Each Lesson-Sermori published in the Christian Science Quarterly—Bible Lessons is designed to be complete in itself. Its Bible references (King James Version) are corroborated and explained by passages from the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.

These Bible Notes are offered by the Christian Science Sentinel as indications of the possibilities for individual research.

DECEMBER 6 GOD THE ONLY CAUSE AND CREATOR

God is the Lord, which hath shewed us light (Ps. 118:27)

Light and life are closely related concepts in the Bible, and such an expression as "show light" often signifies "bring to life."

Thy testimonies are my meditation (Ps. 119:99)

The Hebrew word translated "testimonies" is often used in legal contexts. It means witness, proof of presence, evidence by which right or truth is established.

Jesus ... sat by the sea side. ... He went into a ship, and sat (Matt. 13:1, 2)

This was of course the Sea, or Lake, of Galilee. Here Jesus "sat" to teach, according to custom (compare Luke 4:20, 21). The "ship" would be a fishing boat, with oars and probably a small sail. Luke 5:1–3 shows a similar situation.

A woman having an issue of blood ... came behind him, and touched the border of his garment .... And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me (Luke 8:43–46)

To traditional Jewish thought, the woman's particular affliction made her ceremonially unclean, and she was supposed to impart something of this defilement to anyone she touched. But the gospel writer makes clear that Jesus had a different perception of what had happened: not incoming defilement but an outgoing action of divine healing power. (The English word "virtue" is here used in its older meaning, representing "power" in the Greek text.)

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DECEMBER 13 GOD THE PRESERVER OF MAN

On this wise ye shall bless (Num. 6:23)

The old word "wise" for "manner" is still familiar in the modern "otherwise," "likewise."

The tent of the testimony (Num. 9:15)

Here "testimony"—generally used in the Old Testament (OT) with reference to God's law—points specifically to the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, which as evidence of the requirements of God were kept in the Ark of the Covenant, housed in the sacred tent, or tabernacle.

There wrestled a man with him (Gen. 32:24)

While the Hebrew word represented by "man" often has the connotation of "male person," it can also be used in the more general sense of "an individual," "someone."

Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; and confirmed ... unto Jacob ..., and to Israel (Ps. 105:9, 10)

See Gen. 17:1–8; 25:11; 26:2–5; 28:13–16; 35:10–12. As often, "Jacob" and "Israel" are used side by side in poetic parallelism. Compare Ps. 22:23.

He brought them forth also with silver and gold (Ps. 105:37)

See Ex. 12:35, 36.

The plague of his own heart (I Kings 8:38)

The word translated "plague"—basically a touch, stroke, or blow—is commonly used of physical affliction. But many have found deeper meaning in this "plague" of the heart of which each one is to be conscious in prayer. The Interpreter's Bible (IB) sees a quickening of conscience, through suffering, to that sinfulness which the Deuteronomic thinkers perceived as cause of both individual and national calamities. The International Critical Commentary points out the use of the related verb in I Sam. 10:26, where Saul, after being made king by Samuel, was accompanied by "a band of men, whose hearts God had touched." The same verb is used in Gen. 32:25 of the decisive touch of the "man" with whom Jacob wrestled in his all-night struggle at Peniel.

Thou ... knowest the hearts of all the children of men (I Kings 8:39)

IB points to this passage as a milestone in the growing understanding of God's ways; for instead of judging a man on the basis of outward actions, God is here understood to judge motives.

DECEMBER 20 IS THE UNIVERSE, INCLUDING MAN, EVOLVED BY ATOMIC FORCE?

Praise is comely (Ps. 147:1)

That is, fitting, appropriate.

It was very good (Gen. 1:31)

As some commentators note, "very" is added to the description of goodness only at this point, when creation is complete and regarded as a whole.

The Lord, The God of hosts (Amos 4:13)

Yahweh Sabaoth, Lord of Hosts, was an ancient divine designation signifying God's leadership of the forces of heaven, the angelic army.

Heaven, the heaven of heavens (Neh. 9:6)

Hebrew thought envisioned heaven with several stories; the very pinnacle is referred to here. Verses 6-11 are part of the daily morning prayer in contemporary Judaism.

The man of thy right hand (Ps. 80:17)

Like the English idiom, this expression connotes one who is accorded a position of honor, protection, and intimacy.

By terrible things in righteousness (Ps. 65:5)

The deeds of God are "terrible" in the sense of being awesome and powerful. The Hebrew word is related to the "fear" of the Lord.

The noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people (Ps. 65:7)

Artur Weiser brings out the parallelism. The sea, "restricted within its shores," bears witness to the creator's power, and so does the history of the nations. "God ... has set a limit to their 'tumult.' "

Blind from his birth (John 9:1)

Birth defects were anciently considered divine punishment and impossible to heal.

As many as be perfect (Phil. 3:15)

Here the meaning "mature" or "fully developed," included in the Greek word for "perfect," clarifies Paul's point.

DECEMBER 27 CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light (Isa. 9:2)

The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible notes that "darkness," in the OT, is often used as a symbol of affliction or death, or represents ignorance of God's will. Contrasted with the "trouble and darkness" of those who "shall look unto the earth" (8:22), this verse brings a divine hope that Christians early identified with the coming of Christ Jesus (see Matt. 4:14-16).

A great wonder (Rev. 12:1)

The "wonder" is literally a "sign," an event of deep religious significance.

I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit (Isa. 48:17)

Or, as The New English Bible puts it, "...I teach you for your own advantage."

If any man will do his will (John 7:17)

The Greek, too, involves a play on words: the first "will" means "wants to" or "is willing to."

His fame went throughout all Syria (Matt. 4:24)

"Syria" probably means here the region north of Galilee, IB concludes, although in the first century that word sometimes referred to Palestine as well. The Roman province of Syria included the region around Tyre and Sidon—ancient Phoenicia—which explains the adjective "Syrophenician" in Mark 7:26.

The things which thou ... hast been assured of (II Tim. 3:14)

I.e., those points of faith that are convincing and accepted as established in fact.

If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15)

For the second verb, ancient manuscripts support either the imperative (making Jesus' words a command, as in the King James Version) or a future tense, showing the necessary consequence of love for Christ: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

He shall give you another Comforter ...; even the Spirit of truth (John 14:16, 17)

As usual, the translators supply the capitalization, which is not indicated by the text. Verse 17 goes on with neuter rather than masculine pronouns, referring to this "spirit" in impersonal terms. Literally: "which the world cannot receive, because it does not see it or know [it]; but you know it; for it dwells with you and will be in you."