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We are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 

—Romans 8:37

Exploring Bible Verses

An exploration of Bible citations from the Christian Science Quarterly® Bible Lessons

“. . . a lesson on which the prosperity of Christian Science largely depends."—Mary Baker Eddy

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from the Golden Text

I Timothy 6:11, 20

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.… Avoid the profane chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge.

—New Revised Standard Version

Godliness, a scholar explains, “implies a good and holy life, with special emphasis on its source, a deep reverence for God.”

“Profane chatter and contradictions” alludes to mere intellectual debate. Philosophers regularly argued the points of contrasting doctrines in the search for knowledge. Ironically, their logic and rhetoric were themselves in opposition to the true knowledge embodied in Christ’s teachings.

False teachings, notes one source, “are a tissue of inner contradictions, a hodgepodge of unresolved ‘pros and cons’ without the clarity and certainty of the Christian faith.”

from the Responsive Reading

Matthew 5:14

Ye are the light of the world.

A commentator writes that this may be “the greatest compliment that was ever paid to the individual Christian, for in it Jesus commands the Christian to be what he himself claimed to be. Jesus said, ‘As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world’ (John 9:5).”

Matthew 5:15

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Bushel (Greek, modios) refers to a container—usually a basket, bowl, or clay pot. Small oil lamps or candles would probably have been not only hidden but also extinguished under these vessels. The Christian’s light, notes a researcher, is meant to be seen, to warn, and to guide. Another says, “Invisible light was about as much use … as was tasteless salt.”

Matthew 5:43, 44

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.… Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.

God’s charge “Love thy neighbour” is found in Leviticus 19:18. The Hebrew people interpreted it to refer primarily to fellow Jews, although love for foreigners was also expected (see Leviticus 19:34). The words “hate thine enemy” are not found in the Hebrew Bible, but the practice was accepted in Jesus’ day—and likely justified by such scriptural texts as “Do I not hate them, O Lord, that hate thee?” (Psalms 139:21).

Here Jesus dramatically expands Jewish law and tradition with the call to actively bless and pray for even the most hostile adversaries. 

from Section 4

9 | Romans 9:26

It shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

Paul has just confessed sorrow at his fellow Jews’ rejection of Christ. To support his reproof of their faithlessness, he cites events from their history (see vv. 2–18), and quotes their prophets. This verse recalls Hosea 1:10.

10 | Matthew 9:18

There came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.

Worshipped, translated from the Greek proskynō, describes kneeling or prostrating oneself in homage or obeisance. 

Even though this man (called Jairus in Mark and Luke) holds a position of authority in the synagogue, he publicly humbles himself before Jesus to demonstrate his reverence and importunity.

from Section 5

11 | Proverbs 24:8, 20

He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.… For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out. 

• • •

If you are always planning evil, you will earn a reputation as a troublemaker.… A wicked person has no future—nothing to look forward to.

—Good News Translation

from Section 8

19 | Isaiah 35:8

An highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness.

Embedded in what is widely considered one of the most beautiful chapters in the Hebrew Bible, the highway image symbolizes the way home from captivity—not just for Jews in exile but for all seeking a return to the worship of God. This universal metaphor speaks of comfort to every heart seeking rest and redemption.

Related Healing Ideas

Above the mist

By Margaret A. Smith
From the December 10, 1927, issue of the Christian Science Sentinel

Our holiday trip up the mountain was begun on a very foggy morning. As the trolley went slowly up the steep incline, the fog grew denser, the beautiful view which we knew to be there was wholly obscured, and we gathered our wraps about us in protection against the chill drizzle through which we were passing. At the point where we changed cars for the last lap of our journey, we stood for a few moments gazing into space and wondering what might lie beyond the enveloping mist. Then into our car! And again onward and upward we sped through the clouds, until suddenly we emerged into the glorious sunshine above them! Words are inadequate to describe the beauty and grandeur of the view from the top. We moved about entranced. Beneath us, stretching for endless miles, were white, billowy clouds—the fog through which we had passed—effectively shutting off the world below. Then, as the day advanced, very slowly the mist began to disperse, giving us a glimpse of the wondrous beauty which had been hidden from our view during the steep ascent.

What a symbol of earth’s journey! How often the mists of materialism shut off the grandeur of the view as we ascend, one after another, the mountains along life’s pathway. And still we journey on until, perhaps after some unusually rugged climb, a glimpse of the glory and beauty by which we are constantly surrounded is suddenly revealed to us, and we stand silently gazing in awe and wonder, realizing something of what Moses may have experienced when he heard the words, “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5).

Life is, always has been, and always will be in reality spiritual, perfect, eternal. Do we seem to be harried by financial cares; does the business load seem greater than we can bear; or are we of those with a seemingly unsolvable employment problem? The mist is merely obscuring our view! We need to keep on going, learning at each step of the road that God’s presence and power are always available, here and now. How well Mary Baker Eddy has expressed this in our textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “Corporeal sense, or error, may seem to hide Truth, health, harmony, and Science, as the mist obscures the sun or the mountain; but Science, the sunshine of Truth, will melt away the shadow and reveal the celestial peaks” (p. 299).

God is never absent. Deep down in the valley and on the topmost peak of the heights, God is omnipotent. Our mission is to reflect the divine presence; and we can so direct our thinking that this presence will be silently reflected wherever we may be; thus we become greater transparencies for the healing power of Christ, Truth. When we learn to understand God and the true status of man, we shall know of a certainty that the real man, the man of God’s creating, can never suffer limitation of any description.  Since God is Spirit and man is His image and likeness, the real man must be spiritual and perfect, untouched by error of any kind. As thought rises and is steadily held high above the mortal illusions by which we seem to be surrounded, errors of belief fade from our consciousness, and the eternal verities of being are ever more clearly realized.

_{To read the entire article, which has been shortened to fit this page, go to  jsh.christianscience.com/above-the-mist.}