{"id":122803,"date":"2023-06-02T15:32:27","date_gmt":"2023-06-02T22:32:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=122803"},"modified":"2023-07-11T16:19:44","modified_gmt":"2023-07-11T23:19:44","slug":"q1058-4-summary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=122803","title":{"rendered":"Q1058-4 Summary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you.<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n

To read the Tape Transcript, click here<\/a>.
\nTo read the Annotated Transcript, click here<\/a>.
\nTo return to the Tape Index, click here<\/a>. Listen to MP3<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FBI Catalogue:<\/b> Jones speaking<\/p>\n

FBI preliminary tape identification note: <\/strong>Labeled in part \u201c10-11-74 #15\u201d<\/p>\n

Date cues on tape:<\/b> Indianapolis, 1959-1960 (Jones refers to himself as 28 years old)<\/p>\n

People named: <\/b><\/p>\n

People in attendance at Peoples Temple service:<\/i><\/p>\n

Jack Beam, associate pastor
\nArchie Ijames, associate pastor
\nMarceline Jones [by reference]
\nBrother Kleinman
\nRussell Winberg, associate pastor<\/div>\n

Public figures\/National and international names:<\/i><\/p>\n

Martin Luther, German Protestant<\/div>\n

Bible verses cited<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

(Editor’s note<\/strong>: The verses below appear in order of biblical reference, not as they appear in Jim Jones\u2019 address. For a complete scriptural index to the sermons of Jim Jones, click here<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere I put my hand, who doesn\u2019t prosper?\u201d [Genesis 39:3, \u201cthe Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.\u201d]<\/p>\n

\u201cSome awful impressive people missed the kingdom, almost. Moses went out of Egypt, left the spell of Egypt, but he smote the rock. My God, it was just on the border that he smote the rock.\u201d [Numbers 20:10-12]<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to be in an atmosphere where man didn\u2019t do that, but where the Spirit made it impossible for a sinner to sit in the congregation of the righteous.\u201d [Psalm 1:5, \u201cTherefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.\u201d]<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, there\u2019s such a famine for the hearing of the word. Not preaching of it, but the hearing of it.\u201d [Amos 8:11, \u201cBehold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:\u201d]<\/p>\n

\u201cRepent, because the [unintelligible words] is in his hands and is separating the chaff from the wheat.\u201d [Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17]<\/p>\n

\u201cRepent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. [Matthew 4:17, \u201cJesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.\u201d]<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ought to go back to that television. It was an effort to turn it off tonight. There your heart is, there will your treasure be also.\u201d [Matthew 6:21, \u201cFor where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.\u201d Also Luke 12:34]<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I want to tell you, straight is the way and narrow is the gate that leadeth to life and through that Jesus Christ \u2026 Repent, because straight is the way, and narrow is the gate that leadeth to life, and few there be that find it.\u201d [Matthew 7:13-14, \u201cEnter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.\u201d]<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s no good. Looking for a reed to be shaken in the wind. That\u2019s not what you need to be looking for.\u201d [Matthew 11:7, \u201cAnd as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?\u201d See also Luke 7:24]<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking for a loaf and a fish.\u201d [Matthew 14:15-19, Matthew 15:33-37, Mark 6:33-44, Luke 9:11-17, John 6:5-13]<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Kingdom is gonna be to those that have faith to face it, for those that\u2019ll be like a little child. It says, except you become as a little child, you will not enter into Kingdom.\u201d [Matthew 18:3, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.\u201d]<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore we can go to the taverns, before we can go to the den of thieves, before we can get the money-changers out of the vice world saved and delivered, the church is gonna have to be delivered.\u201d [Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:44-45]<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to have the charge said to me, Woe unto you, scribes and hypocrites.\u201d [Matthew 23:13-14].<\/p>\n

\u201cRepent, because the sheep are about to be separated from the goats.\u201d [Matthew 25:31-32, \u201cWhen the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats\u201d]<\/p>\n

\u201cBut God is a God that\u2019s at hand!\u201d [numerous references to the kingdom of God at hand, including Mark 1:15, \u201cThe time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.\u201d]<\/p>\n

[Jesus engaged in foot-washing at Luke 7:36-50, John 13:3-17]<\/p>\n

\u201cI about decided to let the dead bury the dead.\u201d [Luke 9:60, \u201cJesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.\u201d See also Matthew 8:22]<\/p>\n

\u201cOur Father in heaven\u2013 Our Father! Which art in heaven.\u201d [Lord\u2019s Prayer, Luke 11:2-4].<\/p>\n

\u201cFor three years I haven\u2019t taken any money for the gospel, and I\u2019m free from all mammon.\u201d [Luke 16:9-13].<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world!\u201d [John 1:9, \u201cThat was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.\u201d]<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said, He that loves me keeps my commandments.\u201d [John 14:15, \u201cIf ye love me, keep my commandments\u201d; see also John 14:21-24, John 15:10, 1 John 5:2-3]<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t know any more today than you knew yesterday, you\u2019re not really filled with the Holy Ghost. Because the Holy Ghost will charge you! The Holy Ghost will teach you! The Holy Ghost will lead you and guide you into all truth!\u201d [John 16:13, \u201cHowbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.\u201d]<\/p>\n

\u201cIf all you know is Acts 2:4 [\u201cAnd they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.\u201d] and Acts 2:38 [\u201c Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.\u201d] and a little message about the Atonement and the resurrection and pie in the sky and gold in the sweet by and by, you don\u2019t know nothing of what\u2019s going on! \u2026 Acts 2:4 is for today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI said they\u2019re accused of being drunk. Are you drunk tonight? Are you reckless tonight?\u2026 you haven\u2019t been drunk for the spirit of God. I hope you get drunk.\u201d [Acts 2:14-17; also Ephesians 5:18, \u201cAnd be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit\u201d]<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019And with many other words did he testify, and he exhorted, saying save yourself from this untoward generation.\u2019 Who? This terrible generation of religion that had a\u2013 actually encompassed the whole earth. Everyone was in the royal order of Sadducees or Pharisees or something. That untoward generation was religioning. There was nothing more mean than religion.\u201d [Acts 2:40]<\/p>\n

\u201cThen they gladly received his word and what\u2013 they that gladly received his word were baptized. And the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.\u201d [Acts 2:41]<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019And they continued steadfastly in the apostle\u2019s doctrines. And they continued steadfastly in the apostle\u2019s doctrine. And fellowship. And in breaking of bread, and in prayer.\u2019 \u2026 He said they were learning, they continued steadfastly in the apostle\u2019s doctrine.\u201d [Acts 2:42]<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019And all that believed were together, and had all things common.\u2019\u201d [Acts 2:44]<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019And they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need\u2019\u2026 God for some time has been putting it upon our hearts to sell what we have and give it to the corporate community of our church\u2026 Our aged home \u2013 the nicest in the state of Indiana \u2013 has been established on a basis from each according to his ability to each according to his need.\u201d [Acts 2:45]<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019And they, continuing daily with one accord in the Temple, and breaking bread from house to house\u2019\u2013 Where did they go? Where did Pentecost fall in the first place? In a holy cathedral? In a shrine of Jewish worship? In a synagogue? No, it fell in a house. God meant to sanctify every natural thing. The first church met in a house. I think some of you\u2019d be better off if we went back to meeting in the house, too.\u201d [Acts 2:46]<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019They continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house. They did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.\u2019 Said they had joy and they had gladness.\u201d [Acts 2:46-47]<\/p>\n

\u201cThey went from house to house breaking bread.\u201d [Acts 20]<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I wanna be in a church where people are not afraid of the altar, not afraid of slobbering a few tears over one another. Not afraid of giving on another a holy kiss.\u201d [Romans 16:16, \u201cSalute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.\u201d Also 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:26]<\/p>\n

\u201cBut brother, sister, you\u2019re not gonna be saved by the signs. You\u2019re gonna be saved by the foolishness of the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.\u201d [1 Corinthians 1:17-27, esp. 1:21, \u201cFor after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.\u201d]<\/p>\n

\u201cOne said [unintelligible word] to another \u2018you have to take her to law. The only way you\u2019re gonna get your money back, take her to law.\u2019 My Bible says \u2018Go not to law.\u2019\u201d [1 Corinthians 6:1-7]<\/p>\n

\u201cThe early church, they used to say \u2018Maranatha! The Lord is at hand!\u2019\u201d [1 Corinthians 16]<\/p>\n

\u201cYou came from your woeful, complaining, gloomy, down-hearted, defeated spirit, saying \u2018I\u2019m about to die,\u2019 that you may not have a dime, you may not have nothing \u2013 like Jesus said, having nothing, yet possessing all things! You have a faith! A faith. A power. You want to know what it is? God is gonna come in.\u201d [2 Corinthians 6]<\/p>\n

\u201cPaul said he spoke with contempt, there wasn\u2019t anything particularly popular about his words. He didn\u2019t have any brilliant passing words of man\u2019s wisdom, he came to them simply in the boldness of the Holy Ghost!\u201d [2 Corinthians 10:8-11]<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you realize that Jesus Christ, the riches of Jesus Christ are unsearchable and inexhaustible, you\u2019ll keep an active learning phase.\u201d [Ephesians 3, esp. 3:8, \u201cUnto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ\u201d]<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no race in God. There\u2019s neither male nor female, bond nor free, Jew nor Greek, Scythian nor barbarian.\u201d [Colossians 3:10-11, \u201cput on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.\u201d]<\/p>\n

\u201cMy God, people, they\u2019ll not endure sound doctrine.\u201d [2 Timothy 4:3, \u201cFor the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears\u201d]<\/p>\n

\u201cI know we\u2019ve been ordained for this hour, to get people back to the faith that was once delivered to the saints.\u201d [Jude 1:3, \u201cBeloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.\u201d]<\/p>\n

\u201cRepent, because the wrath of God is about to be poured out upon us.\u201d [Revelation 16:1, \u201cAnd I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.\u201d]<\/p>\n

Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n

(This tape was transcribed by Kristian Klippenstein. The<\/em> editors gratefully acknowledge his invaluable assistance.)<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll tell you this, though, I\u2019m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ!\u201d Jim Jones says about halfway through this sermon. This is not the Jim Jones of Jonestown 1978, or Jim Jones of San Francisco 1972, but rather Jim Jones in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1959. He is a fiery Christocentric preacher, speaking passionately of the powers of the Holy Ghost, of the might of the Christian God, of the need for faith, belief, obedience, repentance, and salvation for his followers.<\/p>\n

He speaks passionately, not just of the power of prayer, but of the need for prayer, just as the apostles had. \u201cThey broke bread and they had prayer. If you don\u2019t begin by speaking to God in the morning, you\u2019d better not speak to men. You\u2019ll get in trouble all day long.\u201d And it should be a public witness: \u201cIf you can say \u2018Praise the Lord\u2019 in the house of God, then you say \u2018Praise the Lord\u2019 down on the street corner!\u201d<\/p>\n

There are other pieces of Jones that would become unrecognizable. \u201cCommunism has sold itself to the position of the group mind,\u201d he says. But, he adds, the only thing that\u2019s going to counter Communism is an approach that hints at his future: the sharing of all things as the apostles did on the day of Pentecost, as Peoples Temple does every day with its free restaurant and grocery, through its prison ministry. It is communalism \u2013 with a lower case \u201cc\u201d \u2013 that will defeat capital-C Communism.<\/p>\n

Reflecting the tradition from which he has emerged, Jones does speak of his ability to heal \u2013 \u201cIf you need healing, come up here, I\u2019ll get you healed\u201d \u2013 but it is not Jim Jones who does it. \u201cGod\u2019s able to take their burdens away tonight,\u201d he immediately adds. He mentions his healing abilities several times throughout \u2013 including his recognition that if he didn\u2019t heal, people wouldn\u2019t come \u2013 but the tape closes with his prayer, \u201cBy the power of the Holy Spirit bring healing to this life. Father, you see the vacancy, we pray that thou would fill here with your presence and your power, in the name of the Son of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

He does separate himself from other Pentecostal preachers in several ways. Those preachers and their followers cherry-pick their way through the Bible, designating the \u201choly kiss\u201d and foot-washing as customs, and not the law. They are also more interested in lining their own nests than he is, another preview of the Jim Jones to come: \u201cIf you\u2019re wasting God\u2019s money today by putting it in some church that\u2019s just doing a rat race or feeding some preacher, keeping him plush, \u2026 you\u2019re doing a work that is wrong<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the main, though, it is a sermon filled with hope, of invitation, of the power of love. \u201cThis is the greatest hour in the world to be alive. But wouldn\u2019t you like to have the same spirit as that early church? Wouldn\u2019t you like to have the desperate hunger of that early church? \u2026 Do you want what God has for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

FBI Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Date of transcription: 6\/21\/79<\/p>\n

In connection with the Federal Bureau of Investigation\u2019s investigation into the assassination of U.S. Congressman LEO J. RYAN at Port Kaituma, Guyana, South America, on November 18, 1978, a tape recording was obtained. This tape recording was located in Jonestown, Guyana, South America, and was turned over to U.S. Officials in Guyana and subsequently transported to the United States.<\/p>\n

On June 16, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B108-35. This tape was found to contain the following:<\/p>\n

JIM JONES delivering a firey [fiery] sermon on racial fellowship. This recording was made when JONES was 28 years old.<\/p>\n

Differences with FBI Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The summary is accurate and meets the FBI\u2019s purposes.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Tape originally posted\u00a0June 2023.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you. To read the Tape Transcript, click here. To read the Annotated Transcript, click here. To return to the Tape Index, click here. Listen to MP3. FBI Catalogue: Jones speaking FBI preliminary tape identification note: Labeled in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"parent":27996,"menu_order":713,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-122803","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/122803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=122803"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/122803\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":123400,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/122803\/revisions\/123400"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=122803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}