When we went forth from the chamber, Gorgias said, “What meaneth the Prophet? Doth he say that whosoever is rich, he shall be made richer? And whosoever is poor, shall he also be made poorer?” Hereat we all smiled; for we knew that our Master spake not of money, but of wisdom: and one made answer to Gorgias to this effect. Then said Judas, “But if Jesus mean wisdom, then how sayeth he ‘With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you?’” But Jonathan the son of Ezra replied, “Is not this even according to the saying of the Wise, ‘Man is born to learn in order to teach?’ And again, ‘He that learneth the Law and doth not teach it, he it is that despiseth the Name of the Lord.’ Therefore the meaning of Jesus is, that if a man teach others what he hath learned, the angels give into his bosom a hundredfold reward.” To this Nathanael agreed, and he added, “The reward is not as a price that is paid, so many shekels for so much teaching; but it is even as the rain cometh from the cloud, or as heat cometh from the fire. Even so doth wisdom come from teaching. For wisdom is not as a dead block that wasteth with the using, but as a living thing that groweth with exercise. But most of all is this true of that kind of wisdom whereof our Master speaketh.”
Then Judas said, “But I would to God that our Master would leave off to speak of wisdom and would do somewhat.” And Gorgias said Amen to that. But Simon Peter replied: “It is said, ‘Take to thyself a master, and be quit of doubt.’ Now my Master is Jesus of Nazareth, and I purpose not to spend the time in doubting, nor to halt between many opinions. For the man that is given to much doubting, to what is he like? He is like unto a ship with many pilots, which attaineth not to the harbour. Therefore have I settled my mind to believe that whatsoever Jesus doeth, that is righteousness, and whatsoever he purposeth, that is wisdom.”
To this we agreed, and no more was said. Howbeit many of us could not so far constrain ourselves, but we had some searchings of heart; and passing clouds of trouble sometimes crossed our souls for that the Pharisees were set against us, and because Jesus himself had that day seemed like unto one bearing a burden of the Lord. Notwithstanding on the morrow, when we looked upon his countenance, full of brightness and cheerfulness, and when we heard him speak, after his wont, of the greatness and the glory of the Kingdom that was to come, behold, all our dark thoughts had immediately vanished away.