The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and the Priests of the Temple (John 5)
- Chapter 3 -
The Lord talks about attesting to His Works.
Here many raised their eyebrows and began to wonder very much about these words of Mine. Some believed that it was a sin, like there was never one before.
2
But others said: "No, truly, there must be something to it; for no man has ever said such things before!"
3
But I said to them: "For the hour is coming in which everyone, even those who are in the graves (here were meant the Gentiles, which the Jews did not understand), shall hear My voice (John 5,28) and will go forth, those who did good deeds accordingly, to a true resurrection of life - but those who have committed evil, to a resurrection of judgment, which is the true death of the soul." (John 5:29)
4
Then some again began to grumble, and others said: "The man has gone too far and now is really beginning to drivel! He speaks about himself as if he and God were completely one!? Who has ever heard such a thing?!"
5
But I said: "You are very much mistaken, if you judge Me thus; for I as a man can do nothing of Myself. I hear however always the voice of the Father in Me, and as I hear it, I act, speak and judge, and My judgment is then just, because I do not seek My own human will, but fulfill only the will of My Father, who sent Me into this world. (John 5:30) If I as a human bear witness of Myself, My testimony would not be true (John 5:31); but it is Another, whom you do not know and have never known, who bears witness of Me through My deeds which are already widely known, and thus I know only too well that the testimony which He has always borne and bears of Me is true. (John 5:32)
6
You sent out to John the Baptist and saw that he bore witness of the truth. (John 5:33) But I, as you all see, receive no witness from any man; for I bear witness of the Father, and I do that so that you may all truly be saved. (John 5:34) Why should such not please you then?"
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Then some said: "If John bore witness of the truth according to your words, then his witness was good and sufficient; what good should your strange testimony do to us?! For according to John's witness we can in any case become blessed."
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I say: "John was indeed a burning and brightly shining light; but you all went out, because you only wanted to rejoice a little in his light. (John 5:35) But I have a greater witness for Myself than that of John; for the works that My Father has given Me to accomplish, so that only I alone complete them, the very works that I alone do before all the eyes of the world, bear witness in all truth that the Father has sent Me to you all as His son. (John 5:36)
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And this very Father who has now sent Me to you all, has a long time already borne witness of Me through the mouth of the prophets, although none of you have ever heard His voice and seen His form. (John 5:37) You have indeed heard His word from the Scriptures of the prophets; but you do not have it in you, because you do not believe Him whom He has sent to you all. (John 5:38)
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Look it up in the Scriptures yourself, of which you believe that your eternal life is in it! And see, it is exactly the scriptures that bear witness of Me a hundred and a thousand fold! (John 5:39)
11
"What do you have against Me? Is it then not right that I come to you without any external reputation in order not to make you fainthearted and weak-spirited and very fearful?! Did Elijah, when he received a prophecy about My coming in his spirit, that is, spiritually, see Jehovah passing by in the winds of the storm or in the fire when he was hidden in the cave? No, Jehovah passed by in a soft breeze! And see, that is now here before your eyes! Why do you not want to believe it? Do not My works, which I already have performed before thousands and thousands of witnesses, bear the most truthful testimony of it? Did ever someone in the world has performed such deeds?"