The Durationist Gospel
Genesis 1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth
was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be
light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God
divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the
darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
And
God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it
divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the
waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the
firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening
and the morning were the second day.
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto
one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry
land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God
saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb
yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is
in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass,
and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed
was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and
the morning were the third day.
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of
the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for
seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament
of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two
great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule
the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the
heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the
night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature
that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of
heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth,
which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged
fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them,
saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let
fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth
the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of
the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth
after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon
the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us
make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over
all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So
God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and
female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion
over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living
thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every
herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in
the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every
thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every
green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made,
and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth
day.
Genesis 2
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host
of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he
rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed
the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all
his work which God created and made.
These are the generations of the heavens
and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the
earth and the heavens, and every plant of the field before it was in the earth,
and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it
to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. But there
went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And
the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the
man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every
tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in
the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a
river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and
became into four heads. The name of the first is Pison: that is it which
compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that
land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second
river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. And
the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east
of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. And the LORD God took the man,
and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD
God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely
eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of
it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I
will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the LORD God formed
every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam
to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living
creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to
the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was
not found an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall
upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh
instead thereof; and the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a
woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my
bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken
out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall
cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked,
the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Genesis 3
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field
which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye
shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent,
We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the
tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of
it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the
woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat
thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good
and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it
was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took
of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and
he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were
naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they
heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day:
and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst
the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him,
Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid,
because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou
wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou
shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me,
she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman,
What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me,
and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done
this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field;
upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her
seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman
he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou
shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he
shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto
the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee,
saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow
shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall
it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat
of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of
it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. And
Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. Unto
Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed
them.
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know
good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree
of life, and eat, and live for ever:therefore the LORD God sent him forth from
the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove
out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a
flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Genesis 4
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare
Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his
brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the
ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit
of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the
firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto
Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.
And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain,
Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well,
shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.
And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain
talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field,
that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I
know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice
of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed
from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from
thy hand; when thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee
her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. And Cain said
unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast
driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be
hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come
to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. And the LORD said unto
him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him
sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill
him.
And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land
of Nod, on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and
bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the
name of his son, Enoch. And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael:
and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.
And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and
the name of the other Zillah. And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as
dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. And his brother's name was Jubal:
he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. And Zillah, she
also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and
the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah. And Lamech said unto his wives,
Adah and Zillah,
Hear my voice;
Ye wives of
Lamech, hearken unto my speech:
For I have slain a
man to my wounding,
And a young man to
my hurt.
If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold,
Truly Lamech
seventy and sevenfold.
And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name
Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom
Cain slew. And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his
name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
Genesis 11
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain
in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go
to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone,
and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and
a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be
scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to
see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD
said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin
to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined
to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may
not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from
thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound
the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad
upon the face of all the earth.
* *
*
(Reader:
Many versions have been given of the life of Jesus the Christ, and of
these many have been lost, so that we in our day cannot be certain which of the
remaining versions is most correct.
But trusting in the witness of those who from the beginning made
themselves servants of his word, and seeking out the most essential things in
each of the earliest texts, we may now at least hope to compile a single, more
complete account.
This is what is attempted here.
I have not written this account myself, not so much as a sentence of it,
but have compiled it from the ancient sources, in hopes that I might, in one
harmonized gospel, present a fuller account of the life and teachings.
Like all accounts we now possess, this one too must be wrong in many
things: there are legends, there are words misremembered. Yet if the early
traditions about Jesus contain the truth--and they are the best truth we
have--this account will be right in many things also. E.M.)
Luke 1
In the time of Herod king
of Judea, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a
virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The
virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you
who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of
greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid,
Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a
son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be
called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his
father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom
will never end."
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a
virgin?"
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the
power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be
called the Son of God."
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to
me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit
rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble
state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me
blessed,
for the Mighty
One has done great things for me--
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation
to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his
arm;
he has scattered
those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their
thrones
but has lifted up
the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good
things
but has sent the
rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be
merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said
to our fathers."
Matthew 1
Now Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before
they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her
to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him
in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary
home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because
he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the
prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and
they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us."
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took Mary home as his wife.
Matthew 2
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time
of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is
the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and
have come to worship him."
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the
law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. "In Bethlehem in
Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land
of Judah,
are by no means
least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the
shepherd of my people Israel.' "
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact
time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and
make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so
that I too may go and worship him."
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they
had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where
the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the
house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and
worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of
gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go
back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Luke 2
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the
child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been
conceived.
When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had
been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the
Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to
be consecrated to the Lord" ), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with
what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young
pigeons."
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and
devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was
upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die
before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the
temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what
the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God,
saying:
"Sovereign Lord, as you have
promised,
you now dismiss
your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have
prepared in the sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to
your people Israel."
The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then
Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined
to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will
be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a
sword will pierce your own soul too."
When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the
Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child
grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was
upon him.
Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.
When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the
custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the
boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he
was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for
him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went
back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the
temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them
questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his
answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to
him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been
anxiously searching for you."
"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you
know I had to be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what
he was saying to them.
Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But
his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom
and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Matthew 3; Mark 1
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the
Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is
near." This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
"A voice of one calling in the
desert,
'Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight
paths for him.' "
John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt
around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him
from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing
their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he
was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to
flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do
not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell
you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is
already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good
fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come
one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his
hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn
and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by
John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven
being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came
from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well
pleased."
Matthew 4
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be
tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these
stones to become bread."
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the
highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said,
"throw yourself down. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels
concerning you,
and they will
lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot
against a stone.'"
Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God
to the test.' "
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the
kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you,"
he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written:
'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' "
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to
Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the
lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali--to fulfill what was said through the
prophet Isaiah:
"Land of Zebulun and land of
Naphtali,
the way to the
sea, along the Jordan,
Galilee of the
Gentiles--
the people living in darkness
have seen a great
light;
on those living in the land of the shadow
of death
a light has
dawned."
From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom
of heaven is near."
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the
lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said,
"and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets
and followed him.
Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and
his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing
their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their
father and followed him.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching
the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the
people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who
were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the
demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.
Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region
across the Jordan followed him.
Matthew 5; Luke 6
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside
and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be
comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will
inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness,
for they will be
filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be
shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see
God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be
called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness,
for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely
say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because
great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the
prophets who were before you.
"You are the salt of the earth.
But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no
longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on
its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let
your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your
Father in heaven.
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth,
until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke
of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is
accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and
teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven,
but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the
kingdom of heaven.
"I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who
hate you, bless those who mistreat you.
If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not
stop him from taking your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you,
do not demand it back. Do to others
as you would have them do to you.
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love
them. And if you do good to those
who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.
And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is
that to you? Even sinners lend to
sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without
expecting to get anything back. In
this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to
rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the
unrighteous.
Matthew 6
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness'
before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your
Father in heaven.
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by
men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when
you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is
doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is
done in secret, will reward you.
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to
pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I
tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray,
go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then
your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you
pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard
because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what
you need before you ask him.
"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is
in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have
forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.' For if
you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not
forgive your sins.
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they
disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they
have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and
wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but
only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and
rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do
not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be
also.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole
body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be
full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that
darkness!
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love
the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot
serve both God and Money.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will
eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more
important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the
birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of
you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the
field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in
all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the
grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire,
will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry,
saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that
you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 7
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the
same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it
will be measured to you.
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and
pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother,
'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in
your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then
you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs.
If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you
to pieces.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and
the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks
finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or
if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are
evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your
Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to
others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the
Prophets.
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is
the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the
gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will
recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?
Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A
good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every
tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus,
by their fruit you will recognize them.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom
of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many
will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and
in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them
plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them
into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came
down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it
did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears
these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man
who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the
winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at
his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers
of the law.
Matthew 8; Mark 5
When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds
followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said,
"Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am
willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his
leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go,
show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony
to them."
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for
help. "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in
terrible suffering."
Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."
The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come
under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I
myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,'
and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do
this,' and he does it."
When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following
him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such
great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and
will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the
kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into
the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you
believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.
When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law