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Books Quote by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

“Go and tell," I whispered to him. There was little voice left in me, but I whispered it firmly. Then I took the Gospel from the table, the Russian translation, and showed him John, chapter 12, verse 24: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it…” quote by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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““Go and tell," I whispered to him. There was little voice left in me, but I whispered it firmly. Then I took the Gospel from the table, the Russian translation, and showed him John, chapter 12, verse 24: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." I had read this verse just before he came. He read it. "True," he said, and smiled bitterly. "Yes, in these books," he said, after a pause, one finds all sorts of terrible things. It is easy to shove them under someone's nose. Who wrote them, were they human beings?" "The Holy Spirit wrote them," I said. "Its easy for you to babble," he smiled again, but this time almost hatefully. I again took the book, opened it to a different place, and showed him the Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 31. He read: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." He read it and threw the book aside. He even began trembling all over. "A fearful verse," he said. "You picked a good one, I must say.””

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

About This Quote

Source Novel: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, 1880

The passage shows how scripture can provoke fear and awe, revealing the tension between divine authority and human interpretation.

In simple terms: Scripture can inspire both fear and contemplation.

Key Takeaway

Consider the impact of sacred texts on belief.

Themes

faith interpretation authority fear spiritual struggle

Mood

intense thoughtful conflicted

Type

literary theological

When to use this quote

  • personal crisis
  • religious debate
  • reading sacred texts
  • ethical questioning

Key Concepts

Existentialism theology

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does this verse reveal about power in religion?
  • How do you reconcile fear and love in spiritual practice?
A Different Perspective

Faith may be weaponized to control or intimidate.

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