December 5, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Jesus.
I was with you tonight and heard the speaker's discourse on the "Drama of St. Paul."
Well, it was very interesting and in some places impressive and should produce a great effect upon the hearers. Many things that the speaker recited were true and occurred substantially as he related them, but some were not matters of actual occurrence, and Paul never had all the experiences that he spoke of. But these were of minor importance and did not affect the truth of the narrative as a whole.
Of course, the whole discourse was taken from the Bible, and as I have told you before, there are many things in the Bible which are not true. His description of Paul's experience on the way to Damascus is partly true and partly not.
Well, I spoke to him, and when he was felled to the ground by the brightness of the great light that shone about him, Paul heard what I said and answered me, and went into the town; but he was not blind, nor did the prophet Ananias do anything to him in the way of curing any physical blindness; he only helped to open the spiritual blindness of Paul and show him the way to the Father's Love and Kingdom.
Paul, as you know, was a very learned man among the Jews and was a strict believer and follower of the Pharisees' doctrines; but as to knowing anything about the Divine Love, he had never experienced it, nor even did not know what it was intellectually. My summons to him was not only for the purpose of stopping the persecution of my people, but for the further purpose of enlisting him in my cause, as not many of my followers were educated or learned men, and I realized that my doctrines and truths must be preached among not only the learned Jews, but also among the gentile philosophers; and as the first requisite in such cases is to hold and, in a way, convince the intellect, I saw that I must have a disciple who would have the mental qualifications to present to these learned men, in a convincing way, my truths and be able to withstand the logic and reasoning of these gentile philosophers.
John was filled with Love, and wherever he could come in close communion with the common people, he could, by the great power and influence of that Love, persuade these people to embrace and receive my truths and, as a consequence, feel the inflowing of the Holy Spirit.
But Paul had not this Love to that degree as to be enabled by virtue of its power or influence to convince and compel his hearers to receive my truths and embrace that faith in my teachings as would cause them to seek the Love of the Father; and, hence, his mission was the more intended to be the teachings of my truths to the intellect and mental perceptions of a large number of persons of greater intellectual development than those with whom John and the other disciples would come in contact.
Of course, Paul acquired this Love to a very large degree, but not sufficiently to prevent him at times in his early ministry from doubting my calling him to do this work; and, as he has told you, this doubt was the "besetting sin," or "thorn in the flesh," from which he suffered. Had he had the fullness of the Love that John and some of the others had, he would never have had the doubts of which he speaks.
But, nevertheless, he became a wonderful power in spreading my truths and in convincing men that the Love of the Father was the one great possession to be obtained, and in causing them to believe in me as the son of the Father, and His messenger to declare to the world the great plan of man's salvation.
Paul finally became a man filled with this Love as far as his nature was capable of receiving it, and in his gospel will be found wonderful exhortations to his hearers to seek for it. But he was not the disciple of Love, but rather of the intellectual parts of my truths; and when he taught, his teachings were intended to appeal more to the mental perceptions than to the soul perceptions.
He never taught that I was God, nor did he believe that I was, and whenever it is set forth that he did say, or rather, what the Bible says on that subject is interpreted to mean that I am God, that interpretation is erroneous.
I will not write more on Paul tonight, but will tell you of some things of more importance to mankind.
I am now working as I did on earth, though in a little different way, to show men the way to God's Love and eternal life, and to assure them that the Great Divine Love of the Father is waiting for them to have it flow into their souls and make them at-one with Him.
Men are now in a condition that causes them to long for this great Love, and the peace and happiness which it brings, without knowing really what it is that they desire; and when my truths are placed before them, and they are told of the wonderful blessings that may be theirs by merely seeking for it in earnest and honest prayer, they will turn their thoughts and longings to God and His Love, and find the happiness and peace which they so much realize the want of.
I have many things to write you, and hope that we may soon have the rapport that will enable me to do so.
Well, I see how you feel, and I am so glad that you do; and I must tell you that the Father's Love is working in your soul, and will result in your becoming my true and earnest disciple. I will be with you in all my power and influence, so that nothing will prevent the doing of the great work which I have selected you to do. You must pray to the Father for His Love, and for faith, and they will come to you; for such prayers the Father desires to answer and grant.
And besides, as I pray to Him, and all my followers pray, we will ask the Father to give you this Great Love and faith and power to do the work, and to sustain you through all the years that may be yours on earth; for the work must be done.
You have written long tonight and I think it best that I stop. But before doing so let me say again, that you are the special object of my care and love, and I will be with you in all your worries and conflicts, and will help you to overcome them all, and to get in that position that will give you the freedom that is so desirous.
With all my love and blessings, and the love and blessings of the Father, I will say good night.
Your brother and friend,
Jesus
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