_Jesus goes at night to a mountain to pray. His disciples
and the villagers find him and he teaches them for three
days. Feeds four thousand people. The Christines go to
Cæsarea-Philippi. They consider the personality of Christ.
Peter is chosen as apostolic leader._
Now, in the night while the disciples slept, lo, Jesus rose and went
alone into a mountain pass, six miles away, to pray.
2 And in the morning when the twelve awoke they could not find the
Lord, and all the people of the village sought, and when the sun had
passed its highest point they found him in the mountain pass.
3 And multitudes of people came and brought their sick, and Jesus
taught and healed.
4 And when the night came on the people would not go; they slept upon
the ground that they might be a-near the Lord.
5 Three days and nights the multitudes remained, and none had aught to
eat.
6 And Jesus had compassion and he said, If I should send the
multitudes away they might not reach their homes, for they are faint,
for some have journeyed many miles.
7 And his disciples said, Where shall we get enough of food to feed
them all? There are four thousand men, besides the women and the
little ones.
8 And Jesus said, How many loaves have you?
9 They answered, Seven, and some little fish.
10 And Jesus said, Go to, and seat the people as you seated them the
other day when all the multitudes were fed, in companies of twelve.
11 And when the people were sat down in companies of twelve the loaves
and fish were brought.
12 And Jesus looked to heaven and spoke the Word; and then he broke
the seven loaves in little bits, and likewise cut the fish.
13 And every bit of bread became a loaf, and every piece of fish
became a fish.
14 The twelve went forth and gave to every one; the people ate and
they were filled; and all the fragments that were left were gathered
up, and there were seven baskets full.
15 And then the people went their ways, and Jesus and the twelve took
boats and came to Dalmanatha by the sea.
16 Here they remained for many days, and Jesus told the twelve about
the inner light that cannot fail;
17 About the kingdom of the Christ within the soul; about the power
of faith; about the secret of the resurrection of the dead; about
immortal life, and how the living may go forth and help the dead.
18 And then they went into their boats, and came unto the northern
coast of Galilee, and in Chorazin where the kin of Thomas lived, they
left their boats and journeyed on.
19 They came to Merom, where the crystal waters seem to catch the
images of heaven and to reflect the glory of the Lord of hosts.
20 And here they tarried certain days in silent thought.
21 And then they journeyed on, and came into the land of
Cæsarea-Philippi.
22 And as they walked and talked among themselves, the master said,
What do the people say about the son of man? who do they think I am?
23 And Matthew said, Some say that you are David come again; some say
that you are Enoch, Solomon, or Seth.
24 And Andrew said, I heard a ruler of the synagogue exclaim, This man
is Jeremiah, for he speaks like Jeremiah wrote.
25 Nathaniel said, The foreign masters who were with us for a time,
declared that Jesus is Gautama come again.
26 James said, I think that most the master Jews believe you are the
reappearence of Elijah on the earth.
27 And John spoke out and said, When we were in Jerusalem I heard a
seer exclaim, This Jesus is none other than Melchizedek, the king of
peace, who lived about two thousand years ago, and said that he would
come again.
28 And Thomas said, The Tetrarch Herod thinks that you are John arisen
from the dead;
29 But then his conscience troubles him; the spirit of the murdered
John looms up before him in his dreams, and haunts him as a specter of
the night.
30 And Jesus asked, Who do you think I am?
31 And Peter said, You are the Christ, the love of God made manifest
to men.
32 And Jesus said, Thrice blessed are you, Simon, Jonas’ son. You have
declared a truth that God has given you.
33 You are a rock, and you shall be a pillar in the temple of the Lord
of hosts.
34 And your confession is the cornerstone of faith, a rock of
strength, and on this rock the Church of Christ is built.
35 Against it all the powers of hades and of death cannot prevail.
36 Behold, I give to you the keys to open up the doors of safety for
the sons of men.
37 The Holy Breath will come upon you and the ten, and in Jerusalem
you shall stand before the nations of the earth, and there proclaim
the covenant of God with men.
38 And you shall speak the words of Holy Breath, and whatsoever God
requires of men as earnest of their faith in Christ, you shall make
known.
39 Then turning to the twelve he said, What you have heard this day
tell not to any man.
40 Then Jesus and the twelve went up and were Susanna’s guests for
many days.