PREFACE BY TOLSTOYTHIS short exposition of the Gospel is a summary of a large work which exists inmanuscript and cannot be published in Russia.That work consists of four parts:1. An account (Confession) of the course of my own life and of the thoughtswhich led me to the conviction that the Christian teaching contains the truth.2. An examination of the Christian teaching: first according to itsinterpretation by the Orthodox Russo-Greek Church, then according to itsinterpretation by the Church in general-by the Apostles, the Councils, the so-called Fathers of the Church-and an exposure of what is false in thoseinterpretations.3. An examination of Christian teaching not according to thoseinterpretations but solely according to what has come down to us of Christ'steaching, as ascribed to him in the Gospels.4. An exposition of the real meaning of Christ's teaching, the reasons why ithas been perverted, and, the consequences to which it should lead.From the third of those parts the present account as been compiled.The harmonization of the four Gospels has been in accord with the sense of theteaching. In making it I hardly had to digress from the order in it is set downin the Gospels, so that there are not more but fewer transpositions of theverses than in most of the concordances known to me, or than in Grechulevich'sarrangement of the Four Gospels. In my treatment of the Gospel of John there areno transpositions, but everything follows the order of the original.The division of the Gospel into twelve chapters (or six if each two be united)came about of itself from the sense of the teaching. This is the meaning of those chapters:1. Man is the son of an infinite source: a son of that Father not by the fleshbut by the spirit.2. Therefore man should serve that source in spirit.3. The life of all men has a divine origin. It alone is holy.4. Therefore man should serve that source in the life of all men. Such is thewill of the Father.5. The service of the will of that Father of life gives life.6. Therefore the gratification of one's own will is not necessary for life.7. Temporal life is food for the true life.8. Therefore the true life is independent of time: it is in the present.9. Time is an illusion of life; life in the past and in the future conceals frommen the true life of the present.10. Therefore man should strive to destroy the illusion of the temporal life of the past and future.11. True life is life in the present, common to all men and manifesting itself in love.
Leave a Comment