The Great Gospel of John
Volume 3
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi
- Chapter 108 -
Opinions about the spreading of the new teaching.
At this Simon Judas says, "I marvel at Mathael"s truly great wisdom and the knowledge hidden in it about the antiquity! Yes, such wisdom is lacking in this age too just as much as the deep recognition of the truths of life coming out of the mouth of God! Truly, we could talk the ear off a nation which has already been wasting away in the very most absurd dirt of the most dubious superstition for more than a thousand years! In that case one word just as a hundred thousand of the most beautiful words is purely in vain; it does not recognise its own foolishness and blindness, and even less so the most beautiful and purest truth preached to it.
2
What else should one do there with such a nation? Work miracles? A nation only becomes more foolish and superstitious thereby! Punish it? Oh, such a nation is in any case punished enough!
3
But if one seeks the more accessible ones of the nation and preaches to them in the way our Mathael does against paganism, in one hundred years at most with the mercy of God there will be no more pagan temples!
4
Judge, brothers, whether I have spoken correctly or not! A simple mind of a child is worth more than the understanding of all those who understand on this Earth; but here understanding is also fully appropriate. What is your opinion, dear brothers?"
5
Everyone except Judas says, "We totally agree with that, and we cannot refute anything!"
6
Now Judas steps forward and says, "No, no, some things can be refuted!"
7
Simon says, "What then? Speak! I truly don't know of anything here that could be refuted!"
8
Judas says, "If you conquer those who are powerful, you will then be able to speak very effectively to the weaker ones even without this knowledge!"
9
Mathael says, looking at Judas somewhat excitedly, "Aha, you want to announce the message of freedom from heaven to the poor in spirit and the earthly goods with whip and sword! Indeed, you are a very strange person! You seem to me also to be otherwise a being from the underworld, thus this opinion of yours which would truly do no injustice to any devil! You are an exceptionally rare devil!
10
But do tell me how you could have smuggled yourself into this otherwise purely heavenly company!
11
But I say to you: If you as a devil want to speak to people and act, you must wrap yourself better in sheep"s clothing, so that one doesn't see the rapacious wolf among them at the first glance!
12
Make sure that you get out of my view, otherwise I could be tempted to make disclosures about you that you perhaps now would not be in the best mood to hear; for my spirit knows you now inside and out!"
13
When Judas hears such things from Mathael, he raises his eyebrows and says, "You are mistaken in me, Mathael; for I also belong to the number of chosen ones, I have already fulfilled errands in the name of the Lord and I was carried through the air just like my brothers a number of weeks ago by the angels!"
14
Mathael says, "Oh, I know all that, and nonetheless I do not retract one syllable of the words I have just said! You sure do belong among the twelve, but my spirit says to me: There is a devil among them! - and look, you are the devil!
15
With this proof that my spirit gave about you, you can be satisfied for the moment. But if you want more, it can be attended upon; for I am just about to discover quite a big room full of ugly proof against you, and you will not have to do much to get them all in your face! For you are also a thief! Do you understand me?!"
16
When Judas heard such thundrous words from the wise Mathael, a powerful shudder ran through him and he drew very modestly back and in going back he received some quiet kicks from Thomas as well, with the words, "Did hell prick you once again?! Just carry on like that, and you will hear more than just now! You poor soul, you"ll never be a match for Mathael, whom the Lord has so wonderfully healed in body, soul and spirit!
17
See, even the angel of the Lord does not dare to draw near to him, and you want to contradict him in something that he has said from out of his deepest wisdom which has never been seen since Moses?!
18
Do you not then see the foolishness emanating from your fundamentally asinine heart as it screams throughout all the heavens? Can you not remain silent so that you can listen and continue to learn?!
19
All the wisdom of all the heavens and all the Earth is here in one place together, we are sitting here together in the centre of the divine heart, words and deeds go past us that even amaze the angels, and you with your truly terrible cravings as the greatest donkey among us cannot resist pulling not only discussions but also counter views from your puddle of stupidity into the present divine daylight! Oh you top blockhead!"
20
Judas says, quite sulkily, "Hey, leave me alone! If I am such a donkey then that affects me and not you! And if Mathael has now beaten me so much, than I bet that what you want, that these very pure, divine teachings should be announced to the poor heathens not with gentle words of peace but with the sword and all sorts of deadly shots!
21
No-one will be asked whether he has understood it, instead he will be forced to swear on the new belief! And if with time he leaves the never understood belief, he will be declared guilty of the most harmful prerjury and at best burnt alive!
22
And if at the spreading of this divine religion one does not ensure above all that the authorities are won over, then I would truly not like to count the numbers of blood witnesses who will bleed under the sword of the great heathen rulers, even if I am a devil! No matter whether it is divine! The devil is also divine! In time even the purest and most eminent divinity is also devilish!
23
For example, if we just look at the most divine religion of Moses! What is it in the temple of the once heavenly wise Solomon?! Therefore I say as Mathael"s devil and also as a donkey: Mathael is correct, and I recognise his wisdom as well you do, but as much as Mathael is correct, I am correct too!
24
I tell you, this religion of peace from heaven will spread the greatest dissatisfaction across the whole surface of the Earth in a very short time and will put nations one after the other in the greatest, irreparable disharmony, discontent and war!
25
You will probably not experience this so much in your body; but your spirit will be a certain witness of everything that I have just said to you, and you will only then agree that the devil and thief Judas also prophecied truth! Now I ask you whether you have understood me well!?"