THE Christian Science Bible Lessons, which appear in the Christian Science Quarterly, were born of the wisdom and foresight of the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy. She was the first preacher, as well as the first pastor in the denomination. She gave the name "Bible Lessons" forty years ago to her illuminating explanations of Scriptural texts, which now appear under this same title in her work "Miscellaneous Writings." She appointed the members of the Bible Lesson Committee in 1889, and reference to their work first appeared in the January Journal of 1890. Three months later, these Lessons were issued, by Mrs. Eddy's direction, as the Christian Science Quarterly. The Bible Lessons were at first similar in form to the International Series, then widely used in Protestant Sunday schools, and were prepared, not for the church services, but only for the Christian Science Sunday Schools, which at that time included adults as well as those under twenty years of age.
Mrs. Eddy's students followed her example, as the preachers and the pastors in the Christian Science churches, until the completion of the original Mother Church edifice in 1894. Then she ordained that the Christian Science Bible Lessons be used as sermons in the church services, and that the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," be the only pastor and the only preacher at these services. Thereafter, "Scriptural texts, and their correlative passages from our denominational textbook" (Quarterly, Explanatory Note), comprised the Sermon. The topics in the International Series were used until 1898, when our beloved Leader named the present list of sermon subjects. Thus, Mrs. Eddy worked continuously in Truth for thirty-two years, from the time of her discovery of Christian Science in 1866, before she fully completed her demonstration for the Christian Science Bible Lessons, as at present provided for in the Manual of The Mother Church. What gratitude we owe our beloved Leader for this persistent, untiring labor of love!
Viewed historically, the Bible Lessons are a plant of sturdy growth. They present spiritual facts, divine ideas, forever present in infinite Mind, facts or ideas which destroy sin and heal disease. The prophet gives to the incorporeal, healing Word the name of pastor, when he says, "I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." This pastor, the Word of God, has ever been the preacher, when there has been a prophet to lead the children of Israel out of the bondage of material Egypt into the promised land of spiritual freedom. Nehemiah tells us that when the walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt, readers "read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." Then, as the result of preaching the Word, "there was very great gladness." Where the Word of God is preached, understood, and demonstrated, there is always "very great gladness." Luke also recounts a lesson-sermon preached by the Prophet of Galilee in his home town of Nazareth. Christ Jesus first read the Scriptural text from Isaiah beginning, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me." Then he corroborated and explained the Bible text in its "spiritual import and application" (Quarterly, Explanatory Note) to his and to all ages, saying, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." In the Christian Science Bible Lessons, through Mrs. Eddy's prophetic vision, the Christ, Truth, is now preached and heard in its purity, the Scriptures are being fulfilled, and "the Spirit of the Lord" is upon the pastor and the flock.
