The Great Gospel of John
Volume 2
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus in the Vicinity of Caesara Philippi (Matthew 16)
- Chapter 218 -
Soul and body.
Says Cyrenius: "Lord, forgive me for interjecting with a question! What happens to the wheat-germ when ground to flour, and finally basked and eaten as bread? Does the life-germ continue to live even through these stages?"
2
Say I: "Very much so; for if you eat the bread, the material bread is soon discarded from the body by the natural process, however, the germ-life is as something spiritual immediately assimilated by the soul-life and unites to its corresponding composition with it. The more material part of the life-germ which always served it as a solid base, like the water of Moses the spirit of God, becomes nourishment of the body and finally, as properly purified, goes over to the soul and serves for the development and nourishment of the soul's organs like its limbs, its hairs, etc. and in general for the development and nourishment of all this what you from alpha to omega would find in the human body.
3
However, that the soul consists of all the same parts as the body, you can convince yourself tangible at the Angle Raphael who sits at our table and converses with Josoe. (Turning to the Angel:) Raphael, come here so that Cyrenius can touch you!"
4
The angel comes over, and Cyrenius runs his hand over him, saying: "Indeed, indeed, this is all nature, and so-to-say real matter! He truly has, like ourselves, all the limbs and the same form as the likes of us, except that everything is nobler, softer and exceedingly more beautiful; for the attractiveness of this face is matchlessly beautiful!, yet not at all a girlishly handsome but masculine in all earnest, and yet more beautiful than a most beautiful maiden-face! I have of a truth not taken much notice of this patron till now. - He actually multiplies in beauty the longer I look at him. Heavens! This is strange indeed! (And, saying to the angel) Hearken, you gloriously beautiful angel, do you also feel love in your most beautiful breast?"
5
Says the angel: "Oh, for sure; for my spiritual body is akin to the wisdom of God the Lord. And since my life is pure love itself, I have to feel too, since my life is nothing but purest love.
6
How, as a usually quite wise man, could you have asked me that? Behold, that which God the Lord has been within Himself from eternity, such we too must be, being completely out of Him and therefore fully His nature in everything, just as the beam of the sun is and effects that which the sun is itself! If so however, then how such question?!"
7
Says Cyrenius: "Indeed, this is quite true and right, and I would have known so without your explanation; but I had to put some question to you in order to hear your speaking-tone. But now we have also finished with each other, and you can resume your seat!"
8
Says the angel: "This is not for you but the Lord to command!"
9
Says Cyrenius: "Friend, it seems to me that, notwithstanding your beauty, wisdom and love, you seem to be of a somewhat stubborn nature!?"
10
Says the angel: "Oh, not at all; but I cannot and must not receive instruction from a mortal; because my self, quite apart from being out of God in everything, am a completely independent self! Besides that, I need not fear anything such as the people of this world; because in that respect I have power and authority of which you have not dreamt yet. Should you how ever wish to acquaint yourself more with same, then ask the centurion Julius and my disciple Jarah, as well as the Lord's disciples. These shall tell you a thing or two."
11
Says Cyrenius: "Lord, tell him to resume his seat, or I shall seriously start to fear him intensely, for it is best not to get entangled with the likes of him! He is getting steadily rougher and more heated, and there is nothing one can do with him in spite of his beauty."
12
Say I to the angel: "Well then, in that case return to your seat!" - And the angel instantly obeys My hint, resuming his former seat. And Cyrenius is relieved, for he had in all earnest begun to fear the angel exceedingly.
13
John and Matthew immediately ask whether to record all this.
14
Say I: "You can do so for yourselves, but need not record it for the people; for this is two thousand years too early for grasping, and one should not cast pearls before swine, as they are unable to distinguish such fare from the basest pig fodder. But for yourselves and a few others you can do so by all means."
15
And the two disciples do so in relevant images, to distinguish it from what they had written in proper Hebrew under My direction.