Pistis Sophia

and they will precede all those of the region of the Midst and those of the whole region of the Right, 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],

“This is the baptism of the first offering which showeth the way to the region of Truth and to the region of the Light.”

“And when he had said this, he said: Understand ye what I say?” Mary came forward and said: “O Lord,”

“for if he is pure of one, he will not be able to be pure of another.” The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: “I say unto you: They will find one in a thousand and two in ten-thousand for the accomplishment of the mystery of the First Mystery.”

“4. Who redeemeth thy life from decay;”

They all seal it with their seals; and Melchisedec, the great Receiver of the Light who is in the region of those of the Right, sealeth that soul and all the receivers of Melchisedec seal that soul and lead it into the Treasury of the Light.

“And I left that region behind me and ascended to the great æons of the rulers and came before their veils and their gates, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light which was about me.”

“And Peter started forward and said unto Jesus: My Lord,”

“And I will give you the baptism of those of the Right, our region, and its ciphers and its seals and the manner of invocation for reaching thither.”

For this cause they have not known that there were also other regions within that mystery.

“This then, my Lord, is the solution of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, when she was saved out of the chaos. Hearken, therefore, that I may say it in openness.”

And I will tell you the name of the soul before it is purged, and moreover its name when it hath been purged and become pure.

“And in that hour he will come forth out of the body of the matter of the rulers, and his soul will become a great light-stream, so that it soareth on high and penetrateth all the regions of the rulers and all the regions of the Light, until it reacheth the region of its kingdom. Neither giveth it answers nor apologies in any region at all, for it is without tokens.”

“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.”

“And Self-willed sent out of the height, out of the thirteenth æon, and sent another great light-power. It came down into the chaos | as a flying arrow, that he might help his emanations, so that they might take away the lights from Pistis Sophia anew.”

“Now, therefore, ye three have to write down all the discourses which I shall speak and [all things which I shall] do and which ye shall see, in order that ye may bear witness to all things of the kingdom of heaven.”

“Say unto them: Give ye alms, that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light and go on high into the Light-kingdom.”

that she cried to the height, crying unto me that I should help her.

the spirit came out of the height

--they then persisted doing this continually for two circles.

“who wreatheth thee with grace and compassion; 5. Who satisfieth thy longing with good things; thy youth will renew itself as an eagle's.”

and abide in any of their mysteries, it will be forgiven them at every time, because those mysteries are compassionate and forgiving for all time. For this cause then have I said unto you before: Those mysteries will not only forgive them their sins which they have committed from the beginning onwards, but they do not impute them to them from this hour onwards,

“And I will give you the great mystery of the Treasury of the Light and | the manner of invocation for reaching thither.”

And when that light-power had come down, the emanations of Self-willed which were in the chaos and oppressed Pistis Sophia, took great courage and again pursued Pistis Sophia with great terror and great alarm. And some of the emanations of Self-willed oppressed her. One of them changed itself into the form of a great serpent;

and came to me in my house, like unto thee; and I had not known him, but I thought that thou wast he. And the spirit said unto me: Where is Jesus, my brother, that I meet with him?' And when he had said this unto me,

concerning this matter thou hast said to us aforetime in similitude: 'Ye have awaited with me in the trials,

This will I tell unto you when I have explained to you the expansion of the universe.

“It came to pass then, when I wished to ascend for the ministry for the sake of which I was called | by command of the First Mystery,”

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 Right 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,

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.

“The word then which thy light-power hath spoken through Solomon: 'I am saved from the bonds and am fled unto thee, O Lord,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'I am loosed from the bonds of the darkness”

“Thereafter his disciples said unto him: Rabbi, reveal unto us the mystery of the Light of thy father, since we heard thee say: 'There is still a fire-baptism and there is still a baptism of the holy spirit of the Light,”

“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,”

“And he had not told his disciples: I have gone forth out of such and such regions until I entered into that mystery, and until I went forth out of it'';”

“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.”

“And it giveth the glory and the honour and the laud of the songs of praise and. all the seals of all the regions of the Light. And all those of the region of the Treasury of the Light seal it with their seals and it goeth unto the region of the Inheritance.”

It came to pass then, when she looked to the height, that she saw Self-willed exceedingly wrathful, and she was in fear,

“we will not endure this woman, for she taketh the opportunity from us and hath let none of us speak, but she discourseth many times.”

It came to pass then, when I arrived at the twelve æons, that their veils and their gates were shaken one over against the other. Their veils drew themselves apart of their own accord,

“When then Jesus had said this, he said unto his disciples: Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Mary started forward again, stepped into the midst, placed herself by Philip and said unto Jesus: “My Lord,”

“When then Jesus had said this, Mary continued, threw herself at Jesus' feet, kissed them and said: My Lord, still will I question thee. Reveal [it] unto us and hide [it] not from us.” Jesus answered and said unto Mary: “Question on what ye question,”

“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. 11. For | they had provoked the word of God and made wroth the determination of the Most High. 12. Their heart was humbled in their miseries;”

And I will tell you the name of the counterfeiting spirit;

“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 Jesus answered and said unto his disciples: Let him in whom the power of his spirit shall seethe, so that he understandeth what I say,”

It is the one and only word 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,

“For this cause, therefore, I have rent myself asunder and have brought the mysteries into the world, because all are under sin and all are in need of the gift of the mysteries.”

“That is: Sophia will be as the invisibles who are in the Height; he hath, therefore, said 'as an eagle,' because the dwelling-place of the eagle is in the height, and the | invisibles also are in the Height; that is: Pistis Sophia will shine as the invisibles, as she was from her beginning.”

“and am come unto thee, O Light.' And the word which thy power hath spoken: 'Thou wert on my right hand, saving | and helping me,”

“but, in teaching them, he said to them: I am come forth from that mystery.”

and their gates opened one over against the other. And I entered into the æons, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light that was about me, forty-and-nine times more than the light with which I shone in the houses of the Fate.

and I will tell you the name of the destiny. And I will tell you the name of all the bonds with which the rulers bind the counterfeiting spirit | to the soul.

“another again changed itself also into the form of a seven-headed basilisk; another again changed itself into the form of a dragon. And moreover the first power of Self-willed, the lion-faced, and all his other very numerous emanations, they came together and oppressed Pistis Sophia and led her again into the lower regions of the chaos and alarmed her again exceedingly. The demon-power of Adamas dasheth Sophia down.''It came to pass then that there looked down out of the twelve æons, Adamas, the Tyrant, who also was wroth with Pistis Sophia, because she desired to go to the Light of lights, which was above them all; therefore was he wroth with her. It came to pass then, when Adamas, the Tyrant, had looked down out of the twelve æons,”

“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.”

I was at a loss and thought it was a phantom to try me. So I seized him and bound him to the foot of the bed in my house, until I went forth to you,

“that I came up into the midst of the tyrants of the rulers of the twelve æons, with my light-vesture about me, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light which was about me. It came to pass then, when those tyrants saw the great light which was about me,”

“--of which I have said unto you that they receive repentance at any time, and that they also will forgive the sins which they commit anew. If on the other hand those who shall receive mysteries of | the mystery of the Ineffable and of the mysteries of the First Mystery, turn and sin and come out of the body without having repented, then they will be even as those will be who have transgressed and not repented.”

“and uttered the twelfth repentance because of Self-willed and his emanations. She cried on high unto me, saying: “1. O Light, forget not my praise-singing. “2. For Self-willed and his lion-faced power have opened their chops against me and have acted craftily against me. 3. They have surrounded me, desiring to take away my power, and have hated me, because I have sung praises unto thee. 4. Instead of loving me they slandered me.”

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 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.

“and there is | a spiritual chrism; these lead the souls into the Treasury of the Light.' Tell us, therefore, their mystery, so that we ourselves may inherit the kingdom of thy father.”

“and why the east hath arisen. And that mystery knoweth why the south hath arisen”

“and I will reveal [it] unto you in openness without similitude.”

they become weak and no one helped them.

my in-dweller of light hath ears, and I am ready to hear with my power, and I have understood the word which thou hast spoken.

and I will bequeath unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath bequeathed it unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom;

“I will give you all the mysteries and all the gnoses, in order that ye may be called 'children of the fulness, perfected in all the gnoses and all the mysteries.' Blessed are ye beyond all men on earth, for the children of the Light are come in your time.”

“When then the Saviour had said this unto his disciples | he said unto them: Understand ye in what manner I discourse with you?”

“Say unto them: Be ye righteous, that ye may receive the mysteries [of the Light] and go on high into the Light-kingdom.”

that he saw the emanations of Self-willed oppressing Pistis Sophia, until they should take from her all her lights.

And I will tell you the name of all the decans who fashion the soul in the bodies of the soul in the world; and I will tell you in what manner the souls are fashioned.

“Jesus continued in the discourse and said: It came to pass then thereafter, that the father of my father,--that is Yew,--came and took other three-hundred-and-sixty rulers from the rulers of Adamas who had not had faith in the mystery of the Light, and bound them into these aërial regions, in which we are now, below the sphere.”

“Mary answered and said: My Lord, hast thou then not brought mysteries into the world because of poverty and riches, and because of weakness and strength, and because of . . . and healthy bodies, in a word because of all such, so that, if we go into the regions of the land, and they do not have faith in us and they hearken not unto our words, and we perform any such mysteries in those regions, they may know truly in truth that we | herald the words [of the God] of the universe?”

“And all the angels of the æons and their archangels and their rulers and their gods and their lords and their authorities and their tyrants and their powers and their light-sparks and their light-givers and their unpaired and their invisibles and their forefathers and their triple-powers saw me, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light which was about me.”

For this cause then they thought of that mystery, that it is the completion | of completions,

“--it is again the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'Thou art become a light on all sides of me, [saving me] and helping me.' And the word which thy light-power hath spoken: 'Thou hast hindered my adversaries and they have not been revealed,'--it is the word which Pistis Sophia hath spoken: 'And the emanations of Self-willed which fought against me, thou hast hindered through thy light,”

“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.”

| come forward and speak.

Now, therefore, my Lord, hearken that I may discourse in openness,

“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.”

“Jesus said unto them: There is no mystery which is more excellent than these mysteries on which ye question, in that it will lead your souls into the Light of the lights, into the regions of Truth and Goodness, into the region of the Holy of all holies, into the region in which there is neither female nor male, nor are there forms in that region, but a perpetual indescribable Light.”

“and ye shall sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.”

“Mary answered and said unto the Saviour: My Lord, before thou didst come to the region of the rulers and before thou didst come down into the world, hath no soul entered into the Light?”

It came to pass then, when the First Mystery had heard Mary say these words,

“And Mary again started forward and said: Yea, my Lord, I understand in what manner thou dost discourse with me, and I will comprehend them all [sc. thy words].”

“and why the north hath arisen. Yet further, O 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 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”

but they are not alike with the one and only mystery of the Ineffable.

“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.”

“But I sang praises. “5. They plotted a plot to take away my power, because I have sung to thee praises, O Light; and hated me, because I have loved thee. 6. Let the darkness come over Self-willed, and let the ruler of the outermost darkness abide at his right hand. 7. And when thou passest sentence, take from him his power; and the deed which he hath plotted, to take from me my light,”

Their dwelling also is in the midst of the jaws of the dragon of the outer darkness and they will perish and be non-existent for ever.

that the great Adamas, the Tyrant, and all the tyrants of the twelve æons, all together began to fight against the light of my vesture, desiring to hold it fast among them, in order to delay in their rulership.

to thee and Joseph in the field, and I found you on the vineyard, Joseph propping up the vineyard. It came to pass, therefore, when thou didst hear me speak the word unto Joseph, that thou didst understand the word, wert joyful and saidest: 'Where is he, that I may see him; else I await him in this place.' And it came to pass, when Joseph had heard thee say these words, that he was startled. And we went down | together, entered the house and found the spirit bound to the bed. And we looked on thee and him and found thee like unto him. And he who was bound to the bed was unloosed; he took thee in his arms and kissed thee, and thou also didst kiss him. Ye became one.

“He on the other hand who receiveth the one and only mystery of the Ineffable, will inherit the region of the whole kingdom according to its whole glory, as I have already told you at another time.”

and that it is the head of the universe

And they were thrown into agitation the one over against the other and great fear fell upon them, when they saw the great light that was about me.

“This then they did, not knowing against whom they fought. When then they mutinied and fought against the light, thereon by command of the First Mystery I changed the paths and the courses of their æons and the paths of their Fate and of their sphere. I made them face six months towards the triangles on the left and towards the squares and towards those in their aspect and towards their octagons, just as they had formerly been.”