While they were still unable to believe it all for very joy, 41 and were wondering if it were true, Jesus said to them : Have you anything here to eat?" They handed him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and 42, 43 ate it before their eyes. "This is what I told you," he said, "when I was still with 44 you--that everything that had been written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, must be fulfilled." Then he enabled them to understand the meaning of the 45 Scriptures, saying to them: 46 Scripture says that the Christ should suffer, and that he should rise again from the dead on the third day, and that 47 repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed on his authority to all the nations—beginning at Jerusalem. You 48 yourselves are to be witnesses to all this. And now I am my- 49 self about to send upon you that which my Father has promised. But you must remain in the city until you have: been invested with power from above." Jesus After this, Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, 50 ascends to and there raised his hands and blessed them. As 51 Heaven. he was in the act of blessing them, he left them [and was carried up into Heaven.] They [bowed to the ground 52 before him and] returned to Jerusalem, full of joy; and they 53 were constantly in the Temple Courts, blessing God. 51 2 Kings 2. 11. 'THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN'. WRITTEN AT EPHESUS AT AN UNCERTAIN DATE LATER THAN 80 A.D. THIS gospel appears to embody the doctrine concerning Christ which was accepted in the Ephesian Church in Asia Minor by the end of the First Century. It was not authoritatively attributed to the Apostle John till towards the end of the Second Century after Christ; but it may safely be ascribed, if not to St. John himself, to some writer brought up in the Church of Ephesus, over which that Apostle so long presided. The writer apparently proposed to himself to illustrate the spirit of the 'Gospel of Love' by such incidents in the life of Jesus as best suited his purpose; at the same time correcting previous gospels, and making such additions to them, as his information enabled him to do. There is no attempt at a regular connected narrative; and the writer allows himself such freedom in commenting upon the teaching of Jesus, that it is not always easy to tell where that teaching ends and the writer's comment begins. It is to the great struggle between Light and Darkness, Death and Life-words much in use and much debated in the current philosophy of Ephesus-that the writer devotes his attention, rather than to the external incidents of a story which has already been told, and which is plainly viewed by him from a greater distance of time than is the case with the compilers of the three other gospels. ACCORDING TO JOHN. INTRODUCTION. In the Beginning the Word was; He was in the Beginning with God; And nothing came into being apart from him. I 1 23 4 And the Light shines in the darkness, And the darkness never overpowered it. There appeared a man sent from God, whose name was John; 6 He came as a witness—to bear witness to the Light, 7 That through him all men might believe. He was not the Light, 8 But he came to bear witness to the Light. That was the True Light which enlightens every man coming 9 into the world. But to all who did receive him he gave power to become 12 To those who believe in his Name. For not to natural conception, nor to human instincts, nor to 13 will of man did they owe the new Life, But to God. And the Word became Man, and dwelt among us, 14 (We saw his glory—the glory of the Only Son sent from the Father), Full of love and truth. (John bears witness to him; he cried aloud-for it was he who spoke-- 15 "He who is Coming' after me is now before me, For he was ever First "); Out of his fulness we have all received some gift, Gift after gift of love; For the Law was given through Moses, Love and truth came through Jesus Christ. God the Only Son, who is ever with the Father- The Testimony the Christ. 66 I.—THE PREPARATION. 16 17 } 18 When the Jews sent some Priests and Levites to John from Jerusalem, to ask-"Who are you?", his statement was this: he confessed and did not deny it, he confessed—“I am not What then?" they asked. "Are you Elijah? No," he said, "I am not." Are you the Prophet'?" He answered "No." Who then are you?" they continued; "tell us, that we may have some answer to give to those who have sent us. What do you say about yourself?" 'The voice of one crying aloud in the Wilderness-'Straighten the way of the Lord "', as the Prophet Isaiah said." These men had been sent from the Pharisees; and their next question was : Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor yet the Prophet'?' John's answer was-"I baptize with water, but among you stands one whom you do not know; he is coming after me, yet I am not worthy even to unfasten his sandal. 26 27 All this took place at Bethany, across the Jordan, where John 28 was then baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him, and exclaimed: "Here is the Lamb of God, who is to take away the sin of 14 Lev. 26. 11. 15 Ps. 118. 26. Isa. 40. 3. 17 Ps. 2. 2. 25 Deut. 18. 15. 21 Mal. 4. 5; Deut. 18. 15. 29 Isa. 53. 7, 12. 29 |