CHRIST JESUS' words, "Search the scriptures," or as the Revised Version has it, "Ye search the scriptures," were spoken, it would appear, in defense of his mission and works. The healing of the cripple had preceded the utterance. The Jews, whose materiality was rebuked by the Master's adherence to the spirit rather than to the letter of the Scriptures, sought to kill him; and as he replied to their accusation that he had broken the Sabbath and made himself equal with God, his words must have come to them with a note of authority, for Jesus' knowledge of the Scriptures exceeded their own. The most unobservant of his followers could scarcely have failed to notice how frequently he strengthened his teachings by an appeal to the writings of the Old Testament for confirmation, writings which were supposed to be well known to his hearers. That he possessed a remarkable grasp of the inspired word of the Scriptures is easily discerned as one studies his talks with his disciples and with the Jews. His citations were always apt, direct, and compelling; and his hearers were aware of an innate power behind his statements, due to his evident knowledge of the subject he presented, a power never present when utterance lacks the background of applied understanding.
The searching of the Scriptures is as direct a duty devolving on the Christians of to-day as on those to whom Jesus spoke centuries ago. The word "search" implies the use of practically every possible avenue of investigation. To quote only a few definitions, "search" signifies research, scrutation, sifting, exhaustive inquiry, study, analysis, the act of trying out or putting to the test. In the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy so uses this word in the following passage (p. 109): "For three years after my discovery, I sought the solution of this problem of Mind-healing, searched the Scriptures and read little else, kept aloof from society, and devoted time and energies to discovering a positive rule."
Mrs. Eddy's faithful, consecrated, and inspired search has given to this age the "key" with which we can enter into the fair realm of the Scriptures and unlock their treasures. It has been said that, compared with the knowledge which the Scriptures contain, every other subject of human inquiry is vanity and emptiness; and someone has said, "There is not any action that a man ought to do or forbear but the Scriptures will give him a clear precept, or prohibition for it." Such utterances may well be indorsed by every faithful student of Christian Science. Day by day they are learning to love and practice the Bible teachings, as they are unfolded in conjunction with the study of the textbook of Christian Science.
