Chapter XV
Genesis
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob by the
name of God 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-
SCIENTIFIC interpretation of the Scriptures prop-
erly starts with the beginning of the Old Testa-
ment, chiefly because the spiritual import of
the Word, in its earliest articulations, often
seems so smothered by the immediate context as to
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,
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
whisper and which God illustrated by light and har-
mony, is consonant with ever-present Love. So-called
mystery and miracle, which subserve the end of natural
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
evil.
Spiritual overture
502:1
A second necessity for beginning with Genesis is that
A second necessity for beginning with Genesis is that
the living and real prelude of the older Scriptures is so
brief that it would almost seem, from the
preponderance of unreality in the entire nar-
rative, as if reality did not predominate over unreality,
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
Spiritually followed, the book of Genesis is the history
of the untrue image of God, named a sinful mortal. This
deflection of being, rightly viewed, serves to
suggest the proper reflection of God and the
spiritual actuality of man, as given in the first chapter
of Genesis. Even thus the crude forms of human thought
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
In the following exegesis, each text is followed by its
spiritual interpretation according to the teachings of Chris-
tian Science.
502:21
EXEGESIS
EXEGESIS
502:22
Genesis i. 1. In the beginning God created the heaven
Genesis i. 1. In the beginning God created the heaven
and the earth.
Ideas and identities
502:24
The infinite has no beginning. This word beginning
The infinite has no beginning. This word beginning
is employed to signify the only, – that is, the eternal ver-
ity and unity of God and man, including
the universe. The creative Principle – Life,
Truth, and Love – is God. The universe reflects God.
There is but one creator and one creation. This crea-