The Gospel of St. Matthew

Aquarian Gospel

Chapter 19

Chapter 143

(partial)

1: And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;

2: And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.

3: The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

22) As Jesus taught, a Pharisee came up and said,
Lord, is it lawful for a man to put away his wife?

23) And Jesus said, You ought to know; what says the law?

4: And he answered and said to them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

26) God made a woman for a man, and they were one; and afterwards he said,

5: And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

 A man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife;

6: Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.

27) What God has joined no man can part.

24) The Pharisee replied, The law provides that man may be divorced, may put away his wife.

8: He said to them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

25) And Jesus said, The hardness of the hearts of men induced the giver of the law to make provisions such as these; but from the first it was not so.

28) Now, when they went up to the house, a man made free to ask again about this matter of divorce.
29) And Jesus said again what to the Pharisee he said; and then he gave the higher law of marriage life:

9: And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery: and whoever marries her which is put away does commit adultery.

30) Whoever puts away his wife, except she be a courtesan, and then shall take another wife, commits adultery.
31) The woman who shall leave a man, unless he be a libertine and an adulterer, and then becomes the wife of any other man, commits adultery.

32) And Thomas asked, What is adultery?
33) And Jesus said, The man who harbors lustful thoughts, who covets any woman not his wife, is an adulterer.
34) The wife who harbors lustful thoughts, and covets any man who is not wed to her, is not her husband, is a courtesan.
35) Men cannot make a law to bind two hearts.
36) When two are bound in love they have no thought of lust. The woman cannot leave the man; the man has no desire to send his wife away.
37) When men and women harbor lustful thoughts, and covet any other flesh, they are not one, not joined by God.
38) And Philip said, Lord, are there few that God has joined in holy marriage bonds?
39) And Jesus said, God knows the pure in heart; the lustful men and women are but creatures of the lustful self; they cannot be at one; nor can they be at one with God.

10: His disciples said to him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.

40) Nathaniel said, Is it not well that all men should refrain from taking on themselves the marriage vow?

41) And Jesus said, Men are not pure because they are unmarried men. The man who lusts is an adulterer if he has wife or not.
42) And then he said to all, Some things men know by being told, while other things they know not till the gate of consciousness shall open up for them.

11: But he said to them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.

43) I speak a mystery that now you cannot understand; but you shall some day understand.

12: For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

44) A eunuch is a man who does not lust; some men are eunuchs born, some are eunuchs by the power of men, and some are eunuchs by the Holy Breath, who makes them free in God through Christ.
45) He who is able to receive the truth I speak, let him receive.

13: Then were there brought to him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.

14: But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come to me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Chapter 142

NOW, Jesus and the twelve went to another town, and as they entered it they said,
Peace be to all; good will to all.
2) A multitude of people followed and the master said to them, Behold, for you are followers for selfish gain.
3) If you would follow me in love, and be disciples of the Holy Breath, and gain at last the crown of life, you must leave all there is of carnal life behind.
4) Be not deceived; stay, men, and count the cost.
5) If one would build a tower, or a home, he first sits down and counts the cost to be assured that he has gold enough to finish it.
6) For well he knows that if he makes a failure of his enterprise he may lose all his wealth, and be the butt of ridicule.
7) And if a king desires to take the kingdom of another king, he calls his trusted men and they consider well their strength; he will not measure arms with one of matchless power.
8) Count well the cost before you start to follow me; it means the giving up of life, and all you have.
9) If you love father, mother, wife, or child, more than love the Christ, you cannot follow me.
10) If you love wealth or honor more than you love the Christ, you cannot follow me.
11) The paths of carnal life do not run up the mountain side towards the top; they run around the mount of life, and if you go straight to the upper gate of consciousness you cross the paths of carnal life; tread in them not.
12) And this is how men bear the cross; no man can bear another's cross.
13) Take up your cross and follow me through Christ into the path of true discipleship; this is the path that leads to life.
14) This way of life is called the pearl of greatest price, and he who finds it must put all he has beneath his feet.
15) Behold, a man found in a certain field the outcropping of a wondrous mine of gold, and he went forth and sold his home and all he had and bought the field; then he rejoiced in wealth.
16) Now, there were present, scribes and Pharisees of wealth who loved their money, and their bonds and lands, and they laughed loud to scorn what Jesus said.
17) Then Jesus spoke to them and said, You are the men who justify yourselves in sight of men; God knows your wickedness of heart;
18) And you must know, O men, that whatsoever is revered and is exalted by the carnal mind, is an abomination in the sight of God.

16: And, behold, one came and said to him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

19) And Jesus went his way, and as he went a young man ran and knelt down at his feet and said, Good master, tell me what to do that I may have eternal life.

17: And he said to him, Why do you call me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments.

20) And Jesus said, Why do you call me good? No one is truly good but God himself.
21) And God has said, If you would enter into life, keep the Commandments of the law.

18: He said to him, Which? Jesus said, You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness;

22) The young man asked, To which commands did he refer?
23) And Jesus said, You shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not do adulterous things; you shall not falsely testify;

19: Honor your father and mother: and, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

24) And you shall love your God with all your heart, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

20: The young man said to him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

25) The man replied, These things I have observed from youth; what lack I yet?

21: Jesus said to him, If thou will be perfect, go and sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

26) And Jesus said, One thing you lack; your heart is fixed on things of earth; you are not free.
27) Go forth and sell all that you have, and give your money to the poor, and come follow me, and you shall have eternal life.

22: But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

23: Then said Jesus to his disciples, Verily I say to you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

24: And again I say to you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

32) Yea, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a man with hoarded wealth to find the way of life.

25: When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?

And his disciples said,
Who then can find the way? Who can be saved?

26: But Jesus beheld them, and said to them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

33) And Jesus said, The rich may give his gold away; the high may kiss the dust, and God will save.

34) Then Jesus spoke this parable to them:
35) A rich man lived in splendid state; he wore the finest garments men could make; his boards were loaded with the costliest viands of the land.
36) A beggar, blind and lame, whose name was Lazarus, was wont to sit beside the waste gate of this home that he might share with dogs the refuse from the rich man's board.
37) It came to pass that Lazarus died, and angels carried him away unto the bosom of our father Abraham.
38) The rich man also died, and he was buried in a costly tomb; but in the purifying fires he opened up his eyes dissatisfied.
39) He looked and saw the beggar resting peacefully in the bosom of his father Abraham, and in the bitterness of his soul he cried,
40) My father Abraham, look down in mercy on your son; I am tormented in these flames.
41) Send Lazarus, I beseech, that he may give me just a sup of water to cool my parched tongue.
42) But Abraham replied, My son, in mortal life, you had the best things of the earth and Lazarus had the worst, and you would not give him a cup of water there, but drove him from your door.
43) The law must be fulfilled, and Lazarus now is comforted, and you are paying what you owe.
44) Besides, there is a great gulf fixed between your zone and us, and if I would I could not send Lazarus to you, and you cannot come up to us till you have paid your debts.
45) Again the man in anguish said, O father Abraham, I pray, send Lazarus back to earth, and to my father's house, that he may tell my brothers who are yet in life, for I have five of them, about the horrors of this place, lest they come down to me and not to you.
46) And Abraham replied, They have the words of Moses and the seers, let them hear them.
47) The man replied, They will not hearken to the written word; but if a man would go up from the grave they might believe.
48) But Abraham replied, If they hear not the words of Moses and the seers they would not be persuaded even though one from the dead stood in their midst.

27: Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

49) And Peter said, Lord, we have left our all to follow you; and what is our reward?

28: And Jesus said to them, Verily I say to you, That you which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

50) And Jesus said, Most verily I say to you, that you who have left all to follow me shall come into a newness of a life hid deep with Christ in God.
51) And you shall sit with me upon the throne of power, and judge with me the tribes of Israel.
 

29: And every one that has forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

52) And he who conquers carnal self, and follows me through Christ shall have a hundred fold of that which is the wealth of life on earth, and in the world to come, eternal life.

30: But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.