In following these leadings of scientific revelation, the Bible was my only textbook. The Scriptures were illumined; reason and revelation were reconciled, and afterwards the truth of Christian Science was demonstrated. No human pen nor tongue taught me the Science contained in this book, SCIENCE AND HEALTH; and neither tongue nor pen can overthrow it. This book may be distorted by shallow criticism or by careless or malicious students, and its ideas may be temporarily abused and misrepresented; but the Science and truth therein will forever remain to be discerned and demonstrated.[1]
Christian Science is the
rather strange name for a group that is neither Christian nor Scientific. That
is if we understand Christianity to be the historic faith founded upon the
Bible and believed upon by most Christians throughout church history; and
Science to be a ‘knowledge or a
system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws
especially as obtained and tested through scientific method.’[2]
The Church of
Christ, Scientist was founded by Mary Baker-Eddy in New England, USA in 1879.
She, like most of the founders of ‘Christian’ cults, taught that she was
restoring ‘true’ Christianity and that her teaching was thoroughly biblical.
For an
overview of what this church teaches, I would point you to an article on our
website,[3] but here we consider what
they teach concerning the Lord Jesus.
Who do you say
that I am?
“If there had
never existed such a person as the Galilean Prophet, it would make no
difference to me.”[4]
Mary Baker Eddy
This is an astonishing statement. Though they have the word Christian in their
name, and speak of Jesus Christ, the Jesus of Christian Science is
unrecognisable from the one believed upon and taught by the historic church.
Christian
Science versus The Bible
1)
Christian
Science denies that Jesus is the Christ.
‘The
invisible Christ was imperceptible to the so-called personal senses, whereas
Jesus appeared as a bodily existence. This dual personality of the unseen and
the seen, the spiritual and material, the eternal Christ and the corporeal
Jesus manifest in flesh, continued until the Master's ascension, when the
human, material concept, or Jesus, disappeared, while the spiritual self, or
Christ, continues to exist in the eternal order of divine Science, taking away
the sins of the world, as the Christ has always done, even before the human
Jesus was incarnate to mortal eyes.’[5]
"The
spiritual Christ was infallible; Jesus, as material manhood, was not
Christ."[6]
The Bible teaches:
Who is the liar
but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist,
he who denies the Father and the Son. 1 John 5:22
Simon Peter
replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are
you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to
you, but my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 16:16-17
And he said to
them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all
that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should
suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Luke 24:25-26
2)
Christian Science denies that Jesus is God
‘The Christian who believes in the First
Commandment is a monotheist. Thus he virtually unites with the Jew’s belief in
one God and recognizes that Jesus Christ is not God, as Jesus himself declared,
but is the Son of God.’[7]
“The theory of three persons in one God (that is, a personal Trinity or Tri-unity) suggests polytheism rather than the one ever-present I AM.”[8]
The Bible
teaches:
The Father is called God:
Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead Galatians 1:1
The Son is called God:
But
of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the sceptre of uprightness is the
sceptre of your kingdom. Hebrews 1:8
The Holy Spirit is called God:
But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your
heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of
the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold,
did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal?
Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to
man but to God.” Acts 5:3-4
Jesus is God
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God John 1:1
And the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only
Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” John
8:58
Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28
3) Christian Science denies the atonement of Jesus
"The real atonement - so infinitely beyond the heathen conception that God requires human blood to propitiate His justice and bring His mercy - needs to be understood. That God's wrath should be vented upon His beloved Son, is divinely unnatural . One sacrifice, however great, is insufficient to pay the debt of sin. The material blood of Jesus was no more efficacious to cleanse from sin when it was shed upon "the accursed tree", than when it was flowing in his veins as he went daily about his Father's business."[9]
The Bible teaches:
Indeed,
under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the
shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 9:22
And
they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open
its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation…” Revelation 5:9
He
entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats
and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
Hebrews 9:12
How
much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve
the living God. Hebrews 9:14
Whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. Romans 3:25
4)
Christian
Science teaches that Jesus did not die
“His disciples believed Jesus to be dead while he was hidden in the sepulcher, whereas he was alive, demonstrating within the narrow tomb the power of Spirit to overrule mortal, material sense . . . . Our Master fully and finally demonstrated divine Science in his victory over death and the grave.”[10]
‘Jesus' students, not sufficiently advanced fully to understand their Master's triumph, did not perform many wonderful works, until they saw him after his crucifixion and learned that he had not died.’[11]
The Bible
teaches:
When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John 19:30
But
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for
us. Romans 5:8
By
this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our
lives for the brothers. 1 John
3:16
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Romans 5:10
In
this short article we see clearly that the Jesus of Christian Science is clearly
at odds with the Jesus of Scripture. Theirs is a different Jesus that cannot
save them.
[1] Science & Health with a Key to the
Scriptures – Mary Baker Eddy p.110
[2] Science | Definition of Science by
Merriam-Webster (merriam-webster.com)
[4] The First Church of Christ Scientist and Miscellany, pp. 318, 319
[5] Science & Health p.334
[6] Miscellaneous Writings, page 84
[7] Science & Health p.361
[8] Science and Health p.256
[9] No and Yes, p.
34, 23, 25, cited in Anthony A. Hoekema, Christian Science, p. 49.
[10] Science and Health, p.44-45
[11] Science
& Health, p.45,46
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