Part 71 (1/2)
KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES
These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.
- REVELATION.
CHAPTER XV - GENESIS
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob by the name of G.o.d Almighty; but by My name Jehovah was I not known to them. - EXODUS.
All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. - JOHN.
Spiritual interpretation
501:1 SCIENTIFIC interpretation of the Scriptures prop- erly starts with the beginning of the Old Testa- 501:3 ment, chiefly because the spiritual import of the Word, in its earliest articulations, often seems so smothered by the immediate context as to 501:6 require explication; whereas the New Testament narra- tives are clearer and come nearer the heart. Jesus il- lumines them, showing the poverty of mortal existence, 501:9 but richly recompensing human want and woe with spiritual gain. The incarnation of Truth, that amplifi- cation of wonder and glory which angels could only 501:12 whisper and which G.o.d ill.u.s.trated by light and har- mony, is consonant with ever-present Love. So-called mystery and miracle, which subserve the end of natural 501:15 good, are explained by that Love for whose rest the weary ones sigh when needing something more native to their immortal cravings than the history of perpetual 501:18 evil.
Spiritual overture
502:1 A second necessity for beginning with Genesis is that the living and real prelude of the older Scriptures is so 502:3 brief that it would almost seem, from the preponderance of unreality in the entire nar- rative, as if reality did not predominate over unreality, 502:6 the light over the dark, the straight line of Spirit over the mortal deviations and inverted images of the creator and His creation.
Deflection of being
502:9 Spiritually followed, the book of Genesis is the history of the untrue image of G.o.d, named a sinful mortal. This deflection of being, rightly viewed, serves to 502:12 suggest the proper reflection of G.o.d and the spiritual actuality of man, as given in the first chapter of Genesis. Even thus the crude forms of human thought 502:15 take on higher symbols and significations, when scien- tifically Christian views of the universe appear, illuminat- ing time with the glory of eternity.
502:18 In the following exegesis, each text is followed by its spiritual interpretation according to the teachings of Chris- tian Science.
502:21 EXEGESIS
_Genesis_ i. 1. In the beginning G.o.d created the heaven and the earth.
Ideas and ident.i.ties
502:24 The infinite has no beginning. This word _beginning_ is employed to signify _the only_, - that is, the eternal ver- ity and unity of G.o.d and man, including 502:27 the universe. The creative Principle - Life, Truth, and Love - is G.o.d. The universe reflects G.o.d.
There is but one creator and one creation. This crea- 503:1 tion consists of the unfolding of spiritual ideas and their ident.i.ties, which are embraced in the infinite Mind and 503:3 forever reflected. These ideas range from the infini- tesimal to infinity, and the highest ideas are the sons and daughters of G.o.d.
503:6 _Genesis_ i. 2. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of G.o.d moved upon the face of the waters.
Spiritual harmony
503:9 The divine Principle and idea const.i.tute spiritual har- mony, - heaven and eternity. In the universe of Truth, matter is unknown. No supposition of error 503:12 enters there. Divine Science, the Word of G.o.d, saith to the darkness upon the face of error, ”G.o.d is All-in-all,” and the light of ever-present Love illumines 503:15 the universe. Hence the eternal wonder, - that infinite s.p.a.ce is peopled with G.o.d's ideas, reflecting Him in countless spiritual forms.
503:18 _Genesis_ i. 3. And G.o.d said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Mind's idea faultless
Immortal and divine Mind presents the idea of G.o.d: 503:21 _first_, in light; _second_, in reflection; _third_, in spiritual and immortal forms of beauty and goodness. But this Mind creates no element nor symbol of 503:24 discord and decay. G.o.d creates neither erring thought, mortal life, mutable truth, nor variable love.
_Genesis_ i. 4. And G.o.d saw the light, that it was good: 503:27 and G.o.d divided the light from the darkness.
G.o.d, Spirit, dwelling in infinite light and harmony 504:1 from which emanates the true idea, is never reflected by aught but the good.
504:3 _Genesis_ i. 5. And G.o.d called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morn- ing were the first day.