The Great Gospel of John
Volume 4
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi (cont.)
- Chapter 88 -
Different opinions on the nature of the Lord.
But the wine started to loosen the tongues at the tables, and therefore it became increasingly livelier and livelier. There even originated different opinions about Me, and one could say, that here at the evening meal the first splitting of the church took place. Some stated that I directly was the highest God-being; but others said: this is true, but not directly, only indirectly. Again others said: I actually was only a son of David according to parentage and was destined to be the Messiah of the kingdom of David and therefore be equipped with the miracle strength of David and with the wisdom of Salomo. Still others thought: I was a first angel of the heavens, walking now in a pro forma flesh on earth, and have an adjutant from the heavens with Me.
2
Some, to whom even some of My apostles belonged, declared Me as the son of the most Highest. Although having the same properties as My Father, I, nevertheless, was a complete different personality, and even the often discussed spirit of God might finally form a third personality, which, under certain circumstances can speak on its own behalf!
3
With this opinion however, only very few agreed. Some asked Petrus what he thought.
4
But Petrus said: "He, the Lord Himself, has asked us, when travelling around this area, what the people were thinking about Him, who He was, and what finally we ourselves were thinking about Him. At that stage also this and that was stated, and when finally I was asked, I said it bluntly as I felt it in my heart: 'You are the son of the most Highest!' And with this my testimony He was fully content and even called me the rock of believe, on which He will build His church, which will not be besieged by the ports of hell. Thereby my once expressed opinion was approved and confirmed by Himself, and therefore I do not act wrongly, if I stay with that as a rock!"
5
But Johannes was nevertheless considerable opposed to this opinion of Petrus and said: "In Him the fullness of the Godhead resides bodily! As the son, who nevertheless cannot be another personality, I only recognise His body as far as it is a means for a purpose; but on the whole, He nevertheless is identical with the Godhead which resides in Him in all fullness!
6
Or is my body then another personality as my soul? Does not both form one person, despite the fact that originally the soul had to build her own body and one therefore could argue: The soul has build a second material person around herself and by doing so arranged for a second personality around herself? One can therefore say that the body is a son or something which was produced by the soul, but because of that it does not form a second personality with her or even without her! And even to a lesser degree it can be said from the spirit in the soul; since what would be a soul without the divine spirit in her? She only becomes a perfect person if she is completely penetrated by the spirit! Therefore spirit, soul and body are absolutely one and the same personality!
7
In addition it is written: 'God created man completely according to His own image.' But if man as a perfect image of God with his spirit, his soul and his body is only one person and not three, surely also God as the perfect primordial spirit, encircled with a equally perfect soul and now also in front of our eyes with a visible body, can also only be one God and forever never not a three-god or even three separate persons! - This is my opinion, which I forever will hold on to, without wanting to be a rock of believe!"
8
Say all at My table: "Johannes has spoken the truth!"
9
But Petrus wants to correct himself and says: "Yes, I also mean it that way; I am just not that verbally agile, to express my inner comprehension so quickly, although this matter will always be difficult to understand!"
10
Says Johannes: "Difficult and again not difficult! According to your way no person ever on this earth will understand it, - according to my way, this is what I think, however very easily! But only the Lord should now be a right referee between us!"
11
Says I: "Believe can achieve many things, but love can do all! You, Simon Juda, are a rock in believe; but Johannes is a pure diamond in love, and therefore he also can look deeper than everybody else of you. He therefore is My real preferred writer; he will get a lot from Me to write down, which will be a riddle to you! Since in such love there is plenty of space for many things, but in believe only for certain things, therefore it says: 'Up to here and not any further!' Just keep to the statement of My beloved one; since he will bring Me to the world as perfected!"
12
Thereupon Petrus feels somewhat embarrassed and always very secretly a little jealous about Johannes. For this reason, Petrus, after My resurrection when I asked him to follow Me and pasture My lambs, complained that Johannes also followed Me without being instructed to do so, what I, as it is known, rebuked Petrus for, and whereby I promised Johannes a full immortality, - wherefrom the legend rose with the people, that this disciple will never, even bodily, die.
13
But Petrus asked Johannes, what he is doing, to always obtain a much deeper insight than himself, namely Petrus.
14
But Johannes said: "See, I do not reside in your soul and you are not in mine, and I do not have a scale for it, to be able to determine why my opinion is deeper and more correct! But since the Lord has said it loudly before us, namely the difference between believe and love, then take this as an answer to your question! Since kidneys and hearts can only be examined by the Lord, and therefore He will know very precisely, what difference there is between our souls."
15
With this answer Petrus was content for the time being and did not asked any further. But now the meal came also to an end, and we got up and all of us went up the mountain.