The Jefferson Bible. Percival Everett

he takes the side of Spiritualism; he preaches the efficacy of repentance towards forgiveness of sin; I require counterpoise of good works to redeem it, etc., etc. It is the innocence of His character, the purity and sublimity of His moral precepts, the eloquence of His inculcations, the beauty of the apologues in which He conveys them, that I so much admire; sometimes, indeed, needing indulgence to eastern hyperbolism. My eulogies, too, may be founded on a postulate which all may not be ready to grant. Among the sayings and discourses imputed to Him by His biographers, I find many passages of fine imagination, correct morality, and of the most lovely benevolence; and others, again, of so much ignorance, so much absurdity, so much untruth, charlatanism and imposture, as to pronounce it impossible that such contradictions should have proceeded from the same Being. I separate, therefore, the gold from the dross; restore to Him the former, and leave the latter to the stupidity of some, and roguery of others of His disciples. Of this band of dupes and impostors, Paul was the great Coryphaeus, and first corruptor of the doctrines of Jesus. These palpable interpolations and falsifications of His doctrines, led me to try to sift them apart. I found the work obvious and easy, and that His past composed the most beautiful morsel of morality which has been given to us by man. The syllabus is therefore of His doctrines, not all of mine. I read them as I do those of other ancient and modern moralists, with a mixture of approbation and dissent...

      Thomas Jefferson

       A Table of the Texts from the Evangelists employed in this narrative and of the order of their arrangements.

       [“L.” refers to Luke; “Mt.” to Matthew; “Mk.” to Mark; and “J.” to John.]

      Luke 2.1-7. Joseph & Mary go to Bethlehem, where Jesus is born.

      21. 39. he is circumsized & named & they return to Nazareth.

      40. 42-48. 51. 52. at 12 years of age he accompanies his parents

       to Jerusalem and returns.

      L.3. 1.2.Mk.1.4.Mt.3.4.5.6. John baptises in Jordan.

      Mt.3.13. Jesus is baptised. L.3.23. at 30 years of age.

      J.2.12-16. drives the traders out of the temple.

      J.3.22.Mt.4.12.Mk.6.17-28. he baptises but retires into Galilee on the

       death of John.

      Mk.1.21.22. he teaches in the Synagogue.

      Mt.12.1-5 .9-12.Mk.2.27.Mt.12.14.15. explains the Sabbath.

      L.6.12. call of his disciples.

      Mt.5.1-12 L.6.24.25.26.Mt.5.13-47.L.6.34.35.36.Mt.6.1.-34. 7.1. L.6.38.Mt.7.3-20.12.35.36.37.7.24-29 the Sermon on the Mount.

      Mt.8.1.Mk.6.6.Mt.11.28.29.30. exhorts.

      L.7.36-46. a woman anointeth him.

      Mk.3.31-35.L.12.1-7 .13-15. precepts.

      L.12.16-21. parable of the rich man.

      22-48.54-59.L.13.1-5. precepts.

      L.13.6-9. parable of the fig tree.

      L.11.37-46.52.53.54. precepts.

      Mt.13.1-9.Mk.4.10.Mt.13.18-23. parable of the sower.

      Mk.4.21.22.23. precepts. Mt.13.24-30.36-52. parable of the Tares.

      Mk.4.26-34.L.9.57-62.L.5.27-29.Mk.2.15-17. precepts.

      L.5.36-38. parable of new wine in old bottles.

      Mt.13.53.-57. a prophet hath no honor in his own country.

      Mt.9.36.Mk.6.7.Mt.10.5.6.9-18.23.26-31.Mk.6.12.30. mission, instruction,

       return of apostles.

      J.7.1.Mk.7.1.-5.14-24.Mt.18.1-4.7-9.12-17.21-25. precepts.

      Mt.18.23.-35. parable of the wicked servant.

      L.10.1-8.10-12. mission of the LXX.

      J.7.2-16.19-26.32.43-53. the feast of the tabernacles.

      J.8.1-11. the woman taken in Adultery.

      J.9.1.2.3 to be born blind no proof of sin.

      J.10.1-5.11.-14.16.the good shepherd.

      L.10.25-37. love god & thy neighbor. parable of the Samaritan.

      L.11.1-13. form of prayer.

      L.14.1-6. the Sabbath.

      7-24. the bidden to a feast.

      28-32. precepts.

      L.15.1-32. parables of the lost sheep and Prodigal son.

      L.16.1-15. parable of the unjust steward.

      18-31. parable of Lazarus.

      L.17.1-4.7-10.20.26-36. precepts to be always ready.

      L.18.1-14. parables of the widow & judge, the Pharisee & Publican.

      L.10.38-42.Mt.19.1-26. precepts.

      Mt.20.1-16. parable of the laborers in the vineyard.

      L.19.1-28. Zaccheus, & the parable of the talents.

      Mt.21.1-3.6-8.10.J.12.19-24.Mt.21.17. goes to Jerusalem and Bethany.

      Mk.11.12.15-19. the traders cast out from the temple.

      Mk.11.27.Mt.21.27-31. parable of the two sons.

      Mt.21.33.Mk.12.1-9.Mt.21.45.46. parable of the vineyard & the husbandman.

      Mt.22.1.-14. parable of the king and wedding.

      15-33. tribute. marriage. resurrection.

      Mk.12.28-31.Mt.22.40.Mk.12.32.33. the two commandments.

      Mt.23.1-33. precepts. pride. hypocrisy. swearing.

      Mk.12.41-44. the widow’s mite.

      Mt.24.1.2.16-21.32.33.36-39.40-44. Jerusalem & the day of judgement.

      45-51. the faithful and wise servant.

      Mt.25.1-13. parable of the ten virgins.

      14-30. parable of the talents.

      L.21.34-36.Mt.25.31-46. the day of judgement.

      Mk.14.1-8. a woman anointeth him.

      Mt.26.14-16. Judas undertakes to point out Jesus.

      17-20.L.22.24-27.J.13.2.4-17.21-26.31.34.35.Mt.26.31.33.

      L.22.33-34.Mt.26.35-45. precepts to his disciples. washes their feet. trouble

      of mind and prayer.

      J.18.1-3.Mt.26.48-50. Judas conducts the officers to Jesus.

      J.18.4-8.Mt.26.50-52.55.56.Mk.14.51.52.Mt.26.57.J.18.15.16.18.17.

      J.18.25.26.27.Mt.26.75.J.18.19-23.Mk.14.55-61.L.22.67.68.70.Mk.14.63-65.

      he is arrested & carried before Caiaphas the High priest & is

      condemned.

      J.18.28-31.33-38.L.23.5.Mt.27.13. is then carried to Pilate.

      L.23.6-12. who sends him to Herod.

      L.23.13-16.Mt.27.15-23.26. receives him back, scourges and delivers him

      to execution.

      Mt.27.27.29-31.3-8.L.23.26-32.J.19.17-24.Mt.27.39-43.

      L.23.39-41.34.J.19.25-27.Mt.27.46-55.56. his crucifixion. death and burial.

      J.19.31-34.38-42.Mt.27.60. his burial.

       The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth Extracted Textually from the Gospels