The Gospel of St. Mark

Aquarian Gospel

Chapter One

Chapter 61

1: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

2: As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

IT came to pass when John, the son of Zacharias and Elizabeth, had finished all his studies in the Egyptian schools, that he returned to Hebron, where he abode for certain days.
2) And then he sought the wilderness and made his home in David's cave where, many years before, he was instructed by the Egyptian sage.
3) Some people called him Hermit of Engedi; and others said, He is the Wild Man of the Hills.
4) He clothed himself with skins of beasts; his food was carobs, honey, nuts and fruits.
5) When John was thirty years of age he went into Jerusalem, and in the market place he sat in silence seven days.
6) The common people and the priests, the scribes and Pharisees came out in multitudes to see the silent hermit of the hills; but none were bold enough to ask him who he was.
7) But when his silent fast was done he stood forth in the midst of all and said:
8) Behold the king has come; the prophets told of him; the wise men long have looked for him.
9) Prepare, O Israel, prepare to meet your king.
10) And that was all he said, and then he disappeared, and no one knew where he had gone.
11) And there was great unrest through all Jerusalem. The rulers heard the story of the hermit of the hills.
12) And they sent couriers forth to talk with him that they might know about the coming king; but they could find him not.
13) And after certain days he came again into the market place, and all the city came to hear him speak; he said:
14) Be not disturbed, you rulers of the state; the coming king is no antagonist; he seeks no place on any earthly throne.
15) He comes the Prince of Peace, the king of righteousness and love; his kingdom is within the soul.
16) The eyes of men shall see it not and none can enter but the pure in heart.
17) Prepare, O Israel, prepare to meet your king.
18) Again the hermit disappeared; the people strove to follow him, but he had drawn a veil about his form and men could see him not.
19) A Jewish feast day came; Jerusalem was filled with Jews and proselytes from every part of Palestine, and John stood in the temple court and said,
20) Prepare, O Israel, prepare to meet your king.
21) Lo, you have lived in sin; the poor cry in your streets, and you regard them not.
22) Your neighbors, who are they? You have defrauded friend and foe alike.
23) You worship God with voice and lip; your hearts are far away, and set on gold.
24) Your priests have bound upon the people burdens far to great to bear; they live in ease upon the hard earned wages of the poor.
25) Your lawyers, doctors, scribes are useless cumberers of the ground; they are but tumors on the body of the state;
26) They toil not neither do they spin, yet they consume the profits of your marts of trade.
27) Your rulers are adulterers, extortionists and thieves, regarding not the rights of any man;
28) And robbers ply their calling in the sacred halls; the holy temple you have sold to thieves; their dens are in the sacred places set apart for prayer.
29) Hear! hear! you people of Jerusalem! Reform; turn from your evil ways or God will turn from you and heathen from afar will come, and what is left of all your honor and your fame will pass in one short hour.
30) Prepare, Jerusalem, prepare to meet your king.
31) He said no more; he left the court and no one saw him go.
32) The priests, the doctors and the scribes were all in rage. They sought for John intent to do him harm. They found him not.
33) The common people stood in his defense; they said,
The hermit speaks the truth.
34) And then the priests, the doctors and the scribes were sore afraid; they said no more; they hid themselves away.

Chapter 62

NEXT day John went again into the temple courts and said,
2) Prepare, O Israel, prepare to meet your king.
3) The chief priests and the scribes would know the meaning of his words; they said.
4) Bold man, what is the purport of this message that you bring to Israel? If you be seer and prophet tell us plainly who has sent you here?

3: The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

5) And John replied,
I am the voice of one who cries out in the wilderness, Prepare the way, make straight the paths, for, lo, the Prince of Peace will come to rule in love.

4: John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

6) Your prophet Malachi wrote down the words of God:
7) And I will send Elijah unto you before the retribution day shall come, to turn again the hearts of men to God, and if they will not turn, lo, I will smite them with a curse.
8) You men of Israel; you know your sins. As I passed by I saw a wounded bird prone in your streets, and men of every class were beating it with clubs; and then I saw that Justice was its name.
9) I looked again and saw that its companion had been killed; the pure white wings of Righteousness were trampled in the dust.
10) I tell you men, your awfulness of guilt has made a cesspool of iniquity that sends a fearful stench to heaven.
11) Reform, O Israel, reform; prepare to meet your king.
12) And then John turned away and as he went he said,
13) In seven days, lo, I will stand at Gilgal, by the Jordan ford, where Israel first crossed into the promised land.
14) And then he left the temple court to enter it no more; but many people followed him as far as Bethany, and there he tarried at the home of Lazarus, his kin.
15) The anxious people gathered all about the home and would not go; then John came forth and said,
16) Reform, O Israel, reform; prepare to meet your king.
17) The sins of Israel do not all lie at the door of priest and scribe. O think you not that all the sinners of Judea are found among the rulers and the men of wealth.
18) It is no sign that man is good and pure because he lives in want.
19) The listless, shiftless vagabonds of earth are mostly poor and have to beg for bread.
20) I saw the very men that cheered because I told the priests and scribes of their injustice unto man, throw stones and beat poor Justice in the streets.
21) I saw them trample on the poor dead bird of Righteousness;
22) And you who follow after me, you commoners, are not one whit behind the scribes and priests in crime.
23) Reform, you men of Israel; the king has come; prepare to meet your king.
24) With Lazarus and his sisters, John remained for certain days.
25) In honor of the Nazarite a feast was spread, and all the people stood about the board.
26) And when the chief men of the town poured out the sparkling wine and offered John a cup, he took it, held it high in air, and said,
27) Wine makes glad the carnal heart, and it makes sad the human soul; it plunges deep in bitterness and gall the deathless spirit of the man.
28) I took the vow of Nazar when a child, and not a drop has ever passed my lips.
29) And if you would make glad the coming king, then shun the cup as you would shun a deadly thing.
30) And then he threw the sparking wine out in the street.

Chapter 63

5: And there went out to him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

AND John went down to Jericho; there he abode with Alpheus.
2) And when the people heard that he was there they came in throngs to hear him speak.
3) He spoke to none; but when the time was due he went down to the Jordan ford, and to the multitudes he said.
4) Reform and in the fount of purity wash all your sins away; the kingdom is at hand.
5) Come unto me and in the waters of this stream be washed, symbolic of the inner cleansing of the soul.
6) And, lo, the multitudes came down, and in the Jordan they were washed, and every man confessed his sins.
7) For many months, in all the regions round about, John pled for purity and righteousness, and after many days he went again to Bethany; and there he taught.
8) At first few but the honest seekers came; but, by and by, the selfish and the vicious came with no contrition; came because the many came.

6: And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;

(see Chapter 61 Verse 4 above)

9) And when John saw the unrepentant Pharisees and Sadducees come unto him, he said,
10) You children of the vipers, stay; are you disturbed by news of coming wrath?
11) Go to, and do the things that prove repentance genuine.
12) Is it enough for you to say that you are heirs of Abraham? I tell you, no.
13) The heirs of Abraham are just as wicked in the sight of God when they do wrong as any heathen man.
14) Behold the axe! and every tree that bears not wholesome fruit is cut down at the roots and cast into the fire.
15) And then the people asked, What must we do?
16) And John replied,
Accept the ministry of helpfulness for all mankind; spend not upon your selfish selves all that you have.
17) Let him who has two coats give one to him who has no coat; give part of all the food you have to those in need.
18) And when the publicans came up and asked, What must we do? John answered them,
19) Be honest in your work; do not increase for selfish gain the tribute you collect; take nothing more than what your king demands.
20) And when the soldiers came and asked, What must we do? The harbinger replied,
21) Do violence to none; exact no wrongful thing, and be contented with the wages you receive.
22) Among the Jews were many who had been waiting for the Christ to come, and they regarded John as Christ.

7: And preached, saying, There comes one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.

8: I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. 

23) But to their questions John replied,
In water I do cleanse, symbolic of the cleansing of the soul; but when he comes who is to come, lo, he will cleanse in Holy Breath and purify in fire.
24) His fan is in his hand, and he will separate the wheat and chaff; will throw the chaff away, but garner every grain of wheat. This is the Christ.
25) Behold he comes! and he will walk with you, and you will know him not.
26) He is the king; the latchet of his shoes I am not worthy to unloose.

27) And John left Bethany and went again unto the Jordan ford. 

Chapter 64

THE news reached Galilee, and Jesus with the multitude went down to where the harbinger was preaching at the ford.
2) When Jesus saw the harbinger he said.
Behold the man of God! Behold the greatest of the seers! Behold, Elijah has returned!
3) Behold the messenger whom God has sent to open up the way! The kingdom is at hand.
4) When John saw Jesus standing with the throng he said,
Behold the king who comes in the name of God!
5) And Jesus said to John, I would be washed in water as a symbol of the cleansing of the soul.
6) And John replied, You do not need to wash, for you are pure in thought, and word, and deed. And if you need to wash I am not worthy to perform the rite.
7) And Jesus said, I come to be a pattern for the sons of men, and what I bid them do, that I must do; and all men must be washed, symbolic of the cleansing of the soul.
8) This washing we establish as a rite – baptism rite we call it now, and so it shall be called.
9) Your work, prophetic harbinger, is to prepare the way, and to reveal the hidden things.
10) The multitudes are ready for the words of life, and I come to be made known by you to all the world, as prophet of the Triune God, and as the chosen one to manifest the Christ to men.

9: And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

10: And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

11: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

13) A voice from heaven said, This is the well-beloved son of God, the Christ, the love of God made manifest.

14) John heard the voice, and understood the message of the voice.
15) Now Jesus went his way, and John preached to the multitude.
16) As many as confessed their sins, and turned from evil ways to ways of right, the harbinger baptized, symbolic of the blotting out of sins by righteousness.

Chapter 65

12: And immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness.

THE harbinger had paved the way; the Logos had been introduced to men as love made manifest, and he must now begin his Christine ministry.
2) And he went forth into the wilderness to be alone with God that he might look into his inner heart, and note its strength and worthiness.

13: And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.

3) And with himself he talked; he said,
My lower self is strong; by many ties I am bound down to carnal life.
4) Have I the strength to overcome and give my life a willing sacrifice for men?
5) When I shall stand before the face of men, and they demand a proof of my messiahship, what will I say?
6) And then the tempter came and said,
If you be son of God, command these stones to turn to bread.
7) And Jesus said,
Who is it that demands a test? It is no sign that one is son of God because he does a miracle; the devils can do mighty things.
8) Did not the black magicians do great things before the Pharaohs?
9) My words and deeds in all the walks of life shall be the proof of my messiahship.
10) And then the tempter said,
If you will go into Jerusalem, and from the temple pinnacle cast down yourself to earth, the people will believe that you are the Messiah sent from God.
11) This you can surely do; for did not David say, He gives his angels charge concerning you, and with their hands will they uphold lest you should fall?
12) And Jesus said, I may not tempt the Lord, my God.
13) And then the tempter said,
Look forth upon the world; behold its honors and its fame! Behold its pleasures and its wealth!
14) If you will give your life for these they shall be yours.
15) But Jesus said,
Away from me all tempting thoughts. My heart is fixed; I spurn this carnal self with all its vain ambition and its pride.
16) For forty days did Jesus wrestle with his carnal self; his higher self prevailed. He then was hungry, but his friends had found him and they ministered to him.
17) Then Jesus left the wilderness and in the consciousness of Holy breath, he came unto the camps of John and taught.

14: Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Chapter 66

15: And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

16: Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

17: And Jesus said to them, Come you after me, and I will make you  become fishers of men.

18: And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.  

19: And when he had gone a little further, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.

20: And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.  

2) One day as Andrew, Philip and a son of Zebedee, were talking with the harbinger, the Logos came, and John exclaimed, Behold the Christ!
3) And then the three disciples followed Jesus, and he asked, What do you seek?
4) And the disciples asked, Where do you live? And Jesus answered, Come and see.
5) And Andrew called his brother Simon, saying,
Come with me, for I have found the Christ.
6) When Jesus looked in Simon's face he said,
Behold a rock! and Peter is your name.
7) And Philip found Nathaniel sitting by a tree, and said,
My brother, come with me, for I have found the Christ! In Nazareth he abides.
8) Nathaniel said, Can anything of good come out of Nazareth?
And Philip answered, Come and see.
9) When Jesus saw Nathaniel come he said,
Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile!
10) Nathaniel said, How can you speak about me thus?
11) And Jesus said, I saw you as you sat beneath the fig tree over there, before your brother called.
12) Nathaniel lifted up his hands and said,
This surely is the Christ, the king, for whom the harbinger has often testified.
13) And John went forth and found his brother James, and brought him to the Christ.
14) The six disciples went with Jesus to the place where he abode.
15) And Peter said, We long have sought for Christ. We came from Galilee to John; we thought that he was Christ, but he confessed to us that he was not;
16) That he was but the harbinger sent forth to clear the way, and make the pathway easy for the coming king; and when you came he said, Behold the Christ!
17) And we would gladly follow where you go. Lord, tell us what to do.
18) And Jesus said, The foxes of the earth have homes, the birds have nests; I have no place to lay my head.
19) He who would follow me must give up all cravings of the self and lose his life in saving life.
20) I come to save the lost, and man is saved when he is rescued from himself. But men are slow to comprehend this doctrine of the Christ.
21) And Peter said, I cannot speak for any other man, but for myself I speak: I will leave all and follow where you lead.
22) And then the others spoke and said, You have the words of truth; you came from God, and if we follow in your footsteps we cannot miss the way.
23) Then Jesus and the six disciples sat a long, long time in silent thought.

Chapter 89

NOW, on the day before the Sabbath day, the twelve disciples who had received the call were met with one accord in Jesus' home.
2) And Jesus said to them, This is the day to consecrate yourselves unto the work of God; so let us pray.
3) Turn from the outer to the inner self; close all the doors of carnal self and wait.
4) The Holy Breath will fill this place, and you will be baptized in Holy Breath.
5) And then they prayed; a light more brilliant than the noonday sun filled all the room, and tongues of flame from every head rose high in air.
6) The atmosphere of Galilee was set astir; a sound like distant thunder rolled above Capernaum, and men heard songs, as though ten thousand angels joined in full accord.
7) And then the twelve disciples heard a voice, a still, small voice, and just one word was said, a word they dared not speak; it was the Sacred name of God.
8) And Jesus said to them, By this omnific Word you may control the elements, and all the powers of air.
9) And when within your souls you speak this Word, you have the keys of life and death; of things that are; of things that were; of things that are to be.
10) Behold you are the twelve great branches of the Christine vine; the twelve foundation stones; the twelve apostles of the Christ.
11) As lambs I send you forth among wild beasts; but the omnific Word will be your buckler and your shield.
12) And then again the air was filled with song, and every living creature seemed to say, Praise God! Amen!

21: And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.

13) The next day was the Sabbath day; and Jesus went with his disciples to the synagogue, and there he taught.

22: And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.

14) The people said, He teaches not as do the scribes and Pharisees; but as a man who knows, and has authority to speak.

23: And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

15) As Jesus spoke, a man obsessed came in; the evil spirits that obsessed the man were of the baser sort; they often threw their victim to the ground, or in the fire.
16) And when the spirits saw the Christine master in the synagogue they knew him, and they said,

24: Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.

17) You son of God, why are you here? would you destroy us by the Word before our time? we would have naught to do with you; let us alone.

25: And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

18) But Jesus said to them, By the omnific Word I speak; Come out; torment this man no more; go to your place.

26: And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.

19) And then the unclean spirits threw the man upon the floor, and, with a fiendish cry, they went away.

20) And Jesus lifted up the man and said to him,
If you will keep your mind fully occupied with good, the evil spirits cannot find a place to stay;
21) They only come to empty heads and hearts. Go on your way and sin no more.

27: And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commands he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

22) The people were astonished at the words that Jesus spoke, the work he did. They asked among themselves,
23) Who is this man? From whence comes all this power that even unclean spirits fear, and flee away?

28: And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

29: And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

24) The Christine master left the synagogue; with Peter, Andrew, James and John, he went to Peter's house where one, a near of kin, was sick.

30: But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.

25) And Peter's wife came in; it was her mother who was sick.

31: And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.

26) And Jesus touched the woman as she lay upon her couch; he spoke the Word; the fever ceased and she arose and ministered to them.

32: And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.

27) The neighbors heard what had occurred, and then brought their sick, and those obsessed, and Jesus laid his hands on them, and they were healed.

33: And all the city was gathered together at the door.

34: And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.

Chapter 90

35: And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

36: And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.

37: And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.

they found him at his trysting-place out on the Hammoth hills.

2) And Peter said,
The city of Capernaum is wild; the people crowd the streets and every public place is filled.
3) The men, the women and the children everywhere are asking for the man who heals by will.
4) Your home and our homes are filled with people who are sick; they call for Jesus who is called the Christ. What will we say to them?

38: And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

39: And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

6) And Jesus and the twelve went to Bethesda where Philip and Nathaniel dwelt; and there they taught.
7) The multitudes believed on Christ, confessed their sins and were baptized, and came into the kingdom of the Holy One.
8) The Christine master and the twelve went everywhere through all the towns of Galilee, and taught, baptizing all who came in faith, and who confessed their sins.
9) They opened up blinded eyes, unstopped deaf ears, drove forth the evil ones from those obsessed, and healed disease of every kind.

40: And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

10) And they were in Tiberius by the sea, and as they taught a leper came a-near and said,
Lord, I believe, and if you will but speak the Word I will be clean.

41: And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and said to him, I will; be thou clean.

42: And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

43: And he straightly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;

44: And said to him, See that you say nothing to any man: but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.

say naught to anyone, but go and show yourself unto the priests and offer for your cleansing what the law demands.
 

45: But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

13) The man was wild with joy; but then he went not to the priests, but in the marts of trade, and everywhere he told what had been done.