WE may well rejoice in knowing that the Scriptures are being studied at this period as never before, and for the best of reasons, whether or not the result to the individual brings at once the fulness of blessing which it should. If it ever fails to do so, it can only be for the reason given by Christ Jesus, who said to some of his critics, "Ye search the Scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of me; and ye will not come to me, that ye may have life" (Revised Version). Those who daily strive to know better the ever present Christ, find each day new treasures in the Word of God, and these in turn enrich the human experience and enable the earnest seeker to prove that the kingdom of God is here and now.
Mrs. Eddy tells us that "the central fact of the Bible is the superiority of spiritual over physical power" (Science and Health, p. 131), and only to the extent that this essential truth is recognized and demonstrated does humanity rise above the debasing bondage of servitude to materiality, with its entailed results of sin, disease, and death.
While it is true that Christian Scientists should above all else seek spiritual understanding, it is highly important that they study the Bible with the care it deserves, and strive to gain the utmost accuracy in quoting from it or in reaching conclusions as to the persons and events mentioned therein. No one would deny that this accuracy is demanded on the plane of physical science or in business affairs, and surely it is even more necessary to gain correct views of the events which point the way out of mortal beliefs about existence up to the harmony and power of spiritual being. This does not mean that much time should be given to critical research of the historical setting of Scriptural teaching where conclusions are apt to be at best uncertain, but we can at least avoid the acceptance of opinions which have to a large extent been gathered from works of fiction that deal with Bible topics and which can be corrected in many instances by a more careful study of the Bible itself.
