The Great Gospel of John
Volume 3
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi
- Chapter 73 -
Raphael records the Lord's speech on sexuality.
Cyrenius says, "Yes, Lord and Master in Your spirit of eternity! Now I have no further questions to ask in this area. Only it would be very desirable that everything would be written down word by word; for this forms the basis for a complete and best constitution."
2
I say, "Look, Raphael will do it for you; so have writing materials brought to him!"
3
At this Cyrenius immediately orders his servants to bring writing materials, and they go and right away bring a large number of clean rolls of parchment as well as some copper plates for engraving. When these were brought, I call Raphael and he quickly proceeds to our table and asks Cyrenius how he would prefer to have it written, whether on parchment or on the copper plates.
4
Cyrenius says, "Things would probably be better for use on parchment, but on copper plates they could be kept better and more durably for the later descendants; but once I have the things on the parchment, I will then get a copy made on the copper plates."
5
Raphael says, "Do you know what, since it costs me no more or less effort and work whether I now write the thing once or twice, so I will write on the rolls and the plates at the same time!"
6
The twelve at the adjoining table raise their eye-brows and are now very curious to look and see how the young disciple will write with both hands at the same time.
7
Suetal says especially to Ribar, "Well, I am very curious about this double writing! The great master of Nazareth must be a competent teacher then; for I have never encountered such a great writing before. But until he has written down everything that the truly wise Greek - who certainly is also an older disciple of the Nazarene - has just said, the sun will have rather set!"
8
Ribar says, "That depends very much how quickly he is capable of writing! Perhaps he has some sort of magical advantage in writing about which we know just as little as we know about how he carried out the miracle earlier. But we have seen it and also felt it, but how and through what he carried it out we have certainly no idea! Thus we should never place in doubt any accepted fact beforehand with these people who before our eyes have achieved such great things until we have been taught by the failure of some accepted deed of another person!"
9
Suetal says, "Yes, yes, I have the same opinion, but it is just that one says something at all!"
10
Ribar says, "Brother, it is much better to be silent from now on and alone to watch and listen! Look, the boy is setting out the rolls and the plates! So now pay good attention; for he will now certainly begin to write immediately!"
11
Suetal now stands up and observes exactly how the supposed young disciple will write; but as he begins to watch more sharply, he discovers that all the rolls as well as the plates are all already fully written on. Extremely amazed about this, he calls out loudly, "No, there is no miracle above this one! We were waiting for the disciple to begin his double writing and look, he is already finished with everything! Ah, that is once completely far above all human understanding, and nothing similar has ever been heard of!"
12
At this exclamation by Suetal, all the twelve now stand up, look for the open rolls and for the small written plates, and everyone convinces themselves that both the rolls as well as the plates have been fully written with a good, pure and legible script and ask themselves quite silently: How can such a thing be possible?"
13
But Raphael notices well such amazement of his table companions and says to Suetal, "Look, that"s what the eight fish have done that I consumed and which you were jealous of me for; one must collect strength if one wants to complete a deed well! Or do you here think something different?"
14
Suetal says, "Dearest and most wonderful friend, you enjoy teasing me a little; but that doesn't matter anymore, for I see that you possess an enormous dose of the divine omnipotence and one cannot argue with you! But the eight fish have certainly not given you such power; instead alone the great divine Master of Nazareth has given it to you! So make sure that we get to see him soon! For now our heart gives us no more rest; we must see and speak to Him! - For now also we would like to see and speak to Him!"
15
Raphael says, "Be patient just a little longer, until I have ordered these writings here, then we will go and see where the great Master is hiding from the blind and the deaf!" With these words the twelve are satisfied and demand now nothing further for the moment.
16
But Raphael now puts the rolls together in a good order and gives them along with the plates to the likewise no little amazed Cyrenius, who begins to look through them immediately and cannot wonder enough at their correctness.