(edited with commentary)
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1: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
This is the only use of the word "gospel" in the 4 gospels. "Gospel" means "good news/tidings" (or "godspell," as in the Broadway musical) & may be from Second Isaiah 40:9.2
24: And the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?"
27: And he said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath;
28: so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath."
This is a bold statement. Jesus is saying he is God.
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21: And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for people were saying, "He is beside himself."
Jesus' own family thinks he's crazy! This scene is omitted in the other "revisionist" synoptics. In Luke for example, Mary is considered part of Jesus' disciples from the first. The following scene is softened in later synoptics (Matthew and Luke). Again the question of historicity emerges: why would Mark write down details that would damage Jesus, unless these details were well known at the time. This is one of the bases on which scholars decide the authenticity of a text's details:
31: And his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside they sent to him and called him.
32: And a crowd was sitting about him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, asking for you."
33: And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"
34: And looking around on those who sat about him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!
35: Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother."
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26: And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground,
27: and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how.
28: The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
29: But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."
A parable unique to Mark. All Jesus' parables are eschatological in warning about a coming End. This is a beautiful parable showing how we grow in slowly, and in spite of ourselves. Compare Zechariah: "Who despises the day of small things?" (4:10), pleading to make a beginning in rebuild the Temple.
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16: But when Herod heard of it he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised."
17: For Herod had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Hero'di-as, his brother Philip's wife; because he had married her.
18: For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
19: And Hero'di-as had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him.
21: But a chance came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and the leading men of Galilee.
22: For when Hero'di-as' daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests;
23: And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom."
24: And she went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the baptizer."
25: And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
27: And immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard and gave orders to bring his head. He went and beheaded him in the prison,
28: and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.
29: When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.
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41: And he sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.
42: And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny.
43: And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.
44: For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living."
"The widow's mite" is part of proverbial speech.
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13: And he sent two of his disciples, and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him,
14: and wherever he enters, say to the householder, `The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I am to eat the passover with my disciples?'
15: And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us."
1: And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.
2: And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen.
4: And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; -- it was large.
5: And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed.
6: And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him.
Again, three women are the only ones to see Jesus gone from the tomb.
7: Go, tell his disciples and Peter he is going to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you."
8: And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.
This is where the original Mark gospel ended. Whether Mark intended this ending, or a page got lost, or Mark died first, nobody knows. But it is agreed that what follows is a later addition, to make the end more joyful.
9: Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.
14: Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table; and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.
15: And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.
This is the "Great Commission," as in Matthew.
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The "Annunciation" (announcement to Mary) appears only in Luke, but is one of the most beloved images in Western painting (in Matthew, the angel appears to Joseph, not Mary).27: and the virgin's name was Mary.
28: And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"
30: And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31: You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and call him Jesus.
32: And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
33: and of his kingdom there will be no end."
Probably a reference to Nathan's promise of an eternal kingship to David's house (2 Samuel 7f.). These words were later adapted for the second most famous Christian prayer, the Hail Mary (in Latin, Ave Maria), well known in Schubert's and Gounod's musical settings.
34: And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?"
35: And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you; therefore the child will be called holy, the Son of God.
37: For with God nothing will be impossible."
38: "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said."
Luke's goal seems to be to make Mary part of God's divine plan from the start. Like Jesus, Mary shows perfect obedience. Note that Mark has Mary confused about who Jesus is, thinking him mad. But in LUKE, Mary is the first Disciple ("May it be to me as you have said"). Yet notice with the Temple scene below that Mary forgot this moment and questions where Jesus is and why! It is commonly assumed that both the Nativity scene and Temple scene below are "preLukan" (the verses predated Luke's Gospel).
46: And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,
47: and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48: for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;
49: for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50: And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation.
51: He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,
52: he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree;
53: he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away.
54: He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
55: as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever."
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4: And Joseph went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house of David,
5: to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
Jesus has to be born in Bethlehem ("the city of David") to fulfill Micah's prophecy.
7: And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8: And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9: And an angel of the Lord appeared to them.
10: And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people;
11: for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12: And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."
13: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"
15: When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds
16: went and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe in a manger.
40: And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was on him.
Compare: "And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favour with the Lord and with men" (1 Samuel 2:26). Or compare the verse on the Baptist, also in LUKE: "And the child grew and became strong in spirit" (1:80).
41: Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.
42: And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom;
43: and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem.
46: After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions;
47: and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48: And his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously."
49: And he said to them, "How is it you sought me? Did you not know I must be in my Father's house?"
50: And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them.
51: And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
This is the only record in the canonic Gospels of Jesus' youth. V. 50 doesn't make sense if we accept Mary's conversation with the angel Gabriel during the Annunciation scene (above). Either the Temple scene or the Annunication was a later addition.
52: And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.
Compare: "And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favour with the Lord and with men" (1 Samuel 2:26). Or: "And the child [John the Baptist] grew and became strong in spirit" (LUKE 1:80).
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23: Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph,
31: the son of David,
32: the son of Jesse,
34: the son of Jacob, the son of Abraham,
35: the son of Adam, the son of God.
I have edited Luke's genealogy. But Luke goes back to Adam, "the son of God." The Fourth Gospel doesn't waste time and says right out that Jesus is the Logos (Word) of God.
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16: And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read;
Jesus reads from Isaiah 61, then advances his universalist ideas by referring to other Hebrew scripture:
25: In truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land;
26: and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
27: And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."
28: When they heard this, all in the synagogue were angry.
This is the theme of universalism again. Jesus points out that non-Jews, not Jews, were helped by Elijah and Elisha.
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17: And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with his disciples and many people who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
20: And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21: "Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.
Then Luke continues with the Four Woes:
24: "But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation.
25: "Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger. "Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
26: "Woe to you, when men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
31: And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.
44: For each tree is known by its own fruit.
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37: And a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was at table in the Pharisee's house, brought ointment,
38: and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
This famous "weeping" woman is nameless but traditionally identified with Mary Magdalene (mentioned next chapter). >From her name, through linguistic corruption, we get the word "maudlin" (weeping, weepy), as in, "I hate maudlin movies."
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61: Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home."
62: Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."
These verses may refer to Elijah's call of Elisha. Elijah allows Elisha to finish business at home first; but Jesus (who "fulfills" everything in the Hebrew scriptures) doesn't even allow this.
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30: Jesus said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31: Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
32: So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33: But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion,
34: and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35: And the next day he gave two coins to the innkeeper, saying, `Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.'
36: Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?"
37: He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
38: Now as they went on their way, he entered a village; and a woman named Martha received him into her house.
39: And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching.
40: But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me."
41: But the Lord answered her, "Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things;
42: one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken from her."
This is often interpreted to put the Holy above the Secular (worldly); one must focus on "one thing," instead of being distracted by many. Of course this applies to other matters too, such as being an artist.
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Another eschatological parable. The End is nearer than people think:
16: And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully;
17: and he thought to himself, `What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?'
18: And he said, `I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store my grain and goods.
19: And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.'
20: But God said to him, `Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'
21: So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
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2: And the Pharisees and the scribes said, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
3: So he told them this parable:
4: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it?
5: And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
8: "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?
The Prodigal Son appears only in Luke:
11: And he said, "There was a man who had two sons;
12: and the younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them.
13: The younger son left and wasted his property in loose living.
14: And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want.
15: So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16: And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything.
17: But when he came to himself he said, `How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I die here with hunger!
18: I will go to my father, and say, "Father, I have sinned;
19: I am not worthy to be called your son; treat me as a hired servant."'
20: And he came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had pity, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
21: And the son said to him, `Father, I have sinned; I am not worthy to be called your son.'
22: But the father said to his servants, `Bring the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet;
23: and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry;
"To kill the fatted calf" is now proverbial English. It means to go out of the way to feast someone. This parable is another attack against the priestly religion of Jesus' time: the prodigal is the Gentile, while the older son (the Old Law) is the Jewish priestly or holy people of the time. The message is also to contemporaries of Luke who, like the older brother here, may have resented God's gift being given to non-Jews:
24: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry.
Part of the white spiritual, Amazing Grace ("I was lost but now I'm found," along with John's "I was blind, but now I see").
28: But the elder son was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and begged him,
29: but he answered his father, `These years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends.
30: But when this son of yours came, who has wasted your living with whores, you killed a fatted calf!'
31: And he said to him, `Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.
32: It was proper to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"
On a deeper level this refers to the Jew and Gentiles. The Gentiles might be compared to the "prodigals," now given special grace (consideration) by God; but God (the Father in the parable) assures his eldest son (the Jews) the Old Covenant is still theirs ("Son you are still with me, and all that is mine is yours"), but the Father is also glad to find the lost sheep (the Gentiles).
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19: "There was a rich man [now named Dives], who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
20: And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores,
21: who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22: The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried;
23: and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom.
24: And he called out, `Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.'
25: But Abraham said, `Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
27: And he said, `Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house,
28: for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.'
29: But Abraham said,
31: `If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'"
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15: Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice;
16: and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.
17: Then said Jesus, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?
18: Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"
20: Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed;
21: for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you."
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1: And he told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
2: He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man;
3: and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, `Defend me against my adversary.'
4: For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, `Though I neither fear God nor regard man,
5: yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming.'"
6: And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says.
7: And will not God defend his chosen, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay?
8: I tell you, he will defend them speedily."
People sometimes do the right things for the wrong reasons; if so, then how much more can one trust in God, who does the right things for the right reasons.
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32: Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.
33: And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.
34: And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
This is one of Jesus' "Seven Last Words [sentences]" on the cross:
1. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me" (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34).
2. "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).
3. "Truly, I say unto you, today you will be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43).
4. "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46).
5. "Woman, behold your son. Behold your mother" (John 19:26).
6. "I thirst" (John 14:28).
7. "It is finished" (John 19:30).
The composer, Haydn wrote a musical description for each of the words (without text).
39: One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
40: But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of death?
41: And we indeed justly for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."
42: And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
43: And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
St. Augustine said: "Do not despair―one of the thieves was saved. Do not presume―one of the thieves was damned."
46: Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!
Another "Last Word," also a quote from a Psalm (31:5).
How is John different from the synoptists?
2. There are no parables in John, just speeches.
3. There are 7 signs (miracles) in John, with theological meaning (hence, "signs").
4. There are 7 "I Am" sayings in John, with theological meaning.
5. There is a high Christology in John. From the beginning we know that Jesus is God's word made flesh. Even John's style recalls Genesis, as if John is a new Genesis, a reminder that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This trinitarian idea is clear if one rereads the first verses of Genesis with this idea in mind: "and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. And God said, Let there be light. . . ." (1:2-3). Here we have the trinitarian idea in a nutshell: the Spirit hovers over the waters (like a dove; so the Dove symbolizes this Holy Spirit). And God the Father Creator makes light through his Word (Jesus: the Logos, Wisdom, Reason).
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1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2: He was in the beginning with God;
3: all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
4: In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
All the themes of the verses in Genesis just quoted are here explained in a Christology of Light (Jesus is Word and Light). Without Jesus, there is only darkness, like before God spoke his Word: "Let there be light!" But what John does is translate "light" into a theology instead of a Nature: the light is now spiritual and from God, instead of natural and from God. Note the continuous story of God from Genesis' "beginning" to John's new "beginning."
9: The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.
10: He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.
11: He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
12: But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God;
13: who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. . .
17: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
A key statement, above. Moses gave the Law, but Jesus gave Grace, or the power to fulfill the Law.
35: The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples;
36: and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"
This is the source for the part of the Mass known as the Agnus Dei ("Lamb of God"), commonly the last part. Hundreds of composers have set this text to music: "Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: have mercy on us!"
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1: On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;
2: Jesus was invited to the marriage, with his disciples.
3: When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."
4: And Jesus said to her, "O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come."
6: Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
7: Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim.
8: He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast." So they took it.
9: When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from, the steward of the feast called the bridegroom
10: and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now."
11: This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and showed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
This is the first of Jesus' "signs." (John calls Jesus' miracles "signs"; whereas the synoptists describe miracles that are helpful to others, John describes miracles that reveal Jesus' power. Jesus' wine (Covenant) is better than the wine that "failed" or ran out, like Jesus' Way is better than the old Law (of Moses). Note that Jesus follows God, not his mother.
14: In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business.
15: And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.
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1: Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2: This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him."
3: Jesus answered him, "Truly, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
4: Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
5: Jesus answered, "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6: That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
13: No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man.
14: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up,
15: that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."
Note the comic dialogue: Nicodemus does not understand what "born again" means and understands it literally, being born inside his mother's womb. Nicodemus comes to Jesus "at night" (not to be seen). Then there's the reference to Moses lifting up the serpent, now typologically interpreted to mean the Cross of Jesus, which alone can save.
16: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
This (v. 16) may be the most famous verse in the New Testament, translated all over the world by missionaries.
19: And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
This theology of Light (from Genesis, where it replaces the Darkness) is a central idea in John.
20: For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
21: But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds were made in God.
31: He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth he speaks; he who comes from heaven is above all.
Here are some Gnostic ideas (that the world is evil and the spirit good and only special/secret knowledge can save a person), but the Gospel itself keeps them within a traditional Hebrew theology, where the world is Good, since God said it was so. Still these verses come close to Gnosticism and a rejection of the world.
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7: There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."
9: The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
Samaritans stayed behind during the Babylonian Captivity, mixing with other races; hence Jews of purer blood and tradition hated them. They were so hated, in fact, that the Jews later insult Jesus by calling him a Samaritan: "Aren't we right in saying you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?" (John 8:48). The following scene is comic, as Jesus exposes the woman's lies; they speak at cross-purposes, the woman understanding "water" literally, while Jesus means "spiritually":
10: Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, `Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."
11: The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water?
12: Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?"
13: Jesus said to her, "Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again,
14: but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Jesus replaces Jacob, as the twelve apostles replace the twelve tribes of Israel.
15: The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."
16: Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."
17: The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, `I have no husband';
18: for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly."
19: The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
20: Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."
21: Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
22: You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
23: But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him.
24: God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
25: The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things."
One reason scholars feel this is not original is that Samaritans would not have believed in (or expected) a Messiah, since they only followed the Torah in their interpretation (the idea of a Messiah is only in the Prophets and Writings). Note that Jesus says God will be worshiped in spirit and truth, not in any one place.
26: Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he."
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31: "Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
32: Jesus then said to them, "Truly, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
33: For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world."
34: They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always."
35: Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.
The first of the I Am sayings. Note the confusion of understanding the word "bread." Note too that John has no "Last Supper"; this stands in its stead, since Jesus makes clear here that he is the Body that will feed the world.
49: "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
50: This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die.
51: I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."
52: The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Now all Jesus' enemies are called "Jews," as if the people themselves were guilty, not their leaders. Some more comic dialogue at cross-purposes.
53: So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
63: It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life."
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41: Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Is the Christ to come from Galilee?
42: Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?"
Notice that John doesn't seem to be aware of the Nativity stories of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, which predated his Gospel by a couple of decades. This suggests the Nativity stories were affixed to those Gospels later.
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The following is one of the most famous scenes in Scripture, yet scholars consider it a later addition. Many have wondered what Jesus wrote on the ground: perhaps the secret sins of those accusing the adulteress. One guess is Jeremiah 17:13: "Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water."4: they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.
5: Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?"
6: Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.
7: And he stood up and said, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."
8: And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.
9: But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.
10: Jesus looked up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11: "Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again."
12: Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Another reference to the Light in Genesis.
13: The Pharisees then said to him, "You are bearing witness to yourself; your testimony is not true."
14: Jesus answered, "Even if I do bear witness to myself, my testimony is true, for I know from where I have come and to where I am going."
The reference is to the Torah, which requires at least two witnesses. But Jesus, as Son of God, is two witnesses! V. 14b might be understood in Gnostic terms; as a light trapped in a human body, but aware of its origins.
23: He said to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world."
Another "dualistic" (Gnostic?) reference, to the evil world below and the heavenly world above..
31: Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples,
32: and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
One of the most famous lines in the New Testament: "the truth will make you free."
33: They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to any one. How is it that you say, `You will be made free'?"
The two talk at cross-purposes. Jesus speaks of a new Exodus: from the world (another idea related to Gnosticism).
34: Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin.
37: I know you come from Abraham; yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.
38: I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father."
39: They answered him, "Abraham is our father."
44: But Jesus said, "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
56: Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad."
57: The Jews then said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?"
58: Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."
59: So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.
Jesus is saying he is God (the "I Am" of Exodus). Jesus' words to the "Jews" are very strong, saying their father is not God or Abraham, but the Devil.
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5: As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
Jesus has just cured a blind man. The "sign" (curing the blind man) fits Jesus' theme. That's why Jesus' miracles are called "signs" in John's Gospel. The Synoptic Gospels want to show that (1) Jesus cares about people and (2) the kingdom of God is already here, if not completely established. The Gospel of John seems more concerned to prove who Jesus is in terms of John's special theology (Jesus is the light of the world, the vine, the Lamb of God, and other I AM sayings).
13: They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.
24: So they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give God the praise; we know that this man [Jesus] is a sinner."
25: He answered, "Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see."
Familiar in the hymn, "Amazing Grace": "I was blind, but now I see."
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7: Jesus again said to them, "Truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
Another I Am saying, and one more (below).
9: I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
Still another I Am saying: The reader should remember Ezekiel and Zechariah:
11: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
16: And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd."
Jesus universalizes Zechariah's theme of "one shepherd."
30: "I and the Father are one."
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5: Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
The raising of Lazarus from the dead, another of John's "signs," is one of the most famous scenes in the NT. "Lazarus" by the way is no relation to Luke's Lazarus, who died poor and was rewarded in "Abraham's Bosom" (Heaven).
17: Now when Jesus came, he found Lazarus had been in the tomb four days.
21: Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
25: Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, shall live.
39: Jesus said, "Take away the stone."
41: So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me."
43: When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out."
44: The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
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23: And Jesus said, "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified.
24: Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25: He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
31: Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out;
The "ruler of this world" is not God, but Satan. This comes close to the "dualistic theology" (dualism) of the Gnostics.
32: and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
35: "The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.
36: While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."
This is another development of the Light theme.
42: Many believed in him, but they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
43: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
By this text we know that Jewish Christians were persecuted by fellow Jews.
44: And Jesus cried out and said,
46: "I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.
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1: Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world.
The synoptists have Jesus' Last Supper on Passover, while John has it the night before. This insures that Jesus ("the Lamb of God") will be killed the following day, with the Passover lambs. There is no bread or wine; eating is replaced by Jesus' washing the feet of his apostles, an act repeated by the Pope every year.
5: Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel.
14: If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
30: Judas went out; and it was night.
Note the symbolism of the "night": Judas betrays Jesus (the Light of the World) at night.
34: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35: By this all men will know you are my disciples."
Like God, Jesus gives a new Commandment.
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1: "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.
2: In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? "
5: Thomas said to him, "Lord, how can we know the way?"
6: Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.
7: If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him."
16: And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever,
This refers to the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit); see the second verse of Genesis, where the Spirit "hovers" over the darkness.
17: even the Spirit of truth. . . .
30: I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me.
The ruler of the world is Satan.
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1: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
Another "I am" saying followed by some of the most beautiful verses in John, inspiration for the famous hymn, "Abide in Me":
2: Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
4: Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5: I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6: If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.
7: If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.
10: If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
12: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
One of the most famous verses in the Bible, appearing only in John:
13: Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
17: This I command you, to love one another.
18: "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
19: If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Another development of the dualistic theme in John: those in the world and those of the world.
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33: I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
The world was "good" in the Hebrew Bible but a place to be "overcome" here.
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5: Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.
14: I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
More hints of Gnostic dualism.
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37: Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say so. For this I was born, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice."
38: Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went to the Jews again, and said, "I find no crime in him."
"What is truth" is among the most famous verses and occurs only in John.
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4: Pilate went out again, and said to them, "See, I am bringing him out to you, that you may know I find no crime in him."
5: So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold the man!" In Latin: "Ecce homo." Nietzsche named a book after this phrase.
6: When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him."
7: The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God."
12: The Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend; every one who makes himself a king sets himself against Caesar."
A remark like this would frighten Pilate, since if Jesus claims to be king, this would be treason against Caesar and Pilate himself would be guilty of treason for not punishing Jesus. Note that John puts all the blame on the "Jews," sparing the Romans blame. This may have been done to spare the Christians from Roman persecution.
18: So they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.
21: The chief priests of the Jews then said to Pilate, "Do not write, `The King of the Jews,' but, `This man said, I am King of the Jews.'"
22: Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written."
28: After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), "I thirst."
Another of the "Seven Last Words on the Cross."
29: A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth.
Yet another "Last Word":
30: When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished"; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
34: But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.
This detail appears only in John. It refers to Zechariah 12:10 and Psalm 34:20. It was intended to "prove" Jesus' death, possibly against the "Docetist" belief that Jesus only "seemed" to suffer on the cross. The blood and water are sacramental (baptism and the eucharist [Holy Communion]).
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12: and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain.
13: They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him."
14: Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know it was Jesus.
15: Jesus said, "Why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."
16: Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
Apparently Jesus does not have a recognizable body, though he does have a body.
17: Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."
18: Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
19: On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."
20: When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
22: And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
23: If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
This is similar to Matthew, without mentioning the word "church." The Apostles are given the power to forgive sins. Also Jesus "breathed on them," making a New Creation, as Adam was breathed on by God. This is a New World, starting over.
24: Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.
"Thomas" (the twin) is related to the word, "two."
25: So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe."
This gave English the phrase, "a doubting Thomas."
26: Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you."
27: Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing."
28: Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
29: Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."
31: These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
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2: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.
3: Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They got into the boat, but caught nothing.
4: As day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know it was Jesus.
5: Jesus said, "Children, have you any fish?" They answered him, "No."
6: He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish.
7: That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!"
14: This was the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
15: Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."
16: A second time he said, "Simon, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know I love you." He said, "Tend my sheep."
17: He said a third time, "Simon, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep."
Jesus asks Peter 3 times because Peter had denied Jesus 3 times.
25: But there are many things which Jesus did; were every one of them written, the world could not contain the books.
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