184 Crucifixion or Cruci-fiction?THIS PAGE IS REPRODUCED FROM THE R.S.V. 1952
JOHN 7 96
mus, who had gone to him before, and
who was one of them, said to them,
M “ Does our law jjdge a man without
first giving him a hearing and learning
what he does?” 52 They replied, “ Are
you from Galilee too? Search and you
will see that no pr phet is to rise from
Galilee.” '8
'-Again Jesus spoke to them, say
ing, “ I am the light of the world; he
who follows me wdl not walk in dark
ness, but will have the light of life.”
The Pharisees then said to him, “ You
are bearing witness to yourself; your
testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus an
swered, “ Even if 1 do bear witness to
myself, my testimony is true, for I know
whence I have come and whither I am
going, but you do not know whence I
come or whither I am going. 15 You“ Truth will make you free*'
of this world. 24 I told you that you
would die in your sins, for you will die
in your sins unless you believe that I
am he.” 25 They said to him, “ Who are
you?” Jesus said to them, “ Even what I
have told you from the beginning.< 2<> I
have much to say about you and much
to judge; but he wrho sent me is true,
and I declare to the world what I have
heard from him.” 21 They did not un
derstand that he spoke to them of the
Father. 2S So Jesus said, “ When you
have lifted up the Son of man, then you
will know that I am he, and that I do
nothing on my own authority but speak
thus as the Father taught me. 29And he
who sent me is with m e; he has not left
me alone, for I always do what is pleas
ing to him.” 10As he spoke thus, many
believed in him.THIS IS A FOOTNOTE, REPRODUCED AS IS FROM THE BIBLE.According to the Gospel writers, the Jews and the Romans
managed to have Jesus on the cross by the 6th hour, that is by
12 noon; and by the 9th hour1, that is, by 3 o’ clock he had
given up the ghost — he had died (?). Strange people, these
Jews! As much as they were in a hurry to mount Jesus on the
cross, no sooner had they succeeded, they were once more
agitated to bring him down. Can you imagine why? Their
religious scruples — the Sabbath! They were warned in the “fifth
Book of Moses”:
“ His body (any crucified person)
shall not remain all night upon the tree,
but thou shalt in any wise
bury him that day,
(for he that is hanged is accursed o f Cod),
that thy land be not defiled,
- Matthew 27:46.