September 17, 1916
Received by:James Padgett.
Washington D.C.
I am here, St. John, Apostle of Jesus.
I want to say only a few words in reference to what the man said to you about my gospel or rather the gospel attributed to me.His reference to the opening words of the Gospel that "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, etc.," is without any force, to prove that Jesus is God, or one of the Godhead, for it was never written by me or at my dictation, and does not state a truth.
The Word in the sense referred to in that Gospel can mean only God, for He, and He alone, was in the beginning and made everything that was made. As we have often told you, Jesus was the son of a father and mother the same as you are son of your father and mother, and was not begotten by the Holy Ghost in the sense ascribed to his birth in the account thereof.
He was born of the Holy Spirit as his soul opened up to the inflowing of the Divine Love and was the first of mankind to receive this Divine Love and the Father's Essence of Divinity and hence was the first fruits of the rebestowal of this Love, and, as a consequence, was the first fitted to declare the truths of the Father and show the way. As his soul became filled with this Love and he grew in wisdom and knowledge of the truths of the Father, it may be said that he was sent by the Father to declare the truths and explain the way to the Celestial Heavens and the at-onement with the Father.
Undoubtedly this Love commenced to flow into his soul soon after his birth, because he was selected to declare the truths of the rebestowal of the Divine Love, and the knowledge of that mission came to him as he grew in love and wisdom - hence, he was without sin, though apparently only a boy - natural as other boys - in his human instincts and feelings. But he was the son of man - Joseph and Mary - and also a son of God, as all men are, with the addition that he was an heir to the Celestial Kingdom.
He was not God, and even up to this time has never seen God, as the orthodox believe, and as Moses and some of the Old Bible characters are said to have seen God. But with his soul perceptions he has seen God, and so have many others of us who are inhabitants of the Celestial Heavens, and that sight is just as real to us as is the sight to you of any of your fellow mortals. It is impossible to explain this to you so that you may fully comprehend its meaning, but this seeing God by our soul perceptions is a thing of reality, and brings with it increased happiness and knowledge of immortality. Jesus is not God, but he is the most highly developed spirit in all the heavens and is nearest to God in love and knowledge of truth.
So, I say, the Word is God and Jesus is His son, and you may become His son in the same sense, as an heir to the Divine Essence of the Father, and an angel of His Kingdom. As Jesus has written you, all men are His sons, but with a different inheritance, yet one that is provided by the Father.
Let not these doctrines of the teachers of what are called Bible truths trouble you, and listen and believe only what may be written you by us. I will not write more to-night as it is late, and in closing will say that you have our love and prayers. I am
Your brother in Christ,
John.