Gospel of the Holy Twelve

1THEN spake Iesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, saying. The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’s seat. All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

2But all their works they do for to be seen of men; they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

3But desire not ye to be called Rabbi: for one is your Rabbi, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call not any one father on earth, for on earth are fathers in the flesh only; but in Heaven there is One Who is your Father and your Mother, Who hath the Spirit of truth, Whom the world cannot receive.

4Neither desire ye to be called masters, for one is your Master, even Christ. But they that are greatest among you shall be your servants. And whosoever shall exalt themselves shall be abased; and they that are humble in themselves shall be exalted.

5Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of Heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves neither suffer ye them that are entering, to go in,

6Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites” for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer; therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

7Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

8Woe unto you, ye blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the Temple, it is nothing, but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the Temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind; for whether is greater, the gold, or the Temple that sanctifieth the gold?

9And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar, that sanctifieth the gift?

10Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the Temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by Heaven sweareth by the throne of God, and by the Holy One that sitteth thereon.

11Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides! for ye strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.

12Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, then the outside of them that they may be clean also.

13Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of the bones of the dead and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and make believe.

14Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

15Wherefore ye be witness unto yourselves, that ye do as the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

16Wherefore saith holy Wisdom, behold I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city. And upon you shall come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, who was slain between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

17O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

18Behold, now your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Holy, Holy, Holy, Blessed are they who come in the Name of the Just One. LECTlON 60. 16. -The same Zaccharias who is mentioned in the beginning as the father of John the Baptist (see Note 111-2), also the Proto Evangelism attributed to James, the Bishop of Jerusalem. ø