paper 144 -- at gilboa and in the decapolis, partially

WORK-IN-PROGRESS (JUNE 5, 2021) PARALLEL CHART FOR

Paper 144 — At Gilboa and in the Decapolis

© 2021 Matthew Block

Most endnotes and Urantia Book cross-references have been deleted to enhance readability.

Sources for Paper 144, in the order in which they appear

(1) Wm. Arnold Stevens and Ernest Dewitt Burton, A Harmony of the Gospels for HistoricalStudy: An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons,1904, 1932)

(2) David Smith, M.A., D.D., Our Lord’s Earthly Life (New York: George H. DoranCompany, 1925)

Note: This source is coded Smith2.

(3) David Smith, M.A., D.D., The Days of His Flesh: The Earthly Life of Our Lord andSaviour Jesus Christ, Eighth Edition, Revised (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1910)

Note: This source is coded Smith1.

(4) Benjamin Willard Robinson, Ph.D., The Sayings of Jesus: Their Background andInterpretation (New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1930)

Key

(a) Green indicates where a source author first appears, or where he/she reappears.

(b) Yellow highlights most parallelisms.

(c) Tan highlights parallelisms not occurring on the same row, or parallelisms separated byyellowed parallelisms.

(d) An underlined word or words indicates where the source and the UB writer pointedlydiffer from each other.

(e) Blue indicates original (or “revealed”) information, or UB-specific terminology andconcepts. (What to highlight in this regard is debatable; the highlights are tentative.)

1

SOURCE OR PARALLEL URANTIA PAPER 144

Work-in-progress Version 5 June 2021© 2021 Matthew Block

PAPER 144 — ATGILBOA AND IN THEDECAPOLIS

144:0.1 September and October werespent in retirement at a secluded campupon the slopes of Mount Gilboa. Themonth of September Jesus spent herealone with his apostles, teaching andinstructing them in the truths of thekingdom.

144:0.2 There were a number ofreasons why Jesus and his apostles werein retirement at this time on the borders ofSamaria and the Decapolis. TheJerusalem religious rulers were veryantagonistic; Herod Antipas still heldJohn in prison, fearing either to release orexecute him, while he continued toentertain suspicions that John and Jesuswere in some way associated. Theseconditions made it unwise to plan foraggressive work in either Judea orGalilee. There was a third reason: theslowly augmenting tension between theleaders of John’s disciples and theapostles of Jesus, which grew worse withthe increasing number of believers.

144:0.3 Jesus knew that the days of thepreliminary work of teaching andpreaching were about over, that the nextmove involved the beginning of the fulland final effort of his life on earth, and hedid not wish the launching of thisundertaking to be in any manner eithertrying or embarrassing to John theBaptist. Jesus had therefore decided tospend some time in retirement rehearsinghis apostles and then to do some quietwork in the cities of the Decapolis untilJohn should be either executed orreleased to join them in a united effort.

2


1. THE GILBOA ENCAMP-MENT

144:1.1 As time passed, the twelvebecame more devoted to Jesus andincreasingly committed to the work of thekingdom. Their devotion was in large parta matter of personal loyalty. They did notgrasp his many-sided teaching; they didnot fully comprehend the nature of Jesusor the significance of his bestowal onearth.

144:1.2 Jesus made it plain to hisapostles that they were in retirement forthree reasons:

144:1.3 1. To confirm theirunderstanding of, and faith in, the gospelof the kingdom.

144:1.4 2. To allow opposition to theirwork in both Judea and Galilee to quietdown.

144:1.5 3. To await the fate of John theBaptist.

144:1.6 While tarrying on Gilboa, Jesustold the twelve much about his early lifeand his experiences on Mount Hermon;

[On one of these evenings he told the twelve

something about the forty days which he spent

in the hills near this place (141:1.3).]

he also revealed something of whathappened in the hills during the fortydays immediately after his baptism.

And he directly charged them that theyshould tell no man about theseexperiences until after he had returned tothe Father.

3


144:1.7 During these September weeksthey rested, visited, recounted theirexperiences since Jesus first called themto service, and engaged in an earnesteffort to co-ordinate what the Master hadso far taught them. In a measure they allsensed that this would be their lastopportunity for prolonged rest. Theyrealized that their next public effort ineither Judea or Galilee would mark thebeginning of the final proclamation of thecoming kingdom, but they had little or nosettled idea as to what the kingdom wouldbe when it came. John and Andrewthought the kingdom had already come;Peter and James believed that it was yetto come;1 Nathaniel and Thomas franklyconfessed they were puzzled; Matthew,Philip, and Simon Zelotes were uncertainand confused; the twins were blissfullyignorant of the controversy; and JudasIscariot was silent, noncommittal.

144:1.8 Much of this time Jesus wasalone on the mountain near the camp.Occasionally he took with him Peter,James, or John, but more often he wentoff to pray or commune alone. Sub-sequent to the baptism of Jesus and theforty days in the Perean hills, it is hardlyproper to speak of these seasons ofcommunion with his Father as prayer, noris it consistent to speak of Jesus asworshiping, but it is altogether correct toallude to these seasons as personalcommunion with his Father.

144:1.9 The central theme of thediscussions throughout the entire monthof September was prayer and worship.

4


XXVI: FROM THE FEAST OFDEDICATION UNTIL AFTER THEWITHDRAWAL TO EPHRAIM. (AHarmony of the Gospels 138)

§93. DISCOURSE ON PRAYER. Luke 11:1-13.

After they had discussed worship forsome days, Jesus finally delivered hismemorable discourse on prayer in answerto

1 And it came to pass, as he was prayingin a certain place, that when he ceased, oneof his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach usto pray,

Thomas’s request: “Master, teach us howto pray.”

even as John also taught his disciples. 144:1.10 John had taught his disciples aprayer,

a prayer for salvation in the comingkingdom.

Although Jesus never forbade hisfollowers to use John’s form of prayer,the apostles very early perceived thattheir Master did not fully approve of thepractice of uttering set and formalprayers. Nevertheless, believers con-stantly requested to be taught how topray. The twelve longed to know whatform of petition Jesus would approve.And it was chiefly because of this needfor some simple petition for the commonpeople that Jesus at this time consented,in answer to Thomas’s request, to teachthem a suggestive form of prayer. Jesusgave this lesson one afternoon in the thirdweek of their sojourn on Mount Gilboa.

5


2. THE DISCOURSE ONPRAYER

THE TWELVE AND THE MULTITUDE(Smith2 132)

[John the Baptist] had not only enjoined hisdisciples to pray but furnished them withforms of prayer. One of these has beenpreserved—a prayer for the Messiah’sadvent:

144:2.1 “John indeed taught you asimple form of prayer:

“O Father, ‘O Father,

cleanse us from sin,

show us your glory: show us your glory,

reveal your love,

O Son, cause us to hear Thy voice:

O Spirit, sanctify our hearts for evermore. Amen” (S2 133).

and let your spirit sanctify our heartsforevermore, Amen!’

He taught this prayer that you might havesomething to teach the multitude. He didnot intend that you should use such a setand formal petition as the expression ofyour own souls in prayer.

144:2.2 “Prayer is entirely a personaland spontaneous expression of theattitude of the soul toward the spirit;prayer should be the communion ofsonship and the expression of fellowship.Prayer, when indited by the spirit,2 leadsto co-operative spiritual progress. Theideal prayer is a form of spiritual com-munion which leads to intelligentworship. True praying is the sincereattitude of reaching heavenward for theattainment of your ideals.

6


[Prayer is the breath of the soul (Ellen G. White,Gospel Workers [1915], p. 125).]

144:2.3 “Prayer is the breath of the soul

and should lead you to be persistent inyour attempt to ascertain the Father’swill.

XXVI: FROM THE FEAST OFDEDICATION UNTIL AFTER THEWITHDRAWAL TO EPHRAIM. (AHarmony of the Gospels 138)

§93. DISCOURSE ON PRAYER. Luke 11:1-13.

5 And he said unto them, Which of youshall have a friend,

If any one of you has a neighbor,

and shall go unto him at midnight, and say tohim, Friend, lend me three loaves;

and you go to him at midnight and say:‘Friend, lend me three loaves,

6 for a friend of mine is come to me from ajourney,

for a friend of mine on a journey hascome to see me,

and I have nothing to set before him; and I have nothing to set before him’;

7 and he from within shall answer and say, and if your neighbor answers,

Trouble me not: the door is now shut andmy children are with me in bed;

‘Trouble me not, for the door is now shutand the children and I are in bed;

I cannot rise and give thee? therefore I cannot rise and give youbread,’

you will persist, explaining that yourfriend hungers, and that you have no foodto offer him.

8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise andgive him, because he is his friend,

I say to you, though your neighbor willnot rise and give you bread because he isyour friend,

yet because of his importunity he will ariseand give him as many as he needeth.

yet because of your importunity he willget up and give you as many loaves asyou need.

7


If, then, persistence will win favors evenfrom mortal man, how much more willyour persistence in the spirit win thebread of life for you from the willinghands of the Father in heaven.

9 And I say unto you, Again I say to you:

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and yeshall find; knock, and it shall be opened untoyou.

Ask and it shall be given you; seek andyou shall find; knock and it shall beopened to you.

10 For every one that asketh receiveth; andhe that seeketh findeth;

For every one who asks receives; he whoseeks finds;

and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. and to him who knocks the door ofsalvation will be opened.

11 And of which of you that is a father 144:2.4 “Which of you who is a father,

if his son asks unwisely, would hesitate togive in accordance with parental wisdomrather than in the terms of the son’s faultypetition?

shall his son ask a loaf, and he will give hima stone?

If the child needs a loaf, will you givehim a stone

just because he unwisely asks for it?

or a fish, and he for a fish give him aserpent?

If your son needs a fish, will you give hima watersnake

[Wetstein on Mt. vii. 10: “For a fish a fishermansometimes catches a water-snake” (Smith1 173, fn).]

just because it may chance to come up inthe net with the fish and the childfoolishly asks for the serpent?

12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he give hima scorpion?

8


13 If ye then, being evil, If you, then, being mortal and finite,

know how to give good gifts unto yourchildren,

know how to answer prayer and givegood and appropriate gifts to yourchildren,

how much more shall your heavenly Fathergive the Holy Spirit

how much more shall your heavenlyFather give the spirit

and many additional blessings

to them that ask him? to those who ask him?

Men ought always to pray and notbecome discouraged.

XXVII: FROM THE WITHDRAWAL TOEPHRAIM UNTIL THE FINALARRIVAL IN JERUSALEM. (A Harmony ofthe Gospels 155)

§108. THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM.Luke 17:20—18:8.

18:1 And he spake a parable unto themto the end that they ought always to pray,and not to faint; 2 saying, There was in a citya judge,

144:2.5 “Let me tell you the story of acertain judge who lived in a wicked city.

who feared not God, and regarded not man: This judge feared not God nor had respectfor man.

3 and there was a widow in that city; and shecame oft unto him, saying,

Now there was a needy widow in that citywho came repeatedly to this unjust judge,saying,

Avenge me of mine adversary. ‘Protect me from my adversary.’

4 And he would not for a while: butafterward he said within himself,

For some time he would not give ear toher, but presently he said to himself:

Though I fear not God, nor regard man; ‘Though I fear not God nor have regardfor man,

5 yet because this widow troubleth me, yet because this widow ceases not totrouble me,

9


I will avenge her, lest she wear me out by hercontinual coming.

I will vindicate her lest she wear me outby her continual coming.’

X: THE PRAYER LIFE OF JESUS(Robinson 172)

JESUS’ TEACHING REGARDING PRAYER(Robinson 177)

Jesus gave them a story [i.e. the storyof the judge, above] to illustrate the need ofpersistence in prayer and of neverbecoming discouraged (R 178).

These stories I tell you to encourage youto persist in praying

and not to intimate that your petitions willchange the just and righteous Fatherabove.

Your persistence, however, is not to winfavor with God but to change your earthattitude and to enlarge your soul’scapacity for spirit receptivity.3

144:2.6 “But when you pray, youexercise so little faith.

Have faith in God. I assure you, if anyoneshould say to this mountain, remove and hurlyourself into the sea and would not have anydoubt in his heart but believe that what he sayswill happen, it would be so for him... (Mk.11:22-25; I Cor. 13:2) (R 179).

Genuine faith will remove mountains ofmaterial difficulty which may chance tolie in the path of soul expansion andspiritual progress.”

3. THE BELIEVER’S PRAYER

144:3.1 But the apostles were not yetsatisfied; they desired Jesus to give thema model prayer which they could teachthe new disciples. After listening to thisdiscourse on prayer, James Zebedee said:

[First He gave them a form or rather a model ofprayer. “Thus pray: ...” (Smith2 133).]

“Very good, Master, but we do not desirea form of prayer for ourselves so much asfor the newer believers who so frequentlybeseech us, ‘Teach us how acceptably topray to the Father in heaven.’”

10


XIV: ORGANIZATION OF THEKINGDOM. (A Harmony of the Gospels 56)

§49. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. Matt.,chs. 5, 6, 7, [8:1]. Luke 6:20-49.

[See 126:3.3.]

144:3.2 When James had finishedspeaking, Jesus said: “If, then, you stilldesire such a prayer, I would present theone which I taught my brothers andsisters in Nazareth”:

Matt. 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye:Our Father who art in heaven, 144:3.3 Our Father who is in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name, Hallowed be your name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Your kingdom come;

Thy will be done, your will be done

as in heaven, so on earth. On earth as it is in heaven.

[Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven (KJV).]

11 Give us this day our daily bread [ERVmg.: Gr. our bread for the coming day].

Give us this day our bread for tomorrow;

Refresh our souls with the water of life.

12 And forgive us our debts, And forgive us every one our debts

as we also have forgiven our debtors. As we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And bring us not in temptation, Save us in temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one [ERV mg.:Or, evil.].

deliver us from evil,

And increasingly make us perfect likeyourself.

11


XIX: A LESSON IN PRAYER (Smith1168)

144:3.4 It is not strange that theapostles desired Jesus to teach them amodel prayer for believers.

The Rabbis prescribed eighteen forms ofprayer for daily repetition, and John theBaptist had furnished prayers to Hisdisciples and enjoined diligent and frequentuse thereof (S1 168).

John the Baptist had taught his followersseveral prayers;

And, moreover, other teachers instructedtheir disciples in the art of prayer (S1 168).

all great teachers had formulated prayersfor their pupils.


JESUS’ TEACHING REGARDING PRAYER(Robinson 177)

A Jewish synagogue service in Jesus’day included many specified prayers; atleast eighteen definitely formulated prayersare known which were used in the ordinaryservices. Jesus warns his disciples againsttoo many set prayers (R 181).

The religious teachers of the Jews hadsome twenty-five or thirty set prayerswhich they recited in the synagogues4

[Matt. 6.5 And when ye pray, ye shall not be as thehypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in thesynagogues and in the corners of the streets, that theymay be seen of men. (§49)]

and even on the street corners.

Jesus directs his disciples to avoid allpublicity in their own personal prayers (R181).

Jesus was particularly averse to prayingin public.

JESUS’ PERSONAL PRAYERS (Robinson 174)

Up to this time the twelve had heard himpray only a few times.

On some occasions he spent the wholenight in prayer (Lk. 6:12) (R 175).

They observed him spending entire nightsat prayer or worship,

12


and they were very curious to know themanner or form of his petitions. Theywere really hard pressed to know what toanswer the multitudes when they asked tobe taught how to pray as John had taughthis disciples.

PRAYER IN A WORLD OF SCIENCE (Robinson172)

144:3.5 Jesus taught the twelve alwaysto pray in secret; to go off by themselvesamidst the quiet surroundings of nature

Jesus once said, “When you pray, gointo your own room and shut the door”(Matt. 6:6) (R 173).

or to go in their rooms and shut the doorswhen they engaged in prayer.

THE TWELVE AND THE MULTITUDE(Smith2 132)

144:3.6 After Jesus’ death andascension to the Father it became thepractice of many believers to finish thisso-called Lord’s prayer by the additionof—“In the name of the Lord JesusChrist.”

Still later on, two lines were lost incopying,

In truth it is not a distinctively Christianprayer. As it was given, it ended abruptly,since the familiar conclusion “For Thine isthe Kingdom and the Power and the Gloryfor ever. Amen” is an early liturgicaladdition. and there was added to this prayer an

extra clause, reading: “For yours is thekingdom and the power and the glory,forevermore.”

Even this is a mere Jewish doxology, andthe prayer lacks that distinctive note oftruly Christian prayer—the all-prevailingplea “in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord”(S2 136-37).

13


144:3.7 Jesus gave the apostles theprayer in collective form as they hadprayed it in the Nazareth home. He nevertaught a formal personal prayer, onlygroup, family, or social petitions. And henever volunteered to do that.

144:3.8 Jesus taught that effectiveprayer must be:5

144:3.9 1. Unselfish—not alone foroneself.

144:3.10 2. Believing—according tofaith.

144:3.11 3. Sincere—honest of heart.

144:3.12 4. Intelligent—according tolight.

144:3.13 5. Trustful—in submission tothe Father’s all-wise will.

144:3.14 When Jesus spent wholenights on the mountain in prayer, it wasmainly for his disciples, particularly forthe twelve. The Master prayed very littlefor himself, although he engaged in muchworship of the nature of understandingcommunion with his Paradise Father.

4. MORE ABOUT PRAYER

144:4.1 For days after the discourse onprayer the apostles continued to ask theMaster questions regarding this all-important and worshipful practice. Jesus’instruction to the apostles during thesedays, regarding prayer and worship, maybe summarized and restated in modernphraseology as follows:

14


144:4.2 The earnest and longingrepetition of any petition, when such aprayer is the sincere expression of a childof God and is uttered in faith, no matterhow ill-advised or impossible of directanswer, never fails to expand the soul’scapacity for spiritual receptivity.6

144:4.3 In all praying, remember thatsonship is a gift.7 No child has aught todo with earning the status of son ordaughter. The earth child comes intobeing by the will of its parents. Even so,the child of God comes into grace and thenew life of the spirit by the will of theFather in heaven. Therefore must thekingdom of heaven—divine sonship—bereceived as by a little child. You earnrighteousness—progressive characterdevelopment—but you receive sonship bygrace and through faith.

144:4.4 Prayer led Jesus up to thesupercommunion of his soul with theSupreme Rulers of the universe ofuniverses. Prayer will lead the mortals ofearth up to the communion of trueworship. The soul’s spiritual capacity forreceptivity8 determines the quantity ofheavenly blessings which can be person-ally appropriated and consciously realizedas an answer to prayer.



144:4.5 Prayer and its associatedworship is a technique of

15


Individual character and personality arethe hope of the human race.... This ideal ofprogress in personal character can only beattained by a definite effort on the part ofeach individual to detach himselfrepeatedly from the machinery of his dailyduties (R 172).

detachment from the daily routine of life,from the monotonous grind of materialexistence.

It is an avenue of approach to spiritual-ized self-realization and individuality ofintellectual and religious attainment.

144:4.6 Prayer is an antidote forharmful introspection. At least, prayer asthe Master taught it is such a beneficentministry to the soul. Jesus consistentlyemployed the beneficial influence ofpraying for one’s fellows.

XIX: A LESSON IN PRAYER (Smith1168)

“Our Father,” says the Prayer; and theRabbis required that, when man prayed, heshould “associate himself with theCongregation,” praying not in the singularbut in the plural number (S1 173).

The Master usually prayed in the plural,not in the singular.

Only in the great crises of his earth lifedid Jesus ever pray for himself.

144:4.7 Prayer is the breath of the spiritlife in the midst of the materialcivilization of the races of mankind.Worship is salvation for the pleasure-seeking generations of mortals.

16




In a recent classroom discussion, onestudent defined prayer as a charging of thebattery of the soul through contact with theInfinite God.

144:4.8 As prayer may be likened torecharging the spiritual batteries of thesoul,

This figure has in it much of truth, but theclass put it in second place when anotherstudent contributed his definition. “Prayer,”he said, “is a tuning-in of the radio of thesoul,

so worship may be compared to the act oftuning in the soul

to catch the music and message of theeternal” (R 173-74).

to catch the universe broadcasts of theinfinite spirit of the Universal Father.

144:4.9 Prayer is the sincere andlonging look of the child to its spiritFather; it is a psychologic process ofexchanging the human will for the divinewill. Prayer is a part of the divine plan formaking over that which is into that whichought to be.

144:4.10 One of the reasons why Peter,James, and John, who so often accom-panied Jesus on his long night vigils,never heard Jesus pray, was because theirMaster so rarely uttered his prayers asspoken words. Practically all of Jesus’praying was done in the spirit and in theheart—silently.

144:4.11 Of all the apostles, Peter andJames came the nearest to comprehendingthe Master’s teaching about prayer andworship.

17


5. OTHER FORMS OFPRAYER

144:5.1 From time to time, during theremainder of Jesus’ sojourn on earth, hebrought to the notice of the apostlesseveral additional forms of prayer, but hedid this only in illustration of othermatters, and he enjoined that these“parable prayers” should not be taught tothe multitudes. Many of them were fromother inhabited planets, but this fact Jesusdid not reveal to the twelve. Among theseprayers were the following:

144:5.2 Our Father in whom consist theuniverse realms,

Uplifted be your name and all-gloriousyour character.

Your presence encompasses us, and yourglory is manifested

Imperfectly through us as it is in perfec-tion shown on high.

Give us this day the vivifying forces oflight,

And let us not stray into the evil bypathsof our imagination,

For yours is the glorious indwelling, theeverlasting power,

And to us, the eternal gift of the infinitelove of your Son.

Even so, and everlastingly true.

* * *

144:5.3 Our creative Parent, who is inthe center of the universe,

18


Bestow upon us your nature and give tous your character.

Make us sons and daughters of yours bygrace

And glorify your name through oureternal achievement.

Your adjusting and controlling spirit giveto live and dwell within

That we may do your will on this sphereas angels do your bidding in light.

Sustain us this day in our progress alongthe path of truth.

Deliver us from inertia, evil, and all sinfultransgression.

Be patient with us as we show loving-kindness to our fellows.

Shed abroad the spirit of your mercy inour creature hearts.

Lead us by your own hand, step by step,through the uncertain maze of life,

And when our end shall come, receiveinto your own bosom our faithful spirits.

Even so, not our desires but your will bedone.

* * *

144:5.4 Our perfect and righteousheavenly Father,

This day guide and direct our journey.

Sanctify our steps and co-ordinate ourthoughts.

19


Ever lead us in the ways of eternalprogress.

Fill us with wisdom to the fullness ofpower

And vitalize us with your infinite energy.

Inspire us with the divine consciousnessof

The presence and guidance of theseraphic hosts.

Guide us ever upward in the pathway oflight;

Justify us fully in the day of the greatjudgment.

Make us like yourself in eternal glory

And receive us into your endless serviceon high.

* * *

144:5.5 Our Father who is in themystery,

Reveal to us your holy character.

Give your children on earth this day

To see the way, the light, and the truth.

Show us the pathway of eternal progress

And give us the will to walk therein.

Establish within us your divine kingship

And thereby bestow upon us the fullmastery of self.

20


Let us not stray into paths of darkness anddeath;

Lead us everlastingly beside the waters oflife.

Hear these our prayers for your own sake;

Be pleased to make us more and morelike yourself.

At the end, for the sake of the divine Son,

Receive us into the eternal arms.

Even so, not our will but yours be done.

* * *

144:5.6 Glorious Father and Mother, inone parent combined,

Loyal would we be to your divine nature.

Your own self to live again in andthrough us

By the gift and bestowal of your divinespirit,

Thus reproducing you imperfectly in thissphere

As you are perfectly and majesticallyshown on high.

Give us day by day your sweet ministryof brotherhood

And lead us moment by moment in thepathway of loving service.

Be you ever and unfailingly patient withus

21


Even as we show forth your patience toour children.

Give us the divine wisdom that does allthings well

And the infinite love that is gracious toevery creature.

Bestow upon us your patience andloving-kindness

That our charity may enfold the weak ofthe realm.

And when our career is finished, make itan honor to your name,

A pleasure to your good spirit, and asatisfaction to our soul helpers.

Not as we wish, our loving Father, but asyou desire the eternal good of your mortalchildren,

Even so may it be.

* * *

144:5.7 Our all-faithful Source andall-powerful Center,

Reverent and holy be the name of yourall-gracious Son.

Your bounties and your blessings havedescended upon us,

Thus empowering us to perform your willand execute your bidding.

Give us moment by moment thesustenance of the tree of life;

Refresh us day by day with the livingwaters of the river thereof.

22


Step by step lead us out of darkness andinto the divine light.

Renew our minds by the transformationsof the indwelling spirit,

And when the mortal end shall finallycome upon us,

Receive us to yourself and send us forthin eternity.

Crown us with celestial diadems offruitful service,

And we shall glorify the Father, the Son,and the Holy Influence.

Even so, throughout a universe withoutend.

* * *

144:5.8 Our Father who dwells in thesecret places of the universe,

Honored be your name, reverenced yourmercy, and respected your judgment.

Let the sun of righteousness shine uponus at noontime,

While we beseech you to guide ourwayward steps in the twilight.

Lead us by the hand in the ways of yourown choosing

And forsake us not when the path is hardand the hours are dark.

Forget us not as we so often neglect andforget you.

But be you merciful and love us as wedesire to love you.

23


Look down upon us in kindness andforgive us in mercy

As we in justice forgive those whodistress and injure us.

May the love, devotion, and bestowal ofthe majestic Son

Make available life everlasting with yourendless mercy and love.

May the God of universes bestow upon usthe full measure of his spirit;

Give us grace to yield to the leading ofthis spirit.

By the loving ministry of devotedseraphic hosts

May the Son guide and lead us to the endof the age.

Make us ever and increasingly likeyourself

And at our end receive us into the eternalParadise embrace.

Even so, in the name of the bestowal Son

And for the honor and glory of theSupreme Father.

144:5.9 Though the apostles were not atliberty to present these prayer lessons intheir public teachings, they profited muchfrom all of these revelations in theirpersonal religious experiences. Jesusutilized these and other prayer models asillustrations in connection with theintimate instruction of the twelve, andspecific permission has been granted fortranscribing these seven specimen prayersinto this record.

24


6. CONFERENCE WITHJOHN’S APOSTLES

144:6.1 Around the first of October,Philip and some of his fellow apostleswere in a near-by village buying foodwhen they met some of the apostles ofJohn the Baptist. As a result of thischance meeting in the market place therecame about a three weeks’ conference atthe Gilboa camp between the apostles ofJesus and the apostles of John, for Johnhad recently appointed twelve of hisleaders to be apostles, following theprecedent of Jesus. John had done this inresponse to the urging of Abner, the chiefof his loyal supporters. Jesus was presentat the Gilboa camp throughout the firstweek of this joint conference butabsented himself the last two weeks.

144:6.2 By the beginning of the secondweek of this month, Abner had assembledall of his associates at the Gilboa campand was prepared to go into council withthe apostles of Jesus. For three weeksthese twenty-four men were in sessionthree times a day and for six days eachweek. The first week Jesus mingled withthem between their forenoon, afternoon,and evening sessions. They wanted theMaster to meet with them and presideover their joint deliberations, but hesteadfastly refused to participate in theirdiscussions, though he did consent tospeak to them on three occasions. Thesetalks by Jesus to the twenty-four were onsympathy, co-operation, and tolerance.

25


144:6.3 Andrew and Abner alternatedin presiding over these joint meetings ofthe two apostolic groups. These men hadmany difficulties to discuss and numerousproblems to solve. Again and again wouldthey take their troubles to Jesus, only tohear him say: “I am concerned only withyour personal and purely religiousproblems. I am the representative of theFather to the individual, not to the group.If you are in personal difficulty in yourrelations with God, come to me, and I willhear you and counsel you in the solutionof your problem. But when you enterupon the co-ordination of divergenthuman interpretations of religiousquestions and upon the socialization ofreligion, you are destined to solve all suchproblems by your own decisions. Albeit,I am ever sympathetic and alwaysinterested, and when you arrive at yourconclusions touching these matters ofnonspiritual import, provided you are allagreed, then I pledge in advance my fullapproval and hearty co-operation. Andnow, in order to leave you unhampered inyour deliberations, I am leaving you fortwo weeks. Be not anxious about me, forI will return to you. I will be about myFather’s business, for we have otherrealms besides this one.”

144:6.4 After thus speaking, Jesus wentdown the mountainside, and they saw himno more for two full weeks. And theynever knew where he went or what he didduring these days. It was some timebefore the twenty-four could settle downto the serious consideration of theirproblems, they were so disconcerted bythe absence of the Master. However,within a week they were again in theheart of their discussions, and they couldnot go to Jesus for help.

26


144:6.5 The first item the group agreedupon was the adoption of the prayerwhich Jesus had so recently taught them.It was unanimously voted to accept thisprayer as the one to be taught believers byboth groups of apostles.

144:6.6 They next decided that, as longas John lived, whether in prison or out,both groups of twelve apostles would goon with their work, and that jointmeetings for one week would be heldevery three months at places to be agreedupon from time to time.

144:6.7 But the most serious of all theirproblems was the question of baptism.Their difficulties were all the moreaggravated because Jesus had refused tomake any pronouncement upon thesubject. They finally agreed: As long asJohn lived, or until they might jointlymodify this decision, only the apostles ofJohn would baptize believers, and onlythe apostles of Jesus would finallyinstruct the new disciples. Accordingly,from that time until after the death ofJohn, two of the apostles of Johnaccompanied Jesus and his apostles tobaptize believers, for the joint council hadunanimously voted that baptism was tobecome the initial step in the outwardalliance with the affairs of the kingdom.

144:6.8 It was next agreed, in case ofthe death of John, that the apostles ofJohn would present themselves to Jesusand become subject to his direction, andthat they would baptize no more unlessauthorized by Jesus or his apostles.

27


144:6.9 And then was it voted that, incase of John’s death, the apostles of Jesuswould begin to baptize with water as theemblem of the baptism of the divineSpirit. As to whether or not repentanceshould be attached to the preaching ofbaptism was left optional; no decisionwas made binding upon the group. John’sapostles preached, “Repent and bebaptized.” Jesus’ apostles proclaimed,“Believe and be baptized.”9

144:6.10 And this is the story of thefirst attempt of Jesus’ followers toco-ordinate divergent efforts, composedifferences of opinion, organize groupundertakings, legislate on outwardobservances, and socialize personalreligious practices.

144:6.11 Many other minor matterswere considered and their solutionsunanimously agreed upon. Thesetwenty-four men had a truly remarkableexperience these two weeks when theywere compelled to face problems andcompose difficulties without Jesus. Theylearned to differ, to debate, to contend, topray, and to compromise, and throughoutit all to remain sympathetic with the otherperson’s viewpoint and to maintain atleast some degree of tolerance for hishonest opinions.

144:6.12 On the afternoon of their finaldiscussion of financial questions, Jesusreturned, heard of their deliberations,listened to their decisions, and said:“These, then, are your conclusions, and Ishall help you each to carry out the spiritof your united decisions.”

28


144:6.13 Two months and a half fromthis time John was executed, and through-out this period the apostles of Johnremained with Jesus and the twelve. Theyall worked together and baptizedbelievers during this season of labor inthe cities of the Decapolis. The Gilboacamp was broken up on November 2,A.D. 27.

7. IN THE DECAPOLIS CITIES

144:7.1 Throughout the months ofNovember and December, Jesus and thetwenty-four worked quietly in the Greekcities of the Decapolis, chiefly inScythopolis, Gerasa, Abila, and Gadara.This was really the end of thatpreliminary period of taking over John’swork and organization. Always does thesocialized religion of a new revelationpay the price of compromise with theestablished forms and usages of thepreceding religion which it seeks tosalvage.10 Baptism was the price whichthe followers of Jesus paid in order tocarry with them, as a socialized religiousgroup, the followers of John the Baptist.John’s followers, in joining Jesus’followers, gave up just about everythingexcept water baptism.

144:7.2 Jesus did little public teachingon this mission to the cities of theDecapolis. He spent considerable timeteaching the twenty-four and had manyspecial sessions with John’s twelveapostles. In time they became moreunderstanding as to why Jesus did not goto visit John in prison, and why he madeno effort to secure his release.

29


But they never could understand whyJesus did no marvelous works, why herefused to produce outward signs of hisdivine authority. Before coming to theGilboa camp, they had believed in Jesusmostly because of John’s testimony, butsoon they were beginning to believe as aresult of their own contact with theMaster and his teachings.

144:7.3 For these two months the groupworked most of the time in pairs, one ofJesus’ apostles going out with one ofJohn’s. The apostle of John baptized, theapostle of Jesus instructed, while theyboth preached the gospel of the kingdomas they understood it. And they won manysouls among these gentiles and apostateJews.

144:7.4 Abner, the chief of John’sapostles, became a devout believer inJesus and was later on made the head of agroup of seventy teachers whom theMaster commissioned to preach thegospel.

8. IN CAMP NEAR PELLA

144:8.1 The latter part of Decemberthey all went over near the Jordan, closeby Pella, where they again began to teachand preach. Both Jews and gentiles cameto this camp to hear the gospel.

XV: THE SECOND PREACHING TOUR.(A Harmony of the Gospels 71)

§52. JOHN THE BAPTIST’S LAST MESSAGE.Matt. 11:2-30. Luke 7:18-35.

It was while Jesus was teaching themultitude one afternoon that some ofJohn’s special friends brought the Masterthe last message which he ever had fromthe Baptist.11

30


144:8.2 John had now been in prison ayear and a half, and most of this timeJesus had labored very quietly; so it wasnot strange that John should be led towonder about the kingdom.

Luke 7:20 And when the men were comeunto him they said,

John’s friends interrupted Jesus’ teachingto say to him:

John the Baptist hath sent us unto thee,saying,

“John the Baptist has sent us to ask—

Art thou he that cometh, or look we foranother?

are you truly the Deliverer, or shall welook for another?”

21 In that hour he cured many of diseasesand plagues and evil spirits; and on many thatwere blind he bestowed sight.

22 And he answered and said unto them, 144:8.3 Jesus paused to say to John’sfriends:

Go, “Go back

and tell John that he is not forgotten.

and tell John what things ye have seen andheard;

Tell him what you have seen and heard,

the blind receive their sight, the lame walk,the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, thedead are raised up, the poor have goodtidings preached to them.

that the poor have good tidings preachedto them.”

23 And blessed he is, whosoever shall findno occasion of stumbling in me.

And when Jesus had spoken further to the messengers of John,

24 And when the messengers of Johnwere departed, he began to say unto themultitudes concerning John,

he turned again to the multitude and said:

31


“Do not think that John doubts the gospelof the kingdom. He makes inquiry only toassure his disciples who are also mydisciples. John is no weakling. Let me askyou who heard John preach before Herodput him in prison:

What went ye out into the wilderness tobehold? a reed shaken with the wind?

What did you behold in John—a reedshaken with the wind?

25 But what went ye out to see? a man A man

of changeable moods

clothed in soft raiment? and clothed in soft raiment?

Behold, they that are gorgeously apparelled,and live delicately, are in kings’ courts.

As a rule they who are gorgeouslyappareled and who live delicately are inkings’ courts

and in the mansions of the rich.

26 But what went ye out to see? a prophet? But what did you see when you beheldJohn? A prophet?

Yea, I say unto you, and much more than aprophet.

Yes, I say to you, and much more than aprophet.

27 This is he of whom it is written, Of John it was written:

Behold, I send my messenger before thyface,

Who shall prepare thy way before thee.

‘Behold, I send my messenger beforeyour face; he shall prepare the way beforeyou.’

Matt. 11:11 Verily I say unto you, 144:8.4 “Verily, verily, I say to you,

Among them that are born of women therehath not arisen a greater than John theBaptist:

among those born of women there has notarisen a greater than John the Baptist;

yet he that is but little in the kingdom ofheaven is greater than he.

yet he who is but small in the kingdom ofheaven is greater

because he has been born of the spirit andknows that he has become a son of God.”

32


Luke 7:29 And all the people when theyheard, and the publicans, justified God, beingbaptized with the baptism of John.

144:8.5 Many who heard Jesus that daysubmitted themselves to John’s baptism,

thereby publicly professing entrance intothe kingdom.

And the apostles of John were firmly knitto Jesus from that day forward. Thisoccurrence marked the real union ofJohn’s and Jesus’ followers.

144:8.6 After the messengers hadconversed with Abner, they departed forMachaerus to tell all this to John. He wasgreatly comforted, and his faith wasstrengthened by the words of Jesus andthe message of Abner.

144:8.7 On this afternoon Jesuscontinued to teach, saying:

Matt. 11:16 But whereunto shall I likenthis generation?

“But to what shall I liken this generation?

Many of you will receive neither John’smessage nor my teaching.

It is like unto children sitting in themarketplaces, who call unto their fellows,

You are like the children playing in themarket place who call to their fellows

17 and say, we piped unto you, and ye didnot dance; we wailed, and ye did not mourn.

and say: ‘We piped for you and you didnot dance; we wailed and you did notmourn.’

And so with some of you.

18 For John came neither eating nordrinking, and they say, He hath a devil.

John came neither eating nor drinking,and they said he had a devil.

19 The Son of man came eating anddrinking,

The Son of Man comes eating anddrinking,

and they say, Behold, a gluttonous man, anda wine-bibber, a friend of publicans andsinners!

and these same people say: ‘Behold, agluttonous man and a winebibber, a friendof publicans and sinners!’

33


Luke 7:35 And wisdom is justified of all herchildren.

Truly, wisdom is justified by her children.

144:8.8 “It would appear that

Matt. 11:25 At that season Jesusanswered and said, I thank thee, O Father,Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didsthide these things from the wise andunderstanding,

the Father in heaven has hidden some ofthese truths from the wise and haughty,

and didst reveal them unto babes: while he has revealed them to babes.

But the Father does all things well; theFather reveals himself to the universe bythe methods of his own choosing.

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour andare heavy laden,

Come, therefore, all you who labor andare heavy laden,

and I will give you rest. and you shall find rest for your souls.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;for I am meek and lowly in heart:

Take upon you the divine yoke,

and ye shall find rest into your souls. and you will experience the peace of God,which passes all understanding.”

9. DEATH OF JOHN THEBAPTIST

XVIII: THE THIRD PREACHING TOUR.(A Harmony of the Gospels 93)

§65. DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. Matt.14:1-12. Mark 6:14-29. Luke 9:7-9.

[28 A.D. the Baptist’s execution . . . January(Smith2 xiv).]

144:9.1 John the Baptist was executedby order of Herod Antipas on the eveningof January 10, A.D. 28.

The next day

Mark 6.29 And when his disciples heardthereof,

a few of John’s disciples who had gone toMachaerus heard of his execution

34


and, going to Herod, made request for hisbody,

they came and took up his corpse, and laid itin a tomb.

which they put in a tomb,

[The Baptist’s disciples obtained their master’smutilated corpse and give it reverent burial. Traditionsays that they conveyed it to Sebaste, the ancient cityof Samaria; and this is indeed probable, since Sebastewas near Ænon, the scene of his later ministry, and itwas fitter that his mortal remains should rest in theunhallowed soil of Samaria than in the unkindlyterritory of the tyrant (Smith2 170).]

later giving it burial at Sebaste,

[!] the home of Abner.

The following day, January 12, theystarted north to the camp of John’s andJesus’ apostles near Pella,

Matt. 14:[12] and they went and told Jesus. and they told Jesus about the death ofJohn.

When Jesus heard their report, hedismissed the multitude and, calling thetwenty-four together, said: “John is dead.Herod has beheaded him. Tonight go intojoint council and arrange your affairsaccordingly. There shall be delay nolonger. The hour has come to proclaimthe kingdom openly and with power.Tomorrow we go into Galilee.”

144:9.2 Accordingly, early on themorning of January 13, A.D. 28, Jesusand the apostles, accompanied by sometwenty-five disciples, made their way toCapernaum and lodged that night inZebedee’s house.

35


1. Contrast: James grasped the thrilling truth that Jesus wanted his children on earth to live as though

they were already citizens of the completed heavenly kingdom (140:8.25).

2. By the Spirit every sincere prayer is indited, and such prayer is acceptable to God (E.G. White, The Desire ofAges [1898], p. 189).

3. Some examples of ‘capacity for spirit receptivity’ (or variants thereof) elsewhere in the UB:

Such a love can be truly experienced, albeit while quality of experience is unlimited, quantity of such an

experience is strictly limited by the human capacity for spiritual receptivity and by the associated

capacity to love the Father in return (3:4.5).

The spiritual presence of Divinity must of necessity be differential in the universe. It is determined by the

spiritual capacity of receptivity and by the degree of the consecration of the creature's will to the doing of

the divine will (5:2.1).

The evolution of the religious capacity of receptivity in the inhabitants of a world largely determines their

rate of spiritual advancement and the extent of religious revelation (52:2.3).

The ... developing mind of a personality possesses a certain innate capacity for spirit receptivity

and therefore contains the potentials of spiritual progress and attainment (65:6.10).

4. In 144:3.4 both Smith and Robinson mention the eighteen daily prayers recited by observant Jews in Jesus’ day.Since Robinson said the Jews had “at least eighteen” set prayers, Sadler estimated or guessed the total number ofthese prayers as being “twenty-five or thirty.” In 150:8.6 Edersheim mentions these eighteen prayers, also calledeulogies or benedictions. Sadler misinterpreted Edersheim’s statement about a nineteenth prayer being added afterJesus’ death, which explains why the UB mistakenly says, in 150:8.6, that there were nineteen at the time of Jesus.For more information about the history of these prayers (known as the Amidah), seehttps://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-amidah.

5. Smith1 (p. 169) describes the Lord’s Prayer as: brief, simple, catholic and spiritual.

6. See footnote 3, above.

7. Compare: V: SONSHIP AS A GIFT (Rall 51)

8. See footnote 3, above.

9. In Mark 16:16, Jesus says:

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.

But in Acts 2:38, Peter says:

Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall

36


receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

10. Compare: As a religious teacher, Jesus of Nazareth started out with the cult which had been

established by John the Baptist and progressed as far as he could away from fasts and forms (92:5.13).

11. See 135:11.4 for the previous account of this episode.

37

paper 144 -- at gilboa and in the decapolis, partially

Documents