I will speak to those who know to hear not with the ears of the body but with the ears of
the mind. For many have sought after the truth and have not been able to find it; because
there has taken hold of them the old leaven of the Pharisees and the scribes of the Law.
And the leaven is the errant desire of the angels and the demons and the stars. As for the
Pharisees and the scribes, it is they who belong to the archons who have authority over
them.
For no one who is under the Law will be able to look up to the truth, for they will not
be able to serve two masters. For the defilement of the Law is manifest; but undefilement
belongs to the light. The Law commands (one) to take a husband (or) to take a wife, and to
beget, to multiply like the sand of the sea. But passion, which is a delight to them,
constrains the souls of those who are begotten in this place, those who defile and those
who are defiled, in order that the Law might be fulfilled through them. And they show that
they are assisting the world; and they turn away from the light, who are unable to pass by
the archon of darkness until they pay the last penny.
But the Son of Man came forth from Imperishability, being alien to defilement. He came
to the world by the Jordan river, and immediately the Jordan turned back. And John bore
witness to the descent of Jesus. For it is he who saw the power which came down upon the
Jordan river; for he knew that the dominion of carnal procreation had come to an end. The
Jordan river is the power of the body, that is, the senses of pleasures. The water of the
Jordan is the desire for sexual intercourse. John is the archon of the womb.
And this is what the Son of Man reveals to us: It is fitting for you (pl.) to receive
the word of truth, if one will receive it perfectly. But as for one who is in ignorance,
it is difficult for him to diminish his works of darkness which he has done. Those who
have known Imperishability, however, have been able to struggle against passions [...]. I
have said to you, "Do not build nor gather for yourselves in the place where the
brigands break open, but bring forth fruit to the Father."
The foolish - thinking in their heart that if they confess, "We are
Christians," in word only (but) not with power, while giving themselves over to
ignorance, to a human death, not knowing where they are going nor who Christ is, thinking
that they will live, when they are (really) in error - hasten towards the principalities
and authorities. They fall into their clutches because of the ignorance that is in them.
For (if) only words which bear testimony were effecting salvation, the whole world would
endure this thing and would be saved. But it is in this way that they drew error to
themselves. ...
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... they do not know that they will destroy themselves. If the Father were to desire a
human sacrifice, he would become vainglorious.
For the Son of Man clothed himself with their first-fruits; he went down to Hades and
performed many mighty works. He raised the dead therein; and the world-rulers of darkness
became envious of him, for they did not find sin in him. But he also destroyed their works
from among men, so that the lame, the blind, the paralytic, the dumb, (and) the
demon-possessed were granted healing. And he walked upon the waters of the sea. For this
reason he destroyed his flesh from [...] which he [...]. And he became [...] salvation
[...] his death ...
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... everyone [...] how many they are! They are blind guides, like the disciples. They
boarded the ship; at about thirty stadies, they saw Jesus walking on the sea. These are
empty martyrs, since they bear witness only to themselves. And yet they are sick, and they
are not able to raise themselves.
But when they are "perfected" with a (martyr's) death, this is the thought
that they have within them: "If we deliver ourselves over to death for the sake of
the Name we will be saved." These matters are not settled in this way. But through
the agency of the wandering stars they say they have "completed" their futile
"course", and [...] say, [...]. But these [...] they have delivered themselves
...
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... but they resemble [...] them. They do not have the word which gives life.
And some say, "On the last day we will certainly arise in the resurrection."
But they do not know what they are saying, for the last day is when those belonging to
Christ [...] the earth, which is [...]. When the time was fulfilled, he destroyed their
archon of darkness [...] soul(s) ...
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... he stood [...] they asked what they have been bound with, and how they might properly
release themselves. And they came to know themselves, who they are, or rather, where they
are now, and what is the place in which they will rest from their senselessness, arriving
at knowledge. These Christ will transfer to the heights, since they have renounced
foolishness (and have) advanced to knowledge. And those who have knowledge ...
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... the great [...] resurrection [...], he has to come to know the Son of Man, that is, he
has come to know himself. This is the perfect life, that man know himself by means of the
All.
Do not expect, therefore, the carnal resurrection, which is destruction; and they are
not stripped of it (the flesh) who err in expecting a resurrection that is empty. They do
not know the power of God, nor do they understand the interpretation of the scriptures, on
account of their double-mindedness. The mystery which the Son of Man spoke about, [...],
in order that [...] destroy ...
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... man who [...] book, which is written [...] for they have ...
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... blessed [...] within them, and they dwell before God under the light yoke. Those who
do not have the life-giving word in their heart will die; and in their thought they have
become manifest to the Son of Man, according to the manner of their activity and their
error [...] of this sort. They [...] as he divides the [...], and they do not understand
that the Son of Man is coming from him.
But when they have come up to [...] sacrifice, they die in a human way, and they
deliver themselves ...
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... a death ...
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... those who [...], they are many [...], each one [...] pervert [...] gain [...] their
mind. Those who receive him to themselves with uprightness and power and every knowledge
are the ones whom he will transfer to the heights, unto life eternal.
But those who receive him to themselves with ignorance, the pleasures which are defiled
prevail over them. It is those people who used to say; "God created members for our
use, for us to grow in defilement, in order that we might enjoy ourselves." And they
cause God to participate with them in deeds of this sort; and they are not steadfast upon
the earth. Nor will they reach heaven, but [...] place will [...] four ...
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... unquenchable ...
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... word [...] upon the Jordan river, when he came to John at the time he was baptized.
The Holy Spirit came down upon him as a dove [...] accept for ourselves that he was born
of a virgin and he took flesh; he [...] having received power. Were we also begotten from
a virginal state or conceived by the word? Rather, we have been born again by the word.
Let us therefore strengthen ourselves as virgins in the [...].
The males dwell [...] the virgin, by means of [...] in the word [...]. But the word of
[...] and spirit ...
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... is the Father [...] for the man ...
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... like Isaiah, who was sawed with a saw, (and) he became two. So also the Son of Man
divides us by the word of the cross. It divides the day from the night and the light from
the darkness and the corruptible from incorruptibility, and it divides the males from the
females. But Isaiah is the type of the body. The saw is the word of the Son of Man, which
separates us from the error of the angels.
No one knows the God of truth except solely the man who will forsake all of the things
of the world, having renounced the whole place, (and) having grasped the fringe of his
garment. He has set himself up as a power; he has subdued desire in every way within
himself. He has [...] and he has turned to him [...], having also examined [...] in
becoming [...] the mind. And he [...] from his soul [...] there [...] he has ...
... (1 line unrecoverable)
... in what way [...] the flesh which [...] in what way [...] out of it, and how many
powers does he have? And who is the one who has bound him? And who is the one who will
loose him? And what is the light? And what is the darkness? And who is the one who has
created the earth? And who is God? And who are the angels? And what is soul? And what is
spirit? And where is the voice? And who is the one who speaks? And who is the one who
hears? Who is the one who gives pain? And who is the one who suffers? And who is it who
has begotten the corruptible flesh? And what is the governance? And why are some lame, and
some blind, and some [...], and some [...], and some rich, and some poor? And why are some
powerless, some brigands? ...
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... he having [...] as he again [...], fighting against thoughts of the archons and the
powers and the demons, not giving them a place in which to rest. But he struggled against
their passions [...], he condemned their error. He cleansed his soul from the
transgressions which he had committed with an alien hand. He stood up, being upright
within himself, because he exists in everyone, and because he has death and life within
himself, and he exists in the midst of both of them. And when he had received the power,
he turned towards the parts of the right, and he entered into the truth, having forsaken
all things pertaining to the left, having been filled with wisdom, with counsel, with
understanding, and with insight and an eternal power. And he broke open his bonds. Those
who had formed the whole place, he condemned. But they did not find [...] hidden within
him.
And he gave command to himself; he began to know himself and to speak with his mind,
which is the father of the truth, concerning the unbegotten aeons, and concerning the
virgin who brought forth the light. And he thinks about the power which flowed over the
whole place, and which takes hold of him. And he is a disciple of his mind, which is male.
He began to keep silent within himself until the day when he should become worthy to be
received above. He rejects for himself loquacity and disputations, and he endures the
whole place; and he bears up under them, and he endures all of the evil things. And he is
patient with every one; he makes himself equal to every one, and he also separates himself
from them. And that which someone wants, he brings to him, in order that he might become
perfect (and) holy. When the [...], he grasped him, having bound him upon [...], and he
was filled with wisdom. He bore witness to the truth [...] the power, and he went into
Imperishability, the place whence he came forth, having left the world, which has the
appearance of the night, and those that whirl the stars in it. This, therefore, is the
true testimony: When man comes to know himself and God, who is over the truth, he will be
saved, and he will crown himself with the crown unfading.
John was begotten by the World through a woman, Elizabeth; and Christ was begotten by
the world through a virgin, Mary. What is (the meaning of) this mystery? John was begotten
by means of a womb worn with age, but Christ passed through a virgin's womb. When she had
conceived, she gave birth to the Savior. Furthermore, she was found to be a virgin again.
Why, then do you (pl.) err and not seek after these mysteries, which were prefigured for
our sake?
It is written in the Law concerning this, when God gave a command to Adam, "From
every tree you may eat, but from the tree which is in the midst of Paradise do not eat,
for on the day that you eat from it, you will surely die." But the serpent was wiser
than all the animals that were in Paradise, and he persuaded Eve, saying, "On the day
when you eat from the tree which is in the midst of Paradise, the eyes of your mind will
be opened." And Eve obeyed, and she stretched forth her hand; she took from the tree
and ate; she also gave to her husband with her. And immediately they knew that they were
naked, and they took some fig-leaves (and) put them on as girdles.
But God came at the time of evening, walking in the midst of Paradise. When Adam saw
him, he hid himself. And he said, "Adam, where are you?" He answered (and) said,
"I have come under the fig tree." And at that very moment, God knew that he had
eaten from the tree of which he had commanded him, "Do not eat of it." And he
said to him, "Who is it who has instructed you?" And Adam answered, "The
woman whom you have given me." And the woman said, "It is the serpent who
instructed me." And he (God) cursed the serpent, and called him "devil."
And he said, "Behold, Adam has become like one of us, knowing evil and good."
Then he said, "Let us cast him out of paradise, lest he take from the tree of life,
and eat, and live forever."
But what sort is this God? First he maliciously refused Adam from eating of the tree of
knowledge, and, secondly, he said "Adam, where are you?" God does not have
foreknowledge? Would he not know from the beginning? And afterwards, he said, "Let us
cast him out of this place, lest he eat of the tree of life and live forever."
Surely, he has shown himself to be a malicious grudger! And what kind of God is this? For
great is the blindness of those who read, and they did not know him. And he said, "I
am the jealous God; I will bring the sins of the fathers upon the children until three
(and) four generations." And he said, "I will make their heart thick, and I will
cause their mind to become blind, that they might not know nor comprehend the things that
are said." But these things he has said to those who believe in him and serve him!
And in one place, Moses writes, "He made the devil a serpent <for> those
whom he has in his generation." Also, in the book which is called "Exodus,"
it is written thus: "He contended against the magicians, when the place was full of
serpents according to their wickedness; and the rod which was in the hand of Moses became
a serpent, (and) it swallowed the serpents of the magicians."
Again it is written (Nm 21:9), "He made a serpent of bronze (and) hung it upon a
pole ...
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... which [...] for the one who will gaze upon this bronze serpent, none will destroy him,
and the one who will believe in this bronze serpent will be saved." For this is
Christ; those who believed in him have received life. Those who did not believe will die.
What, then, is this faith? They do not serve ...
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... and you (pl.) [...] we [...] and you do not understand Christ spiritually when you
say, "We believe in Christ". For this is the way Moses writes in every book. The
book of the generation of Adam is written for those who are in the generation of the Law.
They follow the Law and they obey it, and ...
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... together with the ...
pp. 51-54 of codex almost completely missing
... the Ogdoad, which is the eighth, and that we might receive that place of
salvation." But they know not what salvation is, but they enter into misfortune, and
into a [...] in death, in the waters. This is the baptism of death which they observe ...
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... come to death [...] and this is [...] according to ...
... (lines 19 through end-of-page unrecoverable)
... he completed the course of Valentinus. He himself speaks about the Ogdoad, and his
disciples resemble the disciples of Valentinus. They on their part, moreover, [...] leave
the good, but they have worship of the idols ...
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... he has spoken many words, and he has written many books [...] words ...
... (lines 16 through end-of-page unrecoverable)
... they are manifest from the confusion in which they are, in the deceit of the world.
For they go to that place, together with their knowledge, which is vain.
Isidore also, his son, resembled Basilides. He also [...] many, and he [...], but he
did not [...] this [...] other disciple(s) [...] blind [...], but he gave them [...]
pleasures ...
... (lines 16 through end-of-page unrecoverable)
... they do not agree with each other. For the Simonians take wives (and) beget children;
but the [...] abstain from their [...] nature [...] a passion [...] the drops of [...]
anoint them ...
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... which we [...] they agree with each other [...] him [...] they ...
... (lines 14 through end-of-page unrecoverable)
... judgment(s) [...] these, on account of the [...] them [...] the heretics [...]
schism(s) [...] and the males [...] are men [...] will belong to the world-rulers of
darkness ...
... (1 line unrecoverable)
... of the world ...
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... they have [...] the archons [...] power(s) ...
... (1 line unrecoverable)
... judge them [...]. But the [...] word(s) of ...
... (lines 20 through end-of-page unrecoverable)
... speak, while they [...] become [...] in a fire unquenchable [...] they are punished.
But these who are from the generation of the Son of Man have revealed to the [...] in
all of the affairs ...
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... But it is difficult to [...] to find one [...] and two ...
... (2 lines unrecoverable)
... For the Savior said to his disciples, [...] one in ...
... (lines 19 through end-of-page unrecoverable)
... and he has [...] wisdom, as well as counsel and understanding and intelligence and
knowledge and power and truth. And he has some [...] from above [...], the place where the
Son of Man ...
... (2 lines unrecoverable)
... power [...] guard against ...
... (lines 14 through end-of-page unrecoverable)
... he knows [...] understands ...
... (1 line unrecoverable)
... worthy of him [...] true [...] alien [...]. But [...], together with [...] evil, in
...
... (2 lines unrecoverable)
... he received baptism [...], and those that ...
... (lines 13 through end-of-page unrecoverable)
pp. 63-64 of codex missing
... in a dream [...] silver [...]. But [...] becomes wealthy [...] among the
authorities ...
... (1 line unrecoverable)
... But the sixtieth [...], thus [...] world [...] they [...] gold ...
... (18 lines unrecoverable)
... they think ...
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... we have been released from the flesh. ...
... (1 line unrecoverable)
... not turn him to [...] Jesus ...
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... the beginning [...] a son ...
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... out of [...], which is the pattern [...] light of ...
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... to find from [...] defilement which ...
... (1 line unrecoverable)
... they do not blaspheme [...] them not, neither is there any pleasure nor desire, nor
can they control them. It is fitting that they should become undefiled, in order that they
might show to every one that they are from the generation of the Son of Man, since it is
about them that the Savior bore witness.
But those who are from the seed of Adam are manifest by their deeds, which are their
work. They have not ceased from desire which is wicked [...]. But some [...] the dogs
[...] the angels for [...] which they beget [...] will come [...] with their ...
... (9 lines unrecoverable)
... move as they [...] on the day when they will beget children. Not only that, but they
have intercourse while they are giving suck.
But others are caught up in the death of [...]. They are pulled <every> which
way, (and) they are gratified by unrighteous Mammon. They lend money at interest; they
waste time; and they do not work. But he who is father of Mammon is (also) father of
sexual intercourse.
But he who is able to renounce them shows that he is from the generation of the Son of
Man, (and) has power to accuse them. [...] he restrains [...] part(s) in a [...] in
wickedness, and he makes the outer like the inner. He resembles an angel which ...
... (1 line unrecoverable)
... power [...] said them. But the one ...
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And having withdrawn [...], he became silent, having ceased from loquacity and
disputations. But he who has found the life-giving word, and he who has come to know the
Father of Truth, has come to rest; he has ceased seeking, having found. And when he found,
he became silent. But few are the things he used to say to those that [...] with their
intellectual mind the [...].
There are some, who upon entering the faith, receive a baptism on the ground that they
have it as a hope of salvation, which they call the "seal", not knowing that the
fathers of the world are manifest (in) that place. But he himself knows that he is sealed.
For the Son of Man did not baptize any of his disciples. But [...], if those who are
baptized were headed for life, the world would become empty. And the fathers of baptism
were defiled.
But the baptism of truth is something else; it is by renunciation of the world that it
is found. But those who say only with the tongue that they are renouncing it are lying,
and they are coming to the place of fear. Moreover, they are humbled within it. Just as
those to whom it was given to have been condemned, they shall get something!
They are wicked in their behavior! Some of them fall away to the worship of idols.
Others have demons dwelling with them, as did David the king. He is the one who laid the
foundation of Jerusalem; and his son Solomon, whom he begat in adultery, is the one who
built Jerusalem by means of the demons, because he received power. When he had finished
building, he imprisoned the demons in the temple. He placed them into seven waterpots.
They remained a long time in the waterpots, abandoned there. When the Romans went up to
Jerusalem, they discovered the waterpots, and immediately the demons ran out of the
waterpots, as those who escape from prison. And the waterpots remained pure thereafter.
And since those days, they dwell with men who are in ignorance, and they have remained
upon the earth.
Who, then, is David? And who is Solomon? And what is the foundation? And what is the
wall which surrounds Jerusalem? And who are the demons? And what are the waterpots? And
who are the Romans? But these are mysteries ...
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... victorious over [...] the Son of Man [...] undefiled ...
... (3 lines unrecoverable)
... and he [...] when he [...]. For [...] is a great ...
... (1 line unrecoverable)
... to this nature ...
... (1 line unrecoverable)
... those that [...] all in a [...] blessed, and they [...] like a salamander. It goes
into the flaming fire which burns exceedingly; it slithers into the furnace ...
... (13 lines unrecoverable)
... the furnace ...
... (1 line unrecoverable)
... the boundaries [...], that they might see [...] and the power [...] sacrifice. Great
is the sacrifice ...
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..., but in a [...] aside [...]. And the Son of Man [...], and he has become manifest
through the bubbling fountain of immortality. ...
... (1 line unrecoverable)
... he is pure, and he is [...]. A free man is not envious. He is set apart from everyone,
from every audacity and envy the power of which is great [...] is (a) disciple [...]
pattern of law [...] these [...] only ...
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... they placed him under a [...] a teaching ...
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... his teaching, saying, "Even if an angel comes from heaven, and preaches to you
beyond that which we preached to you, may he be anathema," (Gal 1:8) not letting the
[...] of the soul which [...] freedom [...]. For they are still immature [...] they are
not able to keep this law which works by means of these heresies - though it is not they,
but the powers of Sabaoth - by means of the [...] the doctrines [...] as they have been
jealous of some [...] law(s) in Christ. Those who will [...] power [...] they reach the
[...] the twelve judge [...] them [...] the fountain of immortality ...
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... in order that ...
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... good [...] the whole place. [...] there the enemies. He baptized himself, and the
[...] he became divine; he flew up, (and) they did not grasp him. [...] there the enemies
[...], since it was not possible for them to bring him down again. If every [...] grasps
him with ignorance, attending to those who teach in the corners by means of carved things
and artful tricks, they are not able [...].
pp. 75-76 of codex missing
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