Notes from ‘The Gospel in Brief’

Leo Tolstoy’s ‘The Gospel in Brief’ is a fascinating read. I don’t usually rely on Amazon book descriptions to tell the story for me, but this one in particular is quite apt:

Written in 1883, ‘The Gospel in brief’ is Tolstoy’s harmonization of the four Christian gospels into one. So now we have Matthew, Mark, Luke, John — and Tolstoy. It is, he says, ‘an examination of Christian teaching not according to the church’s interpretations, but solely according to what has come down to us of Christ’s teaching, as ascribed to him in the gospels.’ That which Tolstoy retains from the originals, and that which he leaves out, tells us much about what he regards as essential Christianity. So here we find Tolstoy not concerned with events, but with the teaching; for it is the teaching that gives meaning to life. In his version, there is no place for the famous birth story; the healing miracles or Christ’s resurrection. In Tolstoy’s view, these were put there to persuade people of Christ’s divinity, and are therefore superfluous. We should not be focusing on Christ the Son of God, but on Christ the teacher; and to this end, Tolstoy always refers to Jesus’ disciples as ‘pupils’. He also never misses a chance to place the Orthodox Church firmly with Christ’s opponents. He calls the Scribes ‘Orthodox professors’ and refers to the teachers of the law, simply as ‘Orthodox.’

Tolstoy delivers a list of what he sees as the major tenants of Jesus’ teaching:

I. Do not be angry, but be at peace with all men. II. Do not seek delight in sexual gratification. III. Do not swear anything to any one. IV. Do not oppose evil, do not judge, and do not go to law. V. Do not make any distinction among men as to nationality, and love strangers like your own people.
All these commandments are contained in this one: All that you wish people should do for you, do you even so to them.
Fulfill my teaching not for men’s praise. If you do it for men, then from men you have your reward. But if not for men, then your reward is from the Heavenly Father. So that, if you do good to men, do not boast about it before men. Thus hypocrites do, that men may speak well of them. And they get what they wish. But if you do good to men, do it so that no one may see it so that your left hand may not know what your right hand is doing. And your Father will see this, and give you what you need.

…directly followed what I find to be an incredibly compelling version of the Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father, without beginning and without end, like heaven!
May Thy being only be holy.
May power be only Thine, so that Thy will be done, without beginning and without end, on earth.
Give me food of life in the present.
Smooth out my former mistakes, and wipe them away; even as I so do with all the mistakes of my brothers, that I may not fall into temptation, and may be saved from evil.

…and a translation of Matthew 7’s “Ask and it shall be given” passage which puts a particular emphasis on the difference between a father in this world and Father, God:

Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you. Is there a father who would give is son a stone instead of bread, or a snake instead of fish? When, how is it what we, wicked men, are able to give our children that which they need, while your Father in heaven shall not give you that which you truly need, if you ask Him? Ask, and the Heavenly Father will give the life of the spirit to those who ask Him.

The Gospel in Brief gives us a fascinating look at scripture through the eyes of a certain man, from a certain period — but somehow the work is timeless in its own right. A beautiful, if skewed, look at the life of Jesus.