Publisher's Synopsis
The Chronicle of the Life and Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth harmonizes with the Gospels as presented in the Bible. These biblical records have been sufficient to change the course of history on our planet for almost two thousand years. However, there are many gaps in the Gospel narratives. As a result, speculations of various kinds about what may have taken place during the so-called "lost years of Jesus" have been published in numerous books and articles. The authors of this Chronicle examined the plausibility of many of these supplementary sources. Only one, in our judgment, contains wholesome and credible substance about these "lost years" that is in congruence with the known Gospels. That source is The Urantia Book. Nearly 800 of the 2097 pages in The Urantia Book are devoted to the life and teachings of Jesus as derived from diverse sources. The authors of The Urantia Book state that they served more as "collectors and editors" rather than as original narrators of this restatement of Jesus' life on earth.* We have no way of verifying the accuracy of this material, and some may object to any attempt to embellish the available historic record in the Gospels. Even so, the Apostle John cautions us that the Gospel record is far from complete: "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." [John 21:25] Surely then, if there is any chance that more of the precious words of Jesus have been recorded, should we not at least investigate this possibility with an open mind? However, whether the reader considers our treatment of the "lost years" as entertaining fiction or as credible history, we trust you will find these episodes in the Chronicle engaging and instructive. We have only scratched the surface of the story of the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as portrayed in The Urantia Book. Although, as we have stated, the Chronicle is consistent with the essential historic narration of the New Testament, The Urantia Book goes further. And its message is urgent, stating that "Of all human knowledge, that which is of greatest value is to know the religious life of Jesus and how he lived it." If our modest presentation resonates with the reader, we urge you to investigate the source material we used: The Urantia Book. There you will find an abundance of information that we believe is of revelatory magnitude. Our hope is that a new generation of believers will be inspired to follow the Master's example of love and service. Larry Mullins Joan Batson Mullins *We feel we have also served more as "collectors and editors" rather than as original creators of the text of this Chronicle, especially regarding the words of Jesus as presented in The Urantia Book. It is our opinion that the original presentation by the authors of these words of Jesus in the English language should be respected. Therefore we have edited only for the understanding or comfort of modern readers.
