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Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God.

—I Corinthians 2:12

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

from the Responsive Reading

Psalms 30:8

I cried out to You, O Lord; 
And to the Lord I made supplication.

—New King James Version

Bible authorities consider Psalm 30 a thanksgiving song to God for deliverance from a serious illness. It is also associated with the rededication of the Temple in 164 bc —another occasion of great rejoicing. (Dedication, mentioned in the psalm’s attribution, is translated from the Hebrew word hanukkâ, which became the name of the feast held to honor this event—Hanukkah.)

Psalms 113:7

He raises the poor out of the dust, 
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap.

—New King James Version

Most ancient cities had an ash pile outside the town wall for burning trash. (The Hebrew word rendered ash heap here is sometimes translated dunghill, alluding to the inclusion of dung.) Jerusalem’s ash heap was so large that it burned continually, likely under a controlled system. Trash piles often became shelters for the poor and homeless. 

Ashes are a common image of destruction, mourning, or repentance in Scripture (see Ezekiel 28:18; II Samuel 13:19; Job 42:6).

from Section 1

1 | Genesis 1:27

God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Considered by some the Bible’s first poem, this verse states one idea in two ways—a common pattern in Hebrew poetry known as synonymous parallelism.

Poetry comprises a significant part of the Hebrew Bible. Most Old Testament poetry is found in the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. But poetic elements occur in the prophets and even some historical accounts as well, especially where the language may have been intended to be sung (see instances throughout the book of Isaiah; Exodus 15:1–21; Judges 5).

1 | Genesis 1:28

God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it.

replenish: make full or complete

from Section 2

4 | Galatians 3:3

Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Paul’s letter to believers in Galatia represents a critical point in early Christian theology. Some church members argued that Gentile converts should be required to undergo the Judaic ritual of circumcision to indicate their commitment to Christianity. Paul’s response is clear: This requirement is a step backward to the old order, with its focus on the flesh. Christianity reveals the power of Spirit to overcome the flesh.

Epiteleō, the Greek word translated made perfect, refers to accomplishment and completion. Spiritual maturity comes to Christians only as they remain true to their “beginnings”—to the spirit of Christ Jesus’ life and teachings.

6 | Isaiah 2:22

Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?

According to one source, the prophet’s query “does not question the value of humankind. It explains . . . [that] humankind has no value as a basis for security.” Another interprets this statement, “Cast off your vain confidence in man, . . . and consider that you are dealing with God.”

from Section 3

7 | Genesis 3:13

The Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

beguiled: tricked or persuaded by charm

from Section 4

10 | Isaiah 7:14, 15

The Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

With Jerusalem under siege during the Syrian-Ephraimite war, a fearful and impatient King Ahaz determines on a political solution rather than turning to God. Isaiah rebukes the king’s political machinations, challenging him to ask for a sign from God. Although Ahaz refuses, God does announce a sign—the coming of Immanuel, symbolizing the divine presence and power.

12 | Luke 2:40

The child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Luke’s description of the young Jesus recalls his earlier portrayal of John the Baptist as a child (see 1:80). Both boys grew “strong in spirit,” though wisdom and divine grace complete the word picture of Jesus.

A paraphrase has, “The child became a strong, robust lad, and was known for wisdom beyond his years; and God poured out his blessings on him.” Another source summarizes, “The child Jesus [was] dear to God, and the object of His paternal care.”

13 | Galatians 4:4, 5

God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

“Made under the law” signifies existing under the authority of the Torah and its covenants. Paul is pointing out that Jesus was a Jewish man who followed Jewish laws and customs.

Adoption is a potent metaphor. In Hebrew culture the legal process of adoption was a vital means of providing orphans with family protection. And in Roman law adopted children were guaranteed all the rights of those born into a family. Paul’s use of this symbol conveys a place of high importance in God’s family—the status of heirs—for all followers of Christ.

redeem: free from captivity; save

from Section 5

14 | Matthew 9:35

Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Summaries of Jesus’ works here and in Matthew 4:23 confirm his unlimited spiritual authority. A commentary outlines the Savior’s threefold activity this way: “Jesus came preaching that he might defeat all ignorance. He came teaching that he might defeat all misunderstandings. He came healing that he might defeat all pain.”

15 | John 14:8, 9, 11

Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? . . . Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

Though the disciples heard Jesus’ words and witnessed his works, they did not always understand him. With this request, Philip reveals an immature comprehension of the Master’s spiritual identity as God’s Son—not unlike Thomas’ inability to believe in Jesus’ resurrection (see 20:24, 25). 

In the Synoptic Gospels, Philip appears only in lists of Jesus’ disciples. In John’s Gospel, he becomes better known to readers. After being called by Jesus, he recruits Nathanael (see 1:43, 45). Jesus questions Philip before feeding a multitude, and Philip helps some Greeks who want to meet Jesus (see 6:5–7; 12:20–22). 

Now Philip’s inquiry leads to Jesus’ momentous declaration “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do” (14:12)—and to the first mention of the Comforter, the “Spirit of truth” that will abide with them (see vv. 16, 17). 

from Section 6

16 | Acts 20:7

Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

Paul’s missionary work took him to far-flung locations in Asia Minor and Europe. In this account he is returning to Jerusalem from Macedonia. With a deadline to arrive in time for Pentecost (see v. 16), he preaches late into the evening in order to leave in the morning.

One scholar draws parallels between Paul’s experience as he goes to Jerusalem from Troas and that of Jesus and his disciples during the passion week. Like the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, Eutychus falls into a deep sleep. Both Jesus and Paul travel to Jerusalem fully knowing that great persecution awaits. This source explains, “What is striking is that while Jesus—who has the power of resurrection—is willing to go to the cross, Paul—who is able to deliver Eutychus from the dead—is also willing to suffer at the hands of those who oppose the gospel of the risen Lord.”

from Section 7

17 | Matthew 10:14

Shake off the dust of your feet.

Jews regarded the very soil of their land as holy, believing that mixing it with dust from other lands would defile it. After travel to Gentile territories, they traditionally shook that dust from their feet to avoid uncleanness.

In this charge to his disciples, Jesus identifies as defiled those who reject the gospel, and the act of shaking off the dust as a strong protest. Later Paul and Barnabas respond this way to Antioch Jews who reject them (see Acts 13:50, 51). Unbelief is to be firmly renounced.

19 | Ephesians 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

Blessing is mentioned throughout Scripture, in three general ways. First, God’s bestowing of divine benefits or favor: “God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply” (Genesis 1:22). Second, our praise and thanks to God for His goodness: “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name” (Psalms 103:1). Third, our call for God’s favor: “The blessing of the Lord be upon you” (Psalms 129:8).

In this verse from Ephesians each instance is translated from a form of the Greek term eulogeō, the source of the English word eulogy.

Related healing ideas

Shake off the dust!

By Linda Eysenbach
From the August 29, 2016, issue of the Christian Science Sentinel

After I give our dog a bath, he shakes vigorously. He doesn’t wait to decide whether he needs to shake or not; his response is immediate. Shaking off water is instinctive for him, an essential element of his nature.

One day I started to feel shooting pain in my shoulder. I thought it would just go away, but it continued to get worse as the day went on, to the point where I could not raise my arm. I turned to God in prayer. Perhaps because I had recently given our dog a bath, this passage from the Bible came to my thought: “Shake thyself from the dust” (Isaiah 52:2). To shake means to free yourself from something. What did I need to free myself from? Dust—the belief that I am material rather than spiritual, as stated in Genesis, chapter 1. 

Mary Baker Eddy admonishes us to use vigor in our prayers when she says, “Insist vehemently on the great fact which covers the whole ground, that God, Spirit, is all, and that there is none beside Him” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 421). Eddy defines dust as “nothingness; the absence of substance, life, or intelligence” (Science and Health, p. 584). 

Studying the first chapter of Genesis, we find the who, what, and how of our identity. The who is that we are made in the image and likeness of God. The what is that our purpose is to be fruitful. The how is through spiritual dominion. I proceeded to “shake off the dust” by insisting that my identity is spiritual, not material. Made in the image and likeness of God, I reflect all the qualities of God, such as joy, health, freedom, strength, and purity. 

Christ Jesus advised his disciples to “shake off the dust of your feet” (Matthew 10:14) when leaving a city that would not receive them. The dust can be thought of as the materialistic thinking that blinded people to the spiritual truth the disciples were sharing. In the healing of the man born blind, Jesus “spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay” (John 9:6). Then, following Jesus’ instruction, the man washed in the pool of Siloam and was healed. He washed off the dusty claims of disability and life in matter and learned that Life, God, was the source of his sight. 

Eddy refers to the spiritual identity of man when she says: “The offspring of God start not from matter or ephemeral dust. They are in and of Spirit, divine Mind, and so forever continue” (Science and Health, p. 267). 

My healing occurred sometime in the next few hours as I vigorously corrected suggestions of pain, inharmony, discouragement, fear, and doubt, and affirmed my spiritual identity as the perfect image and likeness of God. It’s been over a year since then, and I’ve had no further trouble from the shoulder.

Just as our furry friends instinctively shake the water off themselves after a bath, it is natural for us to shake off the dust of mortality and feel more of the life and freshness of our immortality as the reflection of divine Mind. We can joyfully insist that our creator is God, Spirit, and that He is All. And through study, prayer, and healing, we can explore the wonders of His glorious creation.

To read the entire article, which has been adapted to fit the print Sentinel, go to
jsh.christianscience.com/shake-off-the-dust.

© 2020 The Christian Science Publishing Society. The design of the Cross and Crown is a trademark owned by the Christian Science Board of Directors and is used by permission. Bible Lens and Christian Science Quarterly are trademarks owned by The Christian Science Publishing Society. Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptural quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.