1 Some days later, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 was in another place with about sixty talmidim, one of whom said to Him, “There is Yahoshua the Faster, who claims to be ha’Mashiaḥ of Elohim, and Yosĕph, who proclaims deliverance by the sword, while many say the Enlightener and Deliverer are two men. The gale of words makes it difficult to get a bearing on the harbor entrance.”
2 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “Things are changing, and many alive today will live to see a different world. I come to set men free by removing the shackles of ignorance and to deliver them from evil and from themselves.”
3 Hearing this, many of the talmidim left, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said to those who remained beside Him, “Do you also wish to go your way?”
4 Kĕpha answered for all, “Aḏonai, Your teachings excel those of others, for they carry the hope of eternal ḥai. We believe You to be the chosen messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 who speaks with His voice. We accept what You say because it responds to the yearnings of our hearts.”
5 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “We all make mistakes, and though I have chosen unwisely with others, I have not been mistaken with you.”
6 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 did not proclaim Himself to the people according to their understanding and devoted much time to the teaching of talmidim. This concerned mainly the coming Rule of Elohim, but to the twelve He taught many hidden things, for there was knowledge suitable only for a few.
7 He said to them, “You are among those entitled to know secrets concerning the Rule of Elohim, but to those who are not numbered among the elect, everything should be explained simply and in parables. It is truly written in the Sacred Books, ‘They may see with the eyes and be deceived, and hear without understanding, but if they would only turn to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, their ignorance would be wiped away.’ ”
8 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 appointed the twelve as emissaries to go out among the people and proclaim the things He had said. The twelve were: Shim’on, renamed Kĕpha; Ya’aqoḇ and Yoḥanan, sons of Thunder; Andri Saronides; Philippos Bardrush; Bartholomi the Stranger; Mattihyahu the Lĕwite; T’oma, son of Yonas; Thaddeus, called Lebios before he came; Ya’aqoḇ, son of Alfeous; Yahuḏah of Qeriyoth; and Shim’on of Kena’an, the zealot.
9 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 sent them out with these instructions: “Avoid Shomeron towns. Keep away from places where the people are being stirred up for strife, but go to the Yahuḏim wherever they are to be found. When entering a dwelling, give the greeting, ‘Shalom be on this house.’”
10 “I know that you are being sent like sheep delivered to the wolves, for you do not bear the message expected by the people. So be careful, always alert, cunning as serpents and harmless as doves. Beware of those who would bring you before their courts, and do not concern yourselves about what to say, for when it becomes necessary, you will receive inspiration from the Ruaḥ Ha’Qodesh, and words will come.”
11 “I can assure you of this: Whoever stands by Me, upholding My cause before men, him I will stand beside before the Council of the shamayim. Give no heed to what is said about Me – it is already forgiven. But slander against the powers of the Ruaḥ Ha’Qodesh, which is the Hand of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, is unforgivable.”
12 One of the twelve said, “We will meet other teachers, whose words will not be the same as those spoken by You.”
13 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “This will certainly be so, for to each man his own road and his own light; but Truth is Truth whoever proclaims it and must be obeyed. However, Truth is something rarely seen clearly, and even many who see it have difficulty in describing it to others. Speak about the good and evil which are manifest in the lives of men and tell them each shall be judged according to his works.”
14 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “Men will always go astray, but those who lead them astray cannot shun responsibility. Remember what I have said about those who stand behind the wrongdoings and foolishness of others, hidden from sight and untouchable by men. It would be better for them to have a millstone hung about their necks and be thrown into the sea than to suffer what they will for leading innocents astray.”
15 “Be on guard against undutiful inclinations, and work in harmony one with another. If your companion offends you, rebuke him without anger; and if he indicates regret, forgive him wholeheartedly. Even though he offend you many times, and is contrite, forgive him.”
16 Some of the twelve said, “These things are difficult to understand, and we have the natural failings of men. Give us courage and strengthen us in the cause.”
17 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 replied, “Have faith in what you do, for with faith you could move mountains or cause uprooted trees to replant themselves. All things are possible to those who believe them possible.”
18 Nevertheless, He strengthened them by a transfer of Ruaḥ Ha’Qodesh so they had the power of healing.
19 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “Those who do not build with Me are destroyers of My works, and those who pay lip service only are useless tools. Never judge any man by the words of his mouth, and keep away from those who pour them out in a torrent. Have no dealings with those who do their good deeds in public, and shun those who push themselves forward for attention. A man whose problems are small will readily come to be eased of his burden, while he who carries a heavy load is often inconspicuous.”
20 “What you do pays no earthly reward; though the reward elsewhere may be great, it is useless claiming one here. If one of you had a man out plowing, would you say to him on his return, ‘Come, sit down and rest’? Is it not more likely you would say, ‘Go and clean yourself. Get my meal ready. And after you have finished, go and eat yourself. Then go to rest’? Is any employer grateful because those who work for him do the things for which he pays them? So it should be with you. Having carried out your orders and done your duty, you should simply say, ‘We have only done the things we were supposed to do.’ ”
21 “Many will seek to snare you in a net of words, but avoid the meshes spun by their wiles. Never talk about anything not thoroughly and honestly believed. The blind cannot lead the blind, and if they do, fall into a ditch. No man can walk confidently in darkness without a light. The eye is the lamp of the body; and if the lamp is defective, the whole body is in gloom. The Ruaḥ Ha’Qodesh is the lamp of the soul, but if it remains unlit, it serves no purpose.”
22 “Many will mock and scorn you, saying, ‘Fools, we have full stomachs and soft beds; we have everything for our comfort and needs. What have you?’ There is little to be said in reply, for wise men do not mock, knowing that gems of wisdom often fall from the lips of fools. Take no heed of these, for they suffer from a spiritual defect – an ailment blinding them to their own deficiencies while exaggerating the failings of others.”
23 “Do not offer bright jewels to dogs nor place a string of pearls around the necks of swine, or they will be trampled into the ground. The beasts will turn and rend you for not providing bones or husks.”
24 Philippos said to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏, “Aḏonai, You caution us against anger, yet were You not angry when a man beat his donkey with a rod?”
25 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “I warn you against anger among brothers, or anger relating to yourself. There is a righteous anger which is justified. In all things there are balances and limitations, and to know these you have the Books of Wisdom. If a man comes against you, threatening harm, he is more dangerous if he is calm and silent than if he is unsteady with anger. The silent biting dog is more to be feared than the barking one. Therefore, is it not in your own interests that I teach you self-control?”
26 Then Yahuḏah asked concerning the coming Rule of Elohim, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 answered, “It is like this: A man scatters seed on the ground. Day follows day until the grain sprouts and grows. But what goes on in the ground to bring this about is beyond his knowledge. The soil produces the crop by its own methods, nourishing the crop until it ripens. When the corn is ripe at harvesting time, the man reaps and gathers in.”
27 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 then said, “To know the nature of the Rule of Elohim is important but difficult for Me to explain to your understanding. It is like the small seed which, once planted, shoots up into a great plant, providing shade for many forms of life. These are able to see and know both the seed and the plant but have no knowledge how one became the other.”
28 “Know that, though I am here with you, I am not apart from He who inspires Me. That which is in Me is not separate from the Ruaḥ of the Father, and that Ruaḥ is wholly in me. I express the likeness of the Father and contain His power and substance to the full measure. I am the Ruaḥ outflowing from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, given voice and form. I am the voice and Word of that Ruaḥ. I am of that Ruaḥ but not that Ruaḥ.”
29 “I am the fulfillment of men’s hopes and the fulfillment of the Father’s desire. As I am, so is the Ruaḥ. As I am, so shall all His children be, for I am the pattern for all men. I am emptied of worldliness in order to hold the Ruaḥ Ha’Qodesh. And I am an answer to the Father’s creative Word.”
30 “A pitcher half filled with water would hold less oil than an empty one. If wine is poured into a jar containing water, the wine is diluted. So, when men say, ‘What purpose does it serve to forgo worldly pleasures?’ tell these things to them. If they will not listen, then on their own heads be the illnesses and pains from which they will surely suffer.”
31 The twelve said, “Great is the hope You have given us, and great is the inspiration of Your words.”
32 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “I do not do this of Myself, for I have been filled with the power of the Ruaḥ Ha’Qodesh, which is part of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄. With this He created all things. I come that I may bring Light to those who dwell in darkness, to bring to those who are on the brink of death a knowledge of life, and to bring consolation to those who suffer. I am the hope of those who despair, the helper of those who have no guide, the treasure of the poor, and the healer of the sick. I am the Light of Eternal Ḥai for all who die. And as I am, so must you be.”
33 “Go, carry the good tidings without trepidation or fear, without respect for persons, calling all who listen to follow a path which is direct, narrow and stern. Call them, whatever their circumstances, for each one will have something to contribute.”
34 Then Yoḥanan said, “Aḏonai, You have taught us many things and armed our wits. You have taught us how to act towards those who believe in Your cause and those who do not. Yet even among those who most conscientiously follow Your Way, even among those who should be brothers, is found jealousy, pettiness, envy and selfishness.”
35 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “These things are the challenge of life, and inseparable from the present rule of man. The test is your ability to change them. The corn will be gathered into the storehouse of the Ruaḥ, and the chaff cast into the fires of transmutation.”
36 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 taught these things to the twelve in a manner different from His other teachings. There were many other things which may be told, but not all were heard with understanding.”
37 Kĕpha said, “Let us partake of Your strength, so we can withstand whatever is sent to test us.”
38 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “When the test comes, it is never as expected.”
39 He also said, “The man who says, ‘I may be wrong,’ is always right; the man who says, ‘I am certainly right,’ is always wrong. To avoid a fight is not cowardice, and to fight with the assurance of victory is not courage. Weak men often fight, and strong men often run; motive is all that matters. To judge anyone by their -former – actions is to judge unfairly.”
40 Then, while they were gathered about Him, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “Now, who do you think I am?” Shim’on Kĕpha answered, “You are surely 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄’s Anointed.”
41 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “You are rather rash but, as no mortal disclosure was made to you, wise also. Since your name means a rock, and you live up to it, I will establish foundations for the city of My cause upon you. And neither death nor evil shall overthrow it. To you I give the keys of this city, and the reign to which it is the gateway shall welcome you as a prince.”
42 “In as much as I am the Way, the Truth and the Light, I bring you deliverance from ignorance. I am the Savior of all who wander in darkness, but who, seeing My Light, follow My lead.”
43 One of the twelve said, “Aḏonai, You are truly our deliverance, our hope and our Ḥai.”
44 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “Many will flock to My cause, but few will be chosen to serve; many will follow My Way, but turn aside at the obstacles. For if any man believes but fails to put his belief into practice, it will be profitless to him. If anyone take one part of My teachings, shunning the sterner and more inconvenient, the rest will serve no purpose. For it is in the nature of men to accept the easy path and turn aside from the harder one. But there is something in each which tells him this is wrong. Everyone has a spark within which, fanned by the wind of dedication, will kindle the flame of glory.”
45 One of the twelve said, “Shall we confine our mission to the Yahuḏim?” 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 replied, “Enlightenment is the inheritance of all men. Carry the message to all the seventy nations of the Earth.”
46 Another asked, “Should we take it to the young and to the old as well? For the thoughts of the young change with every wind, while the old are like seasoned timber into which it is difficult to drive a nail.”
47 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 said, “Teach each according to his understanding and capacity.”
48 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 then said, “Always treat those you meet as you would have them treat you; act towards others as you would have them act towards you. For this is the essence of the Torah.”
49 When 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 had given these instructions to the emissaries, they left. And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 went with four talmidim to carry the message to other towns.