BIBLE CHARACTERS MENTIONED IN THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE BIBLE LESSON

July 25, 2004

Compiled by C.Norman Wood, Burke, VA, 703-898-8818, woodcn@aol.com

SUBJECT: Truth

GOLDEN TEXT: Praise to God (Isa 25: 1)

Isaiah/Esaias

[Ī sā’uh] (“Jehovah is salvation”)

TIME LINE: 760-673 BCE

Kings of Israel:  Jeroboam II, Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem,

Pekah, Pekahiah,Hoshea (Israelfalls to Assyrians 722 BCE)

Kingsof Judah:   Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh

Kingsof Assyria: Ashurdan II, Ashur-Nirari V, Tiglath-Pileser

III,Shalmaneser V, Sargon II, Sennacherib, Esarhaddon

OtherProphets: Hosea, Micah

Traditionaldate for the founding of Rome 753 BCE

Amoz (father)

Isaiah = “prophetess”

Shearjashub

Mahershalal-hashbaz

= possibly a second wife

Immanuel?

It appearsthat the eigthth-century prophet Isaiah was from Jerusalem (incontrast to Amos and Jeremiah, who grew up on the periphery), which was thecenter of his activity. He seems to havebelonged to the upper ranks of society. He was married to a woman he called the prophetess and they had at leasttwo sons: Shearjashub andMahershalal-hashbaz. There may also havebeen a third son, Immanuel, either by the prophetess or possibly a secondwife. Isaiah is mentioned outside thebook attributed to him in II Kings and II Chronicles.

Isaiahprophesied in Judah during the reigns of kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, andManasseh in the second half of the eighth century.  He had access to the king and was his counselor.

His first call to theprophetical office is not recorded. A second call came to him "in theyear that King Uzziah died.” Heexercised his ministry in a spirit of uncompromising firmness and boldness inregard to all that bore on the interests of religion. He conceals nothing andkeeps nothing back from fear of man. He was also noted for his spirituality andfor his deep-toned reverence toward "the holy One of Israel."

TheBook of Isaiah falls into two major books:

Chapters1-39 First Isaiah

Chapters40-66 Second Isaiah (Deutero-Isaiah)

Alternately, some scholars refer tochapters 40-55 as Second Isaiah, and chapters 56-66 asThird Isaiah.

Due to hisfrequent references to wisdom forms and vocabulary there is a tendency toregard him as a member of the wisdom school, or as a wisdom teacher, but thisis unclear.

Bates, Edward P. (CSD, CSPS Trustee, Director, and TMCPresident), “Prophetic Scripture,” Journal(December 1893), p. 388

--TheScriptures teach largely through prophecy.

• First, as towhat man believes himself to be: Second, as to what he really is.

--DivineLove, through the teaching of prophecy, is constantly drawing man to his primalsource.

• Isaiahconstantly proclaims the necessity of overcoming the evidence of the senses,and affirms that the Christ cannot enter our consciousness until this isconsummated.

---This isrepeated in various parts of his

writings

--prophecymust continue until man finds himself in his right relationship to God.

• Prophecyteaches that the fundamental step in this turning to Truth,is the overcoming of the five personal senses and their supposed laws.

Orton, Thora Margaret, “Praisesto God,”POEM, Sentinel (11 January 1988), p. 25.

If we knew more of You than just the fringe—

Accepted the full marvelof Your love—

We’d shake ourselvesawake and quite expunge

The apathy that dims whatwe should prove;

If we would sharpen upour blunt belief

To faith in whatthe psalms have always shown,

We’d find one book ofthem was not enough,

For each of us would addone of his own.

SECTION II: A Childhood Story of Jesus (Luke 2: 25-52)

Simeon

[Sim’ih un] (“hearingor God hears”)

Simeonis the name of five men in the Bible. This week focuses on an aged saint who visited the temple when Jesus wasbeing presented before the Lord, and uttered lofty words of thanksgiving and ofprophecy (Luke 2:29-35).

Leishman, Thomas L., “TheBirth and Early Childhood of Jesus,” THE CONTINUITY OF THE BIBLE, Journal(October 1971), p. 535.

--Virtuallyall of the information about the life and work of Jesus the Messiah must bedrawn from the four Gospels.

--Someof the events that follow the birth of Jesus are recorded only in Luke and othersonly in Matthew.

--WhenJoseph and Mary brought the child Jesus to the Temple at Jerusalem, they weregreeted by Simeon, an aged man of exemplary piety, who looked earnestly forwhat the King James Version terms “the consolation of Israel”—the fulfillment of the great Messianic prophecies of the OldTestament.

•Luke tells of Simeon’s spiritual intuition regarding the child, for “the Holy Ghostwas upon him” (2: 25-28),guiding him as it had guided Gideon, Samuel, and other Old Testament seers.

--The aged prophetess, Anna, daughter ofPhanuel, “departed not from the temple, but servedGod with fastings and prayers night and day” (verse 37), recognized the fulfillment ofher hopes as well.

Twitchell, Pierrepont E., “Simeon,” POEM, Sentinel(27 May 1950), p. 898.

The Holy Spirit told me Iwould see

The dear Messiah ere I goaway.

Today this blessed boonhas come to me!

I heard the call; Iclimbed the temple hill.

I knew at last had comethe glorious day.

I waited till I saw thethree come near.

Within his mother’s armsthe babe lay still;

Within her eyes I saw shealso knew.

I took the child. The mother had no fear,

Not even when I told herof the pain,

And of the gloriousthings he is to do.

We listened while thegracious Spirit told

Of what the waiting worldthrough him would gain,

Of how the little childto manhood grown

Would show us that thearms of God enfold,

Would teach us that thehealing Christ shall be

Enlightening the worldeternally,

And that the Father lovesus as His own.

Anna (“grace”)

Phanuel

Anna  = husband

Anna was an aged widow,the daughter of Phanuel. She was a"prophetess," like Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah. After seven years of married life her husbanddied, and during her long widowhood she daily attended the temple services.  When she was eighty-four years old, sheentered the temple at the moment when the aged Simeon uttered his memorablewords of praise and thanks to God that he had fulfilled his ancient promise insending his Son into the world (Luke 2:36,37).

Leishman, Thomas L., “Elisabethand Anna the Prophetess,” Journal(November 1943), p. 663.

--It is natural that we should think ofElisabeth and Anna the prophetess together, for they shared that deep spiritualinsight which enabled them unquestioningly to accept the coming of Jesus.

•The one joyously foretold his birth; the other readily accepted him while hewas yet an infant as the eagerly awaited Messiah.

--While little is told us concerning Annathe prophetess, enough is recorded to give us a clear glimpse of her character.

•“The daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser,” her brief marriage of but seven yearshad been followed by eighty-four years of widowhood.

---During this time she devotedherself to prophecy, while she made the temple her home, still serving God “withfastings and prayers night and day,” when she must have been well over a hundred years of age.

Willis, John B., [No subject],EDITORIAL, Journal (December 1906), p. 570.

--Itwould be well if in the sweet Christmas time we might hear no tones that clash with the songof peace on earth, but they who have read on beyond the Bethlehem story willremember that when the little child was nestled in the arms of the aged Simeon,he blessed him and said unto Mary his mother, "Behold, this child isset for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shallbe spoken against."

• Blended withthe echoes of that first Christmas chorus was this prophetic forenote of theturmoil and strife which has obtained in human history and human hearts duringall the succeeding centuries.

---ChristJesus came, indeed, to bring peace, but

not the peace of contentmentor compromise with unideality.

• His is thepeace of spiritual sovereignty and of that alone, and until this is attained,his way, though "a blessed and brightening path," is a way ofstruggle and of warfare.

SECTION V: Specific Exhortations of Paul (Phil 4: 1-8)

Euodias

[You oh’dih us] (“good journey”)

Euodias was a femalemember of the church at Philippi.  She was one who with Paul in the spreading ofthe gospel. He exhorts her to be of onemind with Syntyche (Phil 4:2).  From this it seems they had been at variancewith each other.

Corbett, HenryR., Ph.M, “’Whatsoeverthings are true’,” Journal (April 1916), p.15.

--On the seal of a western university may be read inthe Latin form the familiar words of St. Paul,“Whatsoever things are true.”

•Certainly no text more apt could be found for the motto of an institution thusdedicated, under Christian auspices, to the pursuit and spread of truth in allits departments.

--In the Bible text these words do not stand alone,nor do they constitute a complete statement, but they bear a peculiar relationto that well-known passage: “Whatsoeverthings are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things areof good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think onthese things.”

• Here the apostle lays down the rule forguiding the thought of Christian disciples.

---He indicates the things uponwhich the Mind that was in Christ Jesus naturally dwells; and the Christianwhose constant aim is to let that Mind be in him, must faithfully apply thesame test as he guards the portals of his thought.

Linebarger, Iva B., “Being ‘of onemind’,” Journal (January 1932), p. 569.

--In his various letters to the churches the ApostlePaul had much to say about his brethren being “of one mind.”

--Interpretedfrom the human standpoint, to “be of one mind” simply means that many havingdiffering views have so concurred on a given subject that they have come to anagreement of opinion.

• From the viewpoint of the understandingthat Christian Science gives of the one infinite Mind, God, who is reflected byman, we find that in reality all men are “ofone mind,” for in theexpression of the one Mind there can be neither minds many nor conflicting erroneousconclusions.

--we know toowell that mortals have claimed and accepted another sense of mind than the onedivine Mind; and this so-called mind is the very antipode of the one infiniteMind.

Syntyche

[Sin’tih keh] (“fortunate”)

Syntyche was an affable, femalemember of the church at Philippi, whom Paul beseeches to be of one mind with Euodias (Phil 4: 2)

Gilmore,Albert F. (CSB,Editor, and TMC President), “’Of good report’,” EDITORIAL, Sentinel (7 April 1923), p. 630.

--The category of worthy subjects about which Paulenjoined the Christian of Philippi to think, namely the tings which “aretrue,…honest,…just,…pure,…lovely,” he appears to have summarized inthe final term “of good report.”

• May not the things which are “of good report” be understood to include all those previously named, since nothing lessthan the demonstration of truth, honesty, justice, loveliness, and purity couldby any means be entitled to designation as “ofgood report?”

---Then, if the meaning of this termbe accepted as of good reputation or repute,--that which is deemed worthy,--theway is clear for an adequate understanding of Paul’s familiar words.

--The Apostle tothe Gentiles has here set forth a criterion which Christians may well findprofitable of study, and worthy of emulation.

Sinclair, Duncan (CSB and Associate Editor), “’Beof one mind’,” EDITORIAL, Sentinel (27 September 1924), p. 70.

--TheChristian Church had not been long in existence when discussion broke out amongits members.

• Doctrinalpoints began to be disputed, and the old weaknesses of the carnal mind assertedthemselves in jealousy, malice, envy, impurity, and such like traits.

---The evidence of theseunregenerate qualities greatly disturbed the apostles; and so we find Paulmaking strong appeals to those…who had espoused the Christian faith and whocalled themselves Christians.

• “Be of onemind”!

---Thatwas the secret of the comfort and peace which it was the right of every one topossess who followed Christ Jesus in his understanding of the God of love.

--The history of the Christian Church sinceits early days likewise bears witness to many a schism, to man an internaldissention, to many a lapse of many of its members from the Mind of Christ,which surely, should be expected to pervade the thoughts of all.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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