Details of New Testament books

People and places in the letters of the New Testament

Contents:

Table
jl.ev01.037,05
jl.ev01.038,07-08
jl.ev01.116,10
jl.ev01.089,05-13
jl.ev01.091,01-20
jl.ev01.100,01-06
jl.ev01.113,01-13
jl.ev01.149,01-03
jl.ev01.113,10.2
B.D. NR. 389
B.D. NR. 595

On this webpage we deal with the background of the Gospels as it is reported in Jakob Lorber’s work "Das große Evangelium Johannes" (The Great Gospel of John), by whom they were written und how Jesus directly influenced these writings and what he told the recorders to record and what not to record. And then we have a look at the people and places mentioned in the letters of the New Testament; this is contained in a table which also shows other details of the 27 books of the New Testament, like the number of chapters, the number of verses, the years they were probably written, the places where the letters were written, the persons they were dictated to, the greeters, the persons who were the carriers, the greetees, and the places of destination of the letters.

The table uses information from a previous webpage, Number of verses of the New Testament, and is a completion to the webpage Paul and his companions.

So first the table which lists all 27 books of the New Testament and after the table information about the writing of the Gospels:

^ Table

The first book of the New Testament is the Gospel according to Matthew.

Now Jesus had two disciples with the name Matthew.

The first one was the one who wrote the Gospel according to Matthew. It was Matthew the writer.

^ jl.ev01.037,05

Now follows a report of Matthew the writer’s appointment in the town of Sichar from Jakob Lorber’s work "The Great Gospel of John", and there from the first volume, 37th chapter, verse 5:

5. "But you, John, need not write it, as this My teaching shall be written down several-fold anyway. But a certain scribe - a Galilean too, by the name of Matthew, is resident here; this one has already recorded a considerable amount from My childhood, and because he commands great facility he is sure to write down all that he shall hear and see. Him bring up, - call him by his name and he shall follow you at once! But ask the chief priests also to come up, as well as some of the chief ones who you will have seen at the well yesterday. But call Me Matthew first, as I want him to follow us!"

From this quote we see that also John was writing things down and that therefore parts of the Gospel according to John were recorded by John at the time they happened.

But this quote shows that Matthew the writer, the Gospel writer, was writing his Gospel, or parts of it, at the time he himself witnessed the events as a disciple of Jesus and also wrote them down at that time. Therefore the time of the coming into being of his Gospel must be placed at the time of Jesus’ walk on earth.

^ jl.ev01.038,07-08

Now follow two verses which are part of a discussion between Jesus and Matthew, who is a customs officer and writer, on the day the two meet for the first time and where it is about writing material and were Jesus then tells Matthew how to record the Sermon on the Mount:

7. Says Matthew: "I am all right for two days; if I am to have more I shall at once obtain it."

8. Say I: "It shall suffice for ten days; after that we shall acquire more material elsewhere. Just stay with us and partake of the morning meal with us: after six o'clock however we shall betake ourselves to the mountain. There I shall proclaim salvation to these peoples; you record everything verbatim and in three chapters, and sub-divide these into small verses in the style of David. Look around for another couple of scribes however who can copy you, so as to leave a written witness for this place."

So the Gospel according to Matthew, or at least parts of it, was duplicated right from the beginning. Matthew had three writers with him when they went to Mount Garizim.

Now we come to the second disciple of Jesus with the name of Matthew.

The report about this Matthew, who later became Matthew the apostle, starts in Jakob Lorber’s work "The Great Gospel of John" in the first volume, 116th chapter, verse 6 (jl.ev01.116,06).

And in jl.ev01.120,01-06 the calling of this Matthew by Jesus is described. And in jl.ev01.120,05 the name of this man is mentioned for the first time. This appointment is mentioned in the Bible in Matthew 9:9.

In the Bible the story about this Matthew the apostle starts in Mark 2:1 and ends in Mark 2:12. It is the report about the sick man who was lowered through the roof down to Jesus and got healed. This Matthew was one of the men who let down the bed on which the sick of the palsy lay. The man on the bed was his uncle. He is described by Jesus as one who makes wise speeches and is a smart speaker, jl.ev01.116,10, and Matthew describes himself as an honest Greek in jl.ev01.117,07.

^ jl.ev01.116,10

Now follows an example of a speech of this custom official:

10. Says the former clever speech-maker: 'Have a little patience and you soon shall see! Behold, today is Sabbath; upon this day, according to your customary teaching in the Synagogues and schools, grace comes from above! This time however, mankind's grace is below and so, there being one who having not yet received grace, comes from above down to you to seek his grace down there. Hence nothing contrary to the Sabbath is taking place here; for surely it shall not make any difference whether on a Sabbath grace comes from above, or whether someone seeks grace down below, if it has already come down to blind men who are not capable of beholding it, although already bumping into it with their noses!'

This Matthew was a man who very well understood the difference between lifeless religion and spiritual life.

^ jl.ev01.089,05-13

Now follows an extract that gives us information about Matthew the writer and his work but also about the second Gospel writer Mark, jl.ev01.089,05-13:

5. To My asking him whether he was not inclined to go home for a couple of days, Peter replied, "Lord, only death can part me from You, or a commandment from Your mouth! I arranged with Thomas for my son Mark to come here, he could be of use, because with writing he is almost as good as Matthew. But that's about all that I have to attend to domestically, everything else You my Lord and my God are taking care of anyway!" - Say I, "Not so loud, My Simon Peter, because here we are not at Sychar! There are also some here who are not at your stage yet - these could be offended. Hence it is enough if in future you call Me "Lord", the rest for the time being keep in your heart, which I know quite well!"

6. Peter is satisfied with that, asking Me whether we are to undertake nothing at all during the two days in Cana. But I say, "This be far from us! But we shall not strain ourselves as we did at Sychar! In a worldly sense we are here in our homeland, and you know how much a prophet is worth in his homeland! Hence we shall be doing and teaching very little here in our actual sphere. Because where faith is lacking there is little work for us. Hence we shall, as they would say, take it easy for a couple of days, and prepare a little for the time ahead!"

7. After these words Matthew comes asking Me whether to perhaps now record some of the things he has seen and heard at Sychar.

8. But I say, "If you are intent on doing something, then you could twice copy the Sermon on the Mount, and a copy can then be left with the host here in Cana, and one at Capernaum, because there too we shall not get to do much!"

9. But now the host comes to ask what I should like for lunch And I say to him, "Friend, why such an idle question? Not having asked Me before the morning meal, I still quite enjoyed it! Hence I shall also find lunch excellent! Verily I say unto you, every meal seasoned with the noble and loving heart of the giver is the tastiest, - better than the most sumptuous and resplendent things upon the tables of selfish gluttons, filling the halls with their Ambrosian scent. - With this advice the young host was fully satisfied, and with the most joyful heart then did everything to serve us with lunch as well as possible.

10. Thus, the two days passed with many a good discussion and visits by citizens of this small town.

11. Some sick people were also healed merely by the laying on of hands, and to an honest physician there I pointed out quite a number of healing herbs, ... with which he then achieved good cures.

12. On the third day however all but mother Mary and the four eldest brethren returned from home, bringing new disciples on all sides. Thomas in particular in this respect had made a big catch of fish, and brought a great many fried fish with him, for he knew how I liked eating such fish.

13. The young Mark thus also brought his father Simon many greetings from home, and many fried fish as well, and Iscariot brought much money and much life into the company, since he was very lively and active, organising everything and being exceptionally pleased with Me, and had much to relate about diverse happenings occurring all over the great Roman empire.

^ jl.ev01.091,01-20

And now follows an instruction of Jesus about the extent of the writings and about their understanding and his effort to keep his teaching pure, jl.ev01.091,01-20:

1. The following day in Cana I told John, who had recorded the first sign at the wedding, to record also this second sign performed in the same place. And this John also did with few words in eight verses as it is written.

2. Also Matthew asked Me whether he, too, was to record this event, but I say to him, "Leave it. When tomorrow we come to Capernaum where I shall again teach and perform signs, those you shall then record. But add to My Sermon on the Mount also the healing of the leper at Sychar, whom I healed as I was descending from the mountain."

3. Says Matthew, "Lord, as far as I know two lepers were healed by You at Sychar. Which one should I record?"

4. Say I, "Actually more than two were healed, but it is sufficient to mention the one I healed at the foot of the mountain and whom I bade show himself to the priest Jonael, whose name you need not give, and offer the sacrifice Moses has laid down for a witness. For who does not believe Me because of the one sign will not believe if I worked a hundred signs. Therefore, record from the many signs only the one I now told you about."

5. Says Matthew, "Oh yes, Lord, now I know which sign You mean. I did make a note of it, but did not write it down in detail. This I will now do and start a new chapter withit. For I divided the Sermon on the Mount into three chapters and this will now be the fourth."

6. Say I, "For the time being this arrangement of yours is good, but after I shall have been lifted up from this earth into My eternal Kingdom, you will have to write another four chapters preceding these. Therefore, you can already now give the three chapters on the Sermon on the Mount the numbers: V, VI and VII instead of I, II, III, and the new one the number VIII."

7. So Matthew immediately arranged his notes in this way, and thus nowadays the Sermon on the Mount, although the first thing recorded by Matthew, is not contained in the first chapter, but only in the fifth, sixth and seventh chapters.

8. To be acquainted with this fact is also needed for the better understanding of the Gospels of John and Matthew, for both of them were written under My personal supervision. The object here is mainly to bring the two outwardly apparently so different records into proper harmony, because it has almost always been the case that even good interpreters of the Scripture have regarded the miracles which appear similar in Matthew and John as the same, but have nevertheless been wondering, "How come that Matthew says this and John that although the fact seems to be one and the same?"

9. Many errors resulted from this and not seldom a complete turning away from My teaching as it is written in the Gospels.

10. Here once could say indeed, "But why, O Lord, did You allow this to happen through so many centuries without enlightening anyone?" There I say:

11. Not a century passed in which I did not, wherever My teaching is more or less accepted, choose and awaken men to give people the facts and necessary interpretation of the Gospels. The chosen have always done that and also historically supplemented in the records what had got lost, partly through human negligence, partly through the obstinacy and not seldom evil intent of the various sectarian churchwardens and priests of the Gospel where My teaching was concerned, and only very few accepted that.

12. The churches, which in the course of time had systematically developed naturally, rejected it declaring it to be "heresy" and "devilry" because it did not suit their greedy and tyrannical purpose.

13. Scientists and artists on the other hand described such phenomena as "fancies" and "dreamy drivel" of a poor wretch who wants to be something too, but without having acquired the necessary qualities through effort, diligence, and profound study.

14. In the place, however, where the chosen and awakened prophet lived and was known he was accepted least of all and, therefore, did not have much success. For according to people's notions, as they generally are, a prophet should actually not live on earth at all, should not have a human shape, eat and drink and wear clothes, but should at least drive around in the air in a fiery chariot like Elias and from there announce to each person only what he in his self-love likes to hear and what flatters him. That would then be a proper prophet at whom all eyes and ears would be directed, particularly if during his air travels he would miraculously throw great quantities of gold and silver coins to the rich, but small copper coins to the proletarians, at the same time praising the great, rich and mighty, but frequently severely disciplining the poor devils (proletarians), especially if they dared to grumble at the rich, great and mighty. Such a prophet would, of course, not be very popular with the poor, and they would not praise him.

15. However, if the prophet is a man like any other man, if he eats and drinks, has even a home and besides maybe follows some worldly trade, oh, that is already the end where his prophesying is concerned. He is pronounced either a simpleton or a hypocrite and has not much chance of achieving anything in his homeland.

16. Thus I have during the almost 2,000 years always made up what was missing. But who accepted it? I tell you: Always only very few and these seldom actively enough. Notice of it was taken, but that someone should have changed his way of life accordingly and then in his spirit convinced himself that the otherwise natural man was really chosen by Me to bring a new light from the heavens to men in the world that had gradually become so dark, that was never done for all kinds of idle reasons.

17. One has bought himself a team of new oxen which he has now to break in for ploughing, so he has, of course, no time. Another must cultivate a new field and cannot come because of that. A third has taken a wife and, therefore, has no longer any time or opportunity. A fourth must build a large house and has so many worries now, he cannot possibly have time. And thus everyone has some excuse and a new light from the heavens then again burns in vain during a whole century in some hidden corner of the earth. And if in the next century I again send a new light for illuminating the ancient records, it will have the same fate.

18. If this is certainly so, judging by the experience at all times, the question arises whether I can be blamed if the ancient records show to this day the same deficiencies that were already a thousand years ago discovered by idle rationalistic researchers and over-subtle reasoners as a result of which always many doubters and, finally, rejecters of My teaching and its - and My - fullest divinity have gone forth like mushrooms from the ground.

19. The reason why I am now giving a full light in this matter is so that in the end no one may be able to excuse himself as if since My bodily presence on earth I had bothered neither about the purity and completeness of My teaching nor the people who accepted it.

20. When I shall come again to earth I shall undertake a thorough sifting and not accept anyone who will come to Me with whatever excuses, for everyone who seeks in all earnest can and must find what he seeks. However, the sick sheep and asses feeding at the crib shall be administered medicine after which they are sure to become greedy for the feed from the heavens, but then they will as convalescents be fed homeopathically for a long time. But now once more to the Gospel."

^ jl.ev01.100,01-06

Now follow passages showing how Jesus gave detailed instructions what to write and what not to write and how he explains the different tasks between Matthew and John, jl.ev01.100,01-06:

1. Here Matthew comes to Me and asks Me whether he should record also this sign and many an instruction and speeches I had given during the few days at the house of the chief of a synagogue.

2. Say I, "The sign with the centurion outside Capernaum and what I said there, and this present sign at the house of Peter, too, but omit the words spoken which do not belong to the open teaching. However, the discussions at the house of the synagogue chief and the fact that I stayed with him for two days, do not mention at all.

3. We shall soon be once more at the house of this man at the time when his favourite daughter will die whom I will then awaken and restore to him. Then you may write about him and the sign in such a way that you give no details regarding him or the place, otherwise we would prejudice him in a worldly sense as the priesthood is already watching him, and this we will and shall not do.

4. Until the next feast in Jerusalem I shall work many more signs and teach a good deal in this region of the sea, which I like best, and you will have to record all the precepts in full."

5. Matthew now prepares for writing, but John is quite sad and says, "But Lord, You my supreme love. Shall I not get any more to write?"

6. Say I, "Do not be sad, My beloved brother. You will still get many things to write down. But I have destined you for the most important and most profound things."

^ jl.ev01.113,01-13

And now some more about the difference between Matthew and John and about recognizing truth through acting accordingly, not merely reading and hearing, jl.ev01.113,01-13:

1. The scribe Matthew, who followed Me at a certain distance in order to see what was going on, so that he could then record it, stepped up to Me and asked whether he was to record these events.

2. But I said, "Leave that be, so that there may not be a mix-up later on. For the day after tomorrow we shall again be going towards the sea, where exactly the same will be happening and that you shall then describe in detail. Anyway, beginning with tomorrow you may record all that is extraordinary whatever that may be."

3. Matthew is quite satisfied with this, but also John, who was particularly impressed by this deed, asks Me whether he may not make at least a short note of this deed also.

4. And I say to him, "That you may do; however, it must not follow immediately upon that which you have so far written, but only at a later stage, for in six months we shall have to sort out still another affair exactly like this one, and that you may then record for this or this for that one.

5. It is not really important whether one or the other sign, which is very similar to a previous one, is written down or not, for that could easily cause confusion for the later followers of My teaching, and such confusions could then give rise to all kinds of speculations and doubts. This would then do damage rather than promote the main issue, which is solely My teaching.

6. As long as I and you, who can witness to the whole truth of the different signs, are living on this earth, any doubts can easily be prevented. But in later times, when, because of the freedom of man's will, only what was written shall bear witness to Me, the Scripture must be pure and well ordered, otherwise it would harm rather than be of any use."

7. Says John, "Lord, You my love. What You have just said is no doubt absolutely true, but would it not because of that be of great benefit if I, exactly like brother Matthew, recorded everything You do and teach?

8. For if in later time men would compare my records with those of Matthew and not find in mine what is recorded in Matthew's, would they not begin to speculate and doubt the authenticity of the whole Gospel and say, "Has there not been one Jesus who taught the same and no doubt did the same? Why did Matthew write this and John that, - things that differ, and yet both are said to have been with Him constantly?'"

9. Say I, "You are quite right, dearest brother, but look, the reason why I allow this to happen is at present still incomprehensible to you. It will become clear later on.

10. What Matthew writes is specially for the benefit of this earth, whereas what you write is aimed at all of eternal infinity. For in everything you write there is veiled the purely divine, working from eternity to eternity through all the already existent creations and also through those that will in future eternities replace the now existing ones. And if you wrote into many thousands of books what I am still going to tell all of you, the world would never be able to comprehend such books which would then also be useless to the world.

11. Whoever will live in accordance with the received teaching and believe in the Son will be reborn in the spirit anyway, and the spirit will guide him into all the depths of eternal truth.

12. Now you know the reason why I do not let you write everything; so do not ask Me any further about it in future. For this must never be made all too clear to the world to prevent it from falling into an even greater judgement than is the ancient, necessary one wherein it is already finding itself.

13. I will arrange My teaching in such a way that by merely reading or hearing the Gospel no one shall get to the bottom of the living truth, but only by acting in accordance with My teaching. Only the action will become a guiding light for everyone."

In jl.ev01.135,02 we find a speech of Matthew the Apostle, just after the calling of him and the other 11 apostles. And there he says: "What of it! I am a Greek and they can’t do much to me." And this is an indication that he is the second Matthew because in jl.ev01.117,07 he also describes himself as an "honest" Greek. So these two passages confirm that the second Matthew was the apostle and not the first one, the writer of the Gospel according to Matthew. The heading of jl.ev01.037 reads: "Berufung des Matthäus als Evangelist und Apostel" (Calling of Matthew as evangelist and apostle) and that is therefore not correct. The English version has this heading: "The calling of Matthew as a Gospeller and disciple." And that way of formulating the heading avoids the incorrect description of the first Matthew as an Apostle, in the original German version. The headings in the German version were most probably not done by Jakob Lorber, but by editors. Jesus seems to avoid the word apostle and speaks of the twelve messengers and of the twelve elected, jl.ev01.134,06. Jesus describes Matthew as the eighth of the twelve, jl.ev01.134,03.

^ jl.ev01.149,01-03

In jl.ev01.149,01 it is recorded that Nathanael for himself recorded a Gospel in the Greek language. I bring this passage as it contains an exellent explanation what the judgment day is, jl.ev01.149,01-03:

1. Nathanael, who so to say made a spokesman among those left behind, since, without being called by Me, he kept a Gospel in the Greek tongue, which he commanded; and this a more comprehensive Gospel than of all those who undertook it, came over to Me in profound dread and said, "Lord! You Almighty! I too received the vision, seeing the most dreadful things, so that even my stylus failed me from fear! I beg You in the fullness of my love for You, Thou eternally holy One, tell me whether this shall in all earnest take place in the beyond once, as I and many just saw it?!"

2. Say I, "Fear not, for you have nothing to fear! He who lives and acts like you shall in the beyond, as also here already, be awakened to life eternal; and everyone's judgment day shall be whenever awakened to life eternal, either here or in the beyond.

3. Let everyone therefore strive towards being awakened here already; because he who is awakened already in the flesh shall neither see, nor feel or taste the death of the flesh and his soul shall not be troubled.

In the Bible Luke is the author of the third Gospel. Now his name appears in Paul’s letter to the Colossians 4:14, "Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you" and that is in Rome; also in 2 Timothy 4,11, "Only Luke is with me." He also wrote the Book of Acts and there we find him mentioned sometimes when the word "we" appears there.

One example of Luke being a companion of Paul is found in Acts 16:11-13, the second missionary trip: "Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis; And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither."

Another is Acts 16:16, "And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying."

Acts 20:6, the third missionary trip, "And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days."

Acts 20:13-15, "And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot. And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene. And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus."

And then again Acts 21:1-17 on the third missionary trip and Acts 27-28, the journey to Rome.

So these were passages from the book of Acts and demonstrate that Luke was present at some events he describes in his work. But it could also be possible that Luke was present when Jesus ministered on earth and that therefore also his first book, the Gospel according to Luke, was at least partly an eyewitness account.

^ jl.ev01.113,10.2

I will now repeat a quite remarkable verse about the last Gospel, the Gospel according to John, from above, where Jesus speaks to John:

10. What Matthew writes is specially for the benefit of this earth, whereas what you write is aimed at all of eternal infinity. For in everything you write there is veiled the purely divine, working from eternity to eternity through all the already existent creations and also through those that will in future eternities replace the now existing ones. And if you wrote into many thousands of books what I am still going to tell all of you, the world would never be able to comprehend such books which would then also be useless to the world.

^ B.D. NR. 389

Now it seems that John is still in the business of providing us with the word of God and I now bring an extract from a message of Bertha Dudde and she is, according to this, the stenographer who takes down the notes John is giving to her. The extract comes from Bertha Dudde’s message "My guide and protector. Control spirit. Pupil – Teacher." 26. April 1938. B.D. NR. 389:

The only task, with which a teacher confronts his pupil, is to be solved to the satisfaction of the divine master teacher, and that is why you are looked after and taught by that spirit power tirelessly, which was assigned to you as leader and protector and which rules with great joy his office . . . . That being, which is constantly around you, which steers your thoughts, is well-disposed towards you . . . . It is the Lord’s most loved servant John . . . . Amen B.D. NR. 389.

So John not only seems to continue his work with providing us with divine knowledge but the material he provides is also again of highest value. It is the material that will be used in the coming one thousand years empire, the material he dictated to Bertha Dudde.

The importance of John as the bringer of God’s word, and that especially for the time near the end of this redemption period and even more so for the time to come, the new redemption period, is emphasised by two facts: first the main work of Jakob Lorber was brought to him as the Great Gospel of John and therefore underlines the high standing of John as that spiritual person, who is most suited to dictate messages from God; and second the fact that the complete work of Bertha Dudde was stenographed as messages coming from John.

^ B.D. NR. 595

Now follows the beginning of a message of Bertha Dudde, which shows that God speaks to Bertha Dudde through his servant Johannes:

God's word.... Spiritual power .... Intellect.... Inventions....
25.9.1938 B.D. NR. 0595
In this consecreted hour the Lord speaks through his servant John with you and announces things to you, which are withdrawn from general knowledge and which are to contribute to having an informing effect. For there are determinded in heaven and on earth such who represent the office of mediator .... who receive from God and give .... and who again impart these gifts to men. Every tool on earth stands under divine protection, so that the words, given from above, are also received and passed on purely. What is spread on earth in this time as messages always remains an incomprehensibel blessing for men.

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