Articles

Throughout his selfless, compassionate ministry, his healing of sin, disease, and death, Christ Jesus corrected the erroneous concept of Deity as a vengeful Jehovah, and revealed the nature of God as the loving creator, as "our Father which art in heaven," as the Giver of all good, who has no condemnation for His children. In the Gospel according to John we read, "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

When Jesus said of himself as a true guide and shepherd, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture," he assured his followers of safety, sustenance, and freedom. What else could the door be but the Christ-example, if he was to reveal to men the way of entering into a new mode of life? Those who had a differing theory, like the Pharisees, he spoke of as thieves and robbers, climbing up "some other way.

It is said, with not a little probability, that the Vatican Manuscript (or "Codex Vaticanus"), the "Codex Sinaiticus," and many manuscript copies of the Bible no longer extant, were prepared at the instance of the Emperor Constantine, who, on his conversion to the Christian faith was anxious to spread the message of the Bible among his subjects. In any event, it seems that both these famous codices do date from about the middle of the fourth century—though Westcott and Hort and other scholars are inclined to consider the Vatican Manuscript as the more important of the two, contending that it represents "more than any other the original text of the New Testament.

The custom of roll call is well known to school children; it is also known in other walks of life where it is necessary to ascertain the personal presence of all who are ready for a day's work. The writer once listened for months to a roll call in the tropic dawn—that time of coolness when long shafts of early sunlight pierce the morning mist.

" Neither do I condemn thee. " What blessed release from the heartaches and heaviness that human vicissitudes may have engendered, these words of the Master import! For personal condemnation conveys a sense of burden and affliction.

In Christian Science the earnest student's spiritual apprehension is ever growing. He frequently finds new lessons in a Bible narrative which has long been familiar to him, such as the one which tells of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.

Two students of Christian Science were talking of experiences in overcoming which had meant spiritual growth to them, when one of them said, "It is not that we think we are better than anyone else, but that we know we are better than we were when Christian Science found us. " A disciple of this teaching quickly learns the importance of right thinking and its connection with right acting, resulting in regeneration of character through holding to elevated ideals.

Our Leader once said to pupils who were considering the advisability of erecting a church building, "Let there first be a Church of Christ in reality —and in the hearts of men before one is organized" (Mary Baker Eddy: A Life Size Portrait, by Dr. Powell).

According to Christian Science  the real man, spoken of in the first chapter of Genesis as created in the image and likeness of God, is coexistent with and inseparable from God. Christ Jesus alone completely exemplified this perfect man.

In one of his wonderful sermons Jesus pointed out to the people who flocked to hear him, the price that they must pay if they intended to do more than passively listen to his words. He said: "Which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?