SECTION XXII
TAU
Establishment of the Christine Church
CHAPTER 181
The eleven apostles make choice of Matthias to fill the place made vacant by the deflection of Judas. The Christines are glad. Miriam sings a song of praise. Apostolic roster.
The fact that Jesus had arisen from the dead was not denied by many of the rulers of the Jews.
2 And Pilate gave an order that the followers of the Nazarene be not molested in their worship any place in his domain.
3 The day of Pentecost was near at hand and every one was looking for a manifest of Spirit power.
4 Now, in Jerusalem the eleven had met to choose a man to fill the place of Judas who betrayed his Lord.
5 And Peter said, The Lord called to this ministry twelve men as twelve foundation stones on which the Christine temple should be built.
6 This Judas, who betrayed his Lord, has gone to his own place beyond the veil.
7 Of him the prophet wrote: His habitation shall be desolate; no man shall dwell therein; his office let another take.
8 From those who have accompanied us from Gilgal, where the harbinger baptized, until this day, shall one be chosen to complete the number twelve, to fill the place from which our brother by transgression fell.
9 And then the eleven spent a long, long time in prayer, and when they cast their lots, Matthias, from the valley of the Nile, was chosen for the place.
10 Matthias was an Israelite indeed; but he was learned in all the wisdom of Egyptian schools, and he had taught the mysteries of Mizraim in Jericho.
11 He was among the first to greet the harbinger; among the first to recognize the Nazarene as Christ, the son of God;
12 He had been with the Christine band in all their journeys in the land of Galilee, Judea and Samaria.
13 A messenger was sent who found Matthias, and he came and joined the eleven, and for a time the twelve were lost in silent prayer.
14 The Christines who had come from Galilee and places in Judea, about six score, were there, and Peter told them of Matthias, and how, by lot, he had been chosen an apostle of the Lord.
15 The Christines all were glad and praised the name of God; and Miriam sung a song of praise.
16 These are the names of the apostles of the Lord: Peter, John and James; Philip, Andrew and Nathaniel;
17 Thomas, James the son of Alpheus and Simon Zelotes; Matthew, Jude, the son of Alpheus and Matthias.
CHAPTER 182
Events of the day of Pentecost. Endowment of the apostles. The Christine Church is established. Peter preaches the introductory sermon. The sermon. Three thousand people are baptized and become members of the church.
Now, when the day of Pentecost had come Jerusalem was filled with pious Jews and proselytes from many lands.
2 The Christines all were met and were in perfect harmony.
3 And as they sat in silent prayer they heard a sound a-like the distant murmur of a coming storm.
4 The sound grew loud, and louder still, until, like thunder peals, it filled the room where the apostles sat.
5 A brilliant light appeared, and many thought, The building is afire.
6 Twelve balls, that seemed like balls of fire, fell from heaven – a ball from every sign of all the circle of the heavens, and on the head of each apostle there appeared a flaming ball of fire.
7 And every ball sent seven tongues of fire toward heaven, and each apostle spoke in seven dialects of earth.
8 The ignorant rabble treated lightly what they heard and saw; they said, These men are drunk, and know not what they say.
9 But men of learning were amazed; they said, Are not these men who speak all Jews? how is it that they speak in all the languages of earth?
10 And Peter said, You people of Jerusalem, and you who live beyond the city’s gates; Peace be to you, and all mankind.
11 This is the time that holy men of old desired to see; by faith they saw this hour, and now they stand with us in ecstasy.
12 The prophet Joel in the olden times told of the things you see and hear. The Holy Breath spoke with his tongue and said,
13 And it shall come to pass in latter days, that I will breathe upon the sons of men, and fill them with the blessedness of holiness.
14 Your sons and daughters will stand forth and prophesy; your young men will be seers; your old men will dream dreams.
15 And I will show forth wonders in the heavens above, and marvelous signs in earth.
16 Sounds will proceed from heaven and voices will be heard that men will fail to comprehend.
17 The sun will fail to shine, the moon will wade in blood before the coming of the great day of the Lord.
18 And it will come to pass that they who call upon the name of God in faith shall be redeemed.
19 This is the day of Christine power; the day that he, the man from Galilee, is glorified.
20 He came as babe in Bethlehem and from his day of birth the kings of earth went forth intent to take his life.
21 God held him in the hollow of his hand.
22 Men called him Jesus, and they called him well, for he was sent to seek and save the lost.
23 And Jesus grew to manhood and was subject unto all the trials and temptations of the sons of men, that he might know the loads that men must bear, and know the way to succor them.
24 In distant lands he lived and by the sacred Word he healed the sick, threw prison doors ajar, and set the prisoners free, and everywhere he was proclaimed, Immanuel.
25 But wicked men despised him and rejected him, and by bribed men they proved him guilty of a score of crimes;
26 And in the presence of a multitude of men who hear me now, they nailed him to a cross;
27 They sealed him with the seal of death; but death was all too weak to hold him in the tomb and when immortal masters said, Adon mashich cumi, he burst the bands of death, and rose again to life.
28 He showed himself alive, not only to the rulers in Jerusalem, but to the many in the distant parts of earth;
29 And then, before the wondering eyes of many who now hear me speak, attended by a retinue of courtiers of the angel world, he ascended to the throne of God.
30 And being now exalted high, and having breathed to full the Holy Breath, he breathes again on us, and thus sheds forth what you now see and hear.
31 You men of Israel, know that God has made this man from Galilee whom you abused and crucified, both Lord and Christ.
32 And then the people said, What shall we do?
33 And Peter said, This Christine Lord has sent us forth to open up the gates of dawn. Through Christ all men may enter into light and life.
34 The Christine Church stands on the postulates that Jesus is the love of God made manifest; that love is savior of the sons of men.
35 This Christine Church is but the kingdom of the Holy One within the soul, made manifest.
36 This day the Christine Church is opened up, and whosoever will may enter in, and, by the boundless grace of Christ, be saved.
37 Again the people said, How may we enter in that we may share the boundless grace of Christ?
38 And Peter said, Reform and be baptized, and turn away from sin and lead the life deep hid with Christ in God, and you shall enter in and be redeemed.
39 Three thousand people turned away from sin and were baptized and sought to lead the life deep hid with Christ in God.
40 And in one day the Christine Church became a mighty power; and Christ became a mighty word that thrilled the multitudes in many lands.