The most profound concept differentiating literal Christianity and Gnosticism can be summed up perfectly in the Gospel of Philip's three line scripture concerning the lord's father. It states:
The lord would never say, "My father who is in heaven"
unless he had another father elsewhere.
He would simply say, "My father."
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
The Gnostic Universe At A Glance
This article is an addition to the Gnostic Definitions segment on the side column. I've put together a few diagrams to assist in this. Please forgive the small format of these pictures as they were created using Microsoft Paint. Simply double click on the images to bring up the details closer to you. You can even right click and select "Open in new window(or tab)" so you can flip back here to the definitions as you examine the diagram.
This first diagram depicts the more common "onion" gnostic universe scheme. Humans(and other sentient creatures in the universe) being the center focus and moving outward we have the Archons, the Demiurge, Sophia, the Aeons, and finally the All which is everywhere and in everything, including humans. In depth definitions of these personalities are further down.
Next, we have a depiction of the Gnostic Universe but with a variation commonly seen in the Cathar sect. In it, the All is on equal footing with the Demiurge and equal space is occupied by them. Humans, Archons, Sophia, and the Aeons are all found within the center overlapping design.
There is a slightly more rare design of the Cathars which depicts a triune of the All, the Demiurge, and Sophia in three large interconnected and overlapping circles. The Aeons, Archons, and Humans would be in the very center.
Moving from the outer to the inner circles, here are definitions:
The All/Pleroma: Greek, meaning "the fullness." The totality of divine powers. The Divine Principal. The good god. The one who is incomparable and incomprehensible. The All. The one who made the elements that the universe is made from but not the one who made the universe itself. He did not give it form. He simply exists as The All.
Aeons: emanations of The All. In the various systems these emanations are differently named, classified, and described, but the emanation theory itself is common to all forms of Gnosticism. They are described as existing in layers(like an onion) between human beings and The All. Complex hierarchies of Aeons are thus produced, sometimes to the number of thirty. These Aeons belong to the purely ideal, noumenal, intelligible, or supersensible world; they are immaterial, they are hypostatic ideas. Together with the source from which they emanate they form the Pleroma ("region of light"). The lowest regions of the Pleroma are closest to the darkness—that is, the physical world.
Sophia: Greek for "wisdom." This female personality is a bit tricky to pin down. In some Eastern Orthodox Christian sects she is seen as the Virgin Mary. In some gnostic texts she is also known as Eve, in that she was duped or made a mistake which lead to the flaws and separation of man from God. In others she is described as the female child of the Divine Principal. There are correlations between these variations but some are subtle while others are more blatant. The cross over from the Christian tradition into the Gnostic tradition is that "Eve" was the first female child of a god and so was Sophia. Both gave birth. Sophia's childbirth was virginal whereas Eve's was not. So this calling Sophia "Eve" is more of a half-truth based descriptive, merely letting readers know that Sophia was The First of her kind.
The gnostic Sophia was formed out of the mind of The All. Sophia then makes a decision to do some action(text explanations vary widely) and in the process of attempting this, she creates the demiurge(God/Yahweh). Embarrassed, and fearing reprisals from The All, she hides Him away in a void all by himself. God, thinking he's all alone and the only god in existence creates the earth and heavens as well as human beings to worship Him. That's the extremely short and sweet version.
Yahweh/God/Jehovah/demiurge/the arrogant one: the Judeo-Christian God described in the New Testament who said in Exodus, "for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God." The child of Sophia. The one who formed the universe from the elements pleroma made. Also known as the "half-maker" because he had taken the divine substance and fashioned out of it a world. He is the spiritual being who had become forgetful of his origins, even of the ultimate God. He thinks that he is the totality and there is no other God before him.
Archons: servants of the demiurge. False rulers. The angels and demons of the Old Testament. The lures and distractions of this material world.
This first diagram depicts the more common "onion" gnostic universe scheme. Humans(and other sentient creatures in the universe) being the center focus and moving outward we have the Archons, the Demiurge, Sophia, the Aeons, and finally the All which is everywhere and in everything, including humans. In depth definitions of these personalities are further down.
Next, we have a depiction of the Gnostic Universe but with a variation commonly seen in the Cathar sect. In it, the All is on equal footing with the Demiurge and equal space is occupied by them. Humans, Archons, Sophia, and the Aeons are all found within the center overlapping design.
There is a slightly more rare design of the Cathars which depicts a triune of the All, the Demiurge, and Sophia in three large interconnected and overlapping circles. The Aeons, Archons, and Humans would be in the very center.
Moving from the outer to the inner circles, here are definitions:
The All/Pleroma: Greek, meaning "the fullness." The totality of divine powers. The Divine Principal. The good god. The one who is incomparable and incomprehensible. The All. The one who made the elements that the universe is made from but not the one who made the universe itself. He did not give it form. He simply exists as The All.
Aeons: emanations of The All. In the various systems these emanations are differently named, classified, and described, but the emanation theory itself is common to all forms of Gnosticism. They are described as existing in layers(like an onion) between human beings and The All. Complex hierarchies of Aeons are thus produced, sometimes to the number of thirty. These Aeons belong to the purely ideal, noumenal, intelligible, or supersensible world; they are immaterial, they are hypostatic ideas. Together with the source from which they emanate they form the Pleroma ("region of light"). The lowest regions of the Pleroma are closest to the darkness—that is, the physical world.
Sophia: Greek for "wisdom." This female personality is a bit tricky to pin down. In some Eastern Orthodox Christian sects she is seen as the Virgin Mary. In some gnostic texts she is also known as Eve, in that she was duped or made a mistake which lead to the flaws and separation of man from God. In others she is described as the female child of the Divine Principal. There are correlations between these variations but some are subtle while others are more blatant. The cross over from the Christian tradition into the Gnostic tradition is that "Eve" was the first female child of a god and so was Sophia. Both gave birth. Sophia's childbirth was virginal whereas Eve's was not. So this calling Sophia "Eve" is more of a half-truth based descriptive, merely letting readers know that Sophia was The First of her kind.
The gnostic Sophia was formed out of the mind of The All. Sophia then makes a decision to do some action(text explanations vary widely) and in the process of attempting this, she creates the demiurge(God/Yahweh). Embarrassed, and fearing reprisals from The All, she hides Him away in a void all by himself. God, thinking he's all alone and the only god in existence creates the earth and heavens as well as human beings to worship Him. That's the extremely short and sweet version.
Yahweh/God/Jehovah/demiurge/the arrogant one: the Judeo-Christian God described in the New Testament who said in Exodus, "for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God." The child of Sophia. The one who formed the universe from the elements pleroma made. Also known as the "half-maker" because he had taken the divine substance and fashioned out of it a world. He is the spiritual being who had become forgetful of his origins, even of the ultimate God. He thinks that he is the totality and there is no other God before him.
Archons: servants of the demiurge. False rulers. The angels and demons of the Old Testament. The lures and distractions of this material world.
Book Review
The Laughing Jesus (Religious Lies & Gnostic Wisdom)By: Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy
These two authors are at the top of my Favorites list. I seriously doubt if any other other authors have ever offered such a conversational and practical piece of literature on ancient gnostic wisdom as this book.
If you're looking for a way to dive right in and have someone point out the differences between literalist religious dogma and ancient gnostic wisdom- this is your book. I highly recommend you run out and find it. If you like 'lighter' reading it will end up being the bread and butter of the religious section on your bookshelf. The authors have created a book which is a frank discussion on the butchery of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism in the first half. The second half speaks conversationally about exactly why Gnostics were(and are) persecuted so heavily. The answer is simple: Gnostics didn't see a need for clergy. Gnosis is found through experience with the divine through direction conversations, not by developing a level of blind faith or performing good deeds. Learning how to live lucidly is the key.
I hope the authors would forgive this little blogster for quoting a few of my favorite passages from their book. Hopefully they will whet your appetite for more.
Excerpt from Chapter 9
"If you can stand back far enough from your cultural conditioning, the Literalist Christian message looks absurd and grotesque. You were born in sin and deserve to be punished. So God sent his own son, Jesus, to planet Earth to suffer horribly on the cross to pay for your sins. Jesus died for you and then resurrected and went to Heaven. And, if you believe that this really happened, you will also go to Heaven when you die, where you will have a very nice time forever. But if you don't believe that the resurrection really happened, when you die you will go to Hell and be subjected to really horrible tortures for all eternity. By a God of love!
It's a gruesome doctrine and inherently flawed. Surely, for any compassionate person, the existence of Hell must make the enjoyment of Heaven impossible. How could anyone with an ounce of kindness enjoy Heaven knowing that others languished in Hell, simply for not believing in an historical event for which there is no evidence anyway! It seems somewhat harsh. If there really is a God running this post-mortem apartheid, then he's a monster and we need to indict him for crimes against humanity.
We are extremely glad to tell you, however, that this grim Literalist version of the Christian message has nothing to do with the teachings of the original Gnostic Christians. They did not teach that believing in the historical death and resurrection of Jesus would save us from Hell when we die. That would be impossible because, according to the Gnostics, we are already dead and living in Hell right now!"
Excerpt from Chapter 7
"Gnostic philosophy is extreme sports for the mind. It is for those who relish the rush of exhilaration as they free-fall into uncertainty. The buzz of alert concentration as they scale the mountain of imagination, seeking out a higher view. The thrill of anticipation as they wait to ride a swell of insight as it surges up from the depths. Always hoping for the big one. Gnostic philosophy isn't safely theoretical. It is live and dangerous. It is a profound exploration of the great mysteries of life and death. An heroic adventure to excite the soul. Some people dismiss all philosophy as abstract and irrelevant. But Gnostic philosophy can utterly transform our understanding of who we are and what it is to be alive. What could be more concrete and relevant than that?
At the heart of Gnostic philosophy is the outrageous claim that if we experience the state of gnosis we will recognize that life is a dream. This idea challenges our most fundamental assumptions about who we are and what life is. At first it may seem even madder than the maddest of Literalist claptrap. The Christian Gnostic Theodosius acknowledges:
"I know that the teachings of gnosis are a laughing-stock to most people. Some are startled by them, as when a light suddenly illuminates the darkness of a drinking party. But the truly blessed are those who rouse themselves from sleep and raise their eyes to the truth."Is gnosis just another mad ancient theory? No. Gnosis isn't a theory at all. It's an experience. The Gnostics aren't trying to persuade us to adopt their opinion that life is a dream. They want to use philosophical ideas to wake us up, so we see for ourselves the true nature of reality."
Monday, December 28, 2009
Blogs of Note
Is it any wonder that with as freedom loving as gnostics are that I would find a home-away-from-home in an atheist's blog? I'm not kidding! The Atheist Camel is exactly what it claims to be: "...an oasis airing his perspective on theists, religion and politics, beliefs, God, gods, the supernatural; science, reality, reason, logic, ethics, morality...and the lack thereof." I find myself positively commenting on just about every updated post there. "Hump" is the most cogent and eloquent atheist I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Gnostics do have a great deal in common with atheists if you squint and tilt your head the right way... I'll speak more in depth about this in a future article. It will surprise you.
I have discovered a number of blogs which are havens of freedom and free thinking and I'd like to share them with you. On the side column you will find a list of links titled Blogging For Freedom. Naturally, it is a work in progress. If you have a blog you'd like to nominate to be added to that section simply comment or email me directly at gnosticunrest@hotmail.com.
I have discovered a number of blogs which are havens of freedom and free thinking and I'd like to share them with you. On the side column you will find a list of links titled Blogging For Freedom. Naturally, it is a work in progress. If you have a blog you'd like to nominate to be added to that section simply comment or email me directly at gnosticunrest@hotmail.com.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
What Can The Demiurge Offer Us?
I've had rather modest run ins with pleroma the past few days. I guess my mind has been so frenzied with the Holidays that I haven't given him nearly as much time as I should. He has still found the odd moment here and there to butt into my thoughts and inject some common sense for me to mull over. And I certainly appreciate it!!
"This world is but a minute."
Seems simple, yes? Six words strung together to convey the impression that we should make haste, seize the day, and do what we can when we can. But I don't believe that is what pleroma wishes for us.
I translate the above six words to: "The demiurge can give you a minute but look at what I can give you after that minute is over."
The demiurge rules the earth. That is His domain; His creation. He can say whatever he wants to human beings and he can also promise whatever he wants. But that doesn't mean it will in fact occur.
He promises us Heaven if we give our lives over to His will. But this Heaven is also a place where we will look down into Hell from on high, able to watch the torture of those souls who did not accept his rule. Why would a supposedly loving deity promise such a horrific future to us? Who would want that?
I think back now to when I was a young child being indoctrinated within the Baptist church and cringe. When I was "saved" I sold my soul to a deity who cares more about himself than my welfare. He doesn't want me to learn to think for myself. He doesn't want me to ask questions. He simply wants me to sit back, shut up, and wait for the end of the world.
On the other hand, the All offers something which the demiurge never could because He doesn't have the right to offer it in the first place: sanctuary. The demiurge did not make Earth for us as a playground. He made it into a hell. Our souls don't go to the demiurge when our human body dies, it bypasses Him and is reabsorbed into pleroma. The demiurge can't control where our souls go. Only the All can. The only thing the demiurge can do is lie, lie, lie, lie, and lie some more.
I feel that pleroma's message today was meant to comfort. We only have a short while to be assaulted with the demiurge's demented message of hellfire and brimstone before we will be back in the arms of the one who loves us the best. We are brave people. We can outlast Him. And meanwhile we can spend our years in this human body exploring ideas and concepts which are intriguing to us. There is no need for us to stampede off a cliff like a horde of lemmings, tired of this life. Human death will come to us soon enough.
"This world is but a minute."
Seems simple, yes? Six words strung together to convey the impression that we should make haste, seize the day, and do what we can when we can. But I don't believe that is what pleroma wishes for us.
I translate the above six words to: "The demiurge can give you a minute but look at what I can give you after that minute is over."
The demiurge rules the earth. That is His domain; His creation. He can say whatever he wants to human beings and he can also promise whatever he wants. But that doesn't mean it will in fact occur.
He promises us Heaven if we give our lives over to His will. But this Heaven is also a place where we will look down into Hell from on high, able to watch the torture of those souls who did not accept his rule. Why would a supposedly loving deity promise such a horrific future to us? Who would want that?
I think back now to when I was a young child being indoctrinated within the Baptist church and cringe. When I was "saved" I sold my soul to a deity who cares more about himself than my welfare. He doesn't want me to learn to think for myself. He doesn't want me to ask questions. He simply wants me to sit back, shut up, and wait for the end of the world.
On the other hand, the All offers something which the demiurge never could because He doesn't have the right to offer it in the first place: sanctuary. The demiurge did not make Earth for us as a playground. He made it into a hell. Our souls don't go to the demiurge when our human body dies, it bypasses Him and is reabsorbed into pleroma. The demiurge can't control where our souls go. Only the All can. The only thing the demiurge can do is lie, lie, lie, lie, and lie some more.
I feel that pleroma's message today was meant to comfort. We only have a short while to be assaulted with the demiurge's demented message of hellfire and brimstone before we will be back in the arms of the one who loves us the best. We are brave people. We can outlast Him. And meanwhile we can spend our years in this human body exploring ideas and concepts which are intriguing to us. There is no need for us to stampede off a cliff like a horde of lemmings, tired of this life. Human death will come to us soon enough.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
What are we $$paying$$ for?
Two days ago I was standing in the checkout line of Walmart and this seventy-something year old man in front of me was holding an armful of groceries. The usual. Fruit, meats, and toilet paper. He turned around to face me and said, "Honey, I'm going someplace where I won't need all this stuff. Bought and paid for."
Normally I don't engage in religious talk with people I don't know. Call me quiet, call me something of a lover of peace; I just don't think it's wise to do it very often. But I took the bait anyway. I was in a magnanimous mood and so I humored him. I replied, "Oh, you mean heaven?"
He said, "Yep! Jesus paid for it with His blood and I paid for it with accepting Jesus as my savior."
I took a deep breath and dared. Yes. I did. Maybe it was cruel of me to do so to a man who was probably on death's door anyway but I still opened my mouth. "Why would you have to pay for something that's already free?" I asked.
Naturally a quizzical look appeared on his face and after thinking a moment he said, "Because of Eve's sin. She sinned and so we've all sinned. We have to pay for that."
"Oh, I see. The sins of the parents passed down to the children and all that...." We both nodded in understanding one another. He seemed happy with that and said no more.
As I pondered this conversation further the next few days it became more and more clear to me that this was plain bullshit brainwashing of the demiurge. Come on now. Use your common sense. Why would a deity force children to pay for the sins of the parents? Isn't that cruel? It's like credit card companies calling to harass the family for payment on old debts of a deceased family member. Legally they cannot collect. But if the family wants to pay out of the generosity of their hearts it's not like the credit card companies would turn them down. Your debt is written off/washed away with your death. But not your debt to Yahweh. Eve sinned so you've got to make the sacrifice. Extract and lay down your brain at the door to dogmatic Christianity; free thinking isn't allowed.
Normally I don't engage in religious talk with people I don't know. Call me quiet, call me something of a lover of peace; I just don't think it's wise to do it very often. But I took the bait anyway. I was in a magnanimous mood and so I humored him. I replied, "Oh, you mean heaven?"
He said, "Yep! Jesus paid for it with His blood and I paid for it with accepting Jesus as my savior."
I took a deep breath and dared. Yes. I did. Maybe it was cruel of me to do so to a man who was probably on death's door anyway but I still opened my mouth. "Why would you have to pay for something that's already free?" I asked.
Naturally a quizzical look appeared on his face and after thinking a moment he said, "Because of Eve's sin. She sinned and so we've all sinned. We have to pay for that."
"Oh, I see. The sins of the parents passed down to the children and all that...." We both nodded in understanding one another. He seemed happy with that and said no more.
As I pondered this conversation further the next few days it became more and more clear to me that this was plain bullshit brainwashing of the demiurge. Come on now. Use your common sense. Why would a deity force children to pay for the sins of the parents? Isn't that cruel? It's like credit card companies calling to harass the family for payment on old debts of a deceased family member. Legally they cannot collect. But if the family wants to pay out of the generosity of their hearts it's not like the credit card companies would turn them down. Your debt is written off/washed away with your death. But not your debt to Yahweh. Eve sinned so you've got to make the sacrifice. Extract and lay down your brain at the door to dogmatic Christianity; free thinking isn't allowed.
Somatics, Psychics, & Pneumatics
There are three grades of human spirits which gnostics have categorized throughout time. If you are just beginning to read gnostic texts these terms can make you quite dizzy, as they are tossed about liberally and poetically. Here are some general definitions to make your journey easier.
These hidden gnostic verses and themes can be seen(for those who have eyes to see) and heard(for those who have ears to hear) in everything from movies and children's cartoons to fiction/non-fiction books and even comic book stories. They are all around us. Gnosis is not limited to religious texts which you purposely seek out. Gnosis is available to all.
The somatic who begins to see the downplayed undercurrents around them are well on their way to becoming a psychical soul. And the psychic, (no they don't wear all turbans and use tarot cards. Well... most of them don't!) can only move on toward the final pneumatic stage when they give up their literalistic interpretation of religions teachings and instead begin to have a true relationship with pleroma. Gnosis is based in experience not empty headed faith that something miraculous is supposed to happen.
Another way to look at the division between the literalistic interpretations of the Bible(and any other religious text) and gnosis is to say that the literal interpretation is for those still not graduated from the hands-on experience. Child's play. A child grasps the concepts behind a literal interpretation far easier while the adult moves on to more complicated ideas. But this isn't about the body's age. Instead this is about what the soul needs and what the soul understands- no matter what your body's age happens to be. If you're not ready to move on then you won't.
This isn't about indoctrination or faith. Gnosis is about world experience, an adult level of rationality, and a willingness to think for YOURSELF about the grand questions concerning life and death. Ultimately what occurs is that gnostic texts and ideas become like guideposts on a road, giving you a starting point or even arrows to help you continue. In the end, though, the conversations you have in which you reach answers to all these grand questions happen between you and pleroma. These are private conversations which some gnostics choose to keep to themselves or they can write poetry and even entire books about it. (And some blog about it. lol)
Why? Why would gnostics write about their experiences with pleroma and publish them? Plainly put- it's too much emotion. We need a release. And we want to let others know that there is a rational way to look at this madness we call life. There is no indoctrination necessary. No need to give up your free will. Think for yourself and the truth you find within yourself will truly make you a free human being.
- Somatics/Hylics: The body of the human being composed of flesh (sarx) which is a form of matter (hyle) albeit endowed temporarily with biological life. In plain English- these types of souls depend on the flesh to tell them right from wrong. The 'worldly' people. Pure emotion and living in the now for pleasure. The collectors of exotic cars, homes, and million dollar gems are just as likely to be somatic souls as is the person who obsessively and compulsively hoards food, clothes, or any other easily collectible and likely-to-be-obsessed-over items as if their life depended on it. They put their worth in the things they have collected. If their things suddenly disappeared or were taken away from them they would feel worthless as a human being.
- Psychics: Also called psychical(sye-kick-ul) these souls are at the in-between stage of gnosis. They can accept that there is a world beyond the flesh however they are still fighting between what their eyes see and what their heart feels. A combination of thinking and feeling.
- Pneumatics: From "pneuma" meaning "air." These souls retain a living connection with pleroma understanding the human spirit is a spark of God's light and in effect a part of God himself. These souls have attained gnosis through learning and experience with pleroma. Material minimalists and sometimes even ascetics.
These hidden gnostic verses and themes can be seen(for those who have eyes to see) and heard(for those who have ears to hear) in everything from movies and children's cartoons to fiction/non-fiction books and even comic book stories. They are all around us. Gnosis is not limited to religious texts which you purposely seek out. Gnosis is available to all.
The somatic who begins to see the downplayed undercurrents around them are well on their way to becoming a psychical soul. And the psychic, (no they don't wear all turbans and use tarot cards. Well... most of them don't!) can only move on toward the final pneumatic stage when they give up their literalistic interpretation of religions teachings and instead begin to have a true relationship with pleroma. Gnosis is based in experience not empty headed faith that something miraculous is supposed to happen.
Another way to look at the division between the literalistic interpretations of the Bible(and any other religious text) and gnosis is to say that the literal interpretation is for those still not graduated from the hands-on experience. Child's play. A child grasps the concepts behind a literal interpretation far easier while the adult moves on to more complicated ideas. But this isn't about the body's age. Instead this is about what the soul needs and what the soul understands- no matter what your body's age happens to be. If you're not ready to move on then you won't.
This isn't about indoctrination or faith. Gnosis is about world experience, an adult level of rationality, and a willingness to think for YOURSELF about the grand questions concerning life and death. Ultimately what occurs is that gnostic texts and ideas become like guideposts on a road, giving you a starting point or even arrows to help you continue. In the end, though, the conversations you have in which you reach answers to all these grand questions happen between you and pleroma. These are private conversations which some gnostics choose to keep to themselves or they can write poetry and even entire books about it. (And some blog about it. lol)
Why? Why would gnostics write about their experiences with pleroma and publish them? Plainly put- it's too much emotion. We need a release. And we want to let others know that there is a rational way to look at this madness we call life. There is no indoctrination necessary. No need to give up your free will. Think for yourself and the truth you find within yourself will truly make you a free human being.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Gospel of Truth - Jesus
Jesus Is The Fruit Of Knowledge
This is the gospel of him whom they seek, which he has revealed to the perfect through the mercies of the Father as the hidden mystery, Jesus the Christ. Through him he enlightened those who were in darkness because of forgetfulness. He enlightened them and gave them a path. And that path is the truth which he taught them. For this reason error was angry with him, so it persecuted him. It was distressed by him, so it made him powerless. He was nailed to a cross. He became a fruit of the knowledge of the Father. He did not, however, destroy them because they ate of it. He rather caused those who ate of it to be joyful because of this discovery.
And as for him, them he found in himself, and him they found in themselves, that illimitable, inconceivable one, that perfect Father who made the all, in whom the All is, and whom the All lacks, since he retained in himself their perfection, which he had not given to the all. The Father was not jealous. What jealousy, indeed, is there between him and his members? For, even if the Aeon had received their perfection, they would not have been able to approach the perfection of the Father, because he retained their perfection in himself, giving it to them as a way to return to him and as a knowledge unique in perfection. He is the one who set the All in order and in whom the All existed and whom the All lacked. As one of whom some have no knowledge, he desires that they know him and that they love him. For what is it that the All lacked, if not the knowledge of the Father?
Jesus As A Quiet Guide
He became a guide, quiet and in leisure. In the middle of a school he came and spoke the Word, as a teacher. Those who were wise in their own estimation came to put him to the test. But he discredited them as empty-headed people. They hated him because they really were not wise men. After all these came also the little children, those who possess the knowledge of the Father. When they became strong they were taught the aspects of the Father's face. They came to know and they were known. They were glorified and they gave glory.Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Gospel of Truth -The Living Book
The Living Book In The Heart Of The Little Children
In their heart, the living book of the Living was manifest, the book which was written in the thought and in the mind of the Father and, from before the foundation of the All, is in that incomprehensible part of him. This is the book which no one found possible to take, since it was reserved for him who will take it and be slain. No one was able to be manifest from those who believed in salvation as long as that book had not appeared. For this reason, the compassionate, faithful Jesus was patient in his sufferings until he took that book, since he knew that his death meant life for many. Just as in the case of a will which has not yet been opened, for the fortune of the deceased master of the house is hidden, so also in the case of the All which had been hidden as long as the Father of the All was invisible and unique in himself, in whom every space has its source. For this reason Jesus appeared. He took that book as his own. He was nailed to a cross. He affixed the edict of the Father to the cross.
Oh, such great teaching! He abases himself even unto death, though he is clothed in eternal life. Having divested himself of these perishable rags, he clothed himself in incorruptibility, which no one could possibly take from him. Having entered into the empty territory of fears, he passed before those who were stripped by forgetfulness, being both knowledge and perfection, proclaiming the things that are in the heart of the Father, so that he became the wisdom of those who have received instruction. But those who are to be taught, the living who are inscribed in the book of the living, learn for themselves, receiving instructions from the Father, turning to him again.
Since the perfection of the All is in the Father, it is necessary for the All to ascend to him. Therefore, if one has knowledge, he gets what belongs to him and draws it to himself. For he who is ignorant, is deficient, and it is a great deficiency, since he lacks that which will make him perfect. Since the perfection of the All is in the Father, it is necessary for the All to ascend to him and for each one to get the things which are his. He registered them first, having prepared them to be given to those who came from him.
Gospel of Truth - Joy.. and Ignorance..
"Written in Greek in the mid-second century, between 140-180 CE, the Gospel of Truth was found among the documents at Nag Hammadi in Egypt and exists in its totality in Coptic translation. In addition, Irenaeus refers to a Gospel of Truth read among Valentinians in his tract Against Heresies 3.11.9.
Scholars have advanced arguments for assigning the work to Valentinos himself, rather than to one of his students. The debate is ongoing."
The Gnostic Bible, Compiled and Edited by Willis Barnstone & Marvin Meyer
Blog Author's Note: The Gospel of Truth is a meaty, stick-to-your-bones kind of fanfare for readers. It is not light religious cuisine. In several online sources for the text I have found a very common problem- headings. Or a lack thereof. The interpretations are all the same however they do not possess the subject headings of the printed version in the Gnostic Bible.
Because the Gospel of Truth is such heavy reading I prefer to keep the headings and separate the book out into easier-to-swallow 'chapters.' Each chapter or section is never very long but the use of sectional headings is important when searching for topic matter. Also, if one attempts to read the book as one long tract they will end up with a migraine to end all migraines. It is truly best to enjoy, instead, the book as a fine sipping wine. In very small doses.
Scholars have advanced arguments for assigning the work to Valentinos himself, rather than to one of his students. The debate is ongoing."
The Gnostic Bible, Compiled and Edited by Willis Barnstone & Marvin Meyer
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Blog Author's Note: The Gospel of Truth is a meaty, stick-to-your-bones kind of fanfare for readers. It is not light religious cuisine. In several online sources for the text I have found a very common problem- headings. Or a lack thereof. The interpretations are all the same however they do not possess the subject headings of the printed version in the Gnostic Bible.
Because the Gospel of Truth is such heavy reading I prefer to keep the headings and separate the book out into easier-to-swallow 'chapters.' Each chapter or section is never very long but the use of sectional headings is important when searching for topic matter. Also, if one attempts to read the book as one long tract they will end up with a migraine to end all migraines. It is truly best to enjoy, instead, the book as a fine sipping wine. In very small doses.
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Joy To Those Who Know The Father
The gospel of truth is joy to those who have received from the Father of truth the gift of knowing him by the power of the Logos, who has come from the Pleroma and who is in the thought and the mind of the Father; he it is who is called "the Savior," since that is the name of the work which he must do for the redemption of those who have not known the Father. For the name of the gospel is the manifestation of hope, since that is the discovery of those who seek him, because the All sought him from whom it had come forth. You see, the All had been inside of him, that illimitable, inconceivable one, who is better than every thought. Ignorance Of The Father Brings Error
This ignorance of the Father brought about terror and fear. And terror became dense like a fog, that no one was able to see. Because of this, error became strong. But it worked on its hylic substance vainly, because it did not know the truth. It was in a fashioned form while it was preparing, in power and in beauty, the equivalent of truth. This then, was not a humiliation for him, that illimitable, inconceivable one. For they were as nothing, this terror and this forgetfulness and this figure of falsehood, whereas this established truth is unchanging, unperturbed and completely beautiful.
For this reason, do not take error too seriously.
Thus, since it had no root, it was in a fog as regards the Father, engaged in preparing works and forgetfulnesses and fears in order, by these means, to beguile those of the middle and to make them captive. The forgetfulness of error was not revealed. It did not become light beside the Father. Forgetfulness did not exist with the Father, although it existed because of him. What exists in him is knowledge, which was revealed so that forgetfulness might be destroyed and that they might know the Father, Since forgetfulness existed because they did not know the Father, if they then come to know the Father, from that moment on forgetfulness will cease to exist.
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