The Gospel in Brief

CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

BEQUEST OF

STEWART HENRY BURNHAM 1943

Cornell University Library

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The Gospel

COUNT LYOF

N.

in

Brief

TOLSTOI

TRANSLATED FROM THE RUSSIAN ORIGINAL EMBODYING

THE AUTHOR'S LAST ALTERATIONS AND REVISIONS

NEW YORK:

THOMAS

Y.

46

East 14TK Street

CROWELL & COMPANY

BOSTON:

loo

Purchase Street

Copyright,

1896,

By Thomas Y. Crowell & Company.

J.

PETERS & SON, typographers, BOSTON, MASS.

NOTE one of a series from Count and philosophic writings, unMade dertaken with his consent and approval. and revised directly from the Russian manuscript containing the Author's latest revisions and alterations, it somewhat differs in form, not only from the German and French translations, but from the Russian edition. Great care has been taken, by several persons whose labours are here gratefully acknowledged, to ensure the correspondence of the translation Avith the Author's meaning and pur-

This

translation

is

Tolstoi's religious

pose.

The reader will be usefully informed that the four works referred to by the Author in the opening of his preface to this book are as follows, namely 1.

:

—

An

Introduction

Theology.

A

a Criticism of Dogmatic in English as Con-

to

My

work known

fession} 2.

A

Criticism of Dogmatic Theology.

parts; the first of sian, at

Geneva 1

—

In three

which only is published in Rusno part being as yet translated.

Published

liy

T. Y. Cro-n-ell

y

&

Co.

NOTE

vi

3. The Four Grospels Harmonised and Translated. Also in three parts ; two of which have been re-

cently published 4.

My

Faith.

^

in English.

Known

in English as

My

Confes-

and My Religion.^ The world that reads has everywhere heard of Tolsto'i as the exponent of certain strange-seeming and revolutionary doctrines, which he identifies with the teaching of Jesus. Numbers of people everywhere have read one or another of the works in which those doctrines are presented. But there are very few people indeed, anywhere, who are aware that now, for fifteen years or more, Tolstoi' has carried forward a wide, systematic and thorough scheme of work, explaining and reinforcing his position on all points and sides some results of which are evidenced in the foregoing enumeration. Those who seek to learn from him, alike with those who would oppose him, must, if earnest and honest, remember that in Tolstoi's writings they have to reckon with a system of thought, of principles, of life. It is not enough lightly to accept, or cast aside, some idea or statement taken in detachment from its context. We have to deal with a system the parts of which stand or fall toAnd anyone who realises this, may know gether. also that there has nowhere risen one single competent critic of Tolstoi'. He has said what he has to say without a shadow of real opposition. Is it that no one can oppose ? sion

;

1

2

By The Brotherhood

Publishing Co., London. Published by T. Y. Crowell & Co.

NOTE

vii

This present book, then, may be taken as the Author's deliberate and careful endeavour to simplify, summarise, and emphasise all that he has before said as to Jesus and his teaching. No discussion of points or conclusions readers credit,

is

attempted

;

who may be startled by, and who may the new and subversiTe readings of

and dis-

the

Gospel story they will here discover, must turn to The Four Gospels Harmonised and Translated to find the discussion and justification of them. word as to what may be the value of this book. We have in Tolstoi' one who for nearly seventy years has taken his part in life. He has known and shared the life of the rich and great, and of the poor and humble traivel, learning, war, all have come in his way if the world be known to any man, it surely is known to him. And for nearly a lifetime he has ranked, not in his own country merely, but through Europe, as a supreme observer and revealer of life. In War and Peace and Anna Karenina he has reproduced, as is commonly said, "life itself." In all those writings of

A

;

;

his first period,

which made his fame, there shines and simple spirit of truth

the one large, profound,

and good purpose. Into his

life,

when

past

its

mid-period, there

comes a sudden illumination, and there transpires a spiritual change such as marks the creation of every prophet the world has had. He feels the unreasonableness, the nothingness, of the

life

of the

world as he lives it and sees it lived around him. In his mind, man's problems of death, of his rela-

NOTE

viii

tion to the universe, of his relation to his fellows, arise in

one great demand for a reasonable solufound in the the solution is found

—

And

tion.

Gospel of Jesus. But not in the Gospel according to the Churches. Here, in this book, is the man Jesus, as men may with a true faith and without superstition understand him. Here, resurrected for modern times by the belief of one greatly learned in human nature and life, moves and breathes and teaches the supreme Man of Nazareth such a one as you and I ;

may

reasonably accept. It is to be believed that many, reading this book, even though feeling that all their

not

doubts are not solved,

satisfied,

blind,

now

may come

demands Whereas I was

all their

to say, "

I see."

In this work the Author has written the language of the Russian people, simple and idiomatic, and therefore peculiarly difficult in some points of And he has replaced allusions not translation. clear to the people in Russia by such as are clear thus the " mustard seed " of Matthew to them The esxiii. 31 here becomes a "birch seed." sential meaning of the Gospel is followed, rather than the strict letter, " which killeth." :

October, 1896.

CONTENTS Note

....

...

Author's Prefaoj;

v 1

THE GOSPEL IX BRIEF CHAP. I.

THE SON OF GOD. Man,

the son of God, is powerless in the flesh,

mid

free in the spirit.

23

("®ut ffatber") II.

LIFE IK

THE

SPIRIT.

Therefore inan must %cork, not for the flesh, bat for the spirit.

("TObicb avt III.

in

THE SOURCE OF The

of all the Father. life

30

beaven")

LIFE.

men has

proceeded

from

40

GOD'S KINGDOM. will of the Father welfare of all men.

Therefore the

("Ubs MngSom come") V.

spirit of

...

("TbaUowcS be Ubs maine") IV.

llie

THE TRUE

is

the

life

and

.....

49

LIFE.

The fulfilment of the personal will leads

to

fulfilment of the Father's will gives true ("ttb? will be »onc") ix

death; the life.

61

CONTENTS

X

FAOE

OHAP.

VI.

THE FALSE

LIFE.

Therefore, in order to receive the true

on earth resign the false

VII.

I

cartb, as in bcavcn")

AND THE FATHEK ARE The true food of everlasting

fulfilment of

("(Bivc U3 tbia tas ouv bailg brcaS")

LIFE

IS

...

90

NOT TEMPORAL.

Therefore true

life is to he lived

in the present.

102

("UblB^a^") IX.

76

OKE.

life is the

the Father's will.

VIII.

man must and live by

....

the spirit.

("®n

life,

of the flesh,

life

TEMPTATIONS. The

illusions of temporal life conceal life in the present.

from men

the

true

("Jforglvc us our Scbts as

X.

we

forgive our^ebtor8")

THE "WARFARE WITH TEMPTATION. Therefore, not to fall by temptation,

moment of life, ("leas us not XI.

he at

we must,

at every

one with the Father.

into temptation")

.

,126

.

THE FAREWELL DISCOURSE. The

self-life is

flesh,

all

an

an

evil.

illusion

which comes through

The true

life is the life

the

common

to

men.

("Selivet us from evil")

XII.

313

THE VICTORY OF THE

137

SPIRIT

OVER THE

FLESH. Therefore, for

common death.

him who

lives,

not the self life, but a

in the will of the Father, there is no Bodily death is for him union with the life

Father.

("Ubine

is

tbe ftinflSom, power, an!) fltor^")

.

146

CONTENTS

XI

A PROLOGUE— PAGH

The Undekstandings of Life being an Explanation AND a new EeNDEKING OF CHAPTER I. 1-18 OF :

John's Gospel

157

A SUMMARY— The Understanding of Life is to do Good being AN Explanation and a new Rendering of John's :

First Epistle

160

A recapitulationSummarising THE Teaching contained in Chapters I.-XIL CHAP.

167

1

II

170

III

173

IV

176

V

180

VI VII VIII

184 190 196

IX

-200

X

206 212 216

XI XII

indexTo Passages from the Four Gospels embodied in "The Gospel in Brief" ,

....

223

— —

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF AUTHOR'S PEEFACE This present book is extracted from a larger work, which exists in manuscript, and cannot be published in Eussia.

That work consists 1.

and

of four parts,

namely

An account of that course of my my thoughts, which led me

of

:

personal to

life,

the con-

viction that in the Christian teaching lies the truth. 2. first,

An

investigation of the Christian teaching

according to the interpretation of

Church

solely

;

tlie

Greek

then, according to the interpreta-

and the interpretaand so-called " fathers."

tion of the Churches generally, tion of the apostles, councils,

Also, an exposition of the falsity in these interpretations. 3.

An

investigation of

the

Christian

teaching,

upon the above interpretations, but solely upon the words and deeds ascribed to Christ by the based, not

four Gospels. 4.

An

Christian

exposition of teaching,

of

the real meaning of the the motives

for

its

per-

— THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

2

versions,

and

consequences

the

of

which

to

it

should lead.

From the third ume is condensed.

of these parts this present

I

vol-

have there effected the fusion

of the four Gospels into one, according to the real

sense of the teaching.

the order in which

my

I

had no need

to digress

from

each Gospel is written, so that in

harmonisation the transposition of verses, rather

than being more, are less numerous than in the greater part of those known to me, and in our Grechoulevitch's version of the four Gospels.

the Gospel of John there all

stands in

My

tlie

is

In my treatment of no transposition, but

same order as

in the original.

division of the Gospel into twelve chapters

(or six, since each pair of the twelve

may

be taken

came about spontaneously from the nature The following is the purport of the teaching.

as one) of

the chapters: 1.

he

is

Man is

by the 2.

the son of the Infinite Source of Being

;

the son of this Father, not by the flesh but spirit.

And

man must

therefore,

serve the Source of

his being, in the spirit. 3.

The

life of all

Origin only 4.

all

And

human 5.

is

therefore, life.

men

has a divine Origin.

This

sacred.

man must

This

is

serve this Source of

the will of the Father.

Service of the Will of the Father of Life

is

hfe-

giving. 6.

each

And therefore, it is not necessary man should satisfy his own will.

to life that

;

AUTHOR'S PREFACE This present

7.

true

life

in time

is

3

the food of the

life.

And

8.

therefore, the true life is outside time

in the present.

it is

9.

Time

an illusion in

is

past and the future clouds

life

;

the

men from

life

of the

the true

life

of the present.

10.

And

must aim to destroy the from the past and future, the life

therefore, one

deception arising in time.

The true life is that now present to us, common to all, and manifesting itself in love. 12. And therefore, he who lives by love now, in 11.

this present, becomes, all

through the

foundation of

life of

life.

So that the chapters, in cause and Besides

—

pairs, are

related as

chapters, this

exposition

effect.

these

twelve

The introduction of the the Gospel of John, where the writer

includes of

common

men, at one with the Father, the source, the

(«)

own name,

speaks, in his

whole tea.ching and :

(&)

first

chapter

of the

Gospel

as to the purport of the

a portion of the

same writer's

Epistle (written probably before the Gospel)

containing

the

;

this

general sense to be derived from

the preceding exposition.

These two parts are not essential to the teaching. Although the former, as well as the latter of them, might be omitted without loss (the more so as they come in the name of John, and not of Christ), I have, nevertheless, kept them, because, to a straightforward understanding of the whole teaching, these

— THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

4 parts,"

confirming

each

and the whole, as

other

against the strange commentaries of the Churches, yield the plainest

evidence of the meaning to be

put upon the teaching. At the beginning of each chapter, besides a brief indication of the subject, I had put words from the prayer taught by Jesus to his

disciples,

such as

corresponded with the contents of the chapter.

At the conclusion of my work I found, to my astonishment and joy, that the Lord's Prayer is noticing less than Christ's whole teaching, stated in

most concise form, and in that same order in which I had already arranged the chapters, each phrase of the prayer corresponding to the purport and sequence of the chapters, as follows 1.

Our Father,

Man

2.

Which

God

3.

Hallowed be Thy name,

art in heaven,

of

is is

:

the son of the Father.

the infinite spiritual source

life.

May

the Source of Life be held

holy. 4.

Thy kingdom

May

come.

His power be established

over all men. 5.

Thy

will

be

done,

as

in

May His

heaven, 6. 7.

is

So also on earth. Give us our daily bread

So

will be fulfilled, as it

in Hiinself,

also in tiie bodily

The temporal the true

8.

This day.

The

9.

And

May

forgive us our debts as

we

forgive our debtors,

true

life is

life.

the food of

life.

life is

in the present.

the faults and errors of the

past not hide this true

life

from

us,

10.

And

lead us not into tempta-

11.

But

12.

For Thine

And may

they not lead us into

delusion,

tion,

deliver us from evil, is

the kingdom.

the power, and the glory.

So that no

And

evil

may come

to us,

there shall be order, and

strength,

and reason.

;

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

5

work

In that large third part from which this is

Gospel according

condensed, the

Evangelists

rendering treat of

presented

is

now

in

But

full.

conception

and death

;

and

birth,

Christ's birth,

and

which

—John the

imprisonment

his

his genealogy

;

his

him into Egypt his miracles Cana and Capernaum the casting out of devils

mother's flight with at

the

in

given, all passages are omitted

the following matters, namely,

Baptist's

the four

to

;

;

the walking on the sea

;

the cursing of the fig-tree

the healing of sick, and the raising of dead people the resurrection of Christ himself

and

;

reference to prophecies fulfilled in his

finally,

the

life.

These passages are omitted in this abridgment, because, containing

nothhig

of

the teaching, and

describing only events which passed before, during,

or after the period

complicate

the

in

which Jesus taught, they

exposition.

However one takes

them, under any circumstance, they bring to the teaching of Jesus neither firmation of its truth.

contradiction

nor con-

Their sole significance for

Christianity was that they proved the divinity cf

Jesus Christ for him divinity beforehand.

whom

who was not persuaded But they are

of this

useless to one

stories of miracles are powerless to convince,

and who,

besides,

doubts the divinity of Jesus as

evidenced in his teaching.

In the

large

work, every departure from the

ordinary version, as well as every to the text,

and every omission,

is

comment added made clear, and

proved by the comparison of the various versions of the Gospels, from the examination of contexts, and

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

6

and

finally,

by considerations,

But

the present abridged rendering,

in

philological

other.

all

these

arguments, and refutations of the false understanding of the Churches, as well as the minute notes

and quotations, are omitted because, however true and exact they may be in their places, they cannot ;

carry conviction as to the true understanding of the

The justness of a conception of this kind by arguing particular points,

teaching.

better proved, not

is

but by

its

own

as well as by all

who

seek

unity, clearness, simplicity, fulness,

its

harmony with the inner

feelings of

Speaking generally, in regard

ti'uth.

what divergence there is between my rendering and the Church's authorised text, the reader must to

not forget that

it is

four Gospels, as

is

a gross error to represent the

often done, to be books sacred

and in every syllable. The reader must not forget that Jesus never himself wrote a book, as did, for instance, Plato, Philo, or Marcus

in every verse

Aurelius

;

that he, moreover, did not, as Socrates

did, transmit his teaching to

men, but spoke

to a

crowd

informed and literate

men and men began to

of illiterate

that only a long time after his death

;

down what they had heard from him. The reader must not forget that a great number

write

of such accounts have been written, from which, at

the Churches selected three, and then another. Moreover, in selecting those which seemed to them the best, according to the proverb, " No stick withfirst,

out knots," the Churches, out of the enormous heap of the Christian literature, have been forced to talvc

in with their bargain a great

many knots

;

so that

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

7

many

the canonical Gospels contain nearly as

faulty

passages as those Gospels rejected as apocryphal.

The reader must not forget that it is the teaching which may be sacred, but iii no \Aay can a certain measure of verses and syllables be so and of Christ

;

that certain verses, from here to here, say, cannot

be sacred merely because men say they are so. Moreover, the reader must not forget that these Gospels

selected

thousands

are,

at

of various brains

anyrate,

the

and hands

of

work

men

;

of

that

during centuries the Gospels have been selected, enlarged,

and commented upon

ancient copies which have come

;

that

down

the to us,

most from

the fourth century, are written straight on without

punctuation, so that, even after the fourth and

fifth

have been the subject of the most and that such variations in the Gospels may be counted up to fifty thousand. The reader must have all this present in mind in order to disengage himself from the opinion, so common

centuries, they

diverse readings

among

us, that

;

the Gospels, in their present shape,

have come to us directly from the Holy Spirit. The reader must not forget that, far f/om it being blamable to disencumber the Gospels of useless passages, and to illuminate passages the one by the other, it is, on the contrary, unreasonable not to do this, and to hold a certain number of verses and syllables as sacred.

On

the other hand, I pray

ber that,

if

my

readers to I'emem-

I do not hold the Gospels to be sacred

books emanating from the Holy

Spirit, I

regard the Gospels as mere historical

yet less

monuments

of

:

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

8

I

religious literature.

understand the theological

as well as the historical standpoint on the Gospels, I but regard the books myself from quite another. pray the readers of my rendering not to be misled,

by the theological view, or by that other, so among educated men, the historical I consider view, neither of which I hold with.

either

usual in our day

Christianity to be neither a pure revelation nor a

phase

but I consider

history,

of

doctrine which gives a meaning to

And it is won me to

it

as the only

life.

neither theology nor history which has Christianity

but just

;

this, that,

when

fifty years old, having questioned myself, and having

questioned the reputed philosophers as to

what

I am,

and as

whom

to the purport of

I

knew,

my

life,

was a fortuitous concatenation of atoms, and that my life was void of purport, and that life itself is evil, I became desperate, and wished to put an end to my life.

and

But

after getting the reply that I

after

recalling

to

myself

how

formerly, in

had religious faith, life possessed meaning for me and that the great mass of men about me, who hold to faith and are uncorrupted by wealth, possess the meaning of life after all this, I was brought into doubt as to the justness of the reply given to me by the wisdom of men of my own station, and I tried once more to understand what answer it is that Christianity gives childhood,

while

I

still

;

to those

men who

live a life

with meaning.

And

I

embarked upon tlie study of Christianity, as to what in this teaching guides the lives of men. I began to study that Christianity which I saw

AUTHOR'S PREFACE make

applied in Kfe, and to

with

Christianity

applied

9

the comparison of this the sources whence

it

The source of the Christian teaching there I found the explanation Gospels, and the

percolates.

the spirit which animates the

life of

But along with the flow

hve.

giving water

perceived

I

I

far,

really

of that pure, life-

much mire and

unrightfully mingled therewith

vented me, so

who

all

is

of

and

;

from seeing the

real,

slime

had pre-

this

pure water.

found that, along with the lofty Christian teaching,

bound up the teachings

are

Hebraism and the

of

Church, both of which are repugnant and foreign to the former.

a

man

long

to

I thus felt

whom

is

and

struggle

among

myself in the position of

given a sack of refuse, who, after

wearisome

labour,

discovers

number of infinitely precious This man then knows tluit he is not

the refuse a

pearls.

blameworthy in that those

his

and

distaste for the dirt,

who have gathered

also

these pearls at the

same time with the rest of the sackful, and who have preserved them, are no more to blame than himself, but, on the contrary, deserve love and respect.

I

knew not

the light, and I thought there was

no sure truth in only light enables sources of the Gospels,

Churches. light I

life

;

men

but when I perceived that to live, I sought to find the

And

light.

despite

the

false

And when

was dazzled with

there full answers to of the lives of

my

I its

I found

them

commentaries reached

tliis

in the of

the

source of

splendour, and I found

questions as to the purport

myself and others,

—answers which

I

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

10

recognised as wholly harmonious with

all

the

answers gained among other nations, and, mind, surpassing all other answers.

known to

my

life, and and that is why I was indifferent to know whether Jesus Christ is or is not God, and from whom proceeds the Holy Spirit, etc. And it is just as unimportant and unnecessary to know when and by whom such and such a Gospel was written, and whether such and such a parable came from Jesus himself or not. For me, the only important concern was this light, which, for eighteen hundred years, has shone upon mankind which has shone upon me likewise, and which shines upon me still. But to know, more than this, how I ought to name the source of this light, what elements compose it, and what kindled it, I in no way concerned myself. I might end this preface here, if the Gospels were newly-discovered books, and if the teaching of Jesus had not been, these eighteen hundred years,

I

sought a solution of the problem of

not of a theological or historical question

;

;

the subject of a continuous series of false interpre-

But

tations.

to-day,

to

rightly

understand

the

teaching of Jesus as he must needs have understood

it

chief

causes

prime

make

himself, it

cause it

now

of of

indispensable to false

know

interpretations.

such false interpretations,

the

The which

so difficult for us to recover the true

teaching of Jesus, of

is

these

is

the fact that, under the cover

the Christian teaching, have been preached the

teachings of the Church, which are

explanations

of

most

made up from

contradictory

writings,

in

AUTHOR'S PREFACE which

only a small

enters

part

II

the

of

teaching

true

even that being distorted and adapted to

;

The teaching

the commentaries.

ing to this misinterpretation,

is

of Christ, accord-

simply one link in

the great chain of revelation which began with the world's beginning and stretches into the Church of

our

own

time.

These misinterpreters recognition

God but the make them

Jesus,

;

not

greater importance in his words and

recognise a

the words of

than in

teaching

call

divinity does

his

of

Pentateuch,

the

the Psalms, the Acts, the Epistles, the Apocalypse,

even the decisions of

or

the

Councils

and

the

writings of the Fathers.

And ment

understanding allows no present-

this false

the

of

teaching of Jesus which

does

not

accord with the revelations which have preceded

and followed him not to

make

;

doing this with

meaning

clear the

the purpose,

teaching of

of the

Jesus, but to harmonise, as far as possible, various

writings which contradict each other

;

such as the

Pentateuch, the Psalms, the Gospels, Epistles, Acts, and, generally, all those which pass for sacred.

make

It is possible, indeed, to of such interpretations,

but the reconcilement the Old and the the case

number with

of

the

Spirit ")

;

:

and such,

This

unlimited.

is

Epistles

" It is

And,

Testaments. Paul,

of

decisions of the Councils

the formula

number

those two irreconcilables,

of

New

these

a limitless

having for object, not truth,

(which

and last

in fact, is

with

the

the

begin with

the will of us and the Holy also,

is

the case

with the

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

12

decrees of popes and synods, with the teachings of

the Khlysty,^ and with

thought sanctions

of

affirming

that

result

these

interpreters of the

recur to

truth

the

their

of

all false

All

Jesus.

of

of

reconcilements,

reconcilements

personal

same gross

the

their

are

but

thought,

not a

the

direct

witness from the Holy Spirit.

Without entering upon an analysis of these which pretends to be the only true one, we may, nevertheless, well see that all of them, beginning by holding sacred the multitude of writings which make up the Old and New Testaments, thereby impose upon themselves an insurmountable barrier to the understanding of the real teaching of Jesus and out of

different dogmatic systems, each of

;

this

confusion necessarily results

the possibility,

and even the necessity, of an infinite variety of opposed sects. The reconcilement of all the revelations can be infinitely varied, but the explanation of the teaching

of

one

should,

person, and

on

difference

the of

upon

one looked

contrary,

not

give

It is impossible

sect.

as a God,

rise

to

any

there should

be conflicting ways of interpreting the teaching of

God come down to earth. If God had so come down to reveal unfailing truth to men, at least Ho would have revealed it in such a way that all might a

understand because

it

;

if,

then, this has not been done, that

was not God who came

;

or

if,

is

indeed, the

truths of God are such that God Himself cannot make them plain to mankind, how can men do so ? A Eussian sect. ^

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

13

on the other hand, Jesus was not God, but only a great man, his teaching can still less For the teaching of a great man engender sects. If,

is

only great because

way

it

explains in a clear, under-

which others have set out That which is inobscurely, incomprehensibly. standable

that

comprehensible in the teaching of a great man is The teachiug of a great man can, not great.

no sects. Only, then, this which pretends to be a revelation from the Holy Spirit, and to contain the sole truth, raises up antagonisms and gives birth to therefore, engender

interpretation,

However much the

sects.

may

sects of various religions

condemn those

assure us that they do not

of

other sects, that they pray for union with them,

and have no hate to them,

it is

not true.

since the time of Arius, has a single

dogma

Never, arisen

from other cause than the desire to contradict an opposing dogma. To maintain that a particular dogma is a divine revelation, inspired

by the Holy

highest degree presumption and

presumption, because there

than for a self says

man

because there to

one

to say, "

through

who

is

is

Spirit, is in the

nothing more arrogant

What

I tell you,

my mouth." And

nothing more stupid than to reply

says that

way

God Him-

the highest folly,

God speaks by

"God own mouth."

his mouth,

says quite the opposite, and by mine

But in

The highest

folly.

and hence have been born, and are now being born, all the sects and all the evil brought, and being brought, into the world in the name of religion. this

reason

all

the Churches

;

;

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

14

And

yet deeper than this surface

sects cherish a second internal vice,

them any character and honesty. It is this.

in

evil, all

the

which destroys

clearness,

certainty,

While these

sects pre-

of

sent us with their false interpretations, as the last

Holy Spirit, they are careful never to precisely and decisively determine what is revelation from the

the very essence and purport of this revelation, which they profess is continued through them, and which they call " the Christian teaching."

All the

from

sectarians

Holy

the

who

the

accept

Spirit, along

tans, recognise Moses, Jesus,

with

revelation

Mahome-

the

and Mahomet.

The Holy

Churchmen accept Moses, Jesus, Spirit. But to Mahometanism, Mahomet is the last prophet, who alone has given the definite explanaand

tion of the

the

—

two preceding revelations,' this is the which explains all the preceding

last revelation,

and

one every true believer has before him.

this

With the otherwise.

religion

That

three

cepts

of

also,

the like

revelations, but

Churches the in

it

is

quite

Mahometan, place

of

ac-

calling

by the name of their last revealer, the " religion of the Holy Spirit," they

their religion

that

is,

maintain their religion to be that of Jesus, and refer themselves to his teaching. So that, in giving to us what are really their own doctrines, they pretend to rest them upon the authority of Jesus.

Those religions of the Holy Spirit which

offer to

us the last and most decisive of revelations, whether it

be in the writings of the Apostle Paul or the

;;

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

15

decisions of such-and-such Councils, or the decrees of popes or patriarchs,

And

revelation.

and

call

him who had the

last

ought to say

by the name

their faith

of

so,

the last revelation

if

by the

is

fathers of the Church, or a decree of the Patriarch of the East, or a papal encyclical, or the syllabus

Luther or Philaretus, people their faith by this name because the last revelation, which explains all the preceding, is always the most important one. But they decline to adorn their dogmatic systems with or the catechism of

should say

so,

and

call

the names of these authorities, and, continuing to

preach quite against Christ's own teaching, they persist in maintaining that Jesus has revealed their

doctrine

So

them.

to

Jesus

teaching,

declared

that,

that

according he,

redeemed our humanity, ruined

by

their

to

his

blood,

through Adam's

God that the came down upon the apostles, and was transmitted to the priesthood by the laying on of sin

that there are three Persons in

;

Holy

hands

;

that

salvation

and

;

Spirit

;

so on.

seven

saci'aments

are

necessary to

communion must be in two kinds They would have us believe that all

that

this is part of the teaching of Jesus

whereas we

;

even the least allusion to The Churches which so pretend

shall there seek in vain

any such matters. would do well in concluding

to give all this to us

at once as the doctrine of the

Jesus

;

for,

Holy

Spirit,

not of

in short, only those are Christians

who

hold the revelation of Jesus himself as the decisive one, in virtue of his

own

saying, that his followers

must own no other master than

himself.

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

l6

would seem that the matter is so plain that not worth thinking about but however strange it seems to say so, it is none the less true It

it

is

that

;

up

till

now

the

teaching of Jesus

not

is

on the one hand, from artificial and unwarrantable connection with the Old Testament, and, on the other hand, from the superadded fantastic notions which have been imposed upon it under cover of the name of the Holy Spirit. Up to now, there are some who, in calling Jesus the second Person of the Trinity, will not conceive of his teaching otherwise than as in accordance with separated,

the so-called revelations of

Person, as

the third

these are found in the Old Testament, the decrees of Councils,

the Church

;

and the conclusions of the Fathers of and in preaching the most extravagant

things, they affirm these extravagancies to be the religion

Christ.

of

Others

there

are

who,

in

refusing to regard Jesus as a God, similarly conceive of

declared

his

teaching, not at

all

he himself

as

but as what Paul and the other inter-

it,

made of it. Whilst considering Jesus and not as a God, these learned men

preters have

as a man,

deprive

him

of a

common

natural right

of being held responsible for his

and not for the words

:

the right

own words

of his misinterpreters.

only,

In

their endeavours to elucidate the teaching of Jesus,

they attribute to him ideas which he never thought of uttering.

The representatives

of this school, to

begin with Eenan, the most popular of them, do not see it their duty to take the trouble of distin-

guishing between that which bears the stamp of

— AUTHOR'S PREFACE and

himself

Jesus

that

have wrongly ascribed

to

17

which his interpreters him. And, instead of

thus troubling to search out the teaching of Jesus himself

a

more deeply than the Churches

little

have done, they have been led to seek in the events of his life,

and

in the facts of history

with him, the explanation of the

diffusion

his

of

contemporary and

influence

of his ideas.

The problem they are

called

upon

to

solve

is,

in

effect, this

Eighteen hundred

years ago a poor wanderer

who taught certain things. He was flogged and executed. And since then, although many and many just men have suffered for the appeared on earth

belief, millions of people, wise and foolish, learned and ignorant, cannot shake off the conviction that this man, alone among men, was God. Here is a strange phenomenon how is it to be explained ? The Churches explain it by sayuag that this man, Jesus, was really God, by which everything is explained. But if this man was not God, how are we to explain why this mere man, in particular, has been acknowledged as God ? ;

On

this point the learned people of our schools

of history gather

the

life

of

this

with extreme care every detail of man, without noticing that, even

though they should succeed in gathering a great details (in truth, they have gathered none) and even though they should succeed in

number of these ;

entirely

reconstructing

the

of

life

Jesus

in the

smallest details, the supreme question remains un-

answered,

—

the question as to

why

Jesus, and no

8

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

1

one

men.

such an influence over

exercised

else,

The answer

to this

not found in knowledge of

is

the society in which Jesus was born, brought up,

and

on

so

less

still

;

is

it

found in knowledge of

Eoman world

the happenings in the

at about this

time, or in the fact that the people were inclined

To gain

to superstitious beliefs.

this answer, it is

only needful to find what precisely was the especial

mark

which has led so many people to rest of men, and, for eighteen

of Jesus

him above the

raise

hundred

He

him

years, to hold

as a God.

wdio would solve this problem,

must, before

would seem,

it

bring himself to understand the

all,

teachuig of Jesus

;

his true

teaching, clearly seen,

and not the crude interpretations which have been put upon

The

satisfied

are

But

it.

learned

so

to

this

is

historians

just of

what

think that Jesus was

keen

to

prove

nothing divine, and

neglected.

is

Christianity

that

his

no

are

so

God, they holds

teaching

therefore, not binding, that

is,

they are not alive to a very plain fact they do not see that, the more they prove Jesus to have been simply a man, and in nothing divine, the :

darker and more insoluble they make the problem they have in hand. efforts

to prove

They are making

their

full

that he was simply a man, that,

therefore, his teaching

is

not obligatory.

To

see

one has only to remember the last writings of Eenan's follower, M. Havet, who remarks, with much simplicity, clearly

"

this

astonishing

error,

Christ was never, in anything, a Christian."

M.

Soury, for his part,

is

And

altogether ravished with

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

19

the idea that Jesus was a cultureless man, a simple soul.

The essential thing is not to prove that Jesus was no God, and his doctrine not divine, any more than to prove he was not a Catholic but to know what his teaching essentially is that teaching which has seemed to men so lofty and so precious, that they have again and again owned him for God who :

:

;

gave If

it to

them.

the reader belongs to that vast body of edu-

men who have

been brought up in the beliefs and who have not renounced its absurdities if he be a man of reason and conscience (whether retaining love and respect for the Christian

cated

of a Church, ;

teaching, or whether, following the proverb, "

the coat

now

Burn

the vermin have got in," he thinks the

whole of Christianity a pernicious superstition), I pray him to reflect that that which shocks him, and seems to him a superstition, is not the real teaching and that it were unjust to make Jesus of Jesus responsible for the follies which have, since his ;

time, encrusted his teaching.

It is only necessary

to study the teaching of Jesus in its proper form, it has come down to us in the words and deeds which are recorded as his own. With readers of the kind I have addressed, my book will go to show that Christianity is not only a mixture of things sublime and things base that it is not only not a superstition, but that, on the contrary, it is the most convincing presentment of metaphysics and morals, the purest and most complete doctrine of life, and the highest light which the human mind has ever

as

;

20

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

,

reached

;

a

activities

of

from which all the noblest humanity in politics, science, poetry,

doctrine

and philosophy instinctively derive themselves. on the other hand, my reader belongs to that small minority of educated men who remain attached to Church doctrines, and who accept religion, not for an outward end, but to gain inward If,

quietude, then I ask such a reader to

remember

that the teaching of Christ, as set forth herein,

is

quite other than that teaching as he has been given to understand it

and

;

that, therefore, the question

him is, not as to whether the doctrine here put before him agrees with his beliefs, but, as to which is more in harmony with his reason and his heart for

— the

•

teaching of his Church composed of recon-

cilements of of

Jesus.

many It

scriptures, or the pure

concerns

him

only

to

teaching decide

whether he will accept the new teaching, whether he prefers to retain the teaching of

or his

Church. If, finally,

men who

my

reader belongs to the category of

value and accept outwardly the belief of

some Church, not at all for truth's sake, but for the outward consideration of gains that come therefrom, such an one should inform himself that, whatever be the number of his co-religionists, whatever their

power, whatever their station, even though

and whatever lofty personages they can reckon among them, he himself forms one of a party, not of the accusers, but of the accused. Such readers should inform themselves that they

monarchs,

are not asked to furnish arguments for their case,

; :

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

21

because, this long while, all such arguments have

been given which can be given and even should they cite their proofs, they would only prove that which every one of the hundreds of opposing sects ;

proves in

its

own

case.

And, in truth, such people need not anything, but to clear themselves, rilege

whom

to

prove

of the sac-

first,

they commit in putting the teaching of Jesus, they hold to be God, upon the same footing

as the teachings of Ezra, of the Councils, of Theo-

and in allowing themselves to distort the sayings of God into agreement with the sayings of Again, they must clear themselves of blasmen. phemy in ascribing to God-Jesus all the zealotry which abides in their own hearts, and declaring it phylact

;

And

to be teaching of Christ.

finally,

they must

themselves of the treason they commit in

clear

men

hiding from

come down

who has

the teaching of God,

to earth to bring us salvation

and by

;

sliding in, to displace this teaching, the tradition of

the Holy Spirit, thus depriving thousands of millions of

all

salvation which Jesus

that

and

thus, instead

of

the diversity of sects, and

murders,

tions,

and

brought for

men

peace and love, bringing in

all

all

the recrimina-

sorts of misdeeds

which

follow.

For these readers either

to

their deceits

accuse

there

make humble

them

;

or, to

of

are only

two issues renounce

submission, and

persecute those

who

arise to

the evil they have done and are

doing. If

they will not renounce their deceits,

it

remains

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

22

for

them

to

persecute me. writing, I

am

take the only other part, that

is,

to

For which, in now completing my prepared, with joy, and with fear for

my own human

weakness.

Leo Tolstoy.

:

CHAPTEE

I

THE SON OF GOD Man, the son of God,

is

powerless in the flesh, and

free in the spirit

("®ur jfatbcc") Mt.

i.

18.

The

was thus His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph. But, before they began to hve as man and wife, Mary proved with child. But Joseph was a good man, and did not wish to disgrace her he took her as his wife, and had nothing to do with her until she had borne her first son, and called him birth of Jesus Christ

;

24. 25.

Jesus. Lk.

ii.

40.

And

the boy grew and matured, and was intelbeyond his years. Jesus was twelve years old and it happened that Mary and Joseph went to the feast at Jerusalem, and took the boy with them. The feast was over, and they went homeward, and forgot about the boy. Afterwards they recollected, and thought that he had gone off with the children, and they inquired about him along the road. He was nowhere to be found, and they went back to Jerusalem after him. And it was the third day ligent

41.

42.

43. 44.

46.

;

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

24

before they found the boy in the temple, sitting

with the teachers, questioning them and listenmg.

And

His everyone wondered at his intelligence. mother caught sight of him, and said " Why have you done this way with us ? Your father and I And have been grieving, and looking for you." he said to them " But where did you look for me? Surely you know that the son must be

Lk.

ii.

47. 48.

:

:

looked

for

in

understand

?

house

Father's

his

And

"

they

words they did not understand whom it was he called his Father And after this, Jesus lived at his mother's, and And he advanced in obeyed her in everything. And everyone thought that age and intelligence. Jesus was the son of Joseph and so he lived to not

did

his

;

;

the age

At

He

of thirty.

that time the prophet

John appeared

in Judaea.

on the Jordan. John's clothes were of camel's hair, girt round the waist with a strap and he fed on bark and herbs. He summoned the people to a change of life, lived in the desert of Judaea,

Jit.

Mk. Mt.

iii.

1.

i.

4.

iii.

4.

;

in order to get rid of wickedness

the change of

He

said

:

"

A

God through Him. Make

life,

he bathed people

voice calls to you

the wild

:

places, clear

a

the

way way

for for

it so that all may be level, that there be neither hollows nor hills, neither high nor low. Then God will be among you, and all will

find their salvation."

And

the people asked him

He

:

"

What

are

we

to

answered " Let him v«-ho has two suits Let him of clothes, give one to him who has none. ?

"

:

i.

Lk.

iii.

in the Jordan.

Open

may

do

Mk.

and, as a sign of

;

4.

!

THE SON OF GOD Lk.

iii.

12.

who has we

do

to

?

came

to him,

and asked

He

said to

them

"

beyond what "

How

are

we

is

?

He

"

harm, do not deal falsely

;

" :

And

ordered."

to live

And What are

him who has none."

food, give to

tax-collectors 13.

25

said

:

"

:

Extort nothing soldiers

"

asked:

Do no one any

be content with what

is

served out to you." Mt.

iii.

And

6.

all

inhabitants of Jerusalem

came

to him,

and

the Jews in the neighbourhood of the Jordan.

And

they acknowledged their wickedness to him;

and, in sign of the change of

life,

he bathed them

in the Jordan.

And many

of

orthodox and

the

conventional

came to John, but secretly. He " You race of vipers recognised them, and said Have you, also, got wind of it, that you cannot escape the will of God ? Then bethink yourselves, and change your faith And if you wish to change your faith, let it be seen by your fruits that you have bethought youi'selves. The axe is already laid to the tree. If the tree produces bad fruit, it will be cut down and cast into the fire. In sign of your change, I cleanse you in water but, along with this bathing, you must be cleansed with the spirit. The spirit will cleanse you, as a master cleanses his threshing-floor when he gathers the religionists also

:

!

;

;

wheat, but burns the chaff." 13.

Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be bathed

by John and he bathed, and heard John's preaching. And from the Jordan he went into the wild places, and there he strove in the spirit. Jesus passed forty days and nights in the desert, without food or drink. ;

iv.

1.

2.

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

26

And

the voice of his flesh said to him

" If

:

you

were Son of the Almighty God, you might of your own will makeloaves out of stones but you cannot do this, therefore you are not Son of God." But Jesus said " to himself If T cannot make bread out of stones, this means that I am not Son of a God of the flesh, but Son of the God of the spirit. I am alive, not by bread, but by the spirit. And my spirit is able ;

:

to disregard the flesh."

But hunger,

nevertheless, tormented

him

jhe voice of the flesh again said to

him

and you

;

" If

:

by the spirit, and can disregard the flesh, then you can throw off the flesh, and your spirit will remain alive." And it seemed to him that he was standing on the roof of the temple, and the voice of the flesh said to him " If you are Son live only

:

of

the

temple.

God of the spirit, throw You will not be killed.

yourself off the

But an unfoie-

seen force will keep you, support you, and save you

from aU harm."

But Jesus

can disregard the because

I

flesh,

but

was born by the

not throw

spirit into

This was the will of the Father of

:

" I

it

off,

himself

said to

may

my

the

spirit,

flesh.

and

I

cannot oppose Him."

Then the

him

" If

you oppose your Father by throwing yourself off the temple and discarding life, then you also cannot oppose your Father by hungering when you voice of the flesh said to

:

cannot

need to

eat.

You must not make

desires of the flesh

;

you must serve them." the kingdoms of the

all

light

of

the

they were placed in you, and

Then Jesus seemed earth,

and

all

to see

mankind, just

Lk.

iv.

3.

:

THE SON OF GOD

Lk.

iv.

6.

as they live

and labour

therefrom.

And

"

27

for the flesh, expecting gain

the voice of the flesh said to him

Well, you see, these work for me, and I give them

for. If you will work for me, you But Jesus said to himself: have the same." " My Father is not flesh, but spirit. I live by Him Him alone I I always know that He is in me. honour, and for Him alone I work, expecting reward from Him alone." Then the temptation ceased, and Jesus knew the power of the spirit. And when he had known the power of the spirit, Jesus went out of the wild places, and went again to John, and stayed with him. And when Jesus was leaving John, John said of him " This is the saviour of men." On account of these words of John, two of John's disciples left their former teacher and went after Jesus. Jesus, seeing them following him, stopped and said " What do you want ? " They said to him " Teacher we wish to be with you, and to know your teaching." He said " Come with me, and I will tell you everything." They went with him, and stayed with him, listening to him until

all

they wish

will

;

13.

14.

Jn.

i.

35.

:

:

:

!

:

the tenth hour.

One of these disciples was called Andrew. Andrew had a brother Simon. Having heard Jesus, Andrew went to his brother Simon, and said to him " We have found him of whom the prophets wrote, the Messiah we have found him who has announced to us our salvation." Andrew took Simon with him, and brought him also to Jesus. :

;

42.

:

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

28

Jesus called this brother of Andrew, Peter, which

means a

And

stone.

both these brothers became

disciples of Jesus.

Afterwards, before entering Galilee, Jesus met

Jn.

Philip him to go with him. was from Bethsaida, and a fellow-villager of Peter and Andrew. "When Philip knew Jesus, he went and found his brother Nathanael, and said to him

PhUip, and

"

We

called

have found the chosen of God,

prophets and Moses wrote.

This

son of Joseph, from Nazareth." astonished that he of

whom

of

is

whom

i.

43. 14.

the

Jesus, the

Nathanael was

the prophets wrote

should be from the neighbouring village, and said

:

" It is

most unlikely that the messenger of God should be from Nazareth." Philip said " Come with me, you shall see and hear for yourself." Nathanael agreed, and went with his brother, and met Jesus and, when he had heard him, he said :

;

to Jesus

:

"

Yes,

now

I see that this is true, that

you are the Son of God and the king of Israel." " Learn something more imJesus said to him :

portant than that.

and people may be of

heaven.

Henceforth heaven

is

opened,

communion with the forces Henceforth God will be no longer in

separate from men."

And Jesus came home to Nazareth and on the Sabbath he went as usual into the synagogue, and began to read. They gave him the book of the prophet Isaiah, and, unrolling it, he began to read. In the book was written ;

:

The spirit of the Lord is in me. He has chosen me to announce happiness to the unfortunate and "

Lk.

iv. 16.

THE SON OF GOD

29

the broken-hearted, to announce freedom to those

who Lk.

iv

,

19.

are bound, light to the blind, and salvation

and

men

the

rest to

To announce

the weary.

to

all

time of Gdd's mercy." 20.

He

folded the book, gave

sat down. say.

And

And

he said

fulfilled before

it to

the attendant, and

waited to hear what he should

all :

"

This writing has

your eyes."

now been

CHAPTEE LIFE IN Therefore

man must

II

THE SPIRIT

work, not for the flesh, but for the spirit

("Mblcb It happened

art in

beaven")

once that Jesus, with his disciples,

Mt.

xii.

1.

Mk.

ii,

23.

went through a field on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and on the way plucked ears of corn, bruised them in their hands, and ate the grain. But,

Lk.

vi.

1.

Mt.

xii.

2.

God had

according to the teaching of the orthodox,

made an agreement with Moses,

that all should

observe the Sabbath, and do nothing on that day.

According

manded

to this teaching of the orthodox,

that he

who worked on

God com-

the Sabbath should

The orthodox saw be stoned to death. disciples were bruising ears of corn on the and said " It is not right to do so on the One must not work on the Sabbath, and :

bruising ears of corn.

and

commanded

the

punished with death."

God ordained breaking

of

Jesus heard

that the

Sabbath, Sabbath.

you are

the Sabbath,

it

this,

should

and

be

said

:

you understand what is the meaning of God's words, I desire love, and not sacrifice,' you would not attach blame to that which is not blameworthy. Man is more important than the Sabbath." " If

'

LIFE IN THE SPIRIT Lk.

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

32

believers. satisfied

" He who is Jesus heard, and said with his health does not need a doctor, :

but he who

nt,

ix. 12.

Understand what is the I desire love and not sacrifice.' I cannot teach a change of faith to those who consider themselves orthodox, but I teach those

meaning

is

ill,

does.

God's words

of

13.

'

:

who

consider themselves unbelievers." There came to Jesus orthodox professors of And they saw that law fiom Jerusalem. disciples and Jesus himself ate bread with washed hands and these orthodox began to ;

demn him

the his

un-

XV.

1.

Mk.

vii.

1.

Mt.

XV.

2.

Mk.

vii.

2.

Mt.

XV.

3.

Mk.

vii. 10,

con-

for this, because they themselves strictly

observed, according to church tradition,

how

plates

and dishes should be washed, and would not eat Also, they would unless they had been so washed. eat nothing from the market unless they had washed it.

And him

:

"

the orthodox professors of the law asked

Why

tradition,

do you live not according to church but take and eat bread with unwashed

And he answered them " But in what hands ? " you break God's commandment, following way do tradition God said to you Honour ? your church But you have twisted it your father and mother.' I give to God what I so that everyone can say And he who so says used to give my parents.' need not support his father and mother. Thus, then, you break God's commandment by church tradition. The prophet Isaiah spoke the truth Deceivers Because this people only fall down about you before me in words, and honour me with their tongue, while their heart is far from me and be:

'

:

11,

'

:

!

'

:

;

12. 13.

Mt.

XV.

7.

:

LIFE IN THE SPIRIT cause their fear of

me

is

only a

human law which

therefore I will perthey have learnt by heart form a wonderful, an extraordinary thing upon ;

The wisdom of its wise men shall be and the reason of its thinkers shall be dimmed. Woe to them who take thought to hide their desires from the Eternal, and who do their deeds in darkAnd so it is with you You leave that which ness.' is important in the law, that which is God's commandment, and observe your human tradition as to " the washing of cups And Jesus called the people to him, and said " Hearken all, and understand There is nothing in the world that, entering a man, could defile him but that which goes forth from him, this defiles a man. Let love and mercy be in your soul, and Try to understand this." then all will be clean. And when he returned home, his disciples asked him " What do these words mean ? " And he said " Do you also not understand this ? Do you understand everything not that external, that which is of the flesh, cannot defile a man ? The reason this people

:

lost,

Mk.

vii.

:

!

:

;

:

:

is, 20.

it

enters not his soul, but his body.

the body, and afterwards goes out from that can defile a himself,

man

man which

from his souL

proceed

evil,

theft, covetousness,

goes out from the

defile Jn.

ii.

13.

Only

man

Because from the soul of

fornication,

impurity, murder,

wrath, deceit, insolence, envy,

calumny, pride, and every kind of evil is out of the

It enters it.

soul of

folly.

man and

it

All this alone can

a man."

After 3

this,

the Passover came, and Jesus went to

;::

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

34

Jerusalem, and entered the temple.

In

the en-

Jn.

14.

ii.

closure of the temple stood cattle, cows, bulls, rams

and there were cots behind

changers

necessary in order to

of

full

make

and moneythis was to God. The

pigeons,

All

counters.

their

oii'erings

animals were slaughtered and offered in the temple.

among the Jews, as taught by the orthodox professors of the law. Jesus went into the temple, twisted a whip, drove all the This was the method of prayer

cattle oxit of the enclosure,

And he none

He

set free all the doves.

scattered all the money, and bade that this should

of

said

and

15.

:

horise of

"

The prophet Isaiah

God

is

16.

be brought into the temple.

The

Mt.

not the temple in Jerusalem, but

Mk.

the whole world of God's people.

said to you

And

:

the prophet

xxi. 13. xi. 17.

(Is.a.

Ivi.

Jer.

vii.

7.

4,

11).

Jeremiah also told you Do not believe the falsehoods that here is the house of the Eternal. Do not believe this, but change your life; do not judge falsely do not oppress the stranger, the widow and the orphan do not shed innocent blood, and do not come into the house of God, and say Now we may quietly do foul deeds. Do not make my house a den of robbers." And the Jews began to dispute, and said to him :

;

;

:

is wrong. By what proofs And, turning to them, Jesus said " Destroy this temple and I will in three days awaken a new, living temple." And the Jews said " But how will you at once make a new temple, when this was forty-six years in building ? " And Jesus said to them " I speak to you of that which is more important than the temple. You would

"

You

will

say that our piety

you show

this

?

"

:

:

20.

Mt.

xii.

6.

LIFE IN THE SPIRIT not say this

if

35

you understood the meaning

of

the

God, do not rejoice at your offerings, but rejoice at your love to each The Uving temple is the whole world of other. men, when they love each other." words

Jn.

ii.

23. 24.

And

the prophet

of

then in Jerusalem

what he

said.

the 4.

6.

people believed in

knew

in nothing

that everything

is

within

He had

man.

witness of

iv.

many

But he himself believed

external, because he 25.

I,

:

no need that anyone should give man, because he knew that in man is

spirit.

And

Jesus happened once to be passing through

Samaria.

He

passed by the Samaritan village of

Sychar, near the place which Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

and

There was Jacob's

well.

Jesus was tired,

His disciples

sat beside the well.

And

the town to fetch bread.

a

\\'ent

into

woman came from

Sychar to draw water, and Jesus asked her to give

him

10.

to

And

she said to him

:

"

How

is it

to gi\-e

:

this

water shall bring hun everlasting

woman

life."

The

understood that he was speaking of things

and said to him " I see that you are a prophet, and wish to teach me. But how are you to teach me divine things, when you are a Jew and divine,

20.

drink.

you ask me

you to drink ? For you Jews have no intercourse with us Samaritans.'' But he said to her " If you knew me, and knew what I teach, you would not say this, and you would give me to drink, and I would give you the water of life. Whoever drinks of the water you have will thirst again. But whoever shall drink of the water I have shall always be satisfied, and that

:

:

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

36

I a Samaritan hill,

Our people worship God upon

?

but you Jews say that the house of

You

in Jerusalem.

cannot teach

is

already here,

is

this

only

divine things,

and we another." And Believe me, woman, the time

because you have one

Jesus said to her

me

God

belief,

" :

when

people, to pray to the Father,

come neither to this hUl nor to Jerusalem. The time has come when the real worshippers of God will worship the Heavenly Father in spirit and with works. Such are the worshippers the Father God is a spirit, and He must be worshipped needs. The woman did not in the spirit and with works." understand what he told her, and said " I have will

:

heard that the messenger of God will come, he whom they call the anointed. He will then declare everything."

And

Jesus said to her

same who has spoken with you.

:

" It is I,

the

Expect nothing

more."

After this, Jesus came into the land of Judtea, and there lived with his disciples, and taught. At that time John taught the people near Salim, and For John was bathed them in the river .^Enon. not yet put in prison.

And

between the disciples of to which was better, John's cleansing in water or Jesus' teaching. And they came to John, and said to him " You cleanse with water, but Jesus only teaches, and all go to him. What have you to say of him ? " John said " A man of himself can teach a

dispute arose

John and the hearers

of Jesus, as

:

nothing, unless earth,

is

God

teach him.

of the earth

;

Who

speaks of the

but whosoever speaks of God,

Jn.

iv. 21.

m

LIFE Jn.

iii.

32-34.

is

from God.

It is

THE SPIRIT

37

nowise possible to prove whether

the words that are spoken are from

from God. God is a spirit and He cannot be proved. ;

stand the word of the 35.

that he

of the

is

spirit,

spirit.

He cannot He who

life,

the Son has not Lk.

xi. 37,

not

.shall

under-

Whoever

believes in

and whoever does not believe in

God

life.

is

the spirit in man."

After this there came to Jesus one of the orthodox, and invited him and sat down at table.

39-41.

or

by this very thing proves The Father, loving His

Son, has entrusted all to him.

the Son has

God

be measured,

dinner. Jesus went in The host noticed that he did not wash before dianer, and wondered thereat. And Jesus said to him " You orthodox wash everything outside but are you clean inside ? Be welldisposed to men, and all will be clean." to

:

;

And

while he sat in the house of the orthodox,

came a woman of the town, who was an unbeliever. She had learnt that Jesus was ia the house of the orthodox man, and she came there too, there

bringing a bottle of scent.

wept, and washed

And

she knelt at his

with her tears, wiped them with her hair, and poured scent over them. The orthodox man saw this, and thought to " He is hardly a prophet. himself If he were really a prophet, he would know what kind of a woman it is that is washing his feet. He would know that this is a wrong-doer, and would not allow her to touch him." Jesus guessed his feet,

his

feet

:

thought, and, turning to him, said

you what Jesus said

I ;

"

The host

think

?

Well,

it is this.

"

:

"

Shall I tell

assented.

Two men

And

held them-

:;

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

38

man

selves debtors to a certain

one for

of property,

hundred pence, the other for fifty. And neither the one nor the other had anything to pay with. The creditor pardoned both. Now, in your opinion, which will love the creditor more, and shew him And he said " Of course, he greater attention ? " that owed more." Jesus pointed to the woman, and " So it is with you and this woman. You said consider yourself orthodox, and therefore a small debtor she considers herself an unbeliever, and I came to your house therefore a great debtor. you did not give me water to wash my feet. She washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. You did not kiss me, but she five

:

:

;

my

kissed

my

He who

scent. of

You

feet.

did not give

my

head, but she anoints

love,

but

rests in

who

he

believer will do

works

love, all is forgiven."

me

feet

anoint

oil to

with

precious

orthodoxy will not do works considers

And

of love.

And

himself

he said

for

an unworks of

her

to

:

"

All

And Jesus said your wickedness is forgiven you." " All depends upon what each man considers himWhoever considers himself good will not be self. good

but whoever considers himself bad will be-

;

come

good."

And

Jesus said further

temple

a

into

to

pray

other a tax-gatherer. tlms

men,

' :

I

I

;

:

"

Two men

one

the

The orthodox man prayed

thank Thee, God, that I

am

once came

orthodox, and

am

not as other

not a miser, nor a libertine

;

I

am

not

a rogue, not such a worthless fellow as that taxgatherer.

I

fast

twice

weekly,

and give away

Lk.

vii. 42.

LIFE IN THE SPIRIT Lk.

xviii. 13.

39

my

But the tax-gatherer property.' and dared not look up at the sky, Lord, look but merely beat his breast, and said down upon me, worthless as I am.' Well, and this man was better than the orthodox, for the reason that whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." After this, disciples of John came to Jesus, and said " Why do we and the orthodox fast much, a tithe of stood afar

off,

'

:

14.

:

while your disciples do not fast to the law,

God commanded

Jesus said to them

Por, according

?

people to fast."

And

"

While the bridegroom is at Only when the bridethe wedding, no one grieves. groom is away, do people grieve. Having life, one must not grieve. The external worship of God The old cannot be combined with works of love. :

teaching of the external worship of

God cannot be

my teaching of works of love To combine my teaching with

combined with

to one's

neighbour.

the old,

the Same as to tear off a shred from a new garment and sew it on an old one. You will tear the new and not mend the old. Either all my teaching must be accepted, or all the old. And having once is

accepted

my

teaching,

it is

impossible to keep the

old teaching, of purification, fasting, 37.

Just as

and the Sabbath.

new wine cannot be poured

or the old skins will burst

into old skins,

and the wine run

out.

But new wine must be poured into new skins, and both the one and the other will remain whole."

:

CHAPTER

III

THE SOURCE OF LIFE The

life

of all men has proceeded from the spirit of the Father

("IballowcD be a:bB iRamc")

After

this, John's disciples came to ask Jesus whether it was he of whom John spoke whether he was revealing the kingdom of God, and renewing men by the spirit ? Jesus answered and said " Look, listen, and tell John, whether the kingdom of God has begun, and whether people are being renewed by tlie spirit. Tell him of what kingdom

Mt.

xi.

2, 3.

;

—

of

God I am preaching. when the kingdom

that,

said in the prophecies

It

is

of

God

shall come, all

men

my

kingdom of God is such that the poor are IJessed, and that every one who understands me becomes will be blessed.

Well,

tell

him that

blessed."

And, having dismissed John's disciples, Jesus began to speak to the people as to the kingdom of God John announced. He said " When you went to John in the wilderness to be baptized, what The orthodox teachers of the did you go to see ? did law also went, but not understand that which John announced. And they thought him nothing :

16.

THE SOURCE OF LIFE worth.

41

This breed of orthodox teachers of the law

only consider that as truth which they themselves invent and hear from each other, and that as law Mt.

xi. 18.

which they themselves have devised. But that which John said, that which I say, they do not hearken to, and do not understand. Of that which John says, they have understood only that he In him fasts in the wild places, and they say Of that which I say, they have is an evil spirit.' understood only that I do not fast, and they say He eats and drinks with tax-gatherers and sinners he is a friend of theus.' They chatter with each other like children in the street, and wonder that And their wisdom is seen no one listens to them. by their works. If you went to John to look at a man attired in rich clothes, why, such dwell here in palaces. Then, what did you go to seek in the Did you go because you think John was desert ? Do not think this. the same as other prophets ? John was not a prophet like others. He was They foretold that greater than all prophets. He has announced to men that which might be. which is, namely, that the kingdom of God was, Verily, I tell you, a man has not and is, on earth. been born greater than John. He has declared kingdom of the God on earth, and therefore he is higher than all. The law and the prophets, all But, from John and this was needful before John. to the present time, it is announced that the kingdom of God is on earth, and that he who makes an effort enters into it.'' And the orthodox came to Jesus, and began '

:

:

'

—

19.

Lk.

xvi. 16.

xra. £0.

—

"

::

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

42

" How, him then, and when, will the kingdom of God come ? " And he answered them " The kingdom of God which I preach is not such as former prophets preached. They said that God would come with divers visible signs, but I speak of a kingdom of God, the coming of which may not

asking

:

And

be seen with the eyes. to you, it

is

'

See, it

come, or

is

here or there,' do

kingdom kind.

of

It

is

God

is

because

kingdom

the

anyone shall say '

Lk.

See,

The

not believe them.

lightning, seen here, there,

like

And

is

if

shall come,' or,

not in time, or in place, of any

everywhere. preach,

it

it

has neither time nor

God, the

of

and

place,

one which I

within you."

After this, an orthodox believer, one of the Jewish authorities, named Nicodemus, came to Jesus " You do not bid us keep the at night, and said Sabbath, do not bid us observe cleanliness, do not bid us make offerings, nor fast you would destroy the temple. You say of God, He is a spirit, and you say of the kingdom of God, that it is within us. Then, what kind of a kingdom of God is this ? And Jesus answered him " Understand that, if man is conceived from heaven, then in him there must be that which is of heaven." Nicodemus did not understand this, and said " How can a man, if he is conceived of the flesh of his father, and has grown old, again enter the womb " of his mother and be conceived anew ? " And Jesus answered him Understand what I I say that man, beside the flesh, is also consay. ceived of the spirit, and therefore every man is :

;

:

:

Jn.

"

THE SOURCE OF LIFE

;

43

spirit, and therefore may the From flesh comes heaven be in him. From flesh, spirit cannot be born spirit

conceived of flesh and Jn.

iii.

6.

kingdom flesh.

of

;

can come only from

The

spirit.

spirit

that

is

and lives in freedom and which lives reason it is that of which you know neither the beginning nor the end, and which every man feels And, therefore, why do you ^vonder that in him. I told you we must be conceived from heaven ? " Still, I do not believe that Nicodemus said you,

in

;

:

this can be so."

Then Jesus

said

teacher are you,

Understand that points I

13.

am

,

I

am

if

I

What kind you do not comprehend

am

to

him

:

"

a ?

not interpreting some learned

interpreting that which

averring that which

we

all

you believe in that which is in not believe in that which is on you yourself ? " For, no man has ever gone there is only man on earth, heaven, and himself of heaven.

we

see.

all

know,

How

will

heaven if you do earth, which is in

up to heaven, but come down from Now, this same heavenly son in man it is that must be lifted up, that everyone may believe in him and not perish, but

may have heavenly

Son, of the

same essence

life.

For God gave His

as Himself, not for men's

He gave him might believe in him, and might not perish, but have life without end. For He did not bring forth His Son, this life, into the world of men in order to destroy the world of men but He brought forth His Son, this life, in order destruction, but for then- happiness. in order that everyone

17.

of this

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

44

that the world of

men might

be

made

alive through

him.

Whoever commits his life to him does not but he who does not commit his life to him

"

die

;

Jn.

iii.

18.

Mt.

xili.

3.

destroys himself thereby, in that he has not trusted

Death consists in this, that is life. come into the world, but men themselves go

to that wliich life

is

away from "

Light

life.

is

world, but

not go to the

go to the

the

men

life

of

men

;

came

light

into the

prefer the darkness to light,

light.

He who

light, so that his

and do

does wrong does not

deeds

may

not be seen,

and such a one bereaves himself of life. Whereas he who lives in truth goes to the light, so that his deeds are seen and he has life, and is united with ;

God.

The kingdom of God must be understood, not, you think, in the sense that it will come for all men at some time or other, and in some place or other, but thus, In the whole world always, some people, those who trust in the heavenly Son of man, become sons of the kingdom, but others who The Father of do not trust in him are destroyed. that spirit which is in man is the Father of those only who acknowledge themselves to be His sons. And, therefore, only those exist to Him who have kept in themselves that which He gave them." And, after this, Jesus began to explain to the people what the kingdom of God is, and he made this clear by means of parables. He said: The Father, who is spirit, sows in the "

as

—

—

world the

life of

—

understanding, as the husbandman

THE SOURCE OF LIFE Mt.

xiii.

4.

45

He sows over the whole SOWS seed in his field. remarking where any particular seed without field, Some seeds fall upon the road, and the birds And others fall fly down and peck them up. among stones and although among these stones they come up, they wither, because there is no room for the roots. And others, again, fall among wormwood, so that the wormwood chokes the corn, falls.

;

And and the ear springs up, but does not fill. they spring up, and make others fall on good soil return for the lost corn, and bear ears, and fill, and ;

one ear will give a hundredfold, another sixtyfold, Thus, then, God also sowed thirtyfold.

and another

broadcast the spirit in in others Mk.

iv. 26.

who form

men

some

in

;

yields a hundredfold

:

reign over you.

the kingdom of

God

God

be in those

will

God more

does not force men.

of

them

;

pre-

with grain.

It is as when the sower and himself thinks no

but the seeds of themselves swell,

sprout up, put forth

leaf,

Only when

sheath, and ear, it

is

gave His Son, the spirit of itself

the spirit

mixes

it

but lets

So also

the world

;

God

and the

the kingdom of God.

puts yeast in the kneading trough and

with the fiour it

to

fill

grows in the world, and the sons of

make up

woman

spirit,

and

ripened, the master

sends sickles to reap the cornfield.

A

who

it.

casts the seeds in the earth,

xiii. 33.

but

the kingdom of God.

not such as you think, that

serve

Mt.

it is lost,

these last are they

Thus the kingdom will come to God has only sown the spirit, and

is

27.

it

ferment and

;

she then stirs

it

As long

as

rise.

no more,

men

live,

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

46

G-od does not interpose in their spirit

to

life.

He

gave the

the world, and the spu'it itself lives in

men, and men who live by the spirit make up the kingdom of God. For the spirit there is neither Death and evil are for the flesh, death nor evil. spirit. not for the bnt The kingdom of G-od comes in this way. A The farmer is farmer sowed good seed in his field. the field is the world the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom of God. And the farmer lay down to sleep, and an enemy

the Spirit, the Father

;

came and sowed darnel temptation

;

the darnel

;

in the field. is

The enemy

is

the sons of temptation.

And

his labourers came to the farmer and said Can you have sown bad seed ? Much darnel has come up in your field. Send us, we will weed it And the farmer said " You must not do out." that, for in weeding the darnel you will trample The harvest Let them grow together. the wheat. take away shall bid the reapers will come, when I :

"

:

the darnel and

burn

it

;

and the wheat

I

shall

store in the barn."

Now, the harvest

is

the end of man's

the harvesters are the power of heaven. darnel shall be burnt, but the wheat

life,

and

And

the

shall

be

Thus also, at life's end, all shall vanish which was a guUe of time, and the For the true life in the spirit shall alone be left. The spirit Spirit, the Father, there is no evil. keeps that which it needs, and that which is not

cleaned and gathered.

of it does not exist for

The kingdom

of

God

it.

is

like a net.

The net

will

:

THE SOURCE OF LIFE be spread in the sea, and will catch Mt.

xiii.

48.

fish.

And

when

all

kinds of

drawn out, the aside and thrown into the sea.

afterwai'ds,

worthless will be set

47

it

is

So will it be at the end of the age the powers of heaven will take the good, and the evil will be cast away. And when he finished speaking, the disciples asked him how to understand these parables ? And he said to them " These parables must be understood in two ways. I speak all these parables ;

:

because there are some like you,

understand wherein understand every man,

that

is

the kingdom of

who understand how

others do not understand see not

;

my

disciples,

the kingdom of God,

they hearken,

this.

God

who who

witliin

is

to go into it

;

while

Others look, but

and do not understand,

because their heart has become gross.

Therefore I

speak these parables with two meanings, for both

To the others I speak of God, what God's kingdom is to them, and they may understand this while to you I speak of what the kingdom of God is for you that kingdom which is

classes of hearers. of

;

—

within you.

And

you understand as you ought the For you the parable is this Everyone who has understood the meaning of the kingdom of God, but has not accepted it in his heart, to him temptation comes and robs him of that which has been sown this is the seed on the wayside. That which was sown on stones, is he who at once accepts with joy. But there is no root in him, and he only accepts for a time but let see that

parable of the sower.

:

;

;

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

48

and persecution befall him, because of the meaning of the kingdom, and he straightaway denies it. That which was sown among the wormwood is he who understood the meaning of the kingdom, but worldly cares and the seductions of wealth strangle the meaning in him, and he yields no fruit. But that wliich was sown on good soil is he who understood the meaning of the kingdom, and accepted it into his heart such yield fruit, straits

Alt

xiii.

23.

;

one a hundredfold, another sixtyfold, another thirtyfold. For he who retains, to him much is given while from him

who

12.

does not retain, the whole will

be taken.

And,

way

how you understand Understand them so as not to give wrong, and care but so as to yield

therefore, take care

these parables. to deceit,

Lk.

viii. 18.

Mt.

xiii. 31.

;

thirtyfold, or sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.

The kingdom

of

heaven giows and spreads in

the soul out of nothing, providing e\erything. is

a

like

which,

birch seed, the very smallest of

when

other trees, nests in

it.

It

seeds,

grows up, becomes greater than all and the birds of heaven build their it

CHAPTEE IV GODS KINGDOM Therefore the will of the Father is the life and

welfare of

all

men

("Ibg hing&om come") Mt.

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

5°

But woe

they have already got everything they wish, and will get nothing more. They are now satisfied but they shall be hungry. to the rich, for

Lk.

vi. 24.

Mt.

V.

;

Now

they are merry

If all but they shall be sad. praise them, woe to them, because only deceivers ;

get everybody's praise.

Blessed are the poor and homeless, but blessed

when they

only then,

nally, but in spirit

true salt

good only when

is

when

not externally only, but

;

savour of

are poor, not merely exter-

as salt

;

it

it is

has the

salt.

the

poor and homeless, are the

teachers of the world

you know in being homeless and poor.

you

So,

also,

that true happiness

But

;

is

you are

blessed,

if

you are poor only externally, then you,

if

must be a your

light to the world

but shew

light,

it

;

therefore do not hide

men.

to

lights a candle, one does not put it

but upon the table, that

it

like

You

salt without savour, are good for nothing

may

For when one under a bench, light all in the

you also, do not hide your light, but shew it by your works, so that men may see that you know the truth, and, looking at j'our good works, may understand j'our Heavenly Father. And do not think tliat I free you from the law. I teach not release from the law, but I teach the room.

So,

fulfilment of tlie eternal law.

As

men

an

un glors")

Jesus had ended his discourse to the disciples,

rose, and, instead

of

running away or defending

to meet Judas, who was bringing soldiers to take him. Jesus came to But Judas, and asked him, why he had come. Judas did not answer, and a crowd of soldiers came round Jesus. Peter threw himself forward to

himself, he

went on the way

defend his teacher, and, drawing his sword, began But Jesus stopped him, and said to him, to fight. that he

who

fights

with

a

sword must

him

himself

put up Then Jesus said to those who had come to take him " I have up to now gone about among you alone, without fear, and I do not fear perish with the sword, and ordered

to

the sword.

:

Do

now.

And left

as

while

alone.

you choose." all

the disciples ran away, Jesus was

The

officer

of

the

soldiers

Jesus to be bound, and led before Annas.

ordered This

A RECAPITULATION

217

Annas was a former high priest, and lived in the same house with Caiaphas, who was then high was who provided the reason upon which they decided to kill Jesus namely, that if he were not killed the nation would disCaiaphas

priest.

it

;

appear. the will of the

Jesus, feeling himself to be in

Father, was ready

for

death, and did

not resist

when they took him, and was not afraid when they led him away. But the very Peter who had just promised Jesus that he would not renounce him, but would die for him, this same Peter who wished to protect him,

—now, when he saw

that they were

met with the Whether he was not with and deserted him. It was only

taking Jesus for execution, and being door-keeper's question.

Jesus

?

gave up,

afterwards

that,

brought to mind

hearing all

the

crow,

coc'c

that Jesus had said.

Peter

Then he

understood that there are two temptations of the flesh, fear

and

fighting

that Jesus struggled

;

and that

it

was with these

when he prayed

in the garden,

and asked the disciples to pray. And now he, Peter, had fallen before both these temptations of the flesh, of which Jesus had forewarned him he had wished to fight against evil, and to defend the truth, he had been about to strike and to do evil himself and now he could not endure the fear of bodily suffering, and had renounced his teacher. Jesus had yielded neither to the temptation to fight, when the disciples got ready two swords for ;

;

his defence, nor to the temptation to fear before the

men

of Jerusalem, first, in the case of

the heaven,

2l8

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

and now before the soldiers, who had bound him and led him to trial. Jesus was taken before Caiaphas. Caiaphas began to question him about his teaching. But knowing that Caiapha.s was examining him, not to find out what his teaching was, but only to convict him, Jesus did not answer, but said " I have conIf you cealed nothing, and now conceal nothing. wish to know what my teaching is, ask those who heard and understood it." For saying this, the high priest's servant struck Jesus in the face, and Jesus asked him why he so beat him. But the man did not answer him, and the high priest continued the trial. Witnesses were brought, who deposed tliat Jesus had boasted that he made an end of the Jewish religion. And the high priest :

who, seeing they did not Jesus examine him to learn anything, but only to make a show of a judicial trial, answered nothing. Then a priest asked him " Tell me, are you the Jesus said " Yes, I am Christ, the Son of God ? " and now, in torturing the Christ, the Son of God me, you will see how a Son of Man is like to God." And the priest was glad to hear these words, and " Are not these words said to the other judges enough to condemn him ? " And the judges said: " That is enough we sentence him to death." And when they said that, the people threw themselves upon Jesus, and began to beat him, to spit in his He was silent. face, and insult him. Jews had no power to punish men with The death, and for that needed permission from the

interrogated

;

:

:

;

:

;

"

" "

::

A RECAPITULATION

Eoman

Therefore,

governor.

219

having condemned

Jesus in their court, and having subjected him to

Eoman

ignominy, they took him to the

he might execute him.

Pilate, that

governor,

Pilate asked

why

they wished to kill Jesus. They said, because he was a criminal. Pilate said that if he was so, they must judge him by their own law. They said " We want you to put him to death, because he is guilty before the Eoman Ctesar he is a rebel, he agitates the people, he forbids payment of taxes to ;

and

Cossar,

"

What

king

calls himself the

summoned Jesus

Pilate is

the meaning of this

;

are you the Jewish

?

Jesus said

my

Jewish king." before him, and said

"

:

Do you

kingdom means,

form's sake

or

know what you only asking for

really wish to

are

?

Pilate answered " I am not a Jew, and it is the same to me whether you are the Jewish king or not but I ask you, who are you, and why do they call you king ? Jesus said " They say truly, that I call myself I am indeed a king, but my kingdom is a king. The kings of the not of earth, but of heaven. but as for earth war and fight, and have armies you see they have bound and beaten me, and me, I am king from heaven I did not resist. my :

;

:

;

—

:

power

is

Pilate

of the spirit."

said

:

"

Then

think yourself a king

it

is

" You Jesus answered Everyone who lives by the :

indeed true that you

" ?

know spirit is

this free.

yourself. I live

"

THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF

220

by

this only,

and

I

Pilate said

"

:

men

only teach by shewing

truth, that they are free

You

knows what truth

by the

the

spirit."

teach the truth, but nobody

and everyone has his own

is,

truth."

And

having said

he turned his back on

this,

Jesus, and went again to the Jews.

Coining out to them, he said " I find nothing criminal in this man. Why, then, put him to death ? :

The

priests

answered

"

:

He

ought to be put to

death, because he incites the people."

Then priests

;

Pilate began to examine Jesus before the

but Jesus, seeing

Herod's

nothing

Herod,

to

;

Jesus

tribunal,

the

accusations

thinking

be

Jesus to

and sent back

But the people

the

Christ.

them

—

cried

entreat the

to

out

a second time ;

and

to

all

crucify

to

persuade

but priests and people cried

out that he must be executed. is

dressed in red

did not consent,

them

Pilate tried

to let Jesus go

common

;

fellow,

only on account of the

if

priests

with

a

be

and began

Pilate pitied Jesus,

feast.

answered and

again

to Pilate.

priests to forgive him,

—

mock

a

the priests

of

ordered him, for mockery, to clothes,

only

Then Pilate said " I take him to Herod." :

alone cannot condemn him

At

was

it

inquiry, answered nothing.

guilty of calling himself the

Son

They

said

of God."

:

"

He

Pilate

summoned Jesus, and asked him what he meant by calHng himself the Son of God. Jesus again

answered nothing.

Then

Pilate said

:

"

Why

do you not answer me,

"

; :

A RECAPITULATION

221

seeing that I have power to execute you or to set

you

fiee

?

Jesus answered nie

;

"

:

You have no

authority over

authority only comes from on high."

And

Pilate a third time began to persuade the

Jews to set Jesus free. But they said to him " If you will not execute this man, whom we have exposed as an enemy to Ccesar, then you yourself are not a friend, but an enemy to Ceesar." And hearing these words, Pilate gave way, and ordered the execution of Jesus. They first stripped him and flogged him then they dressed him again in a ridiculous way. And they beat him, mocked him, and insulted him. Then they caused him to carry the cross, and led him to the place of execution, where they crucified him. And as Jesus hung on the cross, the whole populace mocked him. But to this mockery Jesus answered " Father do not call them to account they do not know what they are doing." And then, as he was now drawing near death, he said " Father I yield my spirit into Thy care." :

;

:

!

!

And bowing

his bead, he breathed his last.

THE END

"

Note upon Matt.

xvii. 24-25, as to

Taxes

(see

page

Payment of

117).

In the third part (now preparing for press) of Tlie Four Harmonised and Translated, the Author renders the above passage thus " When they were come to Capernaum, the collectors of Thy master the double-drachm came to Peter, and said does not pay the double-drachm. And he said Yes." This rendering, the Author accompanies with the remark " I have substituted a full-stop for the note of interrogation generally placed at the end of verse 24. The construction of the sentence is not interrogative, and the verb is in the present tense. The tax-collectors ask no question, but positively say, Your master does not pay the tax.' So that Peter simply confirms the statement, that Jesus does not pay taxes. Gospels

:

:

:

:

'

This explanation of a novel reading of the Gospel text serve as an example of numerous other explanations, to be found in the larger work, The Four Gospels Harmonised and

may

Translated.

222

;

INDEX TO THE PORTIONS OF THE FOUR GOSPELS EMBODIED IX "THE GOSPEL IN BRIEF"

The figures in " Matt.

Italics " signify the

page

18, 19, 24, 25, 23.

1.

^4 5-8, 10-13, SS. 35; 14, 16, 60. V. 1, 2, 49; 13-19, 50; 20-24, SI; 25, ii(5 ; 28, 29, SS 31-34, 52 36, 53 37-41, 53 43, 44, 54 45, 46, B5. 17-28, 57 29-34, 58. 4-9, 56 vi. 1-3, 55 16, 56 vii. 1, 3, 6, 54; 9-11, 5S 12, 55; 13, 14, 55; 15-17, 59; iii. 1, 4,

;

iv. 1, 2,

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

20-27, 59. ix.

9-11, 31

12,72;

X.

12, 13,

;

16,

72;

3S 35, 36, ^9. 72; 22, 23, 72; 26-31, 73; ;

34, 7.?;

19,

38, 39, 102. xi.

2-7, ^0

8-10, 41

;

;

4^

16,

17-19, 41

;

;

25, 61

;

28-30,

6i. xii. 1, 2,

50

75

31,

;

;

12,

;

24,

;

31

15,

;

74

31, 32,

;

;

;

73

;

33,

46, 47, 76.

;

xiii. 3,

.J7;

34 7, 30, S^ 8, 30 ; 11, 7^ 25-29, 74 30, 75

6,

;

19-21, 60

44

:

4, 5,

4S

18-21, 47;

48;

33,

4S;

7,

;

8,45;

22, 23, 47, .46

;

.4^

10, 11, .^7 ;

24,

48, 47.

xiv. 17, 68.

XV. 2, 3, 3^

;

7-9, 32.

xvi. 13-18, 101 xvii. 24, 25,

21, i2i

;

ii7

;

;

27, 111.

27, 118. 223

25,

;

12,

46;

4S

;

14, 15,

27-30, .46;

;

INDEX

224 Matt, xviii.

iiS; 5-8,

3,

ii//.;

10,

ii4

11,12,^0^;

;

15-17, ii5; 18-20, ;i6; 23-31, ii5

116

xix. 3,

4-6, ii7

;

XX. 1-3, i03

xxi. 10-11, 128

122

i^^

.;,',

23,

34-36, i3;3

;

16-22, 119

;

;

23-28,

;

JJ^

;

;

27, i02.

iO^

40-43, lOS.

122^ 28, i'?;2; 31, 32, 123 39, 40, 123 42, 43, i.?5. 8, 12k\ 13, i^4; 15, 118, 12J, 30, 31, 124. 23, i^^ 27, 28, 124

i.'Ji

37,

;

&9

28, 29,

;

113

13, 14,

;

20-22, 103

;

24, 25,

;

;

;

3-5, i^/^

xxiii. 2, i;?3;

16,

13,

;

iig;

xxii. 16-21,

8-12, 117

;

8-16, 103

;

14,

32-35, ii 6.

;

;

:

;

;

;

37-39, 123. xxiv. 1-5, i55; 12, 50, 51, 110.-

l.:'o

14,

;

i^5

;

45, 56,

110;

48,

iiO;

XXV. 1-7, iiO 10, 110 26, 27, 66 32, iii 34, 111. 6-11, 88 xxvi. 3-5, i5i 13, 89 ; 14-19, iSi ; 20, 21, l.}2 33-35, 134 i 36-43, 30, 31, IS4 23, 132 ; 26-28, iS^ ;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

i55

Mark

;

;

69, 70,

;

:

;

;

46, 47, 156.

;

158

1,

i.

i50 21-23, 153

;

55, 56, i^7 58, 147 ; 147 71-75, I4S. 24-26, I64 28, 29, i55 ; 31,

46-52, 146

;

67, 68,

;

i50

xxvii. 2,

1S5

136

44, 45,

;

59-66, 149

;

n.

4,

;

23, SO.

ii.

5i

iii. 4,

;

1,73;

26-29, 45

iv.

32

1-5,

vii.

viii.

32-34, 121.

X. 2,

iiS

;

xi. 15, i„'5 xii.

17,

1-8, i07

xiii. 33,

iiO.

xiv. 18,

132

iii.

ii.

4-6,

28,

;

;

37, 38,

;

;

;

22-25, S6

;

18,

i^S

;

;

29-31, 102

;

5, i5;3

;

;

47-52, 24. ;

;

;

;

35, 103.

29-32, i55.

;

^4 10, 11, ^^ 12-14, 25 9-12, 26; 26; 6-8, ;27

19-21, SO

;

25, 26, 56.

US.

53, 147,

;

40-46, 23

iv. 3-5,

34

;

41-44, 87.

;

XV. 3, 4, i5i

Luke

;

17-21, 85 ;

I24 29, i^5. 77 40, 77. 10-13, 32 14-21, S3 23, 33. 73

77

33

8,

;

22,

35,

;

;

23, S4.

27; 16-18, ^5;

13, 14,

32, 60.

v. 33-38, 39.

vi

1,

5i ; vii.

30

;

20-23, 49

;

24-26, 50

45, 59.

37-41, 57

;

42-50, 3S.

;

30,

53

;

37,

53

;

39, 40,

;

INDEX Luke

^

viii. 18,

23-25, 78

ix.

19,

;

76

Uk

48,

;

22S

21, 76.

;

52-56, 119

;

IZQ

57, 58,

;

4,

;

7^

5,

25,

;

120

76

59-62, 77.

;

J20 77 ; 39-42, 7S. xi. 9, 58 ; 27, 28, 76 37-41, 57 53, 126. xii. ], 123; 5, iS3 13, 14, 119; 15-19, 7S 20, 21, 79; 54-56, SO. 32, 5S ; 35-39, 109 49, 75; 51-53, 73 xiii. 2-8, 79 10-15, 3i 24, 25, 111. xiv. 3, SI 8-11, i05 15, 16, 8Jt; 18-23, S^ 5, 6, 31 25-28, SO 26, 73 ; 29-33, 81. XV. 8, iO^ 10-13, 105 15-18, 105 20-32, i06. 3,8S; 5, 6, 82 8-12, SS ; 14-17, 83 ; 16, 41 xvi. 1, 82 19-29, S4 30, 31, 85. xvii. 3, lU 5-7, 108 8-10, i09 4, ii5 20, 41 ; 21,42; 71

X. 1-3,

27,

;

29-35,

;

38,

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

23, 24,

10-12, 38

xviii.

;

;

4~'.

S6

xix. 1-4,

XX. 34-36,

13, 14, 3.9

;

5-10, 87

;

i;?:?

;

;

113

17,

11-15, 65

;

25-27, 86.

;

16-27, 66

;

134 ; 53, i.^/. ^5^ ; 34, 35, 155

;

;

47, 48, 126.

45, 46, 123.

xxi. 34, 110. xxii. 18, i5^^ xxiii. 2,

i50

134

35, 36,

;

;

6-15, 162

38,

;

23,

;

39-43, 156

;

46, J56.

John

;

13,

ii.

9-12, 158

;

13-18, i59

;

;

35-12, 27

;

43-49,

51, 28.

33

1-5,

iii.

158

1-5,

i.

gS

;

14-16, 3^ 23-25, 35. 6-17, 43; 18-21, ;

4^;

.f^

22-27, 36;

;

31,

36;

32-36, 37. 4-10, 35

iv.

13,

;

35

14,

;

19, 20,

35

;

21,

36

;

23-26, 36

;

31-38, 6^. 1-4, 62;

63; 15-21, 63; 22, 6.^; 24-31, 64; 65 43, 44, 65. vi. 1-3, 63; 5, 68; 7, 63; 9-11, 63; 26, 27, 68; 28-33, 42-52, 70 35-41, 69 53-57, 7.Z ; 60, 61, 71 ; 69 V.

36-38, 64

5-11,

;

39, 40,

;

;

;

;

63, 71. vii.

viii.

7-12, 91;

1-6, 90;

32, 34, 9;?

;

3-9, j;9

24, 25,

94

3«-t4, 96 IS

;

;

37-40, 93

;

14-19, 9i

;

21, 9i

22-29, 92;

;

42-52, 93.

120 12-14, 94 ; 18, 19, 94 21, 94 95 28, 29, 95 ; 31, 32, 95 34-37, 95 56-59, 98. 46, 96 ; 48-55, 97

;

10, 11,

26,

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

INDEX

226

John

98

X. 1-3,

6,

;

95

;

95

7, 8,

;

9-18, 99

20, 21, 101

;

;

24,

99

25-37, 100; 38^2,101. 7-9,

xi.

m

10,

;

128

25,

;

26,

98

47-50, 1^6

;

52-57,

;

127.

1^5 ;^,1Z7; 12-14, l^S 19, 20, 130 ; 31, 32, 130 ; 34-36, iSO 36, 44, 45, 130 47-50, 130. xiii. 4-7, 132 ; 10, 11, 132 ; 12, 135 14, 21-27, 135 30, 31, 133 ; 33-35, ISJf xiv. 1-3, 137 4-17, 138 18-28, 139. XV. 1, 2, 140 4-16, 140 17-27, 141. xvi. 1-7, 141 8-13, 1^:2 15-21, I42

xii. 1,

;

28,

;

128

;

21-27, 1^9

;

131

;

42, 43, 131

;

133

\

17, 18,

133

;

;

;

;

;

;

36-38, 137.

;

;

;

;

;

;

22-30, 1.^3

33,

;

143. xvii. 1,

21,

14s;

1.4.4

xviii. 1,

160

;

;

3, 4, 1.44;

23,

144

;

135; 12-14,

l..f7

;

;

1.4-4.

19, 20,

I48

;

21-23, 1.49

;

28-33,

34-38, 151.

153; 6, 7, 153; 8-13, 154; 155 ; 28, 166 30, 156.

xix. 4, 18,

6-11, 144; 15, 1.^4; 17, 18, I44

25, 26,

XX. 31, 158.

;

16,

15^ 155;

16,

155;

mwMM

if'tM^'t'XS^ y/M').

'3>jim

y?/,'i

yyyX

wWk«*>»mww