- Part 3 has the (kinda scary) title "The Threshing Floor."
- John finds himself lying on the floor, struck down by God's power. He feels invaded, and hears voices telling him to get up and walk out of the church. John is in complete despair.
- He knows that his family and the others are there, praying for him, but he can't see them.
- John has a vision of his father, preaching to him and hating him. In the dream/vision, his father wants to beat him, and Johnny tries to run off.
- He remembers a day that he saw his dad naked, and wonders if he is cursed as Noah's son was in the Bible for the same sin. He wonders if all black people are cursed for being the descendants of that son.
- John sees his father, leading him down a long road, and an old, ugly black woman comes up to them. His father tells him that he's the Devil's son, and Johnny doesn't care. He tells his father that he hates him, and knows what he does at night and has seen under his robe.
- In the vision still, Gabriel raises his hand to beat Johnny and it comes down with a knife.
- Johnny screams, "Father! Father!" and feels his family and the saints singing above him.
- He feels that he's in a grave, wandering around, and has a vision of his parents and his Aunt Florence, and even Deborah, whom he never met.
- Johnny hears a terrible sound and realizes that it is the sound of rage, and that he's heard it all his life.
- He tries to escape from the darkness and asks for help. He asks God to have mercy on him and hears the others telling him to go through.
- John remembers the day in church when everyone had washed each other's feet, and this time, in his vision, their feet are covered in blood.
- Next he sees a river, and everyone is naked and covered in blood, washing in the water.
- Finally he asks Jesus to take him through and starts crying. He hears Elisha praising God and John finally feels joy. He opens his eyes and it's morning. Everyone is thrilled that John's soul is saved.
- They ask John to speak, but he can't, so they sing.
- As he is congratulated by the group, Johnny begins to feel uneasy, as though his struggle isn't over.
- He gets to his father, who says "Praise the Lord" but doesn't seem like he really is all that happy about Johnny's salvation.
- John cries and Aunt Florence holds him.
- They all go out onto the street and walk in three groups. The ladies talk about what a wonder it is for John to be saved, and Elizabeth acts happy but can't help but remember Richard and the day she met Gabriel.
- Florence and Gabriel walk together, and she tells him that he causes everyone he meets sorrow. She reveals that she knows about Esther, and that she's going to make sure everyone knows that her blood is on Gabriel's hands before she dies.
- John walks back home in the dawn, feeling like a new man.
- He asks Elisha if he was the one who prayed him through, and Elisha says that they all did.
- They talk about how John's road will be hard and full of temptation. John asks Elisha to pray for him. The mood lightens and they talk about how the church service is going to start late today, since they've been up all night.
- Everyone says goodbye, and John's mother tells him to go upstairs. Before he goes into the house, he asks Elisha to remember, no matter what, that on that day he was saved. Elisha kisses him on the forehead.
- John and his father look at each other in the doorway before John goes inside.