The Great Gospel of John
Volume 8
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and His adversaries
- Chapter 23 -
How to make an end to the pagan priesthood.
Now the Roman Agrippa, living in Emmaus came with his companion Laius to Me and said: "Lord and Master, You have now really informed us about great and wonderful things, and by this it is like a heavy stone that has fallen from our heart. But one thing, which our friend Agricola has also mentioned as a great hindrance for the spreading of Your teaching, You still did not especially touch upon, and that is how to conquer the extreme stubborn pagan priesthood, which will be very difficult.
2
It is already difficult with the Jewish priests here who still have an idea of the one, true God. How much more difficult will it be with the pagan priests with their rigid materialistic opinions, who have not a single notion of one true God and who worship their idols in front of the people and to which the people must give sacrifices often of the coarsest matter like stone, bronze and wood made by sculptors. So it surely would be good if also about this matter You would like to say something to us."
3
I said: "Also about this you should not be worried unnecessary. Because firstly I say to you that you will win more easily a 100 pagan priests for My teaching than one Pharisee, because the pagan priests have lost enormously of their old esteem by the Greek and also Roman philosophers who were formed after their example. And secondly the many roaming magicians who came from all directions to Rome, largely discredited the performance of wonders with the people. Because of a certain decency and respect, the people is still going along with many things and by way of pastime they look at their performances, but they do not attach special belief on that anymore. And it will then also happen with the people that soon there will be no more pagan priests at all, while the institution of Pharisees of the Jews will still continue for a long time. What still will be more serious with the old institution of Pharisees is that unfortunately a new institution of Pharisees will develop in My name which will be much worse than the present one.
4
When I explained the 2 chapters of the prophet Isaiah to you, I also have shown you the new institution of Pharisees. So I do not have to show and explain it to you again.
5
However, concerning the pagan priests: their own darkness is already pressing on them a great deal, and many are desiring for a possible better and a more true light. Because of that, many are traveling from time to time to Egypt in order to receive there from some wise man more light about the destiny of man. For this reason, things are not as bad with the pagan priesthood as you imagine, and because of this situation I did not mention them specifically. However, because you have imagined insurmountable difficulties it was then also necessary to correct your thoughts about this.
6
But I emphasize to all of you and I lay it to your heart that under no condition you should make a compelling law of My teaching for the people, so that at least among a few it will remain in its free purity until the end of times of this Earth, and so I will stay continuously active in the spirit among you.
7
In the course of time there surely will rise a great number of partly or complete false prophets, so-called in My name, and one will claim this and the other that. However, those who can see into the pure teaching will surely oppose them with all meekness and patience, and finally have the victory on their side.
8
But the number of those who are completely pure will, compared to the number who are impure, always be small. And look, this I cannot prevent, unless I would change all free men into animal-like machines through My word of power. And generally you still will be much less able to do that.
9
If I wanted to prevent this by My almighty will, then it would not have been necessary for Me to enter the flesh of this Earth, for I was also able to guide and rule all other created beings eternally from My Heavens by My almighty will as I am doing this now also, and for this reason you certainly cannot notice any change - not even a small one - in all the created beings. For it truly is not for the sake of the stones, the plants and the animals that I now have come Myself as physical human being on this Earth, but for the sake of man who is totally free in his will and insight. And then I can give him no divine 'must' but only the full divine freedom as a true gospel from the Heavens, and leave it up to man to freely choose and act.
10
According to My order, care has also been taken that by the non-observance of My teaching also the old bad consequences will come along with it. Of this you can be completely sure. And this is sufficient to restrain those people to whom My pure teaching had been clearly announced but who then will still go back to the world.
11
However, at a certain moment, when the misery becomes too big, I will know how to clean the Earth of the old filth. I already have shown you what the physical and moral bad consequences of sin are for the soul: the body will decline in all kinds of terrible diseases and the soul in all kinds of doubts through superstition or wrong belief and the resulting foolish and bad acts.
12
From all this, someone who stands in the pure light of life will easily recognize in what kind of spiritual light the physical and morally tormented people are in. When you see such people, then go to them and say: 'Peace be with you. You are on wrong ways and we have come to you, guided by the Spirit of the Lord, to announce to you the true gospel: the ways to the light of life, which - in God - is the true salvation of the soul.'
13
If they accept you, then stay there, teach them to understand the truth and to act according to its easy to understand principles. When they have accepted them cheerfully and are soon willing to act accordingly, then speak a prayer over them and lay your hands on the sick, so that they will be healed of their diseases, and then baptize them in the true manner which I have already shown you earlier. Then by that you will have accomplished a work according to My will and which is pleasing to Me, and by that your reward in Heaven will greatly increase.
14
Where and when you will have converted and baptized such a community and have confirmed it in My name, then appoint among them the best-instructed and most loyal fellow-citizen as a kind guardian and supervisor over the community. Give him particularly the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that he can be a true benefactor for the community that has been entrusted to him. But do also not impose on him any compelling law, something about which he also must watch over the members of the community, with the exception of children, about which I already have given you an indication.
15
But although such a guardian is appointed by you in My name, he should therefore not enjoy any earthly respect, but he should just like you be a humble and very simple servant of the to him entrusted brothers and sisters, and should not let himself be honored or even be rewarded for his services, because what he has received for nothing he should in all love give it back for nothing to his brothers and sisters who in one respect or another are less gifted.
16
However, whatever the love of his community will give him in freedom, he also can accept in the same manner as I also have allowed it to you, because he who does something good to the one who has been send by Me, will also receive the reward of him who has been send. And by that you know now everything that is mainly necessary to know. Many other things you will know at the right time."