When some of the people acclaimed Jesus a second Elias or John the Baptist, he questioned his disciples (Matt. 16: 15), "But whom say ye that I am?" Answering his Master's query, Peter, who until then had been called Simon Bar-jona, or son of Jona, replied, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." As soon as Simon had acknowledged the spiritual individuality of the Saviour and his divine descent, Jesus blessed him and added, "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Since the name Peter was taken from the Greek word for stone, Jesus must have been indicating to the disciples that only on the foundation of man's indestructible spiritual sonship with God could his Messianic mission be worthy of perpetuity and immune to the assaults of evil or the carnal mind. His reply to Peter no doubt implied the Christianly scientific reality of man's divine origin and unity with God.
After the resurrection Peter wrote in his first epistle to the members of the early Christian church (2:5, 6): "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded."
The unity of God and man is not merely a beautiful Christian concept taught and lived by Christ Jesus. It is a fundamental scientific fact, revealed to us as ever demonstrable truth by Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science.
