The Great Gospel of John
Volume 2
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
First journey of the Lord: Kis - landing place at Sibarah - Nazareth
- Chapter 21 -
Cyrenius and the Templers.
Says Cyrenius: "Did you hear the testimony against you, by one resurrected from the dead, which incriminates you more heavily than all robbery and murder? What should I do with you in the light of this most truthful accusation? To hang you upon the cross would be far too little! To scourge you for a whole day and only then behead you would also be too lenient. But I know what I shall do, and you should be quite happy with me." To this Cyrenius' address all become deathly pale, giving out immense howling and pleading.
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Cyrenius however asks Me on the side whether he ought to in earnest impose a penalty upon these miscreants, following his verdict, in accordance with which eternal silence should be dished out to them.
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Say I: "Impose only the verdict, threatening its execution without further leniency with the first violation. Thereafter release them."
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Cyrenius steps forward commanding silence, saying: "Lend me your ear, you miscreant goblins! You have only this One to thank, Whom you wanted to stone on account of the holy truth that came to you from His mouth, that I am not having you one and all driven into the desert, to there set you upon rocks amidst an abyss and gouge out your eyes! But should any of you dare to so much as prattle outside this school even one syllable about anything that has taken place here, either verbally or in writing or by gesture, expression, or by hand signals, upon such the execution shall be carried out with the most inexorable sharpness!
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Nor shall I desist from punishment upon hearing of your tormenting the people with unlawful extortions, and the persecution by you of divine truth, for the sake of your shameful and selfish ordinances! Teach the people God's Commandments and their keeping, and you shall be regarded like this godly Jesus, Who is not at all proclaiming a new but age-old doctrine from God to nations precipitated by you into deepest night; something He can do the more readily and truly, since He is in the Spirit Himself the One Who according to your doctrine gave you the Commandments on Sinai through Moses; something that you do not comprehend, yet I do quite well, notwithstanding your declaring me a heathen! Hence beware of persecuting this holy One; for such persecution would cost you your life twice - physically here and spiritually in the beyond! Have you understood me?"
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Say all those concerned: "Yes, exalted lord, and we intend doing everything you require of us But you also know that we men are no gods, and endued with all sorts of weaknesses; if therefore someone were to transgress somewhat in whatever way, so hold us to account, and as human yourself, punish us humanely"
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Says Cyrenius: "Greek merchants and shopkeepers indeed are in the habit of putting up with bartering, but never the Romans! Consider same and act accordingly, then you shall have need of no clemency; for men vex strong and into heroes of order only through sharp and unbending laws, becoming of one mind and full of eagerness in all lawful pursuits.
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If the soldier were not to have the most uncompromisingly sharp military rules, he would be a coward, and when it came to pursuing, fighting and vanquishing the foe, the enemy would have an easy time, and essential national security would be done for! But by prescribing for the soldier every step upon death and life with iron law as to his bearing before the foe, he is likely to do it with certainty. For were he not to do so, death at the hands of the enemy is not certain, and he then can emerge from battle as conqueror and crowned hero.
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The sternest rule in Rome then is: A stern law makes for stern and orderly citizens. Wherefore we don't allow bartering with ourselves by a hair's breadth, and all men are equal before the law! You are now familiar with my legal sentiments. Act accordingly, and you shall be free under law; if you do not conform, then the law shall judge you without every grace precisely for being law.
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The entire earth with everything in and upon it endures only for the unbending will of God. Were God to admit bartering with Himself only to the smallest degree, what would become of the earth and ourselves in the next moment? Everything would come unstuck!
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A national society would fare likewise; if just one law were to slacken off then the others too would lose their force and application, and the great edifice of state would only too soon be in ruins! Hence my warning to you stands inexorably."
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To this decisive chief governor's retort, the elders' and Pharisees' faces turn acrid, and one of them spoke in a kind of painful amazement: "Oh, Rome. Oh, Rome! You are dreadfully hard and difficult! Jehovah! You freed Your children from Babylonian captivity when they repented and prayed for it; will You not free us from this thousandfold harder captivity for evermore?"
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Say I: "If you remain as you are and do not change from your foundations, then you shall not only remain everlastingly subservient to Rome, but fully consumed by the latter, as is an ass by the eagles! Only for a short time shall God be patient with you yet, after which an acute fate shall befall you, and it shall be with you as I prophesied to you earlier, and they shall persecute you to the end of the world. -Depart now and be offended no more."
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Upon these My words they all move to an adjacent chamber; we remained in the school, which a large number of Nazarenes soon came to see the lofty Roman lords. We had to eventually stand upon tables and benches in order not to be crushed, and to be seen by the gaping folk.