The early Christian church was the outgrowth of Christ Jesus' teaching and was inseparable from it. The disciples' healing work helped to establish the churches. It was to the early churches that the messages of John's revelation were addressed. In the second and third chapters of Revelation we read repeatedly, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
Today Christian Science is speaking through the Bible and the writings of Mrs. Eddy in the services of the Church of Christ, Scientist. As in the early days Christ, Truth, speaks to the individual through the Church. Christian Science can no more be separated from the organization which is bringing it to mankind than the teachings of Jesus could be separated from the early church. For this reason we see that the institutional church will prosper as the spiritual healing of Christian Science progresses under its protection.
Jesus declared that the spiritual perception of the Christ was the foundation upon which his church would be built, and he added (Matt. 16:18), "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The spiritual idea of Church is destined to destroy every claim of sin. In her definition of "Church" in Science and Health, our Leader first defines the spiritual idea, Church, in these words (p. 583): "The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle." The second part of the definition gives the redemptive mission of Church in its application to human experience: "The Church is that institution, which affords proof of its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas and the demonstration of divine Science, thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick."
