The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is the foundation for the theology and practice of Christian Science. In particular, Jesus’ ministry illustrates how healing and regeneration are experienced as we recognize through prayer that our true nature is spiritual and that we are made ‘in the image and likeness’ of God, as the first chapter of Genesis records. Further examples of spiritual healing can be seen in the biblical accounts of Jesus’ immediate disciples and followers, as well as in the lives of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and the prophets in the Old Testament.
For Mary Baker Eddy, Christian Science flowed out of an inspired understanding of the Bible, which illumined the divine laws behind spiritual healing. These laws of God are powerful mandates, always present and operating to heal, redeem, and bless humanity. The title of her primary work, Science and Health, includes the phrase “Key to the Scriptures,” indicating its inseparable connection with the Bible. When describing her discovery of Christian Science, she wrote, “The Bible has been my only authority,” and, “The Bible contains the recipe for all healing” (Science and Health, pp. 126, 406). Of the six brief tenets of Christian Science, the first is: “As adherents of Truth, we take the inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life” (Science and Health, p. 497).
A weekly Bible Lesson offers individual study and is the heart of the Sunday worship services. Readings from the Bible are also featured in the midweek testimony meeting, where those gathered share ways they’ve applied the spiritual lessons of the Scriptures to real-life challenges—big and small. Sunday School for students up to the age of 20 is anchored in the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Sermon on the Mount.