Mary Baker Eddy, Pastor Emeritus of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, includes in her Manual of The Mother Church a "Historical Sketch," describing important events in the Church's development. The following is her very first statement: "In the spring of 1879, a little band of earnest seekers after Truth went into deliberations over forming a church without creeds, to be called the 'Church of Christ, Scientist.'" Manual, p. 17
That single sentence gives evidence of a truly radical aspect of Mrs. Eddy's concept of Church, its founding upon a divine Principle provable in individual experience, rather than upon assent to a creedal formula. In conceiving and establishing her Church in this way, she departed from centuries of tradition that had enmeshed the Christian community in bitter debate and fragmented its membership.
In its earliest days, the Christian community consisted of individuals whose lives had been touched by the ministry of Christ Jesus. Recollections of him, and of his healings and teachings, were a natural topic of conversation among them, and it soon became common for them to get together to share a meal, hear speakers, and talk about how their faith was transforming their lives and characters. It wasn't surprising that these events were known as agapē meals. Agapē, a Greek noun, means love in the particular sense of brotherly love and in contrast to erōs, or passionate love, often centered on self. Sisterly and brotherly love was expressed around the table; love was to be given and received freely by all who were present. Such an agapē meal may have been the setting where young Eutychus fell down from his seat high above the room where Paul was speaking. The book of Acts describes his restoration to life and the joy of Christians who witnessed it. See Acts 20:7-12 Healings such as this were clear proof that they correctly understood Christ Jesus' theology.
