Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20060618.htm

PROFITABLY LEARNING FROM THE ERRORS OF THE CULTS
Part VI: Profitably Learning From The Errors Of Christian Science
(Matthew 5:18-19 et al.)
  1. Introduction
    1. The publication, The Christian Science Monitor, a respected work that has its political cartoons and editorials often repeated in many secular newspapers, is produced by the Christian Science Church.
    2. However, Christian Science is a cult with great error in light of Scripture, and we can learn from viewing how it arrived at its beliefs the need to put God's written Word above human experience and imagination:
  2. Profitably Learning From The Errors Of Christian Science, Matthew 5:18-19 et al.
    1. Christian Science began by a deep desire for a woman to address her physical suffering for blessing:
      1. Mary Baker Eddy suffered a spinal weakness that affected her physically and mentally. After two failed marriages, she sought help from the hypnotist, P. P. Quimbly of Portland, Maine.
      2. As she listened to Quimbly, her "mind over matter" ideas typical of Christian Science originated. She later sought to fend off criticism for shallowness in her beliefs, and so disclaimed any ties with Quimbly, saying he was a mesmerist, Walter Martin and N. Klann, The Christian Science Myth (1954).
    2. Thus, Mary Baker Eddy's theology developed into an unbiblical cult that swapped reality for an illusion:
      1. Though she said she depended on the Bible, she said Genesis 2:7 that claims God formed man from the ground and breathed into him to make him alive was a "lie," Eddy, Science and Health, 1910, p. 524.
      2. Mary Baker Eddy denied that physical death was real, saying it was a grand illusion, Ibid., p. 584.
      3. She also denied that God the Father would vent His wrath on His Only Begotten Son, so she denied the orthodox doctrine of the efficacy of the atonement of Christ's death on the cross, Ibid., p. 23, 25.
      4. To her, Jesus was a mere man with "the Christ" concept, Ibid. (as cited from Gary Wall's article, "A catalogue of cults: Where they stand on the deity of Christ," Moody Monthly, July-Aug. 1979)
      5. Mary denied the existence of sin in man, claiming he was not capable of it, Science and Health, p. 475.
      6. Her most predominant belief was that of "mind over matter" re: healing: she held one can heal himself if he has faith so that relying on the American Medical Association's practitioners is to err before God!
    3. Yet, the Bible exposes the theological error of Eddy's Christian Science beliefs and approach to reality:
      1. Matthew 7:15-20 claims we can discern the spiritual quality of a prophet by his "fruit," what he or she produces, and this "fruit" in Mrs. Eddy's life and those of her followers reveals her to be a false teacher:
        1. Mary Baker Eddy did not find a cure for her physical problem, but as she neared death, she became increasingly afraid and problematic until her death on December 2, 1910. (Ibid., Martin and Klann)
        2. The 5/2/1988 issue of USA TODAY, p. 1A-2A documented the death of 15 month old Matthew Swan of Sioux City, IA caused by the beliefs of the Christian Science Church. His parents who were members of an area Christian Science group, refused to hospitalize him in accord with to the dictates of their Church leaders even though he had spinal meningitis! When Matthew died, his parents left the Church and formed the Child Health Care Is A Legal Duty organization (C.H.I.L.D.) to work for legislation that would make all parents required to use professional medical help.
      2. Scripture itself counters the theological errors of Christian Science as follows:
        1. Jesus taught that God's written revelation is without error down to the parts of each Hebrew letter of each word that logically distinguish it from being another written letter, Matt. 5:18-19. Such realism counters Eddy's "mind over matter" view that redefines reality in terms of her imagination!
        2. Death awaits every man, and then the judgment, cf. Hebrews 9:27.
        3. Christ satisfied God the Father's wrath as our propitiation on the cross, 1 John 2:2.
        4. Jesus is the Creator-God come in the flesh, John 1:1, 3, 14.
        5. All men have sinned, and need Christ's salvation by faith in His death, Romans 3:23-24.
Lesson: Mary Baker Eddy tried to resolve her physical needs by DECEIVING HERSELF in adopting a false "mind over matter" view of reality that replaced objective Biblical revelation.

Application: (1) May realize that, as objective Scripture reveals, only in the Rapture will the believer's physical needs be fully met, Rom. 8:18-23! (2) May we (a) interpret Scripture using the NORMAL interpretation as Jesus did (Matt. 5:18-20) (b) and avoid the self-deception noted in 2 Timothy 3:13b!