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 54 -
The angel's counselling of the converted Clerics.
There the two angels step up to them and say: "Chiwar is right on the one hand, but you, Elder, are right too in saying that one must belong fully to God since God detests any lukewarmness. But we as His witnesses from the heavens tell you: Do not fear those who cannot harm your soul, but rather fear Him Who is the Lord, over all life in heaven and on earth. Without Him there is no life, neither in heaven nor on earth. Therefore we, as His most truthful witnesses from the heavens, do advise you to do what your friend Chiwar has suggested."
2
Says the Elder: "Who are you, most charming youths, that you call yourselves before us "witnesses from the heavens"?"
3
Say the two: "Ask Chiwar who saw us fetch the wife of Faustus from Capernaum, and he will tell you who we are."
4
Says the Elder: "If so, there is no more to be reflected on and we must turn our backs upon the temple."
5
Say the two: "Not this way, dear friends, for the Lord is tolerant in all things. As long as you follow Him in your hearts, have a living faith in Him and believe that through Him the Scripture will be fulfilled and for the greater part have already been fulfilled, you are doing enough. Otherwise stay as you are, so that the servants of the world and the devil of whom the temple is full are not awakened before the time. Teach the people of Moses and the prophets and see that the true commandments of God are observed, but regard the observance of the worldly laws of the temple as you would lukewarm water, then you will be as much His disciples as those whom He called and chose from among the fishermen.
6
In two days time, you shall get a new Chief from Jerusalem who shall be very templeristically-minded at the start but later be quite open to wheeling and dealing and hand out dispensation after dispensation for money; because he does not believe one iota in the Temple himself and you shall get off easily. Jairus has retired and is going to reside with his son-in-law. But say nothing to the new Chief about all the miracles that has taken place here!"
7
Says Chiwar in deepest reverence: "Servants of God from the kingdom of Light and eternal life. We shall do well if we act in accordance with your counsel through the grace of God; but for myself I would like to take it a step further. How about my personally join the disciples as a disciple myself?"
8
Say the two: "Every man of this earth is free and can do what he will and believe and say as he will; but whoever like yourselves has received divine counsel does well to heed same because heavy days of temptation are yet to come over the disciples constantly about the Lord, for the purpose of testing their spirit even in the fire, and many shall become feeble and fall away. For yourselves, it shall be easier, and you shall quietly achieve what the disciples shall only achieve under much fear and persecution. You Chiwar can yourself now do as you wish; yet it is better for you to remain in your position."
9
Says Chiwar: "Indeed I shall remain so; but for the duration of the Lord's stay here I would like to stay in His proximity and hear and see Him diversely. Should I let that go too?"
10
Say the two: "Oh, that you can indeed, although the Lord shall be saying little here, and even less, do anything in particular, because the people here are almost entirely without faith, taking the Lord to be a magician. You shall yourselves get ample opportunity to teach them something better for which the Lord shall not let you go unrewarded. Towards evening Roban also shall come back to you and bring you important testimony of Jesus the Lord, and in him you shall have a cleaver and wise leader; for Roban is one of the most forceful spirits among you." - With these words the two angels leave and join our company.