Monday narrative 2

THE REGENERATION OF THE SOUL

Chapter 37 of The Gospel of the Holy Twelve

 

Jesus sat in the porch of the temple, and some came to learn his doctrine, and one said to him, “Master, what do you teach concerning life?”

He said to them, “Blessed are they who suffer many experiences, for they shall be made perfect through suffering; they shall be as the angels of God in Heaven and shall die no more, neither shall they be born anymore, for death and birth have no more dominion over them.

They who have suffered and overcome shall be made Pillars in the Temple of my God, and they shall go out no more. Truly I say to you, except you are born again of water and of fire, you cannot see the kingdom of God.”

And a certain Rabbi (Nicodemus) came to him by night for fear of the Jews, and said to him, “How can a man be born again when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

Jesus answered, “Truly, I say to you except a man be born again of flesh and of spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear its sound, but cannot tell where it comes or where it goes.

The light shines from the East even to the West; out of the darkness, the Sun arises and goes down into darkness again; so is it with man, from the ages unto the ages.

When it comes from the darkness, it is that he has lived before, and when it goes down again into darkness, it is that he may rest for a little, and thereafter again exist.

So through many changes must you be made perfect; as it is written in the book of Job, ‘I am a wanderer, changing place after place and house after house until I come to the City and Mansion which is eternal.’”

Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you a teacher in Israel and do not understand these things? Truly, we speak that which we do know and bear witness to that which we have seen; and you do not receive our witness.

If I have told you of earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you of Heavenly things? No man has ascended into Heaven but he that descended out of Heaven, even the Son-Daughter of man which is in heaven.”