CHRISTIAN SCIENCE teaches us that man is the spiritual reflection, or expression, of the one God, Spirit, Mind, Love. This is very definitely implied in the first chapter of Genesis. The supreme and infinite God created the entire spiritual universe, including heaven, earth, light, land, trees, plants, animals, and man.
Christian Science also teaches us that for every spiritual idea, or truth, of divine Mind there arises a false supposition that this idea is not spiritual but material. This lie about the spiritual creation is depicted in the second and third chapters of Genesis in the form of an allegory, and the first liar is represented as a talking serpent. This dualistic interpretation of God and man was maintained throughout Old Testament times and was not denied until Christ Jesus proved that Spirit is All and matter is nothing but a tenacious belief, a worldwide dream.
But most of mankind then, as now, were not ready to accept the transcendental teachings of Jesus. The result was that the exponents of the established hierarchies were his severest critics, and many of his adversaries, such as the Pharisees, made every effort to have him destroyed. They wanted to do this legally, if possible, by trapping him in conversation in order to have him unjustly sentenced by a materialistic and prejudiced court. No doubt they hated him because his rebuke of their hypocrisy was sharp and unmistakable; but, above all, they feared his teachings, which exposed and contradicted the weaknesses of their cherished doctrines.
