The Great Gospel of John
Volume 3
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi
- Chapter 229 -
Concerns about the mission.
Murel says, "High, wise friend! This teaching has more, as far as clarity is concerned in my opinion, than anything based on firm mathematics and thereby leaves no doubt. Therefore I am also of the opinion that this doctrine will never be able to be falsified!"
2
Mathael says, "It would be desirable; but nonetheless it will not be the case! However, so very mathematically firm it does not stand because of its purely spiritual nature as you imagine! Just think what it cost you before you began to get just an idea about the truth resting within, and before you came fully into the clear!
3
You were very prepared and enriched through much knowledge and experience, your intellect was like sublimated, and yet you did not understand Moses and Isaiah; it needed some words before it finally began to be light and bright in your heart!
4
But now think about the people who neither have any higher knowledge nor experience, and an apostle of the new doctrine announces to them this truest gospel out of the light of the heavens! How will such people accept such an announcement?!
5
Therefore I think that we should mainly ask the Lord to show us how we should teach the word of life with understandable speech actively convincingly, awaking a new life for those who will listen to us! For I deem that to be the most necessary and henceforth the only fruitful one for the prized matter!"
6
Philopold says, "High friend, dressed in the robe kings are adorned with! You have spoken very well and correctly; but the Lord Himself just made the prediction that we should not have to consider what we will say in His name, it will be laid in our hearts and minds at the right time! If that is certainly and unmistakably the case, then I do not know for which reason we then should ask the Lord again!
7
But I am of the opinion that we as future spreaders of this doctrine should not go without any miracle working power; for against the raw powers of people only miracles can achieve anything. The person who is two thirds an animal must first be brought to stop and think through a miracle, before one can say anything about God and about the eternal designation of man to him.
8
With people of only some education a wise word would be enough without miracles in the best case, but in comparison with raw force there is nothing without miracles! All these half and totally savage nations have mostly become half-animals through their rulers and priests and through their false miracles. But they do not understand the word; but a true miracle which must be stronger than a false one, gets them to begin to hold on to the stronger forces, and once one has them won over, one can then start an appropriate school.
9
That is my opinion, and I also claim that one will always achieve more with a miraculous deed, even with very enlightened people, if it is truly genuine, and one will reach the goal faster than with any refined speech! For even the enlightened person lives in a certain rationale that is false because it is in fact a rationale, and such rationale cannot easily be removed from the soul with mere words!
10
Let us look at ourselves and ask what tore us out of our justifications! We cannot hide it! It was the works that showed us who He is that performed them!
11
And so I believe that above all we should ask the Lord for the power to perform a miracle in emergencies!"