In Article XX, Sections 2 and 3, of the Manual of The Mother Church, Mary Baker Eddy gives instruction for teaching in Christian Science Sunday Schools. Her first injunction is, "The Sabbath School children shall be taught the Scriptures." Teaching the Scriptures is a matter of individual unfoldment on the part of the teacher, but it is sometimes helpful to know how others have fulfilled this requirement.

Many children enter Sunday School several years before they learn to read for themselves the first lessons and the stories from the Bible that are so dearly loved by these little ones. Therefore these stories must be presented orally in simple words which they can understand. As the children progress, the teacher has the priceless opportunity to introduce to them the text of the Bible and to familiarize them with the use of the Book, instilling in them a great respect and love for it.

One teacher asked the pupils to memorize at home the books of the Bible, with a certain number of books being assigned each week. The teacher explained to the class that this assignment was more than a mere exercise in memorizing and that the primary purpose of learning the books in order was to enable them to use the Bible and to find references quickly and easily. The teacher selected verses from the books assigned which were simple enough for the children to read and understand and were appropriate for reading and discussing in class. Each reading was followed by a discussion of the literal and spiritual meaning through thought-provoking questions and answers.

After the children had learned to use the Bible in this way, the teacher selected stories for home assignments. On the following Sunday they talked about them in class. They started with the New Testament, with the story of Jesus as found in the four Gospels. The assignments were presented in an orderly arrangement and formed a continuing narrative from Sunday to Sunday.

First there were the stories of Jesus' birth and childhood; then the beginning of his ministry, with the calling of the disciples; the healings of Jesus; his parables; the accounts of the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the ascension. Then some time was devoted to his teachings, such as the Sermon on the Mount, which provided an excellent opportunity for a review of the Beatitudes, with the richer background of knowledge and understanding now enjoyed by the pupils. Simple correlative passages were presented from "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, pointing out such things, for instance, as the distinction between Jesus and the Christ and the true meaning of the word "miracle."

The stories of the apostles were taken up, as given in the Book of Acts, and the pupils were introduced briefly to the Epistles, with the reading of some of the best-known passages. A similar plan was used with the Old Testament.

Many hours were spent by the teacher each week in prayerful preparation of these lesson assignments. This same general plan was used with several classes with good results, although the exact working out of the assignments varied with each class, dependent upon the age of the children and their familiarity with the Bible. It should be emphasized that in each case this should be a matter of inspiration and demonstration and not simply a repetition of any prearranged program of study. Such a study of the Scriptures can be presented to the pupils in conjunction with either the first lessons or the next lessons.

Mrs. Eddy writes (Science and Health, p. 333): "Throughout all generations both before and after the Christian era, the Christ, as the spiritual idea,—the reflection of God,—has come with some measure of power and grace to all prepared to receive Christ, Truth. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and the prophets caught glorious glimpses of the Messiah, or Christ, which baptized these seers in the divine nature, the essence of Love." The teacher used these words as a sort of theme which served to tie together the various Bible narratives and especially to connect those of the Old Testament with the words and works of Christ Jesus, as found in the New Testament. The stories of "Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and the prophets" were presented as examples of those "glorious glimpses of the Messiah, or Christ."

Seen in this light, the golden thread of the spiritual meaning of the Scriptures shines through the Old Testament narratives, and the Bible can be seen and appreciated as a whole, illumined by the light of Christian Science.