THE GREAT GOSPEL OF JOHN
VOLUME 5
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus in the region of Caesarea Philippi. (cont.) Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 16
- Chapter 219 -
Epiphan's courage.
Epiphan says, "Oh, this is the very most complete truth and is quite clear to me without any further explanation! Let's assume I or somebody else wanted to build a new home. He therefore seeks advice from an expert, so that he would explain to him with words and images how he as a builder should build his house. The builder however does not act according to the valuable advice of the expert, and because it seems too tiresome and too time-consuming to him he assembles blocks and beams without tie-up, then settles into his new flat and lives without suspecting any danger for a short period of time. But then when a great storm comes at night and beats against the house's flimsy walls and these immediately collapse and crush the owner and builder. What has this man then gained since he did not want to direct himself according to the advice of the knowledgeable expert?!
2
And so, I believe, it is quite the same case between You and us blind and ignorant people. You are obviously that builder who has built the world, the whole of space and also the people as it is, spiritually and materially in a certain way and thus also must know best what is good for them, and what he as a reasonable, thinking, self-judging and self-determining being has to do and to leave alone. And if You showed him, the person, now through words and deeds that You are undeniably the same to whom he has to thank for his being, and further showed him what he has to do in order to achieve what You have created him for, then the blind and foolish person can only blame himself if he forfeits eternal life for himself out of some void, material reasons and receives death for it. And so I think that every person who has once been taught by You Yourself and has recognized You as He who You are, cannot possibly neglect to live and to act most exactly with all love and joy as You have commanded him.
3
Well may some hurdles and difficulties crop up for the follower of Your teaching among the now very wicked, totally blind and to an unlimited degree selfish, proud and power hungry human world, since there are very many more terrible human spirits than good ones; but if one already knows what one has in Your teaching and what one has to expect through the observance of it, then the mountains may set themselves against him and all the storms may rage against him, and one will still be able to stand up to them all with the most constant courage in the world. For a hiker attacked by enemies often defends himself with the courage of a lion in order not to lose this short and in any case quickly passing life, which truly in any case has not much value if it is lost "why then not defend oneself with a true courage of a thousand lions against enemies who threaten to take away eternal life through this life from the wandering people?! I believe that I am quite of the right opinion in this aspect.
4
Yes, people who cling to this vain world, seek their whole salvation in the dung of this earth and have not been penetrated by Your teaching like I have and do not see the value of their life and may not, will not and cannot understand it, will certainly lose all courage in danger and soon sink back into the old dung again; but people such as us will not allow themselves to be driven so easily into a dead end.
5
I tell You, oh Lord and Master: Whoever has no fear of the death of the body, emperors and kings will have difficulty making laws for him! Now let the whole Earth go to ruin, and I will not fear the certain downfall of my body; for I know indeed now from Your words that my soul will not be destroyed with Your life spirit in it! With this confidence enemies may then come from wherever and however many they want, and they will truly present me, Aziona and Hiram no shock; their veto will remain unheard and their threat unnoticed. And now tell us, oh Lord and Master of life, whether I am right or not!"
6
I say, "You are perfectly right, and all the more so because you also would behave so in an emergency, just like all of you in this place. But since we now are together in trust and have indeed got to know each other, but certainly it is very important for Me that you all will not waver at all sorts of events and trials, I must now make you all familiar with some other things. And so listen to Me!"