LECTION 31 - The Bread, Vine, & Chastisement
The Bread of Life And The Living Vine.
1. AGAIN Iesus said,
I am the true Bread and the living Vine. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the food (of God which cometh down from heaven) that whosoever eat thereof shall not die. I am the living food (which came down from heaven) if any eat of this food they shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give is My truth and the wine which I will give is my life.
2. And the Jews strove amongst themselves, saying,
How can this man give us himself for food?
Then Iesus said,
Think ye that I speak of the eating of flesh (which ye ignorantly do in the Temple of God)?
3. Verily my body is the substance (of God) and this is meat indeed, and my blood is the life (of God) and this is drink indeed. Not as your ancestors, who craved for flesh, and God gave them flesh in his wrath, and they ate (of corruption) till it stank in their nostrils, and their carcases fell by the thousand in the wilderness by reason of the plague.
4. Of such it is written, They shall wander nine and forty years in the wilderness till they are purified from their lusts, ere they enter into the land of rest, yea, seven times seven years shall they wander because they have not known My ways, neither obeyed My laws.
5. But They who eat this flesh and drink this blood dwell in me and I in them. As the Father- Mother (of Life) hath sent me, and by Whom I live, so they that eat of me (who am the truth and the life) even they shall live by me.
6. This is that living bread (which coming down from Heaven giveth life to the world). Not as your ancestors did eat manna and are dead. They that eat of this bread and this fruit, shall live for ever.
These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they heard this, said,
This is an hard saying, who can receive it?
7. When Iesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them,
Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son and Daughter (of man) ascend to where they were before? It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh and blood profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.
8. But there are some of you that believe not,
For Iesus knew from the beginning who they were who should believe not, and who should betray him. Therefore said he unto them.
No one can come unto me, except it were given from above.
9. From that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Then said Iesus unto the twelve,
Will ye also go away ?
10. Then Simon Peter answered him,
Lord to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of Eternal Life. And we believe and we are sure that thou art that Christ (a Son of the living God).
11. Iesus answered them,
Have not I chosen you Twelve, and one also who is a traitor ?
He spake of Judas Iscariot (son of Simon) the Levite, for he it was that should betray him.
Iesus Rebuketh The Thoughtless Driver.
12. AND Iesus was travelling to Jerusalem, and there came a camel heavy laden with wood. and the camel could not drag it up the hill whither he went for the weight thereof, and the driver beat him and cruelly ill-treated him, but he could make him go no further.
13. And Iesus seeing this, said unto him,
Wherefore beatest thou thy brother?
And the man answered,
I wot not that he is my brother, is he not a beast (of burden) and made to serve me?
14. And Iesus said,
Hath not the same God made of the same substance the camel and thy children who serve thee, and have ye not one breath (of Life) which ye have both received from God?
15. And the man marvelled much at this saying, and he ceased from beating the camel, and took off some of the burden and the camel walked up the hill as Iesus went before him, and stopped no more till he ended his journey.
16. And the camel knew Iesus, having felt of the love of God in him. And the man inquired further of the doctrine, and Iesus taught him gladly and he became his disciple.
LECTION 31. 4. -Iesus quoted from a more ancient version than we now possess.