That same evening Jesus sends the disciples ahead across the sea and withdraws to the mountain to pray; the wind rises against them, and in the fourth watch he comes to them walking on the water. “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” Peter ventures out and, seeing the wind, begins to sink (“O thou of little faith”), and when Jesus enters the ship the wind ceases, and they worship him: “Of a truth thou art the Son of God.”
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Note. The Joseph Smith Translation touches Matthew and John only in matters of wording, which are left unmarked. In Mark it makes two small changes: he walked “as if” he would have passed by them, and it is “the people” who knew him when they came out of the ship.
The reading is the Joseph Smith Translation, in the text of the Covenant Christian Edition, carried beside each Gospel and set against the King James baseline. Headers give both numbering systems: the CCE chapter and verse, and the traditional KJV reference.
22And immediately Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship and to go before him unto the other side while he sent the multitudes away. 23And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray; and when the evening came, he was there alone.
24But the ship was now in the middle of the sea, tossed with the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit. And they cried out for fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke unto them, saying, Be of good cheer, it is I. Be not afraid. 28And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it is you, bid me come unto you on the water. 29And he said, Come. And when Peter had come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me! 31And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him, and said unto him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? 32And when they had come into the ship, the wind ceased. 33Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Truly, you are the Son of God.
34And when they had gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. 35And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased, 36and implored him that they might only touch the hem of his garment; and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
45And immediately he constrained his disciples to get into the ship and to go to the other side before him, unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. 46And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.
47And when evening had come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land; 48and he saw them toiling in rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them. And about the fourth watch of the night, he comes unto them, walking upon the sea, and as if he would have passed by them. 49And when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit and cried out, 50for they all saw him and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them and said unto them, Be of good cheer, it is I. Be not afraid. 51And he went up unto them, into the ship, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered — 52for they considered not of the loaves, for their hearts were hardened.
53And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret and drew to the shore. 54And when they had come out of the ship, immediately they the people knew him 55and ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was. 56And wherever he entered, into villages or cities or country, they laid the sick in the streets and implored him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garments. And as many as touched him were made whole.
15When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. 16And when evening had now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, 17and entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. 19So when they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty furlongs, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near unto the ship, and they were afraid. 20But he says unto them, It is I; be not afraid. 21Then they willingly received him into the ship, and immediately the ship was at the land to which they went.
For Barker, mastery over the sea is the Creator’s own signature: in the temple’s creation hymns the LORD stilled the chaos-waters and set bounds for the proud waves. The disciples, watching Jesus walk upon and quiet the sea, are watching the work of the Maker.
He… marked out the circle on the waters between light and darkness. Then he stilled the sea and smote Rahab the sea monster, and in poetic parallel, he made the heavens fair with his spirit and pierced the serpent (Job 26.12–13)… The Creator then set bounds for the proud waves of the sea (Job 38.8–11).
Quoted from a scanned printing: spacing errors from the scan have been corrected, and the wording is unchanged.