they Jesus therefore because of the taken away my Master, and I know Jews' preparation day; for the sepul- not where they have laid him. chre was nigh at hand. 3 And when she had thus said, 17 And the women also, who she turned herself back, and saw came with him from Galilee, fol- Jesus standing, but knew not that it lowed after, and beheld the sepul- was Jesus. He said to her, Woman, chre, and how his body was laid: why weepest thou? whom seekest and returned, and prepared spices thou? She, supposing him to be and ointments; and rested the sab- the gardener, said to him, Sir, if bath day according to the command- thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned, and exclaimed, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus said to her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Master, and that he had spoken 5 Then the disciples went away to their own home. THE first day of the week came Mary Magdalene early, while it was yet dark, to the sepulchre, and 4 Mary Magdalene came and told found the stone taken away from the the disciples that she had seen the door. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, They have taken away the Master out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Then arose Peter, and ran to the sepulchre; and stooping down, he saw the linen clothes laid by of our company made us astonished, themselves, and departed, wonder- who were early at the sepulchre : ing in himself at that which had for when they found not his body, happened. they came, saying, that they had 2 But Mary remained without at also seen a vision of angels, who the sepulchre weeping: and as she said that he was alive And certain wept, she stooped down, and looked of them who were with us went to into the sepulchre: and there ap- the sepulchre, and found it even so peared two angels in white sitting, as the women had said: but him the one at the head, and the other they saw not. 6 And certain other women also at the feet, where the body of Jesus 7 After that he appeared in anhad lain. And they said to her, other form to two of them, as they Woman, why weepest thou? She walked and went into the country; said to them, Because they have and they went and told it to the * See Note (c) at the end of Gospel Selections. 3 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them: but their eyes were 4 And he said to them, What residue: neither believed they them. that same day to a village called 8 Afterward he appeared to the Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem eleven as they sat at meat, and re-about threescore furlongs: and they proved them for their unbelief and talked together of all these things hardness of heart, because they be- which had happened. lieved not them who had seen him after he was risen. And he said to them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized holden that they should not know shall be saved; but he that be- him. lieveth not shall be condemned. 9 Then the same day at evening, manner of communications are these being the first day of the week, that ye have one to another, as ye when the doors were shut where the walk, and are sad? And the one disciples were assembled for fear of of them, whose name was Cleopas, the Jews, came Jesus and stood in answering said to him, Art thou the midst, and said to them, Peace only a stranger in Jerusalem, and be unto you. And when he had so hast not known the things which are said, he showed them his hands and come to pass there in these days? his side. Then were the disciples He said to them, What things? and glad, when they saw the Master. they said, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all 10 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father sent me, even so send I you. And the people: and how the chief priests when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said, Receive ye the Holy Spirit. SELECTION XLV. and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it was he who should redeem Israel: and besides all this, to-day is the Some beautiful accounts of the reappear- third day since these things were ance of Jesus not historically verified-done. Yea, and certain women also that is, given by one biographer, but not of our company made us astonished, confirmed or in any way referred to by who were early at the sepulchre; and when they found not his body, the others. AND it came to pass, as they were they came, saying, that they had much perplexed thereabout, seen a vision of angels, who said behold, two men stood by them in that he was alive. And certain of shining garments; and as they were them who were with us went to afraid, and bowed down their faces the sepulchre, and found it even so to the earth, they said to them, as the women had said: but him Why seek ye the living among the they saw not. dead? He is not here, but is risen. 2 And, behold, two of them went 5 Then he said to them, O foolish men, and slow to believe after all that the prophets have spoken: cept I shall see in his hands the print Ought not Messiah to suffer these of the nails, and put my finger into things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things which concerned himself. the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 12 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them then came Jesus, the 6 And they drew near to the vil- doors being shut, and stood in the lage, whither they went: and he ap- midst, and said, Peace be unto you. peared as though he would have Then said he to Thomas, Reach gone further. But they constrained hither thy finger, and behold my him, saying, Abide with us: for it is hands; and reach hither thy hand, toward evening, and the day is far and thrust it into my side: and be spent. And he went in to tarry not faithless, but believing. And with them. Thomas exclaimed, My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 7 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, so that they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 8 And they said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 9 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them with them, who were saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 13 After these things Jesus appeared again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise appeared he. 14 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, I go a fishing. They replied, We also will go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a boat immediately; and that night they caught nothing. When the morning was come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 10 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread: and as they thus were speaking, Jesus himself stood in the midst 15 Then Jesus said to them, Chilof them, and said, Peace be unto you. dren, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said to II But Thomas, one of the twelve, them, Cast the net on the right side called Didymus, was not with them of the ship, and ye shall find. They when Jesus came. The other dis- cast therefore, and now they were ciples therefore said to him, We have not able to draw it for the multitude seen the Master. But he said, Ex-of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Master. is the Master. 16 When Simon Peter heard that 18 When they had dined, Jesus said it was the Master, he girt his fisher's to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, coat unto him, (for he was naked,) lovest thou me more than these? and cast himself into the sea. And He answered, Yea, Master; thou the other disciples came in a small knowest that I love thee. He said boat, (for they were not far from land, to him, Feed my lambs. Again the but as it were two hundred cubits,) second time he said to him, Simon, dragging the net with fishes. son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He 17 As soon then as they were come answered, Yea, Master; thou knowto land, they saw a fire of coals there, est that I love thee. He said to him, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Feed my sheep. He said to him Jesus said to them, Bring of the fish the third time, Simon, son of which ye have now caught. Simon Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was Peter went up, and drew the net to grieved because he said to him the land full of great fishes, an hundred third time, Lovest thou me? And and fifty and three and for all there he said to him, Master, thou knowwere so many, yet was not the net est all things; thou knowest that I broken. Jesus said to them, Come love thee. Jesus said to him, Feed and dine. And none of the disciples my sheep. NOTES. (a) The difficulty is here acknowledged of making the story of the "resurrection" of Lazarus (given only in the biography according to John, and not in any way even referred to in any of the other New Testament writings) appear to be, what it very probably originally was, a brief and simple tradition of the resuscitation, or bringing to life again, of one supposed to be dead. Passing from mouth to mouth for a half century or more, it naturally became twisted, interwoven, and expanded into something much more marvellous than it really was: the author of the fourth biography also has evidently woven into it much of his own peculiar imagery and detail. The impulse, therefore, of a critical compiler, would be to omit the entire story as being not only fabulous in itself, but also as having no word or hint of confirmation from any other New Testament writer. However, there is enough of naturalness and beauty in it to make it appear (to the present compiler) to have been founded originally upon certain simple facts: these simple facts, disentangled without breaking a sentence or doing violence to the translation of a word (as the story is rendered in the Greek text), are what the present compiler has sought to discover and bring together. (b) Accounts of the Crucifixion are various and conflicting. The conflicting details, so far as possible, are here omitted; and no miraculous recitals or explanations are included, except those which are clearly stated by at least two of the four Gospels. (c) For the meaning of the word "resurrection see Preface. All is given in this Selection concerning the reappearance of Jesus that is reported by two out of the four New Testament Biographies or Gospels; all the rest is confused and conflicting, having the appearance of a fanciful or mythical origin. As to the "bodily Ascension" of Jesus, all reference to it is omitted from these Selections from the fact that while in Matthew and John it is not referred to, or even indirectly hinted at, the single sentence referring to it in Luke, and the twelve verses describing it in Mark, are both declared by Tischendorf and other most critical scholars to be interpolations, and no part of the original Gospels. The Revised Edition also notes them as "omitted by the most ancient manuscripts and by some other authorities." CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES. THE ACTS. SELECTION I. The enthusiasm with which the disciples of Jesus enter upon the work of proclaiming the teachings of their Master. THE former treatise have I made, Judas the brother of James: these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with certain women, and with Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. 4 And on the day of Pentecost they were all together in one place. 5 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with strange tongues, as the Spirit O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he, through the Holy Spirit, gave commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen and gave them utterance. was received up. : 6 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of various nations, and when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were surprised as they heard them tell of the wonderful works of God. 2 To whom also he manifested himself after his crucifixion by many unquestionable proofs, appearing to them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And, being assembled, he commanded them that they should 7 And they were all amazed, and not depart from Jerusalem, but wait in doubt, saying one to another, for the promise of the Father, which, What meaneth this? Others making saith he, ye have heard of me. For sport said, These men are intoxiJohn truly baptized with water; but cated with wine. ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence. 8 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said 3 Then returned they to Jeru- to them, Ye men of Judæa, and all salem from the mount called Olivet, ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this which is from Jerusalem a sabbath known to you, and hearken to my day's journey and when they had words: These are not drunken men, come into the city, they went up in- as ye suppose, seeing it is but the to an upper room, where they abode. third hour of the day: but this is Peter, and James, and John, and An- that which was spoken by the drew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholo- prophet Joel; And it shall come to mew, and Matthew, James the son of pass in the last days, saith God, Alphæus, and Simon Zelotes, and I will pour out of my Spirit upon |