THE CENTRAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS

Tolstoy's translation of Jesus Gospel as found in the original Greek Texts is that which seems the most clear and Truthful by far: "The Gospel in Brief." Two books that grew out of "The Gospel in Brief" proved monumentally important: "The Kingdom of God is Within You" created Gandhi / became his bible; "The Law of Love and the Law of Violence" deeply influenced Dr. Martin Luther King at Crozier Seminary when he was young. From "The Gospel in Brief," I find these to be the essential teachings of Jesus:

p58 "...my teaching ... works of love to one's neighbor."

p58 "The external worship of God cannot be combined with works of love. The old teaching of the external worship of God cannot be combined with my teaching of works of love to one's neighbor."

p67 "He gave the spirit to the world, and the spirit itself lives in men, and men who liveby the spirit make up the kingdom of God."

p67 "A woman puts yeast in the kneading trough and mixes it with the flour; she then stirs it no more, but lets it ferment and rise. As long as men live, God does not interpose in their life."

p67 "For the spirit there is neither death nor evil. Death and evil are for the flesh, but not for the spirit."

p72 "If all praise them [the rich], woe to them, because only deceivers get everybody's praise."

p73 "...he who shall fulfill [the commandments I give], and shall thereby teach others, shall be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

p75 "All sensuality destroys the soul, and therefore it is better for you to renounce the pleasure of the flesh than to destroy your life."

p75 "... the soul ... your life."

p79 "All men are His children, and therefore all are brothers to you."

p80 "All these commandments are contained in this one: All that you wish people should do for you, do even so to them."

p80 "I. Do not be angry, but be at peace with all men. II. Do not seek delight in sensual gratification. III Do not swear anything to anyone. IV. Do not oppose evil, do not judge, and do not go to law. V. Do not make any distinction among men as to nationality, and love strangers like your own people."

p80 "... love strangers like your own people ... "

p82 "The light of the body is the eye, and the light of the soul is the heart. If your eye is dim, then all of your body will be in darkness. And if the light of your heart is dim, then all your soul will be in darkness."

p89 "My food is to do the will of Him who gave me life, and to fulfill that which He intrusted to me."

p94 "... the fulfillment of the Father's will depends on each man's effort and striving to make people see that life is given, not for oneself personally, but for the fulfillment of the Father's will, which alone saves from death and gives life."

p99 "... the nourishment of man is the spirit descended from heaven. This it is which gives life to the world."

p102 "... Our flesh is the true food for the real life."

p106 "I drive out evil by summoning people to fulfill the will of the Spirit, the Father, who gives life to all."

p118 "That which stands high in the eyes of men, is abomination in the eyes of God."

p118 "Now the kingdom of heaven is attainable on earth, and great are they who enter it. But they enter it, not the rich, but those who have nothing."

p121 "Do not kill. Do not commit adultery. Do not lie. Do not steal. Further, honor your Father, and fulfill His will; and love your neighbor as yourself ... One small thing you have left undone. You have not fulfilled that which you say. If you wish to fulfill these commandments ... above all, the comandment: Love your neighbor as yourself - then, at once sell all your goods, and give them to the poor. Then you will have fulfilled the father's will."

p121 "... sell all your goods, and give them to the poor ..."

p121 "... above all ... love your neighbor as yourself ..."

p124 "See now, this poor widow has put in two forthings in the boc. She has put in more than all. Because they put in that which the did not need for their own livelihood; while this woman has put in all that she had; has put in her whole life."

p124 "... put in [all that you have] ... put in [your] whole life ..."

p128 "... God should be served not in the temple and by sacrifices, but in the spirit, and by deeds."

p128 "...God should be served ... in the spirit, and by deeds."

p129 "Your law of Moses is not the Father's law ...."

p135 "If your father were one with me, you would love me, because I came forth from that Father."

p136 "I am from the Father of good, from God; but you [Orthodox] are from the devil, from the father of evil."

p136 "... the Father of good ... God ..."

p139 "There are shepherds to whom the sheep are the chief interest in life, and who give up their lives for the sheep. These are true shepherds. And their are hirelings who do not care about the sheep, because they are hirelings, and the sheep are not theirs; so that if a wolf comes they abandon their charge and flee from them, and the wolf devours the sheep."

p140 "My teaching is this - to give up one's life for the life of men."

p142 "Every man in the spirit is the son of God."

p151"... Men do not love even a reminder of the spirit which lives in them, and declares to them that it is eternal and they are not eternal; and they have killed, as far as they could, the consciousness of the spirit; they have wrapped in a cloth and burried in the ground the talent that was given them."

p166 "I am teaching ... how to save people."

p172 "... Christ is that same Lord, our Ruler, whom we know in ourselves as our life. Christ is that understanding which is in us."

p172 "... Christ... in ourselves as our life."

p172 "... Christ ... that understanding which is in us."

p173 "From [the orthodox] comes all the evil in the world; because they hide the good, and instead of it uphold evil."

p173 "[The orthodox] do the easiest thing, the external thing; that which is needful and difficult - love, compassion, truth - they leave undone."

p173 "... that which is needful and difficult - love, compassion, truth ..."

p174 "There is one temple of God, that is, the hearts of men when they love each other."

p181 "... the present society of men is condemned to destruction. From now that which rules this world shall be destroyed."

p182 "... my Father, the living spirit in me ...."

p182 "... my Father ... the spirit of understanding ..."

p182 "He who believes in my teaching believes not in me, but in that spirit which gave life to the world."

p187 "Seek to be only thus distinguished from other people - Love one another."

p194 "My commandment is, that you love one another as I have loved you."