The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
In the fisherman's house at Bethabara
- Chapter 119 -
About Temple-oaths. Where God does not dwell, there evil dwells. 'Though you believe not Me, yet believe the works!' The scriptures only a signpost to God. Parable of the journey to Rome. Only the doer of God's will gets to know God! The Lord soothes the people's revenge against the Templers and sails off by boat.
Says one scribe, 'Friend, you take much upon yourself saying such things to us, on the betrayal of which the Temple has set the death penalty. You are lucky to have rendered our principal such favour, otherwise you might not fare too well; for we are bound to the Temple by a mighty oath!'
2
Say I, 'Which you can break any time you like, because it is not God to Whom you swore the oath, but to the Temple, which is made by human hands and within which God no longer resides.
3
But where God does not reside, there the old prince of the lie and all evil resides and to this prince and current lord of the Temple you can break your oath without fear.
4
Were you to break your vain oath with the Temple, God the Lord would take pleasure in you and He would give you what He has given Me from the foundation of the world: that which you are now marvelling at but cannot grasp, - how I accomplish works which according to your own testimony, are possible only to God. But if you fear the Temple more than God, Whom you don't know, then you shall remain bonded to the Temple and be an abomination before God.
5
If however you do not believe My simple Words, then believe on account of My works, which I perform before you for your good and of which you yourselves say they are possible only to God!'
6
Say the Scribes, 'How can you know God better than us, since you have not learned the scriptures?'
7
Say I, 'The dead letter you know indeed; but God is not to be found in that, hence you are unable to recognise God from the Scriptures. Because the Scriptures only show the way to God and this only if you follow this way undeviatingly.
8
Of what benefit is it for you to know the road to Rome, if you don't set out upon it in order to get to Rome and there to behold the great city of the king? Who is he that can claim to know Rome because he knows the way, upon which however he has never set out by even a single span? Of what use in this respect the knowledge of the Scriptures, which are a way to God, if you have never taken a step along same?
9
I however am familiar with all of Scripture, like yourselves and have always acted in accordance with God's Commandments contained therein and therefore within the fullest knowledge of God and can therefore say unto you from the primeval arch-fountain, that neither among you, nor the likes of you had there ever been even one who has recognised God and never shall do so along your evil ways, for you are atheists, one and all.
10
You yourselves did not want to recognise God, yet you will block off with death and ruin the way for those who would still walk the right way. For this you shall therefore in the other life once be overcome that much more by damnation! Because all those you have and still are perpetually persecuting, shall once be your eternal judges!'
11
As I proclaim this to the Pharisees and scribes, there arises among the people a mighty storm of applause and they are about to lay hands on the Pharisees and scribes. But I prevent it and make My way to the sea through the small seaward gate, together with the disciples and all the Pharisees and scribes. And with several boats lying in readiness there, these are immediately boarded and with moderate wind we sail away from the coast, the great crowd having been unable to catch up with us.