First Church of Christ, Scientist, La Cañada Flintridge, California

Wednesday Meeting Readings

w241016WMGC
Partr 1 - Saint Paul establishes the Church
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
The Bible
  1. Titus 1:1-3

    1Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

    2In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

    3But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

  2. Acts 22:1, 3-8, 10, 21

    1Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.

    ... 3I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

    4And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

    5As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

    6And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

    7And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

    8And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

    ... 10And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

    ... 21And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

  3. Acts 13:1 (to ;), 2 2nd the, 3, 6-10, 12, 44-46, 48, 49

    1Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers;

    ... the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

    3And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

    6And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar–jesus:

    7Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

    8But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

    9Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

    10And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

    ... 12Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

    44And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

    45But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

    46Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

    ... 48And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

    49And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.

  4. Acts 14:1-10, 19, 20

    1And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.

    2But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.

    3Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

    4But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.

    5And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,

    6They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about:

    7And there they preached the gospel.

    8And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked:

    9The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,

    10Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

    19And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.

    20Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

  5. Acts 15:36 Paul, 40, 41

    Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.

    ... 40And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.

    41And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

  6. Acts 16:5, 9-15

    5And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

    ... 9And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

    10And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

    11Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;

    12And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.

    13And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

    14And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

    15And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

  7. Acts 17:16, 17, 22-28

    16Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

    17Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

    22Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

    23For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

    24God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

    25Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

    26And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

    27That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

    28For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

  8. Acts 18:1, 8-11 2nd and

    1After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;

    ... and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.

    9Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:

    10For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.

    11And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

  9. Acts 19:1 (to :), 8, 10, 11, 20

    1And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus:

    ... 8And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.

    ... 10And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

    11And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:

    20So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

  10. Acts 20:17-24, 28, 32

    17And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

    18And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,

    19Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:

    20And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house,

    21Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

    22And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:

    23Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.

    24But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

    28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

    ... 32And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.


Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
by Mary Baker Eddy

  1. SH 324:19-31

        Paul was not at first a disciple of Jesus but a perse-cutor of Jesus’ followers. When the truth first appeared 21Paul’s enlightenmentto him in Science, Paul was made blind, and his blindness was felt; but spiritual light soon enabled him to follow the example and teach-24ings of Jesus, healing the sick and preaching Christian-ity throughout Asia Minor, Greece, and even in imperial Rome.

    27    Paul writes, “If Christ [Truth] be not risen, then is our preaching vain.” That is, if the idea of the suprem-acy of Spirit, which is the true conception of being, 30come not to your thought, you cannot be benefited by what I say.

  2. SH 326:23

        Saul of Tarsus beheld the way — the Christ, or Truth 24— only when his uncertain sense of right yielded to a Conversion of Saulspiritual sense, which is always right. Then the man was changed. Thought assumed a 27nobler outlook, and his life became more spiritual. He learned the wrong that he had done in persecuting Chris-tians, whose religion he had not understood, and in hu-30mility he took the new name of Paul. He beheld for the first time the true idea of Love, and learned a lesson in divine Science.

  3. SH 560:22-24, 28-1

        Abuse of the motives and religion of St. Paul hid from view the apostle’s character, which made him equal to 24Persecution harmfulhis great mission. ... To mis-understand Paul, was to be ignorant of the divine idea he 30taught. Ignorance of the divine idea betrays at once a greater ignorance of the divine Principle of the idea — igno-561561:1rance of Truth and Love.

  4. SH 79:17-18 The

    The Apostle 18Paul bade men have the Mind that was in the Christ.

  5. SH 325:20-24

        Paul had a clear sense of the demands of Truth upon 21mortals physically and spiritually, when he said: “Pre-Consecration requiredsent your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, ac-ceptable unto God, which is your reasonable 24service.”

  6. SH 200:25

        St. Paul said: “For I determined not to know any-thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” 27(I Cor. ii. 2.) Christian Science says: I am determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him glorified.

  7. SH 455:20-23

    God selects 21for the highest service one who has grown into such a fitness for it as renders any abuse of the mission an im-possibility.

  8. SH 223:2-3

    Paul said, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not 3fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

From the Christian Science Hymnal
Hymn 537: “O church of God, built on a firm foundation”
Hymn 5: “A voice from heaven we have heard"
Hymn 176: “Long hast thou stood, O church of God”