By Melody Mason
Thomas Jefferson, the author of the American Declaration of Independence, claimed to be a follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ. The problem was, he didn’t always like what he read in those teachings. He also “didn’t always agree with how the Bible was interpreted by Biblical sources, including the writers of the four Gospels, whom he considered to be untrustworthy correspondents. So Jefferson created his own gospel by taking a sharp instrument, perhaps a penknife, to existing copies of the New Testament and pasting up his own account of Christ’s philosophy.” In essence, he created his own Bible!
Jefferson elected to not include miraculous events, such as the feeding of the multitudes with only two fish and five loaves of barley bread, or anything that he perceived as “contrary to reason.” His idiosyncratic gospel concludes with Christ’s entombment but omits His resurrection.
The Jefferson Bible
Last Generation is a magazine for people seeking spiritual answers to the current issues of our times.
Your subscription will give you:
*Digital-only subscriptions also available
“How Thomas Jefferson Created His Own Bible,” Smithsonian Magazine, smithsonianmag.com, Jan. 2012.
Ellen G. White, Education (Pacific Press, 1903), p. 260.
© Shutterstock.com
Melody Mason is author of the books Daring to Ask for More and Daring to Live by Every Word. She travels around the world inspiring thousands through revival and reformation initiatives and prayer conferences. Her heartfelt messages have always been “less talk, more prayer” and “more time in God’s Word.”