Revised 02/2007
APrayer of Jesus I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise
and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will.

THE GREAT PRINCIPLE

AND
THE PURPOSE OF THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS

(Parallel passages from the gospels, The Faithful New Testament version)

Click here for an explanation of this chart.

TOPICS
MATTHEW
16:21-26
MARK
8:31-36
LUKE
9:21-25
JOHN
12:23-26
INTRODUCTION TO
THE HOUR OF HIS SUFFERING AND DEATH
From then on Jesus began to explain to the disciples that he must depart into Jerusalem and suffer many [things] from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and rise on the third day. And he began to be teaching that: It is necessary [that] the son of man suffer many [things], and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed and after three days to arise. But rebuking them he commanded [them] to be saying this to no one, saying that: The son of man must suffer many [things] and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day rise. 23. So Jesus answers them saying: The hour is come that the son of man be glorified.
PETER'S REBUKE
And Peter taking him aside began to be rebuking him saying: Mercy to you, Lord! This will not be for you! And he was speaking the word plainly. And Peter taking him aside began to be rebuking him. . .
JESUS REBUKES PETER
But Jesus turning said to Peter:


 Withdraw behind me, Satan. You tempt me because you do not think on the [things] of God but of men.
And having turned around and having seen his disciples he rebuked Peter and says: Be getting behind me, Satan, because you do not think on the [things] of God but the [things] of men. .  .
FOLLOWING: THE CONDITION FOR ETERNAL LIFE
Then Jesus said to his disciples:

Whoever wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
And calling upon the crowd with his disciples he said to them: If anyone would come after me, let him renounce himself and take up his cross, and be following me. And he was saying to them:

 If anyone wish to be coming after me, let him renounce
himself and take his cross and be following me.



26 If anyone be serving me, he must be following me, and where I am, there also will be the [one] serving me. If anyone be serving me, the father will honor him.
THE GREAT PRINCIPLE
For whoever wishes to save his psyche-
life will lose  it, and whoever loses his psyche-life because of me will find it.
For whoever would save his psyche-life will lose it, but whoever loses his psyche-life because of me and the gospel will save it. For whoever wishes to save his psyche-life will lose it, but whoever loses his psyche-life because of me will save it. 25 The [one] philia-loving his psyche-life will lose it, and the [one] hating his psyche-life in this world will guard it to zoe-life eternal
THE PROFIT
For how will [a] man be profited if he should gain the whole world and forfeit his own psyche-life? Or what will [a] man give in exchange for his psyche-life For what does it profit [a] man to gain the whole world and forfeit his psyche-life?  For what will [a] man give in exchange for his psyche-life? For what does it profit [a] man having gained the whole world but having lost or forfeited himself? 24 Truly truly I say to you, unless [a] grain of wheat having fallen into the earth die, it remains alone, but if it die, it bears much fruit.
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THE GREAT PRINCIPLE FROM OTHER CONTEXTS

The above parallel texts, in which Jesus explains why he went to the cross, represent only one expression of the Great Principle.  Below are other expressions of the Great Principle that clearly present it as the essential qualification for discipleship.  In Christendom the churchmen have generally ignored these words and have substituted another gospel (that of Paul), one that does not need this principle as the basis of faith.  If Jesus is the Truth, untold millions have trusted and are trusting in a false gospel and cannot inherit eternal life because, as Jesus so plainly stated above, He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  We have his word for it.  Listen to him!


Matthew 10:34-39

34 Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
36 and a man's foes will be those of his own household.
37 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
38 and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

39
He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.

LMark 8:34-37














34 And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them,
If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.











Luke 14:26-27








L

26 If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.








Matthew 16:24-26

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
26 For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?
Mark 8:35-37






For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.

For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?  For what can a man give in return for his life?
Luke 17:33






Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it
.
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