Pistis Sophia

Martha interpreteth the words of Sophia from Psalm vii. Jesus bringeth Sophia again to the thirteenth SBon. " ' 13. If ye turn not, he will whet his sword ; he hath bent his bow and made it ready. 14. And he hath made ready for him instruments of death ; he hath made his arrows for those who will be burnt up. 15. Behold, injustice hath been in labour, hath conceived wrong and brought forth iniquity. '* ' 16. It hath digged a pit and hollowed it out. It will fall into the hole which it hath made. - '' ' 17. Its wrong will return on its own head, and its injustice will come down on its pate.' " When Martha had said this, the First Mystery which looketh without, said unto her : '' Well said, finely, Martha, blessed [one]." It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished telling his disciples all the adventures which had befallen Pistis Sophia when she was in the chaos, and the way | she had sung praises to the Light, that it should save her and lead her out of the chaos, and lead her into the twelve seons, and also the way it had saved her out of all her afflictions with which the rulers of the chaos had constrained her, because she longed to go to the Light, that Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples : ''It came to pass then after all this, that I took Pistis Sophia and led her into the thirteenth seon, shining most exceedingly, there being no measure for the light which was about me. I entered into the region of the four-and-twenty invisibles, shining most exceedingly. And they fell into great commotion ; they looked and saw Sophia, who was with me. Her they knew, but me they knew not, who I was, but held me for some sort of emanation of the Light-land.

'' It came to pass then, when Pistis Sophia saw her fellows, the invisibles, that she rejoiced ixi great joy and exulted exceedingly and desired to proclaim the wonders which I had wrought on her below in the earth of mankind, until I saved her. She came into the midst of the | in- 177. visibles, and in their midst sang praises unto me, saying : *' * 1. I will give thanks unto thee, 0 Light, for Sophia thou art a saviour; thou art a deliverer for all time. p^^Ls of ^ '"2. I will utter this song to the Light, for it herf'ew'' hath saved me and saved me out of the hand of invisibles, the rulers, my foes. " * 3. And thou hast preserved me in all the regions, thou hast saved me out of the height and the depth of the chaos and out of the aeons of the rulers of the sphere. " ' 4. And when I was come out of the Height, I wandered round in regions in which is no light, and I could not return to the thirteenth aeon, my dwelling-place. ** ' 5. For there was no hght in me nor power. My power was utterly weakened (?).

*' ' 6. And the Light saved me in all my afflictions. I sang praises unto the Light, and it hearkened unto me, when I was constrained. " ' 7. It guided me in the creation of the aeons to lead me up into the thirteenth aeon, my dwelling-place. *' * 8. I will give thanks unto thee, 0 Light, that thou hast saved me, and for thy wondrous works unto the race of men. *' ' 9. When I failed of my power, thou hast given me power ; and when I failed of my light, thou didst fill me with purified light. *' ' 10. I was in the darkness and in the shadow of the chaos, bound with the mighty fetters of the chaos, and no Hght was in me. ** * 11. For I have provoked the commandment of the Light and have transgressed, and I have made wroth the commandment of the Light, because I had gone out of my region. 178. *' ' 12. And when I | had gone down, I failed of my Hght and became without Hght, and no one had helped me. *' * 13. And in my affliction I sang praises unto the Light, and it saved me out of my afflictions.

'* * 14. And it hath also broken asunder ah my bonds and led me up out of the darkness and the affliction of the chaos. '' * 15. I win give thanks unto thee, 0 Light, that thou hast saved me and that thy wondrous works have been wrought in the race of men. ** * 16. And thou hast shattered the upper gates of the darkness and the mighty bolts of the chaos. *' * 17. And thou didst let me depart out of the region in which I had transgressed, and my light was taken, because I have transgressed. *' ' 18. And I ceased from my mysteries and went down to the gates of the chaos. '* * 19. And when I was constrained, I sang praises to the Light. It saved me out of all my afflictions. *' * 20. Thou sentest thy stream ; it gave me power and saved me out of all my afflictions. ** * 21. I will give thanks unto thee, 0 Light, that thou hast saved me, and for thy wondrous works in the race of men.' *' This then is the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered in the midst of the four-and-twenty invisibles, desiring that they should know all the wondrous works which I had done for her, and desiring that they should know that I have gone to the world of men and have given them the mysteries of the Height. Now, therefore, who is exalted in his thought, let him come forward and say the solution of the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

It came to pass then, when Jesus | had finished chap. 82, saying these words, that Philip came forward and 179. said : " Jesus, my Lord, my thought is exalted, and I have understood the solution of the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered. The prophet David hath prophesied concerning it aforetime in the one-hundred-and-sixth Psalm, saying : '' ' 1. Give ye thanks unto the Lord, for he isPhUipin- ^ p 1 ' • , 1 terpreteth good, tor nis grace is eternal. the song " ' 2. Let the delivered of the Lord say this, ^;°;^ ^^^^"^ for it is he who hath delivered them out of the hand of their foes. " ' 3. He hath gathered them together out of their lands, from the east and from the west and from the north and from the sea. *' ' 4. They wandered round in the desert, in a waterless country ; they found not the way to the city of their dwelling-place. *' * 5. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. ** * 6. He saved them out of their necessities. They cried unto the Lord and he hearkened unto them in their affliction.

** ' 7. He led them on a straight way, that they might go to the region of their dwelling-place. *' * 8, Let them give thanks unto the Lord for his graciousness and his wondrous works unto the children of men. '* * 9. For he hath satisfied a hungering soul ; he hath filled a hungering soul with good things, *' ' 10. Them who sat in darkness and the shadow of death, who were fettered in misery and iron. 180. *' ' 11. For I they had provoked the word of God and made wroth the determination of the Most High. '* * 12. Their heart was humbled in their miseries ; they become weak and no one helped them. " ' 13. They cried unto the Lord in their affliction ; he saved them out of their necessities. " * 14. And he led them out of the darkness and the shadow of death and brake their bonds asunder. " ' 15. Let them give thanks unto the Lord for his graciousness and his wondrous works unto the children of men. *' ' 16. For he hath shattered the gates of brass and burst the bolts of iron asunder.

'* ' 17. He hath taken them unto himself out of the way of their iniquity. For they were brought low because of their iniquities. *' * 18. Their heart abhorred all manner of meat and they were near unto the gates of death. ** ' 19. They cried unto the Lord in their affliction and he saved them out of their necessities. *' * 20. He sent his word and healed them and freed them from their miseries. *' * 21, Let them give thanks unto the Lord for his graciousness and his wondrous works unto the children of men.' *' This then, my Lord, is the solution of the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered. Hearken, therefore, my Lord, that I may say it clearly. The word in sooth which David hath spoken : * Give ye thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his grace is eternal,' — it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken : ' I will give thanks unto thee, 0 Light, for thou art a saviour and thou art a deliverer for all time.' " And the word which hath David spoken : | ' Let the delivered of the Lord say this, for he i8i. hath delivered them out of the hand of their foes,' — it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken : ' I will utter this song to the Light, for it hath saved me and saved me out of the hand of the rulers, my foes.' And the rest of the Psalm.

** This then, my Lord, is the solution of the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered in the midst of the four-and-twenty invisibles, desiring that they should know all the wondrous works which thou hast done for her, and desiring that they should know that thou hast given thy mysteries to the race of men." It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard Philip say these words, that he said : " Well said, blessed PhiHp. This is the solution of the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered." [End of the Story of Pistis Sophia] It came to pass then again, after all this, that chap. 83. Mary came forward, adored the feet of Jesus and ^^^y ^^^s- •1 4tii/rTii 1 •! tioneth said : My Lord, be not wroth with me, if I Jesus. question thee, because we question concerning everything with precision and certainty. For thou hast said unto us aforetime : ' Seek that ye may find, and knock that it may be opened unto you. For every one who seeketh shall find, and to every one who knocketh it shall be opened.' Now, therefore, my Lord, who is it whom I shall seek, or who is it at whom we shall knock ? Or who rather is able to give us the decision upon the words concerning which we shall question 182. thee ? Or | who rather knoweth the power of the

words concerning which we shall question ? Because thou in the mind hast given us mind of the Light and hast given us sense and an exceedingly exalted thought ; for which cause, therefore, no one existeth in the world of men nor any one in the height of the seons, who can give the decision on the words concerning which we question, save thee alone, who knoweth [sic] the universe, who is perfected in the universe ; because we do not question in the manner in which the men of the world question, but because we question in the gnosis of the Height which thou hast given unto us, and we question moreover in the type of the excellent questioning which thou hast taught us, that we may question therein. Now, therefore, my Lord, be not wroth with me, but reveal unto me the matter concerning which I shall question thee." It came to pass, when Jesus had heard Mary Magdalene say these words, that he answered and said unto her : '* Question concerning what thou desirest to question, and I will reveal it unto thee with precision and certainty. Amen, amen, I say unto you : Rejoice in great joy and exult

most exceedingly. If ye question concerning all with precision, then shall I exult most exceedingly, because ye question concerning all with precision and question in the manner in which it beseemeth to question. . Now, therefore, question concerning what thou wouldst question, | and 1 183. will reveal it unto thee with joy." It came to pass then, when Mary had heard the Saviour say these words, that she rejoiced in great joy and exulted most exceedingly and said unto Jesus : '' My Lord and Saviour, of what manner then are the four-and-twenty invisibles and of what type, or rather of what quality are they, or of what quality is then their Hght ? " And Jesus answered and said unto Mary : chap. 84. *' What is there in this world which is like unto of the glory • • 1 • 1 • 11°' *^® lour- them, or rather what region is there m this world and-twenty which is comparable to them ? Now, therefore, ^^^^^* to what am I to liken them, or rather what am I to say concerning them ? For nothing existeth in this world to which I shall be able to liken them, and no form existeth in it which is able to be like them. Now, therefore, nothing existeth in this world which is of the quality of the heaven. [But] amen, I say unto you : Every one of the invisibles is nine times greater than the heaven and the sphere above it and the twelve aeons all together, as I have already said unto you at another time. And no light existeth in this world which is more excellent than the light of the sun. Amen, amen, I say unto you : The four-and-twenty invisibles shine ten-thousand times more than the light of the sun which is in this world, as I have already | said unto you at another time. For the light i84.

of the sun in its shape in truth is not in this world, for its Hght pierceth through many veils and regions. But the light of the sun in its shape in truth, which is in the region of the Virgin of Light, shineth ten-thousand times more than the four-and-twenty invisibles and the great invisible forefather and also the great triple-powered god, as I have already said unto you at another time. " Now, therefore, Mary, there is no form in this world, nor any light, nor any shape, which is comparable to the four-and-twenty invisibles, so that I may liken it to them. But yet a little while and I will lead thee and thy brethren and fellow-disciples into all the regions of the Height and will lead you into the three spaces of the First Mystery, save only the regions of the space of the Ineffable, and ye shall see all their shapes in truth without similitude. " And if I lead you into the height and ye shall see the glory of them of the height, then will ye be in very great amazement. Of the glory '* And if I lead you into the region of the

of the Fate, ^.^j^^g ^f ^]^q Fate, thcu will ye see the glory in which they are, and because of their overtowering great glory ye will deem this world before you as 185. darkness of darknesses, and | ye will look at the whole world of men, how it will have the condition of a speck of dust for you because of the great distance it is far distant from it, and because of the great condition it is considerably Of the glory *' And if I lead you into the twelve aeons, then of^the twelve ^.jj ^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ j^ which they are; and because of the great glory the region of the rulers of the Fate will count for you as the dark- ness of darknesses, and it will have for you the condition of a speck of dust because of the great distance it is far distant from it and because of the great condition it is considerably greater than them, as I have already said unto you at another time. *' And if I lead you moreover into the thirteenth of the glory seon, then will ye see the glory in which they are ; teenth a;on. the twelve aeons will count for you as the darkness of darknesses, and ye shall look at the twelve aeons, how it [sc, their region] will have for you the likeness of a speck of dust because of the great distance it is far distant from it, and because of the great condition it is considerably greater than the former.

"And if I lead you into the region of those of the glory of the Midst, then will ye see the glory in which °^ *^^ ^ ^^' they are ; the thirteen aeons will count for you as the darkness of darknesses. And again ye will look at the twelve aeons | and upon the whole isa Fate and the whole ordering and all the spheres and all the others in which they are ; they will have for you the condition of a speck of dust because of the great distance it [so. their region] is distant from it and because of the great condition it is considerably greater than the former. " And if I lead you into the region of those of the glory of the Eight, then will ye see the glory in which Rigi^t. they are ; the region of those of the Midst will count for you as the night which is in the world of men. And if ye look at the Midst, it will have for you the condition of a speck of dust because of the great distance the region of those of the Eight is considerably distant from it.

*' And if I lead you into the Light-land, that Of the glory of the Inheritance. Of the glory is into the Treasury of the Light, and ye see the glory in which they are, then will the region of those of the Right count for you as the light at mid-day in the world of men, when the sun is not out ; and if ye look at the region of those of the Right, it will have for you the condition of a speck of dust because of the great distance the Treasury of the Light is distant from it. '* And if I lead you into the region of those who have received the inheritances and have received the mysteries of the Light, and ye see the glory of the Light in Avhich they are, then the Light-land will count for you as the light of the sun which is in the world of men. And if ye look upon the Light-land, | then will it count for you as a speck of dust because of the great distance the Light-land is distant from it, and because of the greatness [by which] it is considerably greater than the former."

It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that Mary Magdalene started forward and said : '* My Lord, be not wroth with me if I question thee, because we question thee concerning all with precision." And Jesus answered and said unto Mary : '' Question concerning what thou desirest to question, and I will reveal it unto thee in openness without similitude, and all concerning which thou questionest, I will say unto thee with precision and certainty. I will perfect you in all power and all fulnesses, from the interior of the interiors to the exterior of the exteriors, from that Ineffable to the darkness of darknesses, so that ye shall be called ' the fulnesses perfected in all gnoses.' Now, therefore, Mary, question concerning what thou mayest question, and I will reveal it to thee with great joy and great exultation." It came to pass then, when Mary had heard Mary again the Saviour say these words, that she rejoiced in Ss!^^^ exceedingly great joy and exulted, and said : *' My Lord, will then the men of the world who have received the mysteries of the Light, | be iss. superior to the emanations of the Treasury in thy kingdom ? For I have heard thee say : * If I lead you into the region of those who have received the mysteries of the Light, then will the region of the [emanations of the] Light-land count for you as a speck of dust because of the great distance in which it is distant from it, and because of the great light in which it is,' — that is the Light-land is the Treasury, the region of the emanations, — will therefore then, my Lord, the men who have received the mysteries, be superior to the Light-land and superior to those [emanations] in the kingdom of the Light ? "

And Jesus answered and said unto Mary : chap. 86. ** Finely indeed dost thou question concerning all with precision and certainty. But hearken, Mary, that I may speak with thee about the consummation of the aeon and the ascension of the universe. It will not yet take place ; but I have said unto you : ' If I lead you into the region of the inheritances of those who shall receive the mystery of the Light, | then will the Treasury of i89. the Light, the region of the emanations, count for you as a speck of dust only and as the light of the sun by day.' " I have therefore said : ' This will take place Of the at the time of the consummation [and] of the sr^Jursand ascension of the universe.' The twelve saviours their re- ^f ^^^q Treasurv and the twelve orders of every gions in the ^ «^ Inheritance, one of them, which are the emanations of the seven Voices and of the five Trees, they will be with me in the region of the inheritances of the Light ; being kings with me in my kingdom, and every one of them being king over his emanations, and moreover every one of them being king according to his glory, the great according to his greatness and the little according to his littleness.

** And the saviour of the emanations of the first Voice will be in the region of the souls of those who have received the first mystery of the First Mystery in my kingdom. '' And the saviour of the emanations of the second Voice will be in the region of the souls of those who have received the second mystery of the First Mystery. '' In like manner also will the saviour of the emanations of the third Voice be in the region of the souls of those who have received the third 190. mystery of the First Mystery in the | inheritances '' And the saviour of the emanations of the fourth Voice of the Treasury of the Light will be in the region of the souls of those who have received the fourth mystery of the First Mystery in the inheritances of the Light. *' And the fifth saviour of the fifth Voice of the Treasury of the Light will be in the region of the souls of those who have received the fifth mystery of the First Mystery in the inheritances of the Light. ** And the sixth saviour of the emanations of the sixth Voice of the Treasury of the Light will be in the region of the souls of those who have received the sixth mystery of the First Mystery.

'' And the seventh saviour of the emanations of the seventh Voice of the Treasury of the Light will be in the region of the souls of those who have received the seventh mystery of the First Mystery in the Treasury [sic] of the Light. '' And the eighth saviour, that is the saviour of the emanations of the first Tree of the Treasury of the Light, will be in the region of the souls of those who have received the | eighth mystery of 191. the First Mystery in the inheritances of the Light. '* And the ninth saviour, that is the saviour of the emanations of the second Tree of the Treasury of the Light, will be in the region of the souls of those who have received the ninth mystery of the First Mystery in the inheritances of the Light. '* And the tenth saviour, that is the saviour of the emanations of the third Tree of the Treasury of the Light, will be in the region of the souls of those who have received the tenth mystery of the First Mystery in the inheritances of the Light. " In like manner also the eleventh saviour, that is the saviour of the fourth Tree of the Treasury of the Light, will be in the region of the souls of those who have received the eleventh mystery of the First Mystery in the inheritances of the Light.

'' And the twelfth saviour, that is the saviour of the emanations of the fifth Tree of the Treasury of the Light, will be in the region of the souls of those who have received the twelfth mystery of the First Mystery in the inheritances of the Light. Of the ascension of those of the Treasury into the Inheritance. Of their respective ranks in the kingdom. Of the powers of the Right, and their emanation and ascension. ** And the seven | Amens and the five Trees and the three Amens will be on my right, being kings in the inheritances of the Light. And the Twinsaviours, that is the Child of the Child, and the nine guards will bide also at my left, being kings in the inheritances of the Light. '* And every one of the saviours will rule over the orders of his emanations in the inheritances of the Light as they did also in the Treasury of the Light. *' And the nine guards of the Treasury of the Light will be superior to the saviours in the inheritances of the Light. And the Twin-saviours will be superior to the nine guards in the kingdom. And the three Amens will be superior to the Twinsaviours in the kingdom. And the five Trees will be superior to the three Amens in the inheritances of the Light.

" And Yew and the guard of the veil of the Great Light, and the receiver of Light and the two great guides and the great Sabaoth, the Good, will be kings in the first saviour of the first Voice of the Treasury of the Light, [the saviour] who will be in | the region of those who have received the first mystery of the First Mystery. For in sooth Yew and the guard of the region of those of the Eight and Melchisedec, the great receiver of the Light, and the two great guides have come forth out of the purified and utterly pure light of the first Tree up to the fifth. " Yew in sooth is the overseer of the Light, who hath come forth first out of the pure light of the first Tree ; on the other hand the guard of the veil of those of the Eight hath come forth out of the second Tree ; and the two guides again have come forth out of the pure and utterlypurified hght of the third and fourth Trees of the Treasury of the Light ; Melchisedec again hath come forth out of the fifth Tree ; on the other hand Sabaoth, the Good, whom I have called my father, hath come forth out of Yew, the overseer of the Light.

" These six then by command of the First Mystery the last Helper hath caused to be in the region of those of the Right, for the economy of the ingathering of the upper hght out of the seons of the rulers and out of the worlds and all races in them, — of every one of whom I will tell you the employment over which he hath been set in the expansion of the universe. Because, therefore, of the importance of the employment over which they have been set, | they will be fellow- i94. kings in the first [saviour] of the first Voice of the Treasury of the Light, who will be in the region of the souls of those who have received the first mystery of the First Mystery. " And the Virgin of Light and the great guide of the of the Midst, whom the rulers of the aeons are thrmdst wont to call the Great Yew after the name of a ^""^ *^.^''' great ruler who is in their region, — he and the Virgin of Light and his twelve ministers, from whom ye have received your shape and from whom ye have received the power, they all will be kings with the first saviour of the first Voice in the region of the souls of those who will receive the first mystery of the First Mystery in the inheritances of the Light.

*' And the fifteen helpers of the seven virgins of the Light who are in the Midst, they will expand themselves in the regions of the twelve saviours, But this shall not take place tiU the consummation of the aeon. Of the ascension of the souls of the perfect. and the rest of the angels of the Midst, every one of them according to his glory, will rule with me in the inheritances of the Light. And I shall rule over them all in the inheritances of the Light. '' All this then which I have said unto you, will not take place at this time, but it will take place at the consummation of the aeon, that is at the ascension of the universe ; that is at the dissolution of the universe and at the total ascension of the numbering | of the perfect souls of the inheritances of the Light. *' Before the consummation, therefore, this which I have said unto you, will not take place, but every one will be in his own region, into which he hath been set from the beginning, until the numbering of the ingathering of the perfect souls is completed. " The seven Voices and the five Trees and the three Amens and the Twin-saviours and the nine guards and the twelve saviours and those of the region of the Right and those of the region of the Midst, every one will abide in the region in which they have been set, until the numbering of the perfect souls of the inheritances of the Light shall be raised up all together.

'* And also all the rulers who have repented, they also will abide in the region into which they have been set, until the numbering of the souls of the Light shall be raised up all together. " [The souls] will all come, every one at the time when he will receive the mysteries ; and all the rulers who have repented, will pass through and come into the region of the Midst. And those of the Midst will baptize them and give unto them the spiritual unction and seal them with the seals of their mysteries. And they will pass through those of all the regions of the Midst, and they will pass through the region of the Eight and the interior of the region of the nine guards and the interior of the region of the Twinsaviours and the interior of the region of the three | Amens and of the twelve saviours and the i96. interior of the five Trees and of the seven Voices. Every one giveth unto them his seal of his mystery, and they pass into the interior of them all and go to the region of the inheritances of the Light ; and every one bideth in the region up to which he hath received mysteries in the inheritances of the Light.

'* In a word, all the souls of men who shall of the rank receive the mysteries of the Light, will precede of the p^er-^ all the rulers who have repented, and they will precede all those of the region of the Midst and those of the whole region of the Eight, and they will precede those of the whole region of the Treasury of the Light. In a word, they will precede all those of the region [of the Treasury], and they will precede all those of the regions of the first Commandment, and they will pass into the interior of them all and go into the Inheritance of the Light up to the region of their mystery ; and every one abideth in the region up to which he hath received mysteries. And those of the region of the Midst and of the Eight and those of the whole region of the Treasury, every one abideth in the region of the order into which he hath been set from the beginning on, until the universe shall be raised up. And every one of them accomplisheth his economy to which he hath been set, in respect of the ingathering of the souls who

Mary interpret6th the discourse from the scriptures. have received the mysteries, in respect of this economy, so that they may seal | all the souls who will receive the mysteries and who will pass through their interior towards the Inheritance of the Light. ** Now, therefore, Mary, this is the word concerning which thou dost question me with precision and certainty. For the rest now then, who hath ears to hear, let him hear." " It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished speaking these words, that Mary Magdalene started forward and said : '* My Lord, my indweller of light hath ears and I comprehend every word which thou sayest. Now, therefore, my Lord, on account of the word which thou hast spoken : ' All the souls of the race of men who shall receive the mysteries of the Light, will go into the Inheritance of the Light before all the rulers who will repent, and before those of the whole region of the Eight and before the whole region of the Treasury of the Light,' — on account of this word, my Lord, thou hast said unto us aforetime : ' The first will be last and the last will be first,' — that is, the

* last ' are the whole race of men which will enter into the Light-kingdom sooner than all those of the region of the Height, who are the * first.' On this account, therefore, my Lord, hast thou said unto us : * Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,' — that is thou desirest to know whether we | comprehend every word which thou speakest. This, therefore, is the word, my Lord." It came to pass then, when Mary had finished saying these words, that the Saviour was greatly astonished at the definitions of the words which she spake, for she had become pure spirit utterly. Jesus answered again and said unto her : " Well said, spiritual and pure Mary. This is the solution of the word." It came to pass then again after all these chap. 88. words, that Jesus continued in the discourse and said unto his disciples : " Hearken, that I may discourse with you concerning the glory of those of the Height, how they are, according to the manner in which I discoursed with you unto this day. '* Now, therefore, if I lead you into the region of the last of the last Helper, who surroundeth the Treasury ^®*p^^- of the Light, and if I lead you into the region of that last Helper and ye see the glory in which he is, then will the region of the Inheritance of the Light count for you only for the size of a city of the world, because of the greatness in which the last Helper is, and because of the great light in which he is.

*' And thereafter I will discourse with you also That the concerning the glory of the Helper who is above ^on^The^" the little Helper. But I shall not be able to Helpers are . , . , . indescrib- discourse with you concernmg the regions of those able, who are above all Helpers ; | for there existeth 199. no type in this world, to describe them, for there existeth in this world no Hkeness which is like unto them, that I may compare them therewith, nor greatness nor light which is like unto them, not only in this world, but they also have no likeness with those of the Height of Righteousness from their region upwards. On this account, therefore, there existeth in fact no manner of describing them in this world because of the great glory of those of the Height and because of the Mary further questioneth Jesus. great immeasurable greatness. On this account, therefore, there existeth no manner to describe it in this world." It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that Mary Magdalene came forward and said unto Jesus : *' My Lord, be not wroth with me if I question thee, because I trouble repeatedly. Now, therefore, my Lord, be not wroth with me if I question thee concerning all with precision and certainty. For my brethren will herald it among the race of men, so that they may hear and repent and be saved from the violent judgments of the evil rulers and go to the Height and inherit the Light-kingdom ;

because, my Lord, we are compassionate not only towards ourselves, but compassionate towards the whole race of men, so that they may be saved from all the violent judgments. Now, therefore, my Lord, on this account we question concerning all with certainty ; for my brethren herald it to the whole race of men, | in order that they may escape the violent rulers of the darkness and be saved out of the hands of the violent receivers of the outermost darkness."

It came to pass, when Jesus had heard Mary say these words, that the Saviour answered in great compassion towards her and said unto her : ** Question concerning what thou desirest to question, and I will reveal it unto thee with precision and certainty and without similitude." It came to pass then, when Mary had heard the Saviour say these words, that she rejoiced with great joy and exulted exceedingly and gaid unto Jesus : '* My Lord, by how much greatness then is the second Helper greater than the first Helper ? By how much distance is he distant from him, or rather how many times more does he shine than the latter ? " Jesus answered and said unto Mary in the of the midst of the disciples : ** Amen, amen, I say unto Helper, you : The second Helper is distant from the first Helper in great immeasurable distance in regard to the height above and the depth below and the length and the breadth. For he is exceedingly distant from him in great immeasurable distance through the angels and all the archangels and through the gods and all the invisibles. And he is very considerably greater than the latter in an incalculable measure | through the angels and 201. archangels and through the gods and all the invisibles. And he shineth more than the latter in an utterly immeasurable measure, there being no measure for the light in which he is, and no measure for him through angels and archangels and through the gods and all the invisibles, as I have already said unto you at another time.

** In like manner also the third Helper and of the third, fourth and fifth Helper, — one is greater than the ^^th ' ^^ other . . . and shineth more than the latter and Helpers. is distant from him in a great immeasurable distance through the angels and archangels and the gods and all the invisibles, as I have already said unto you at another time. And I will tell unto you also the type of every one [of them] at their expansion." It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished chap. 90. saying these words unto his disciples, that Mary ^^ry again *^ ^ J- ' ^ '^ questioneth Magdalene came forward again, continued and Jesus. said unto Jesus : " My Lord, in what type will Of those who receive the mystery in the last Helper. be those who have received the mystery of the Light, in the midst of the last Helper ? " And Jesus answered and said unto Mary in the midst of the disciples : *' They who have received the mystery of the Light, if they come out of | the body of the matter of the rulers, then will every one be in his order according to the mystery which he hath received. Those who have received the higher mysteries, will abide in the higher order ; those who have received the lower mysteries will be in the lower orders. In a word, up to what region every one hath received mysteries, there will he abide in his order in the Inheritance of the Light. For which cause I have said unto you aforetime : * Where your heart is, there will your treasure be,' — that is up to what region every one hath received mysteries, there shall he be."

It came to pass, when Jesus had finished saying these words unto his disciples, that John came forward and said unto Jesus : '* My Lord and my Saviour, give me also commandment that I discourse before thee, and be not wroth with me if I question concerning all with precision and certainty ; for thou, my Lord, hast promised me in a promise to make revelation unto us of all concerning which I shall question thee. Now, therefore, my Lord, hide nothing from us at all in the matter on which we shall question thee." And Jesus answered in great compassion and said unto John : " To thee also, blessed John, and beloved, I give commandment to speak the word which pleaseth thee, and I will reveal it unto thee face to face without similitude, and I will say unto thee | all on which thou wilt question 203. me with precision and certainty." And John answered and said unto Jesus : John ques- *' My Lord, will then every one abide in the region jes^s. up to which he hath received the mysteries, and hath he no power to go into other orders which are above him ; and hath he no power to go into the orders which are below him ? "

And Jesus answered and said unto John : CHAP. 91. " Finely indeed do ye question on all with precision and certainty. But now, therefore, John, hearken that I may discourse with thee. Every one who hath received mysteries of the Light, will abide in the region up to which every one hath received mysteries, and he hath not the power to go into the height into the orders which are above him. *' So that he who hath received mysteries in Of the first the first Commandment, hath the power to go ment. into the orders which are below him, that is into all the orders of the third [?] space ; but he hath not the power to go into the height to the orders which are above him. "And he who shall receive the mysteries of of the first the First Mystery, which is the four-and-twen- ^^^^^* tieth mystery from without and the head of the first space which is without, — he hath the power to go into all the orders which are without him ; but he hath not the power to go into the regions which are above him or to pass through them.

" And of those who have received the mysteries of the in the orders of the four-and-twenty mysteries, | space. every one will go into the region in which he 204. hath received mysteries, and he will have the power to pass through all the orders and spaces which are without him ; but he hath not the power to go into the higher orders which are above him or to pass through them. Of the third *' And he who hath received mysteries in the orders of the First Mystery which is in the third space, hath the power to go into all the lower orders which are below him and to pass through all ; but on the other hand he hath not the power to go into the regions which are above him or to pass through them. Of the '* And he who hath received mysteries of the uais.^^^^^^^ first Thrice-spiritual, which ruleth over the fourand-twenty mysteries all together which rule over the space of the First Mystery, of whose region at the expansion of the universe I will tell you — he, therefore, who shall receive the mystery of that Thrice-spiritual, hath the power to go down into all orders which are below him ; but he hath not the power to go into the height into the orders which are above him, that is into all the orders of the space of the Ineffable.

'* And he who hath received the mystery of the second Thrice-spiritual, hath the power to go into all the orders of the first Thrice-spiritual | 205. and to pass through them all and all their orders which are in them ; but he hath not the power to go into the higher orders of the third Thricespiritual. " And he who hath received the mystery of the third Thrice-spiritual, which ruleth over the three Thrice-spirituals and the three spaces of the First Mystery all together, [hath the power to go into all the orders which are below him] ; but he hath not the power to go into the height into the orders which are above him, that is into the orders of the space of the Ineffable. "And he who hath received the master- Of the mystery of the First Mystery of the Ineffable, Sry.^^ "^^^ that is the twelve mysteries of the First Mystery all together, which rule over all the spaces of the First Mystery, — he, therefore, who shall receive that mystery, hath the power to pass through all the orders of the spaces of the three Thricespirituals and the three spaces of the First Mystery and all their orders, and hath the power to *

pass through all the orders of the inheritances of the Light, to pass through them from without within and from within without and from above below and from below | above and from the height 206. to the depth and from the depth to the height and from the length to the breadth and from the breadth to the length ; in a word, he hath the power to pass through all the regions of the inheritances of the Light, and he hath the power to bide in the region where he pleaseth, in the Inheritance of the Light-kingdom. " And amen, I say unto you : That man will at the dissolution of the world be king over all the orders of the Inheritance of the Light. And he who shall receive that mystery of the Ineffable which I am, — "That mystery knoweth why the darkness of the hath arisen and why the light hath arisen. maTter^m^s- " And that mystery knoweth why the darkness *^^yof the darknesses hath arisen and why the light of the lights hath arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why the chaos hath arisen and why the treasury of the light hath arisen.

'' And that my stery knoweth why the judgments have arisen and why the Ught-land and the region of the inheritances of the hght have arisen. *' And that mystery knoweth why the chastisements of the sinners have arisen and why the rest of the kingdom of the hght hath arisen. 207. ** And that mystery knoweth | why the sinners have arisen and why the inheritances of the light have arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why the impious have arisen and why the good have arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why the chastisements and judgments have arisen and why all the emanations of the hght have arisen. *' And that mystery knoweth why the sins have arisen and why the baptisms and the mysteries of the hght have arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why the fire of chastisement hath arisen and why the seals of the hght, so that the fire should not harm them, have arisen. '* And that mystery knoweth why wrath hath arisen and why peace hath arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why slander hath arisen and why songs of the light have arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why the prayers of the light have arisen.

" And that mystery knoweth why cursing hath arisen and why blessing hath arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why knavery hath arisen and why deceit hath arisen. 208. '' And that mystery | knoweth why the slaying hath arisen and why the quickening of the souls hath arisen. *' And that mystery knoweth why adultery and fornication have arisen and why purity hath arisen. '' And that mystery knoweth why intercourse hath arisen and why continence hath arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why insolence and boasting have arisen and why humbleness and meekness have arisen. '* And that mystery knoweth why tears have arisen and why laughter hath arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why slander hath arisen and why good report hath arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why appreciation hath arisen and why disdain of men hath arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why murmuring hath arisen and why innocence and humbleness have arisen. *' And that mystery knoweth why sin hath arisen and why purity hath arisen. '* And that mystery knoweth why strength hath arisen and why weakness hath arisen. ** And that mystery knoweth why | motion of 209. body hath arisen and why its utility hath arisen.

'' And that mystery knoweth why poverty hath arisen and why wealth hath arisen. ** And that mystery knoweth why the freedom [?] of the world hath arisen and why slavery hath arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why death hath arisen and why life hath arisen." It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished CHAP. 92. saying these words unto his disciples, that they rejoiced in great joy and exulted when they heard Jesus say these words. And Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto them : " Hearken, therefore, now still further, 0 my disciples, so that I discourse with you concerning the whole gnosis of the mystery Of the gnosis '' That mystcry of the Ineffable knoweth why teryoUhe unmcrcifulness hath arisen and why mercifulness " And that mystery knoweth why ruin hath arisen and why everlasting eternity hath arisen. '' And that mystery knoweth why the reptiles have arisen and why they will be destroyed. ** And that mystery knoweth why the wild 210. beasts have arisen | and why they will be '* And that mystery knoweth why the cattle have arisen and why the birds have arisen. '* And that mystery knoweth why the mountains have arisen and why the precious stones therein have arisen.

'* And that mystery knoweth why the matter of gold hath arisen and why the matter of silver hath arisen. *' And that mystery knoweth why the matter of copper hath arisen and why the matter of iron and of stone hath arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why the matter of lead hath arisen. *' And that mystery knoweth why the matter of glass hath arisen and why the matter of wax hath arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why herbs, that is the vegetables, have arisen and why all matters have arisen. '' And the mystery knoweth why the waters of the earth and all things in them have arisen and why also the earth hath arisen. *' And that mystery knoweth why the seas | and the waters have arisen and why the wild 211. beasts in the seas have arisen. *' And that mystery knoweth why the matter of the world hath arisen and why it [the world] will be utterly destroyed." Jesus continued again and said unto his dis- chap. 93. ciples : *' Yet further, 0 my disciples and companions and brethren, let every one be sober in the spirit which is in him, let him understand and comprehend all the words which I shall say unto you ; for from now on will I begin to discourse with you concerning all the gnoses of that Ineffable.

*' That mystery knoweth why the west hath arisen and why the east hath arisen. ** And that mystery knoweth why the south hath arisen and why the north hath arisen. '* Yet further, 0 my disciples, hearken and continue to be sober and hearken to the total gnosis of the mystery of the Ineffable. ** That mystery knoweth why the demons have arisen and why mankind hath arisen. ** And that mystery knoweth why the heat hath arisen and why the pleasant air hath arisen. ** And that mystery knoweth why the stars have arisen and why the clouds have arisen. | '' And that mystery knoweth why the earth 212. became deep and why the water came thereon. " And that mystery knoweth why the earth became dry and why the water came thereon. '' And that mystery knoweth why famine hath arisen and why superfluity hath arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why the hoar- frost hath arisen and why the healthful dew hath arisen. *' And that mystery knoweth why the dust hath arisen and why the delightsome freshness hath arisen. ** And that mystery knoweth why the hail hath arisen and why the pleasant snow hath arisen.

*' And that mystery knoweth why the west wind hath arisen and why the east wind hath arisen. (" And that mystery knoweth why the fire of the height hath arisen and why the waters have arisen. *' And that mystery knoweth why the east wind hath arisen. [? miscopied.]) *' And that mystery knoweth why the south wind hath arisen and why the north wind hath arisen. ** And that mystery knoweth why the stars of 213. the heaven and the | disks of the light-givers have arisen and why the firmament with all its veils hath arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why the rulers of the spheres have arisen and why the sphere with all its regions hath arisen. '' And that mystery knoweth why the rulers of the aeons have arisen and why the soons with their veils have arisen. ** And that mystery knoweth why the tyrant rulers of the aeons have arisen and why the rulers who have repented have arisen. *' And that mystery knoweth why the servitors have arisen and why the decans have arisen. *' And that mystery knoweth why the angels have arisen and why the archangels have arisen. ** And that mystery knoweth why the lords have arisen and why the gods have arisen.

** And that mystery knoweth why the jealousy in the height hath arisen and why concord hath arisen. ** And that mystery knoweth why hate hath arisen and why love hath arisen. *' And that mystery knoweth why discord hath arisen and why concord hath arisen. '* And that mystery knoweth why avarice | hath 214. arisen and why renunciation of all hath arisen and love of possessions hath arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why love of the belly hath arisen and why satiety hath arisen. '' And that mystery knoweth why the paired have arisen and why the unpaired have arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why impiety hath arisen and why fear of God hath arisen. ** And that mystery knoweth why the lightgivers have arisen and why the sparks have arisen. *' And that mystery knoweth why the thricepowerful have arisen and why the invisibles have arisen. *' And that mystery knoweth why the forefathers have arisen and why the purities have arisen. ** And that mystery knoweth why the great self-willed hath arisen and why his faithful have arisen. '* And that mystery knoweth why the great triple-powerful hath arisen and why the great invisible forefather hath arisen.

*' And that mystery knoweth why the thirteenth aeon hath arisen and why the region | of 215. those of the Midst hath arisen. ** And that mystery knoweth why receivers of the Midst have arisen and why the virgins of the Ught have arisen. ** And that mystery knoweth why the ministers of the Midst have arisen and why the angels of the Midst have arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why the Hghtland hath arisen and why the great receiver of the light hath arisen. " And that mystery knoweth why the guards of the region of the Right have arisen and why the leaders of them have arisen. '' And that mystery knoweth why the gate of life hath arisen and why Sabaoth, the Good, hath arisen. '' And that mystery knoweth why the region of the Right hath arisen and why the light-land, which is the treasury of the light, hath arisen. *' And that mystery knoweth why the emanations of the light have arisen and why the twelve saviours have arisen. '* And that mystery knoweth why the three gates of the treasury of the light have arisen and why the nine guards have arisen. 210. ** And I that mystery knoweth why the twin-

saviours have arisen and why the three Amens have arisen. '* And that mystery knoweth why the five Trees have arisen and why the seven Amens have arisen. ** And that mystery knoweth why the Mixture which existeth not, hath arisen and why it is CHAP. 94. And Jesus continued again and said unto his disciples : " Still further, 0 my disciples, be sober and let every one of you bring hither the power of sensing the Light before him, that ye may sense with sureness. For from now on I will discourse with you concerning the whole region in truth of the Ineffable and concerning the manner, how it is." It came to pass then, when the disciples had The disheard Jesus utter these words, that they gave co^rage.^^ way and let go entirely. Then Mary Magdalene came forward, threw herself at the feet of Jesus, kissed them and wept aloud and said : *' Have mercy upon me, my Lord, for my brethren have heard and let go of the words which thou saidest unto them. Now, therefore, my Lord, concerning the gnosis of all the things which thou hast said, that they are in the mystery I of the Ineffable ; but I have heard thee 217. say unto me : ' From now on I will begin to discourse with you concerning the total gnosis of the mystery of the Ineffable,' — this word, therefore, which thou saidest, thou hast not gone forward to complete the word.

For this cause, therefore, my brethren have heard and have let go and ceased to sense in what manner thou discoursest with them. Concerning the word which thou saidest unto them, now, therefore, my Lord, if the gnosis of all this is in that mystery, where is the man who is in the world, who hath the ability to understand that mystery with all its gnoses and the type of all these words which thou hast spoken concerning it ? "

It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard chap. 96. Mary say these words and knew that the disciples had heard and had begun to let go, that he encouraged them and said unto them : '' Grieve Jesus explaineth that that mystery is really sim- no more, my disciples, concerning the mystery of the Ineffable, thinking that ye will not understand it. Amen, I say unto you : That mystery is yours, and every one's who will give ear unto you, so that they renounce this whole world and the whole matter therein and renounce all the evil thoughts therein and renounce all the cares of this aeon. " Now, therefore, I say unto you : | For every one who will renounce the whole world and all therein and will submit himself to the godhead, that mystery is far easier than all the mysteries myste^ie^^^^ of the Light-kingdom and it is sooner to understand than them all and it is easier [?] than them all. He who reacheth unto the gnosis of that mystery, renounceth this whole world and all the cares therein. '* For this cause have I said to you aforetime : * All ye who are heavy under your burden, come hither unto me, and I will quicken you. For my burden is easy and my yoke is soft.' Now, therefore, he who will receive that mystery, renounceth the whole world and the cares of all the matter therein. For this cause, therefore, my disciples, grieve not, thinking that ye will not understand that mystery. Amen, I say unto you : That mystery is far sooner to understand than all mysteries. And amen, I say unto you : That mystery is yours and every one's who will renounce the whole world and the whole matter therein.

** Now, therefore, hearken, my disciples and my companions and my brethren, that I may urge you on to the gnosis of the mystery of the 219. Ineffable | concerning which I discourse with you. because I have in sooth gotten as far as to tell you the whole gnosis at the expansion of the universe ; for the expansion of the universe is its gnosis. ** But now then hearken that I may discourse with you progressively concerning the gnosis of that mystery. ''That mystery knoweth wherefor the five of the rendHelpers have rent themselves asunder and where- aJf/emana^ for they have come forth from the Fatherless [vL\ *^^^ ^^ *^® ^ LJ" J powers of ''And that mystery knoweth wherefor the the universe, great Light of lights hath rent itself asunder and wherefor it hath come forth from the Fatherless. " And that mystery knoweth wherefor the first Commandment hath rent itself asunder and wherefor it hath divided itself into the seven mysteries and wherefor it is named the first Commandment and wherefor it hath come forth from the Fatherless. " And that mystery knoweth wherefor the Great Light of the Impressions of the Light hath rent itself asunder and wherefor it hath set itself up without emanations and wherefor it hath come forth from the Fatherless.

" And that mystery knoweth wherefor the First Mystery, that is the four-and-twentieth mystery from without, hath rent itself asunder and wherefor it imitated in itself the twelve mysteries according to the number of the numbering of the Uncontainables | and Bound- 220. less and wherefor it hath come forth from the Fatherless. "And that mystery knoweth wherefor the of those of twelve Immoveables have rent themselves asunder spLe^onhe and wherefor they have set themselves with all^^^^^^^®- their orders and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless. ** And that mystery knoweth wherefor the Unwaverables have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have set themselves up, divided into twelve orders, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless, which belong to the orders of the space of the Ineffable. " And that mystery knoweth wherefor the Incomprehensibles, which pertain to the second space of the Ineffable, have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless. *' And that mystery knoweth wherefor the twelve Undesignatables have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have set themselves up after all the orders of the Unindicatables, themselves being uncontainable and boundless, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

*' And that mystery knoweth wherefor these Unindicatables have rent themselves asunder, — [they] who have not indicated themselves nor brought themselves into publicity according to the economy of the One and Only, the Ineffable, 221. and wherefor they have come forth | from the '* And that mystery knoweth wherefor the Super-deeps have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have distributed themselves, being a single order, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless. *' And that mystery knoweth wherefor the twelve orders of the Unspeakables have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have divided themselves, being three portions, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless. " And that mystery knoweth wherefor all the Imperishables, being their twelve orders, have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have settled themselves, being expanded in a single order, and wherefor they have divided themselves and formed different orders, being uncontainable and boundless, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless. *' And that mystery knoweth wherefor the Impassables have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have set themselves up, being twelve boundless spaces, and have settled themselves, being three orders of spaces, according to the economy of the One and Only, the Ineffable, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless.

'* And that mystery knoweth wherefor the twelve Uncontainables, which belong to the orders | of the One and Only, the Ineffable, have 222. rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless, until they were brought to the space of the First Mystery, which is the second space. *' And that mystery knoweth wherefor the four-and-twenty myriads of Praise-singers have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have extended themselves outside the veil of the First Mystery, which is the twin-mystery, that which looketh within and without, of the One and Only, the Ineffable, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless. ** And that mystery knoweth wherefor all the Uncontainables have rent themselves asunder — [those], which I have just named, which are in the regions of the second space of the Ineffable, which is the space of the First Mystery, and wherefor those Uncontainables and Boundless have come forth from the Fatherless. Of those of '* And that mystery knoweth wherefor the space of the four-and-twcnty mysteries of the first Thriceineffabie. spiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they are called the four-and-twenty spaces of the first Thrice-spiritual and wherefor they have come forth from the second Thricespiritual.

'* And that mystery knoweth wherefor the 223. four-and-twenty mysteries of the | second Thrice- spiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the third Thrice-spiritual. ** And that mystery knoweth why the fourand-twenty mysteries of the third Thrice-spiritual — that is the four-and-twenty spaces of the third Thrice-spiritual — have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless. " And that mystery knoweth wherefor the five Trees of the first Thrice-spiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have extended themselves, standing one behind the the other and moreover bound one to the other with all their orders, and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless. " And that mystery knoweth wherefor the five Trees of the second Thrice-spiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless. ** And that mystery knoweth wherefor the five Trees of the third Thrice-spiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless. '* And that mystery knoweth why the Foreuncontainables of the first Thrice-spiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless. ** And that mystery knoweth wherefor the Fore-uncontainables of the second Trispiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor | they have come forth from the Fatherless. 224,

*' And that mystery knoweth wherefor all the Fore-uncontainables of the third Thrice-spiritual have rent themselves asunder and wherefor they have come forth from the Fatherless. *' And that mystery knoweth wherefor the first Thrice-spiritual from below — those who belong to the orders of the One and Only, the Ineffable — hath rent itself asunder and wherefor it hath come forth from the second Thrice-spiritual. *' And that mystery knoweth wherefor the third Thrice-spiritual — that is the first Thricespiritual from above — hath rent itself asunder and wherefor it hath come forth from the twelfth Pro-thrice-spiritual, which is in the last region of the Fatherless. '* And that mystery knoweth wherefor all the the regions which are in the space of the Ineffable, and all those in them, have expanded themselves, and wherefor they have come forth from the last Limb of the Ineffable. '* And that mystery knoweth itself, wherefor it hath rent itself asunder to come forth from the Ineffable, — that is from That which ruleth them Jesus promiseth to explain further all in detail. Of the mystery succinctly. all and which expanded them all according to | their orders. *' Of all these then will I speak unto you at the expansion of the universe — in a word, all those whom I have spoken of unto you : those who will arise and those who will come, those who emanate, and those who

come forth, and those who are without over them, and those who are implanted in them, those who will contain the region of the First Mystery and those who are in the space of the Ineffable — of these will I speak unto you, because I will reveal them unto you, and I will speak of them unto you according to every region and according to every order, at the expansion of the universe. And I will reveal unto you all their mysteries which rule over them all, and their Pro-thrice-spirituals and their Super-thrice-spirituals which rule over their mysteries and their orders.

" Now, therefore, the mystery of the Ineffable knoweth wherefor all these have arisen of whom I have spoken unto you in openness, and through which all these have arisen. It is the mystery which is in them all ; and it is the out-going of them all, and it is the up-going of them all, and it is the setting-up of them all. ** And the mystery of the Ineffable is the mystery which is in all these of whom I have spoken unto you, and of whom I will speak unto you at the expansion of the universe. And it is the mystery which is in them all, and it is the one only mystery of the Ineffable and the gnosis of all these | of whom I have spoken unto you, and of whom I will speak unto you, and of whom I have not spoken. Of these will I speak unto you at the expansion of the universe and of their total gnosis one with another, wherefor they have arisen. It is the one and only word of the Ineffable. *' And I will tell you the expansion of all mysteries and the types of every one of them and the manner of their completion in all their figures. And I will tell you the mystery of the One and Only, the Ineffable, and all its types, all its figures and its whole economy, wherefor it hath come forth from the last Limb of the Ineffable. For that mystery is the setting-up of them all.

'* And that mystery of the Ineffable is more- of the one over also a one and only word, which existeth w^rd oUhe in the speech of the Ineffable, and it is the ^''^^^^^®' economy of the solution of all the words which I have spoken unto you. ** And he who will receive the one and only word of that mystery which I shall now say unto you, and all its types and all its figures, and the manner of accomplishing its mystery, — for ye are perfect and all-perfect and ye will accomplish the whole gnosis of that mystery with its whole economy, for unto you all mysteries are entrusted, — hearken, therefore, now, that I may tell you that mystery, which is [ . . . ?]. '* He I then, who shall receive the one and only 227. word of that mystery, which I have told you, if ^4tiSi^of he Cometh forth out of the body of the matters of t^e soui of the rulers, and if the retributive receivers come shall receive and free him from the body of matter of the oniy^mys^ rulers, — that is those [receivers] who free from*^^ythe body all out-going souls, — when, therefore, the retributive receivers free the soul which

hath received this one and only mystery of the Ineffable, which I have just told you, then will it straightway, if it be set free from the body of matter, become a great light-stream in the midst of those receivers, and the receivers will be exceedingly afraid of the light of that soul, and the receivers will be made powerless and fall down and desist altogether for fear of the great light which they have seen. '* And the soul which receiveth the mystery of the Ineffable, will soar into the height, being a great light-stream, and the receivers will not be able to seize it and will not know how the way is fashioned upon which it will go. For it becometh a great light-stream and soareth into the height, and no power is able to hold it down at 228. all, nor | will they be able to come nigh it at all. " But it will pass through all the regions of the rulers and all the regions of the emanations of the Light, and it will not give answers in any region, nor giveth it any apologies, nor giveth it any tokens ; neither will any power of the rulers nor any power of the emanations of the Light be able to come nigh that soul. But all the regions of the rulers and all the regions of the emanations of the Light, — every one singeth unto it praises in their regions, in fear of the light of the stream which envelopeth that soul, until it passeth through them all, and goeth to the region of the inheritance of the mystery which it hath received, — that is to the mystery of the One and Only, the Ineffable, — and until it becometh one with its Limbs. Amen, I say unto you : It will be in all the regions in the time a man shooteth an arrow.

*' Now, therefore, amen, I say unto you : of the rank Every man who will receive that mystery of the soul. Ineffable and accompHsh it in all its types and all its figures, — he is a man in the world, but he towereth above all angels and will tower still more above them all. " He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all archangels and will tower still more above | them all. 229. "He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all tyrants and will raise himself above them all. " He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all lords and will raise himself above them all. *' He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all gods and will raise himself above them all. " He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all Hght-givers and will raise himself above them all. " He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all pure [ones] and will raise himself above them all. "He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all triple-powers and will raise himself above them all.

"He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all forefathers and will raise himself above them all. " He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all invisibles and will raise himself above them all. " He is a man in the world, but he towereth above the great invisible forefather and will raise himself above him. *' He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all those of the Midst and will raise himself above them all. '* He is a man in the world, but he towereth above the emanations of the Treasury of the Light and will raise himself above them all. *' He is a man in the world, but he towereth 230. above the Mixture | and will raise himself entirely " He is a man in the world, but he towereth above the whole region of the Treasury and will raise himself entirely above it. ** He is a man in the world, but he will rule with me in my kingdom. *' He is a man in the world, but he is king in the Light. '' He is a man in the world, but he is not one of the world.

*' And amen, I say unto you : That man is I and I am that man. Such souls *' And at the dissolution of the world, that is are one with i j. i • mi i • j i i j.i the First wlien the universe will be raised up and when the Mystery. numbering of the perfect souls will be raised up all together, and when I am king in the midst of the last Helper, being king over all the emanations of the Light and king over the seven Amens and the five Trees and the three Amens and the nine guards, and being king over the Child of the Child, that is the Twin-saviours, and being king over the twelve saviours and over the whole numbering of the perfect souls who shall receive the mysteries in the Light, — then will all men who shall receive the mysteries in the Ineffable, be fellow-kings with me and will sit on my right and on my left in my kingdom. '' And amen, I say unto you : Those men are I, and I am they. *' On this account have I said unto you aforetime : ' Ye will sit on your | thrones on my right 231. and on my left in my kingdom and will rule with me.'

" On this account, therefore, I have not hesitated nor have I been ashamed to call you my brethren and my companions, because ye will be fellow-kings with me in my kingdom. This, therefore, I say unto you, knowing that I will give you the mystery of the Ineffable ; that is : That mystery is I, and I am that mystery. *' Now, therefore, not only will ye reign with of the digme, but all men who shall receive the mystery thrones^m^ of the Ineffable, will be fellow-kings with me *^® ^^^^dom. in my kingdom. And I am they, and they are I. But my throne will tower over them. [And] because ye will suffer sorrows in the world beyond all men, until ye herald forth all the words which I shall speak unto you, your thrones shall be joined to mine in my kingdom. '' On this account I have said unto you aforetime : ' Where I shall be, there will be also my twelve ministers.' But Mary Magdalene and John, the virgin, will tower over all my disciples and over all men who shall receive the mysteries in the Ineffable. And they will be on my right and on my left. And I am they, and they are I.

'* And they will be Hke unto you in all things save that your thrones will tower over theirs, and my throne | will tower over yours. 232. '' And all men who will find the word of the Ineffable, — amen, I say unto you : The men Of the gnosis of the word of the Ineffable. Of the dis- ' tinction between the gnosis of the universe and the mysteries of the Light. who shall know that word, will know the gnosis of all these words which I have spoken unto you, both those of the depth and those of the height, those of the length and those of the breadth ; in a word, they will know the gnosis of all these words which I have spoken unto you and which I have not yet spoken unto you, which I will speak unto you, region by region and order by order, at the expansion of the universe. ** And amen, I say unto you : They will know in what manner the world is established, and they will know in what type all those of the height are established, and they will know out of what ground the universe hath arisen."

When then the Saviour had said this, Mary Magdalene started forward and said : '* My Lord, bear with me and be not wroth with me, if I question on all things with precision and certainty. Now, therefore, my Lord, is then another the word of the mystery of the Ineffable and another the word of the whole gnosis ? " The Saviour answered and said : *' Yea, another is the mystery of the Ineffable and another the word of the whole gnosis." And Mary answered again and said unto the Saviour : *' My Lord, bear with me, if I question thee, and be not wroth with me. Now, therefore, my Lord, unless we live and know the gnosis of the whole word of the Ineffable, shall we not be able to inherit the Light-kingdom?" And the Saviour answered | and said unto Mary : ** Surely ; for every one who shall receive a mystery of the Light-kingdom, will go and inherit up to the region up to which he hath received mysteries. But he will not know the gnosis of the universe, wherefor all this hath arisen, unless he knoweth the one and only word of the Ineffable, which is the gnosis of the universe. And again in openness : I am the gnosis of the universe. And moreover it is impossible to know the one and only word of the gnosis, unless a man first receive the mystery of the Ineffable. But all the men who shall receive mysteries in the Light, — every one will go and inherit up to the region up to which he hath received mysteries.

'* On this account I have said unto you aforetime : ' He who hath faith in a prophet, will receive a prophet's reward, and he who hath faith in a righteous [man] will receive a righteous [man's] reward,' — that is : Every one will go to the region up to which he hath received mysteries. He who receiveth a lesser mystery, will inherit the lesser mystery, and he who receiveth a higher mystery, will inherit the higher regions. And every one will abide in his region in the light of my kingdom, and every one will have power over the orders which are below him, but he will not have the power to go to the orders which are above him ; but he will abide in the region of the Inheritance of the Light | of 234. my kingdom, being in a great light immeasurable for the gods and all the invisibles, and he will ''f^ be in great joy and great jubilation. ** But now, therefore, hearken, that I may discourse with you concerning the grandeur of those who shall receive the mysteries of the First Mystery. *' He, therefore, who shall receive the [first] mystery of that First Mystery, and it shall be

Of the ascension of the souls of those who receive the twelve mysteries of the First Mystery. at the time that he cometh out of the body of the matter of the rulers, — then the retributive receivers come and lead the soul of that man out of the body. And that soul will become a great light-stream in the hands of the retributive receivers ; and those receivers will be afraid of the light of that soul. And that soul will go upwards and pass through all the regions of the rulers and all the regions of the emanations of the Light. And it will not give answers nor apologies nor tokens in any single region of the Light nor in any single region of the rulers ; but it will pass through all the regions and cross over them all, so that it goeth and ruleth over all the regions of the first saviour. " In like manner also he who shall receive the second mystery of the First Mystery and the third and fourth, until he shall receive the twelfth mystery of the First Mystery, if it shall be at the time I that he cometh out of the body of the matter of the rulers, — then the retributive receivers come and lead the soul of that man out of the body of matter. And those souls will become a great light-stream in the hands of the retributive receivers ;

and those receivers will be afraid of the light of those souls and will become powerless and fall on their faces. And those souls will straightway soar upwards and cross over all the regions of the rulers and all the regions of the emanations of the Light. They will not give answers nor apologies nor tokens in any single region ; but they will pass through all the regions and will cross over them all and rule over all the regions of the twelve saviours, so that they who receive the second mystery of the First

Mystery, will rule over all the regions of the second saviour in the inheritances of the Light. *' In like manner also those who receive the third mystery of the First Mystery and the fourth and fifth and sixth up to the twelfth, — every one will rule over all the regions of the saviour up to whom he hath received the mystery. '* And he who shall receive in sequence the twelfth mystery of the First Mystery, that is the master-mystery concerning which I discourse with you, — I and he who, therefore, shall receive 236. those twelve mysteries which belong to the First Mystery, if he goeth forth out of the world, will pass through all the regions of the rulers and all the regions of the Light, being a great light-stream, and he will moreover rule over all the regions of the twelve saviours ; but they will not be able to be like unto those who receive the one and only mystery of the Ineffable. But he who shall receive those mysteries will abide in those orders, because they are exalted, and he will abide in the orders of the twelve saviours." It came to pass, when Jesus had finished chap. 98. speakinfif these words unto his disciples, that Mary again

i- <~> -L ' questioneth Mary Magdalene came forward, kissed the feet Jesus. of Jesus and said unto him : " My Lord, bear with me and be not wroth with me, if I question thee ; but have mercy upon us, my Lord, and reveal unto us all things on which we shall question thee. Now, therefore, my Lord, how doth the First Mystery possess twelve mysteries, [and] the Ineffable possess a one and only mystery ? " Jesus answered and said unto her: *' Indeed of the three it possesseth a one and only mystery, yet that Sfive^ mystery constituteth three mysteries, although "^^^^^ it is the one and only mystery ; but the type of every one of them is different. And moreover it constituteth five mysteries, although it is a one and only [one] ; but the type of every one is different. So that these five mysteries are alike 237. with one another in the mystery | of the kingdom in the inheritances of the Light ; but the type of each of them is different. And their kingdom is higher and more exalted than the whole kingdom of the twelve mysteries together of the First Mystery ; but they are not alike in the kingdom [with the one and only mystery] of the First Mystery in the Light-kingdom.

** In like manner also the three mysteries are not [?] alike in the Light-kingdom ; but the type of every one of them is different. And they themselves also are not alike in the kingdom with the one and only mystery of the First Mystery in the Light-kingdom ; and the type of every one of the three of them, and the type of the configuration of each of them, is different Of the first *' The first [mystery of the First Mystery], — mystery. -^ thou accomplishcst its mystery altogether and standest and accomplishest it finely in all its figures, then dost thou come straightway out of thy body, become a great light-stream and pass through all the regions of the rulers and all the regions of the Light, while all are in fear of that soul, until it cometh to the region of Of the " The second mystery of the First Mystery, tery"^ ^^^' ^^ ^^c othcr hand, — | if thou accomplishest it 238. finely in all its figures, — the man, therefore, who shall accomplish its mystery, if he speaketh that mystery over the head of any man who goeth forth out of the body, and he speaketh it into his two ears, if indeed the man who goeth forth out of the body hath received mysteries for the second time and is sharing in the word of truth, — amen, I say unto you : That man, if he goeth forth out of the body of matter, then will his soul become a great light-stream and pass through all the regions, until it cometh to the kingdom of that mystery.

*' But if that man hath received no mysteries Of its effiand is not sharing in the words of truth, — ifunlmtiTted he who accomplisheth that mystery, speaketh that mystery over the head of a man who cometh forth out of the body and who hath received no mysteries of the Light, and shareth not in the words of truth, — amen, I say unto you : That man, if he cometh forth out of the body, will be judged in no region of the rulers, nor can he be chastized in any region at all, nor will the fire touch him, because of the great mystery of the Ineffable which is with him. ** And they will hasten quickly and hand him over one to another in turn and lead him from region to region and | from order to order, until 239. they bring him before the Virgin of Light, while all the regions are in fear of the mystery and the sign of the kingdom of the Ineffable which is with him. ** And if they bring him before the Virgin of Light, then the Virgin of Light will see the sign of the mystery of the kingdom of the Ineffable which is with him ; the Virgin of Light marvelleth and proveth him, but suffereth them not to bring him to the Light, until he accomplisheth the total

citizenship of the hght of that mystery, that is the purities of the renunciation of the world and also of the total matter therein. *' The Virgin of Light sealeth him with a higher seal, which is this [•••?]> and letteth him in that month in which he hath come out of the body of matter, light down into a body which will be righteous and find the godhead in truth and the higher mysteries, so that he may inherit them and inherit the Light eternal, which is the gift of the second mystery of the First Mystery of the Ineffable. Of the third *' The third mystery of that Ineffable on the mystery. other hand, — the man indeed who shall accomplish that mystery, not only if he [himself] cometh forth out of the body, will he inherit the kingdom of the mystery, but if he complete that mystery 240, and accomplish it with | all its figures, that is if he go through with that mystery and accomplish it finely and pronounce the name of that mystery Of its effi- over a man who cometh forth out of the body and hath known that mystery, — let the former have delayed or rather not have delayed, — one who is in the dire chastisements of the rulers and in their dire judgments and their manifold fires, — amen, I say unto you : The man who hath come forth out of the body, — if the name of this mystery is pronounced on his behalf, they will hasten quickly to bring him over and hand him over one to another, until they bring him before the Virgin of Light. And the Virgin of Light will seal him with a higher seal, which is this [...?], and in that month will she let him light down into the righteous body which will find the godhead in truth and the higher mystery, so that

he inherit the Light-kingdom. This, therefore, is the gift of the third mystery of the Ineffable. ** Now, therefore, every one who shall receive of the three one of the five mysteries of the Ineffable, — if he mysteries. Cometh forth out of the body and inheriteth up to the region of that mystery, then is the kingdom of those five mysteries higher than the kingdom of the twelve mysteries of the First Mystery, and it is higher than all the mysteries | which are 241 below them. But those five mysteries of the Ineffable are alike with one another in their kingdom, yet are they not alike with the three mysteries of the Ineffable. '* He on the other hand who receiveth of the three mysteries of the Ineffable, if he cometh forth out of the body, will inherit up to the kingdom of that mystery. And those three mysteries are alike with one another in the kingdom and they are higher and more exalted than the five mysteries of the Ineffable in the kingdom, but they are not alike with the one and only mystery of the Ineffable. " He on the other hand who receiveth the one Of the and only mystery of the Ineffable, will inherit S^tirthree the region of the whole kingdom according to ^^^^^^ its whole glory, as I have already told you at another time. And every one who shall receive the mystery which is in the space of the universe of the Ineffable, and all the other mysteries which are united in the Limbs of the Ineffable, concerning which I have not yet spoken unto you, and concerning their expansion and the manner ^ of their setting-up and the type of every one, how it is and wherefor it is named the Ineffable or wherefor it standeth expanded with all its

Limbs and how many Limbs are in it and all 242. its economies, | of which I will not tell you now, but when I come to the expansion of the universe I will tell you all severally, — to wit, its expansions and its description, how it is, and the aggregation [?] of all its Limbs, which belong to the economy of the One and Only, the unapproachable God in truth, — up to what region, therefore, every one shall receive the mysteries in the space of the Ineffable, up to that region will he inherit up to which he hath received. And those of the whole region of the space of that Ineffable give no answers in that region, nor give they apologies, nor give they tokens, for they are without tokens and they have no receivers, but they pass through all the regions, until they come to the region of the kingdom of the mystery which they have received. *' In like manner also those who shall receive mysteries in the second space, they have no answers nor apologies, for they are without tokens in that world, which is the space of the first mystery of the First Mystery.

*' And those of the third space, which is without, which is the third space from without [? within], 243. — every region in that space hath | its receivers and its explanations and its apologies and its tokens, which I will one day tell you when I come to speak of that mystery, that is when I shall have told you of the expansion of the universe. Of the reign "Albeit at the dissolution of the universe, sand years that is whcn the numbcr of the perfect souls is of the Light, completed and the mystery [through] which the universe altogether hath risen, is completed, I will pass a thousand years according to the years of the Light, being king over all the emanations of the Light and over the whole number of the perfect souls who have received all mysteries." It came to pass, when Jesus had finished chap. 99. speaking these words unto his disciples, that Mary Magdalene came forward and said : " My Lord, how many years of the years of the world is a year of the Light ? " Jesus answered and said unto Mary : ** A day what is a of the Light is a thousand years in the world, ilght. so that thirty-six-myriads of years and a halfmyriad of years of the world are a single year of the Light.

*' I shall, therefore, pass a thousand years of the Light being king in the midst of the last Helper, and being king over all the emanations of the Light and over the whole number of the perfect souls who have received the mysteries of the Light. ** And ye, my disciples, and every one who shall Of those of receive the mystery of the Ineffable, will | abide space in the with me on my right and on my left, being kings ihe^ttou-^* with me in my kingdom. s^nd years. " And they who shall receive the three mysteries ^^^' of that Ineffable, will be fellow-kings with you in the Light-kingdom ; but they will not be alike with you and with those who receive the mystery of the Ineffable, but they will rather abide behind you, being kings. *' And they who receive the five mysteries of the Ineffable, will also abide behind the three mysteries, being also kings. ** And moreover they who receive the twelfth mystery of the First Mystery, will also again Of those of the second space. Of those of the third space, the first from without. abide behind the five mysteries of the Ineffable, being also kings according to the order of every one of them.

" And all who receive of the mysteries in all the regions of the space of the Ineffable, will also be kings and abide before those who receive the mystery of the First Mystery, expanded according to the glory of every one of them, so that those who receive the higher mysteries, will abide in the higher regions, and those who receive the lower mysteries, will abide in the lower regions, being kings in the Ught of my kingdom. *' These alone are the allotment of the kingdom of the first space of the Ineffable. | ** They on the other hand who receive all the mysteries of the second space, that is of the space of the First Mystery, will again abide in the light of my kingdom, expanded according to the glory of every one of them, and every one of them being in the mystery up to which he hath received. And those who receive the higher mysteries, will also abide in the higher regions, and those who receive the lower mysteries, will abide in the lower regions in the light of my kingdom. " This is the allotment of the second king for those who receive the mystery of the second space of the First Mystery.

" Those on the other hand who receive the mysteries of the third space, that is of the first space from without, those again will abide behind the second king, expanded in the light of my kingdom, according to the glory of every one of them, every one abiding in the region up to which he hath received mysteries, so that those who receive the higher mysteries, will abide in the higher regions, and those who receive the lower mysteries, will abide in the lower regions. ** These are the three allotments of the Lightkingdom. ** The mysteries of these three allotments of the Light are exceedingly numerous. Ye shall find them in the two great Books of Yew. But I will give you and tell you the great mysteries | of 246. every allotment, those which are higher than every region, that is the heads according to every region and according to every order which will lead the whole race of men into the higher regions, according to the space of the Inheritance. " Of the rest of the lower mysteries, therefore, of the Books ye have no need ; but ye will find them in the ° ®^' two Books of Yew, which Enoch hath written whilst I spake with him out of the tree of gnosis and out of the tree of life in the paradise of Adam.

'' Now, therefore, when I shall have explained unto you the whole expansion, I will give you and tell you the great mysteries of the three allotments of my kingdom, that is the heads of the mysteries which I will give you and tell you in all their figures and all their types and in their ciphers and the seals of the last space, that is the first space from without. And I will tell you the answers and the apologies and the tokens of that space. " The second space which is within, possesseth no answers nor apologies nor tokens nor ciphers nor seals ; but it possesseth only types and figures." When the Saviour had finished saying all this chap. lOO. unto his disciples, | Andrew came forward and 247. said : *' My Lord, be not wroth with me, but have That the disciples and the powers are all from the same Mixture. mercy upon me and reveal unto me the mystery of the word concerning which I shall question thee, for it hath been hard for me and I have not understood it." The Saviour answered and said unto him : *' Question concerning that on which thou desirest to question, and I will reveal it unto thee face to face without similitude."

And Andrew answered and said : *' My Lord, I am astonished and marvel exceedingly, how the men who are in the world and in the body of this matter, if they come forth out of this world, will pass through these firmaments and all these rulers and all lords and all gods and all these great invisibles and all those of the region of the Midst and those of the whole region of the Right and all the great [ones] of the emanations of the Light, and enter into them all and inherit the Light-kingdom. This matter, therefore, is hard for me." When then Andrew had said this, the spirit of the Saviour was roused in him ; he cried out and said : "" How long am I to endure you ? How long am I to bear with you ? Have ye then not even yet understood and are ye ignorant ? Know ye then not and do ye not understand that ye and all angels and all archangels and the gods and the lords and all the rulers and all the great invisibles | and all those of the Midst and those of the whole region of the Right and all the great [ones] of the emanations of the Light and their whole glory, — that ye all one with another are out of one and the same paste and the same matter and the same substance, and that ye all are out of the same Mixture.

*' And at the commandment of the First Mystery the Mixture was constrained, until all the great [ones] of the emanations of the Light and all their glory purified themselves, and until they purified themselves from the Mixture. And they have not purified themselves of themselves, but they have purified themselves by necessity according to the" economy of the One and Only, the Ineffable. *' They indeed have not at all suffered and have not at all changed themselves in the regions, nor at all torn themselves asunder nor poured themselves into bodies of different kinds and from one into another, nor have they been in any affliction at all. *' Ye then in particular are the refuse of the of transTreasury and ye are the refuse of the region of aM purifi-"^ the Right and ye are the refuse of the region of nation. those of the Midst and ye are the refuse of all the invisibles and of all the rulers ; in a word, ye are the refuse of all these. And ye are in great sufferings and great afflictions in your being poured from one into another of different kinds of bodies | of the world. And after 249. all these sufferings ye have struggled of yourselves and fought, having renounced the whole world and all the matter therein ; and ye have not left off seeking, until ye found all the mysteries of the kingdom of the Light, which have purified you and made you into refined light, exceedingly purified, and ye have become purified light.

*' For this cause have I said unto you aforetime : ' Seek, that ye may find.' I have, therefore, said unto you : Ye are to seek after the mysteries of the Light, which purify the body of matter and make it into refined light exceedingly purified. Of thepuri- '* Amen, I say unto you : For the sake of the teriel^^*^^ race of men, because it is material, I have torn myself asunder and brought unto them all the mysteries of the Light, that I may purify them, for they are the refuse of the whole matter of their matter ; else would no soul of the total ^ race of men have been saved, and they would not be able to inherit the kingdom of the Light, if I had not brought unto them the purifying mysteries. ** For the emanations of the Light have no need of the mysteries, for they are purified ; but it is the race of men which hath need of them, because they all are material refuse [pL]. For this cause, therefore, have I said unto you aforetime : 250. ' The healthy have no need | of the physician, but

the sick,' — that is : Those of the Light have no need of the mysteries, for they are purified lights ; but it is the race of men which hath need of them, for [they] are material refuse [p?.]. '* For this cause, therefore, herald to the whole race of men, saying : Cease not to seek day and night, until ye find the purifying mysteries ; and say unto the race of men : Eenounce the whole world and the whole matter therein. For he who buyeth and selleth in the world and he who eateth and drinketh of its matter and who liveth in all its cares and in all its associations, amasseth other additional matters to the rest of his matter, because this whole world and all therein and all its associations are material refuse [p^.], and they will make enquiry of every one concerning his purity. *' For this cause, therefore, I have said unto you aforetime : Renounce the whole world and the whole matter therein, that ye may not amass other additional matter to the rest of your matter in you. For this cause, therefore, herald it to the whole race of men, saying : Renounce the whole world and all its associations, | that 251. ye may not amass additional matter to the rest of your matter in you ; and say unto them : Cease not to seek day and night and remit not yourselves until ye find the purifying mysteries which will purify you and make you into a refined light, so that ye will go on high and inherit the light of my kingdom.

** Now, therefore, Andrew and all thy brethren That aii who . , T • 1 1 p ... are purified thy co-disciples, because 01 your renunciations wiii be and all your sufferings which ye have endured ^^^®^* in every region, and because of your changes in every region and of your being poured from one into another of different kinds of bodies and because of all your afflictions, and after all this ye have received the purifying mysteries and are become refined light exceedingly purified, — for this cause, therefore, ye will go on high and penetrate into all the regions of all the great emanations of the Light and be kings in the " But if ye come forth out of the body and That finally come on high and reach unto the region of the higher than rulers, then will all the rulers be seized with shame ^^ p^^^^^- before you, because ye are the refuse of their matter and have become light more purified than them all. And | if ye reach unto the region of 252. the Great Invisible and unto the region of those of the Midst and of those of the Right and unto

the regions of all the great emanations of the Light, then will ye be revered among them all, because ye are the refuse of their matter and are became light more purified than them all. And all the regions will sing praises before you, until ye come to the region of the kingdom. *' This is the answer to the words on which ye question. Now, therefore, Andrew, art thou still in unfaith and unknowing ? " ^ Jesus When then the Saviour said this, Andrew knew the ignorance clcarly, not ouly he but also all the disciples knew with precision that they should inherit the Light-kingdom. They all threw themselves down together at Jesus' feet, cried aloud, wept and besought the Saviour, saying : *' Lord, forgive our brother the sin of unknowing." The Saviour answered and said : *' I forgive and will forgive ; for this cause, therefore, hath the First Mystery sent me, that I may forgive every one his sins."

CHAP. 101. ** And those who are worthy of the mysteries Limbs of the which abide in the Ineffable, which are those Ineffable. which have not gone forth, — these exist before the First Mystery, and to use a likeness and similitude, that ye may understand it, they are as the Limbs of the Ineffable. And every one existeth according to the dignity of its glory : the head according * These two sentences are placed at the end of the preceding paragraph, but clearly belong here. to the dignity of the head and the eye according to the dignity | of the eyes and the ear according to 253. the dignity of the ears and the rest of the Limbs [in Hke fashion] ; so that the matter is manifest : There is a multitude of Hmbs but one only body. Of this indeed have I spoken in a pattern and similitude and likeness, but not in a form in truth ; nor have I revealed the word in truth, but the mystery [only] of the Ineffable. '' And all the Limbs which are in it, — according The Saviour to the word with which I have made comparison, — treasury. that is, those which abide on the mystery of the Ineffable, and those which abide in it, and also the three spaces which are after them according to the mysteries, — of all these in truth and verity I am their treasury beside whom there is no other treasury, who hath not his hke in the world ; but there are still words and mysteries and other regions.

'* Now, therefore, blessed is he who hath found of the the [words of the] mysteries [of the first space] Sio^^who which is from without ; and he is a god who hath cSved^the found these words of the mysteries of the second mysteries, space, which is in the midst ; and he is a saviour and an uncontainable who hath found the words of the mysteries of the third space, which is within, and he is more excellent than the universe and Hke unto those who are in that third space. Because he hath found the mystery in which they are and in which they stand, — | for this cause, 254. therefore, is he Hke unto them. He on the other hand who hath found the words of the mysteries which I have described unto you according to a Hkeness, that they are the Limbs of the Ineffable, —amen, I say unto you : That man who hath found the words of these mysteries in divine truth, is the first in truth and Uke unto him [sc, the First, i.e, the Ineffable], for through those words and mysteries . . . and the universe itself standeth through that First. For this cause he who hath found the words of those mysteries, is Hke unto the First. For it is the gnosis of the gnosis of the Ineffable concerning which I have discoursed with you this day."

Jesus continued again in the discourse and said chap. 102. unto his disciples: ** When I shall have gone ^* *^® p^^- ^ , ^ clamation into the Light, then herald it unto the whole of the disworld and say unto them : Cease not to seek day and night and remit not yourselves until ye find the mysteries of the Light-kingdom, which will purify you and make you into refined light and lead you into the Light-kingdom. ** Say unto them: Renounce the whole world what men and the whole matter therein and all its cares nounce!^^ and all its sins, in a word all its | associations 255. which are in it, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from all the chastisements which are in the judgments. ** Say unto them : Renounce murmuring, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the fire of the dog-faced [one]. *' Say unto them: Renounce eavesdropping [?], that ye may [be worthy of the mysteries of the Light] and be saved from the judgments of the dog-faced [one]. *' Say unto them : Renounce litigiousness [?], that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the chastisements of Ariel.

'* Say unto them : Renounce false slander, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the fire-rivers of the dog-faced [one]. ** Say unto them : Eenounce false witness, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and that ye may escape and be saved from the fire-rivers of the dog-faced [one]. *' Say unto them : Renounce pride and haughtiness, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the fire-pits of Ariel. '' Say unto them : Renounce belly-love, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the judgments of Amente. " Say unto them : Renounce babbling, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the fires of Amente. 256. '' Say unto them : | Renounce craftiness, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the chastisements which are in Amente. " Say unto them : Renounce avarice, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the fire-rivers of the dog-faced [one].

" Say unto them : Renounce love of the world, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the pitch- and firecoats of the dog-faced [one]. " Say unto them : Renounce pillage, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the fire-rivers of Ariel. *' Say unto them : Renounce evil conversation, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the chastisements of the fire-rivers .... *' Say unto them : Renounce wickedness, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the fire-seas of Ariel. '* Say unto them : Renounce pitilessness, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the judgments of the dragonfaced [ones]. *' Say unto them : Renounce wrath, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the fire-rivers of the dragonfaced [ones.] ** Say unto them : Renounce cursing, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the fire-seas of the dragonfaced [ones]. I ** Say unto them : Renounce thieving, that ye 257. may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the bubbhng seas of the dragon-faced [ones].

'' Say unto them : Renounce robbery, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from Yaldabaoth. " Say unto them : Renounce slandering, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the fire-rivers of the lionfaced [one]. '' Say unto them : Renounce fighting and strife, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the seething rivers of Yaldabaoth. ** Say unto them : Renounce all unknowing, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the servitors of Yaldabaoth and the fire-seas. ** Say unto them : Renounce evil doing, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from all the demons of Yaldabaoth and all his judgments. '* Say unto them : Renounce sloth, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the seething pitch-seas of Yaldabaoth. ** Say unto them : Renounce adultery, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Lightkingdom and be saved from the sulphur- and pitch-seas of the lion-faced [one]. *' Say unto them : Renounce murder, that ye

may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the crocodile-faced ruler, — 258, this one who is in the cold, | is the first chamber of the outer darkness. *' Say unto them : Renounce pitilessness and impiety, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the rulers of the outer darkness. " Say unto them : Renounce atheism, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the howling and grinding of teeth. '* Say unto them : Renounce [magic] potions, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the great cold and the hail of the outer darkness. ** Say unto them : Renounce blasphemy, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the great dragon of the outer darkness. ** Say unto them : Renounce the doctrines of error, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from all the chas- tisements of the great dragon of the outer darkness. *' Say unto those who teach the doctrines of error and to every one who is instructed by them : Woe unto you, for, if ye do not repent and abandon your error, ye will go into the chastisements of the great dragon and of the outer darkness, which is exceedingly evil, and never will ye be cast [up] into the world, but will be non-existent until the end. |

** Say unto those who abandon the doctrines 259. of truth of the First Mystery : Woe unto you, for your chastisement is sad compared with [that of] all men. For ye will abide in the great cold and ice and hail in the midst of the dragon and of the outer darkness, and ye will never from this hour on be cast [up] into the world, but ye shall be frozen up [?] in that region and at the dissolution of the universe ye will perish and become non-existent eternally. *' Say rather to the men of the world: BeThebound- 1 J 1 1 • J 1 1 • Q jt aries of the calm, that ye may receive the mysteries 01 the ways of the Light and go on high into the Light-kingdom. worthy. '* Say unto them : Be ye loving-unto-men, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and go on high into the Light-kingdom. *' Say unto them : Be ye gentle, that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light and go on high into the Light-kingdom. *' Say unto them : Be ye peaceful, that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light and go on high into the Light-kingdom.

*' Say unto them : Be ye merciful, that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light and go on high into the Light-kingdom. Unto whom are the mysteries of the Light to be given. The mysteries are for the forgiveness of sins. " Say unto them : Give ye alms, that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light and go on high into the Light-kingdom. *' Say unto them : Minister unto the poor and the sick and distressed, that ye may receive the mysteries | of the Light and go on high into the Light-kingdom. " Say unto them : Be ye loving-unto-God, that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light and go on high into the Light-kingdom. ** Say unto them : Be ye righteous, that ye may receive the mysteries [of the Light] and go on high into the Light-kingdom. " Say unto them : Be good, that ye may receive the mysteries [of the Light] and go on high into the Light-kingdom. ** Say unto them : Renounce all, that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light and go on high into the Light-kingdom. " These are all the boundaries of the ways for those who are worthy of the mysteries of the Light.

*' Unto, such, therefore, who have renounced in this renunciation, give the mysteries of the Light and hide them not from them at all, even though they are sinners and they have been in all the sins and all the iniquities of the world, all of which I have recounted unto you, in order that they may turn and repent and be in the submission which I have just recounted unto you. Give unto them the mysteries of the Lightkingdom and hide them not from them at all ; for it is because of sinfulness that I have brought the mysteries into the world, that I may forgive all their sins which they have committed from the beginning on. For this cause have I said unto you aforetime : ' I am not come to call the righteous.' Now, | therefore, I have 26i. brought the mysteries that [their] sins may be forgiven for every one and they be received into the Light-kingdom. For the mysteries are the gift of the First Mystery, that he may wipe out the sins and iniquities of all sinners." It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished chap. io3. saying these words unto his disciples, that Mary ^oneth^ht came forward and said to the Saviour : '' My Saviour. Lord, will then a righteous man who is perfected in all righteousness, and that man who hath no sin at all, will such an one be tormented in the chastisements and judgments or not ? Or will rather that man be brought into the kingdom of heaven or not ? "

And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary : of the soui *' A righteous man who is perfected in all righteous- eous man^* ness and who hath never committed anv sin of ^^^. ^**^,^^* any kind, and such an one who never hath mysteries at received mysteries of the Light, if the time is at hand when he goeth forth out of the body, then straightway come the receivers of one of the great triple-powers, — those among whom there is a great [one], — snatch away the soul of that man from the hands of the retributive receivers and spend three days circling with it in all the creatures of the world. After three days they lead it down into the chaos, so as to lead it into all the chastisements of the judgments and to dispatch it to all the judgments. The fires of the | chaos do not trouble it greatly ; but they will 262. trouble it partly for a short time. *' And with haste they take pity on it quickly, to lead it up out of the chaos and lead it on the way of the midst through all the rulers. And they [sc, the rulers] do not chastize it in their harsh judgments, but the fire of their regions troubleth it partly. And if it shall be brought into the region of Yachthanabas, the pitiless, then will he indeed not be able to chastize it in his evil judgments, but he holdeth it fast a short time, while the fire of his chastisements troubleth it partly.

'* And again they take pity on it quickly, and lead it up out of those regions of theirs and they do not bring it into the seons, so that the rulers of the aeons do not carry it away ravishingly; they bring it on the way of the sun and bring it before the Virgin of Light. She proveth it and findeth that it is pure of sins, but letteth them not bring it to the Light, because the sign of the kingdom of the mystery is not with it. But she sealeth it with a higher seal and letteth it 263. be cast down into the body | into the aeons of righteousness, — that body which will be good to find the signs of the mysteries of the Light and inherit the Light-kingdom for ever. "If on the contrary he hath sinned once or twice or thrice, then will he be cast back into the world again according to the type of the sins which he hath committed, the type of which I will tell you when I shall have told you the expansion of the universe. '' But amen, amen, I say unto you: Even if a righteous man hath committed no sins at all, he cannot possibly be brought into the Lightkingdom, because the sign of the kingdom of the mysteries is not with him. In a word, it is impossible to bring souls into the Light without the mysteries of the Light-kingdom."

It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished chap. 104. saying these words unto his disciples, that John ^oneth"^^ came forward and said : '' My Lord, suppose Jesus, a sinning and a law-breaking man is replete in all iniquities, and he hath ceased from these for the sake of the kingdom of heaven and renounced the whole world and the whole matter therein, and we give him from the beginning onwards the mysteries of the Light which are in the first space from without, and if he receiveth the mysteries, and after a Httle while again if he returneth and transgresseth, and thereafter again if he turneth and ceaseth from all sins and turneth and | renounceth the whole world 264. and the whole matter therein, so that he cometh again and is in great repentance, and if we know truly in truth that he longeth after God, so that we give him the second mystery of the first space which is from without ; — in like manner if he turneth anew and transgresseth and is again in the sins of the world, and again if he thereafter turneth and ceaseth from the sins of the world and again renounceth the whole world and the whole matter therein and again is in great repentance, and we know it with certainty that he is not a play-actor, so that we turn and give him the mysteries of the beginning, which [are] in the first space from without ; — in like manner, if he turneth again and sinneth and is in every type [of sin]; — desirest thou that we forgive him unto seven times and give him the mysteries which are in the first space from without, unto seven times or not ? "

The Saviour answered again and said unto John : ** Not only forgive him unto seven times, The disciples are to forgive many times seven times. Of the reward of the savers of souls. John continueth his questioning. but amen, I say unto you : Forgive him unto many times seven times, and every time give him the mysteries from the beginning onwards which are in the first space from without. Perchance ye win the soul of that brother and he inheriteth the Light-kingdom. ** For this cause, therefore, when ye questioned me aforetime, | saying : ' If our brother sin against us, desirest thou that we forgive him unto seven times ? ' — I answered and spake unto you in a simiUtude, saying : ' Not only unto seven times, but unto seventy times seven.' *' Now, therefore, forgive him many times and every time give him the mysteries which are in the first space which is from without. Perchance ye win the soul of that brother and he inheriteth the Light-kingdom. *' Amen, amen, I say unto you : He who shall keep in Life and save only one soul, besides the dignity which he possesseth in the Lightkingdom, he will receive yet another dignity for the soul which he hath saved, so that he who shall save many souls, besides the dignity which he possesseth in the Light he will receive many other dignities for the souls which he hath saved."

When then the Saviour had said this, John started forward and said : " My Lord, bear with me if I question thee, for from now on I will begin to question thee on all things concerning the manner, how we are to herald it to mankind. " If, therefore, I give that brother a mystery out of the mysteries of the beginning which are in the first space from without, and if I give him many mysteries and he doeth not what | is worthy of the kingdom of heaven, — desirest thou that we let him pass through to the mysteries of the second space ? Perchance we win the soul of that brother, and he turneth, repenteth and inheriteth the Light-kingdom. Desirest thou that we let him pass through to the mysteries [which are in the second space] or not ? " And the Saviour answered and said unto John : That the *' If it is a brother who is not play-acting, but ^^^u bT^ in truth lonereth after God, if ye have given ^^^^^ ^^^^^ *-* . . . unto a re- him many times the mysteries of the beginning pentant and because of the necessity of the elements of even up to the Fate he hath not done what is worthy of *{;^ g^J^^^* the mysteries of the Light-kingdom, then forgive ^p^^®- him, let him pass through and give him the first mystery which is in the second space. Perchance ye win the soul of that brother.

" And if he hath not done what is worthy of the mysteries of the Light and hath committed transgression and divers sins, and thereafter hath turned' again and been in great repentance and hath renounced the whole world and ceased from all the sins of the world, and ye know with certainty that he doth not play-act but in truth longeth after God, then turn ye anew, forgive him, let him pass on through and give him the second mystery in the second | space of the First Mystery. Per- 267. chance ye win the soul of that brother and he inheriteth the Light-kingdom. *' And again if he hath not done what is worthy of the mysteries, but hath been in transgression and divers sins, and thereafter again hath turned and been in great repentance and hath renounced the whole world and the whole matter therein and ceased from the sins of the world, so that The limit of the power of the dis- ye know truly that he is not play-acting but longeth truly after God, then turn ye anew, forgive him and receive his repentance, because the First Mystery is compassionate and mercifulminded ; let also that man pass through and give him the three mysteries together which are in the second space of the First Mystery.

** If that man [then] transgresseth and is in divers sins, from that moment onwards ye are give sins *°^" ^^^ ^^ forgive him nor to receive his repentance ; but let him be among you as a stumbling-block and as a transgressor. ** For, amen, I say unto you : Those three mysteries will be witnesses for his last repentance, and he hath not repentance from this moment onwards. For, amen, I say unto you : The soul of that man will not | be cast back into the world above from this moment onwards, but will be in the abodes of the dragon of the outer darkness. *' For regarding the souls of such men I have spoken unto you aforetime in a similitude, saying : * If thy brother sinneth against thee, bring him over between thee alone and him. If he hearkeneth unto thee, thou wilt win thy brother ; if he hearkeneth not unto thee, take with thee yet another. If he hearkeneth not unto thee and the other, bring him to the assembly. If he hearken not unto the others, let him be for you as a transgressor and as a stumbling-block.' — That is : If he is not usable in the first mystery, give him the second ; and if he is not usable in the second give him the three, assembled together, which is * the assembly ' ; and if he is not usable in the third mystery, let him be for you as a stumbhngblock and as a transgressor.