adults must be aware of the true basis of living if a nation is to stand or individuals are to progress. Mrs. Eddy used the Bible as her only textbook. In fact she writes (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 109), "For three years after my discovery, I sought the solution of this problem of Mind-healing, searched the Scriptures and read little else, kept aloof from society, and devoted time and energies to discovering a positive rule."

It is therefore important that opportunity be given for Sunday school students to know the Bible better. Many states have passed permissive laws for weekday Bible education, and many Christian Science churches are taking advantage of this opportunity to establish classes where the Bible is presented once a week by competent teachers. This has been a wonderful help in many fields. One superintendent remarked that the Sunday school enrollment had doubled in a year after this step was taken.

Some superintendents have found it very helpful to set aside twenty to thirty minutes at every monthly teachers' meeting for the presentation of Bible backgrounds by a member chosen in advance. Such a presentation would be in logical sequence, showing the relationship of the great spiritual leaders to the developing thought of their periods and tracing the growing understanding of Deity, which is so valuable in our own understanding of the Bible. The teachers thus become well grounded in Scriptural backgrounds and are better prepared to answer the many questions of their pupils. Because of the many demands of today, this has been a particularly helpful procedure for new teachers.

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