– Second Edition – THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SPIRITISM THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SPIRITISM with THE EXPLANATION OF THE MORAL MAXIMS OF CHRIST IN CONCORDANCE WITH SPIRITISM AND THEIR APPLICATIONS TO THE DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES OF LIFE by Allan Kardec UNSHAKABLE FAITH IS ONLY THE KIND THAT CAN STAND FACE TO FACE WITH REASON IN ALL HUMAN EPOCHS. Translated by Darrel W. Kimble and Ily Reis Copyright © 2008 by INTERNATIONAL SPIRITIST COUNCIL SGAN Q. 909 – Conjunto F 70790-090 – Brasilia (DF) – Brazil All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private use without prior written permission of the publisher ISBN 978-85-98161-70-9 Original French: L’ÉVANGILE SELON LE SPIRITISME (Paris, 1864) Translated by Darrel W. Kimble and Ily Reis Cover design by: Luciano Carneiro Holanda Layout: Rones José Silvano de Lima INTERNATIONAL SPIRITIST COUNCIL SGAN Q. 909 – Conjunto F 70790-090 – Brasilia (DF) – Brazil www.edicei.com [email protected] +55 61 3038-8400 Sales: + 55 61 3038-8425 Second Edition 10/2011 INTERNATIONAL DATA FOR CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION (ICP) K27g Kardec, Allan, 1804-1869. The Gospel according to Spiritism: with the explanation of the moral maxims of Christ in concordance with Spiritism and their applications to the different circumstances of life / by Allan Kardec; [translated by Darrel W. Kimble and Ily Reis]. – Brasilia, DF (Brazil): International Spiritist Council, 2011. 466 p. ; 21 cm Translated from: L’Évangile selon le Spiritisme ISBN 978-85-98161-70-9 1. Jesus Christ – Spiritist Interpretations. 2. Spiritism. I. International Spiritist Council. II. Title. CDD: 133.9 CDU: 133.7 Contents Preface ...................................................................................15 Introduction ...........................................................................17 I – The Objective of this Work ...................................................17 II – The Authority of the Spiritist Doctrine. Universal Test of the Spirits’ Teachings ..................................................................20 III – Historical Facts ..................................................................29 IV – Socrates and Plato: Precursors of the Christian Idea and Spiritism ....................................................................................35 Chapter I – I have not come to destroy the law ......................47 The Three Revelations: Moses; Christ; Spiritism (1-7) ...............48 The Alliance between Science and Religion (8) ..........................51 The Spirits’ Teachings The New Era (9-11) ..............................................................53 Chapter II – My kingdom is not of this world .......................59 The Future Life (1-3) .................................................................59 The Kingship of Jesus (4) ...........................................................61 The Point of View (5-7) .............................................................62 The Spirits’ Teachings An Earthly Kingship (8) .........................................................65 Chapter III – There are many dwellings in my Father’s house .............................................................67 The Different States of the Soul in the Errant State (1 and 2) ....68 The Different Categories of Inhabited Worlds (3-5) ...................68 Earth’s Destiny. The Cause of Earthly Miseries (6 and 7) ...........70 The Spirits’ Teachings Highly Evolved and Less Evolved Worlds (8-12) .......................71 Worlds of Trial and Expiation (13-15) ....................................74 5 Regenerative Worlds (16-18) ...................................................75 The Progression of Worlds (19) ................................................77 Chapter IV – No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again ......................................................................79 Resurrection and Reincarnation (1-17) ......................................80 Family Ties Strengthened by Reincarnation, but Severed by a Single Existence (18-23) .............................................................86 The Spirits’ Teachings The Limits on Incarnation (24) ..............................................90 Need for Incarnation (25 and 26) ...........................................91 Chapter V – Blessed are the afflicted ......................................95 The Justice of Afflictions (1-3) ...................................................95 Current Causes of Afflictions (4 and 5) ......................................96 Prior Causes of Afflictions (6-10) ...............................................99 Forgetfulness of the Past (11) ...................................................103 Reasons for Resigning Oneself (12 and 13) ..............................104 Suicide and Insanity (14-17) ....................................................106 The Spirits’ Teachings To Suffer Well or Badly (18) ..................................................109 Evil and Its Remedy (19) ......................................................110 Happiness Is Not of This World (20) ......................................112 The Loss of Loved Ones; Premature Deaths (21) .....................114 If He Had Been a Good Man, He Would Have Died (22) ......115 Voluntary Suffering (23) .......................................................116 True Misfortune (24) ............................................................118 Melancholy (25) ...................................................................119 Voluntary Trials. True Sackcloth (26) ....................................120 Should We Put an End to Our Neighbor’s Trials? (27) ............122 Is It Permissible to Shorten the Life of a Patient Who Is Suffering With no Hope of a Cure? (28) .................................124 Sacrificing One’s Own Life (30) ............................................125 Making One’s Own Suffering Profitable for Others (31)..........126 Chapter VI – The Consoling Christ .....................................127 The Easy Yoke (1 and 2) ..........................................................127 The Promised Consoler (3 and 4) ............................................128 6 The Spirits’ Teachings The Coming of the Spirit of Truth (5-8) ................................129 Chapter VII – Blessed are the poor in spirit .........................133 What Should Be Understood by ‘Poor in spirit’ (1 and 2) ........133 Whoever Exalts Himself Shall Be Humbled (3-6) ....................135 Mysteries Hidden from the Learned and Wise (7-10) ...............137 The Spirits’ Teachings Pride and Humility (11 and 12) ...........................................139 The Mission of the Intelligent Person on the Earth (13) ..........145 Chapter VIII – Blessed are the pure of heart ........................147 Let the Children Come to Me (1-4) .........................................147 Sinning in Thought; Adultery (5-7) .........................................149 True Purity. Unclean Hands (8-10) ..........................................150 Scandals. If your hand is a cause for scandal, cut it off (11-17) ... 153 The Spirits’ Teachings Let the children come to me (18 and 19) ...............................155 Blessed Are They Whose Eyes Are Closed (20 and 21) ..............157 Chapter IX – Blessed are the meek and peace-loving ............161 Insults and Violence (1-5) ........................................................161 The Spirits’ Teachings Affability and Meekness (6) ...................................................163 Patience (7) .........................................................................164 Obedience and Resignation (8) ..............................................164 Anger (9 and 10) .................................................................165 Chapter X – Blessed are the merciful ....................................169 Forgive so that God Will Forgive You (1-4) ..............................169 Reconciliation with One’s Adversaries (5 and 6) .......................171 The Sacrifice Most Pleasing to God (7 and 8) ..........................172 The Speck and the Plank in One’s Eye (9 and 10) ....................173 Do not judge so that you yourself might not be judged; Let him who is without sin cast the first stone (11-13) ...................174 The Spirits’ Teachings Forgiveness of Offenses (14 and 15) .......................................175 Indulgence (16-18) ...............................................................178 7 Chapter XI – Loving One’s Neighbor as Oneself ..................185 The Greatest Commandment (1-4) ..........................................185 Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s (5-7) ................................187 The Spirits’ Teachings The Law of Love (8-10) .......................................................188 Selfishness (11 and 12) .........................................................193 Faith and Charity (13) .........................................................195 Charity toward Criminals (14) .............................................196 Should One Risk One’s Own Life for a Criminal? (15) ...........198 Chapter XII – Love your enemies .........................................199 Render good for evil (1-3) ........................................................199 Discarnate Enemies (4) ............................................................202