The powers do not see those who are clothed in the perfect light, and consequently are not able to
detain them. One will clothe himself in this light sacramentally in the union.
If the woman had not separated from the man, she would not die with the man. His separation
became the beginning of death. Because of this Christ came to repair the separation which was
from the beginning and to again unite the two, to give life to those who died as a result of the
separation and unite them. But the woman is united to her husband in the bridal chamber. Indeed,
those who have united in the bridal chamber will no longer be separated. Thus Eve separated from
Adam because she was never united with him in the bridal chamber.
The soul of Adam came into being by means of a breath(pneuma), which is a synonym for
spirit(Pneuma). The Spirit given him is his mother. His soul was replaced by a spirit. When he
was united to the spirit, he spoke words incomprehensible to the powers. They envied him
because they were separated from the spiritual union. This separation afforded them the
opportunity to fashion for themselves the symbolic bridal chamber so that men would be defiled.
Jesus revealed himself at the Jordan: it was the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven.He who was
begotten before everything was begotten anew. He who was once anointed was anointed anew.
He who was redeemed in turn redeemed others.
Is it permitted to utter a mystery? The Father of everything united with the virgin who came
down, and a fire shone for him on that day. He appeared in the great bridal chamber. Therefore
his body came into being on that very day.It left the bridal chamber as one who came into being
from the bridegroom and the bride. So Jesus established everything in it through these. It is fitting
for each of the disciples to enter into his rest.
Adam came into being from two virgins, from the Spirit and from the virgin of earth.Christ
therefore, was born from a virgin to rectify the Fall which occured in the beginning.
There are two trees growing in Paradise. One bears animals, the other bears men. Adam ate from
the tree which bore animals. He became an animal and he brought forth animals. For this reason
the children of Adam worship animals. The tree whose gifte Adam ate is the Tree of
Knowledge.That is why sins increased. If he ate the fruit of the other tree, that is to say, the Tree
of Life, the one which bears men, then the gods would worship man. For in the beginning God
created man. But now men create God. That is the way it is in the world - men make gods and
worship their creation. It would be fitting for the gods to worship men!
Surely what a man accomplishes depends on his abilities. We even refer to one`s
accomplishments as abilities. Among his accomplishments are his children. They originate in a
moment of ease. Thus his abilities determine what he may accomplish,, but this ease is clearly
evident in the children.You will find that this applies directly to the image. Here is the man made
after the image, accomplishing things with his physical strenght but produving his children with
ease. In this world slaves serve the free. In the Kingdom of Heaven the free will minister to the
slaves: the children of the bridal chamber will minister to the children of the marriage. The
children of the bridal chamber have just one name. Together they shall share rest. They need take
no other form because they have contemplation, comprehending by insight. They are numorous
because they do not put their treasure in the things below, which are despised, but in the glories
which are above, though they did not yet know them.
Those who will be baptized go down into the water. But Christ, by coming out of the water, will
consecrate it, so that they who have received the baptism in his name may be perfect. For he
said,Thus we should fulfill all righteousness[Matt3:15]
Those who say they will die first and then rise are in error. If they do not first receive the
ressurrection while they live, when they die they will receive nothing. So also when speaking
about baptism they say Baptism is a great thing because if people receive it it they will live.
Phillip the apostle said, Joseph the carpenter planted a garden because he needed wood for his
trade. it was he who made the cross from the trees which he planted. His own offspring hung on
that which he planted. His offspring was Jesus and the planting was the cross. But the Tree of
Life is in the middle of the Garden.However,it is from the olive tree that we got the chrism, and
from the chrism, the ressurrection.
This world is a corpse-eater. All the things eaten in it themselves die also. Truth is a life-eater.
Therefore no one nourished by truth will die. It was from that place that Jesus came and brought
food.To those who so desired he gave life, that they might not die.
God planted a Garden. Man was put into the Garden. There were many trees there for him, and
man lived in this place with the blessing of the image of God.The things which are in it I will eat
as I wish. This garden is the place where they will say to me, O man , eat this or do not eat that,
just as you wish This is the place where I will eat all things, since the Tree of Knowledge is
there. That one killed Adam, but here the Tree of Knowledge made men alive. The law was the
tree. It has power to give the knowledge of good and evil. It neither removed him from evil, nor
did it set him in the good, but it created death for those who ate it, For when he said, Eat this,
do not eat that, it became the beginning of death.
The chrism is superior to the baptism, for it is from the word Chrism that we have been called
Christians certainly not because of the word baptism. And it is because of the chrism that the
Christ has his name. For the Father anointed the Son, and the Son anointed the apostles, and the
apostles anointed us. He who has been anointed possesses everything, he possesses the
ressurrection, the light, the cross, the Holy Spirit. The Father gave him this in the bridal chamber;
he merely accepted the gift. The Father was in the Son and the Son in the Father. This is the
Kingdom of Heaven.
The Lord have said it well, Some have entered the Kingdom of Heaven laughing and they have
come out.. They do not remain there - the one because he is not a Christian, the other because he
regrets his action afterward. And as soon as Christ went down into the water, he came out
laughing at everything of this world, not because he considers it a trifle, but because he is full of
contempt for it. He who wants to enter the Kingdom of Heaven will attain it. If he despises
everything of this world and scorrns it as a trifle, he will come out laughing. So it is also with the
bread and the cup and the oil, even though there is another one superior to these.
The world came about through a mistake. For he who created it wanted to create it imperishable
and immortal. He fell short of attaining his desire. For the world never was imperishable, but sons
are. Nothing will be able to receive imperishability if it does not first become a son.But he who
has not the ability to receive, how much more will he be unable to give?
The Cup of prayer contains wine and water, since it is appointed as the type of the blood for
which thanks is given. And it is full of the Holy Spirit, and it belongs to the wholly perfect man.
When we drink this, we shall receive for ourselves the perfect man. The living water is a body. It
is neccessary that we put on the living man. Therefore, when he is about to go down into the
water, he unclothes himself, in order that he may put on the living man.
A horse sires a horse, a man begets man, a god brings forth a god. Compare the bridegroom and
the bride. Their children were conceived in the bridal chamber.No Jew was ever born to Greek
parents as long as the world has existed. And, as a Christian people. we ourselves do not descend
from the Jews.There was another people and these blessed ones are referred to as The chosen
people of the Living God and The true man and Son of Man and the seed of the Son of Man.
In the world it is called this true people. Where they are, there are the sons of the bridal
chamber.
Whereas in this world the union is one of husband with wife - a case of strenght complemented
with weakness - in the Aeon the form of the union is different, although we refer to them by the
same names.There are other names,however, they are superior to every other name that is named
and are stronger than the strong. For where there is a show of strenght, there those who excel in
strenght appear.These are not separate things, but both of them are this one single thing.This is
the one which will not be able to rise above the heart of flesh.
Is it not necessary for all those who possess everything to know themselves? Some indeed, if they
do not know themselves, will not enjoy their possessions. Not only will they be unable to detain
the perfect man, but they will not be able to see him, for if they see him they will detain him.
There is no other way for a person to acquire this quality except by putting on the perfect light and
become perfect oneself. Everyone who has put this on will enter the kingdom. This is the perfect
light, and it is necessary that we, by all means, become perfect men before we leave the world.
He who has received everything and has not rid himself of these places will not be able ti share in
that place, but will go to the Middle as imperfect. Only Jesus knows the end of this person.
The priest is completely holy, down to his very body. For if he has taken the bread, will he
consecrate it? Or the cup or anything else that he gets, does he consecrate them? Then how will he
not consecrate the body also? By perfecting the water of baptism, Jesus emptied it of death. Thus
we do go down into the water, but we do not go down into death in order that we may not be
poured out into the spirit of the world. When this spirit blows, it brings the winter. When the
Holy Spirit breathes, the summer comes.
He who has knowledge of the truth is a free man, but the free man does not sin, for He who sins
is the slave of sin[John8:34] Truth is the mother, knowledge the father. Those who think that
sinning does not apply for them are called free by the world. Knowledge of the truth merely
makes such people arrogant, which is what the words, it makes them free mean. It even gives
them a sense of superiority over the whole world. But Love builds up [1Cor8:1].In fact, he who
is really free through knowledge is a slave because of love for those who have not yet been able to
attain the freedom which comes from knowledge. Knowledge makes them capable of becoming
free. Love never calls somethings its own, and yet it may actually possess that very thing.It never
says,This is mine but All these are yours. Spiritual love is wine and fragrance. All those who
anoints themselves with it take pleasure in it. While those who are anointed are present, those
nearby profit from the fragrance. If those anointed with ointment withdraw from them and leave,
then those anointed, who merely stand nearby, still remain in their bad odor.The samaritan gave
nothing but wine and oil to the wounded man. It is nothing other than the ointment. It healed the
wounds, for love covers a multitude of sins[1Pet4:8]
The children a woman bears resemble the man who loves her. If her husband loves her, then they
resemble her husband. If it is an adulterer, then they resemble the adulterer. Frequently, if a
woman sleep with her husband out of necessity, while her heart is with the adulterer with whim
she usually has intercourse , the child she will bear is born resembling the adulterer. Now you
who live together with the Son of God, love not the world, but love the Lord.
The human being has intercourse with the human being. The horse has intercourse with the horse,
the ass with the ass. Members of a race usually have associated with those of like race. So spirit
mingles with spirit, and thought consorts with thought, and light shares with light. If you are born
a human being, it is the human being which will love you.If you become a spirit, it is the spirit
which will be joined to you. If you become thought, it is thought which will mingle with you. If
you become light, it is light which will share with you. If you become one of those who belong
above,it is those who belong above who will rest in you. If you become horse or ass or bull or
dog or sheep or another of the animals which are outside and below, then neither human bein nor
spirit nor thought nor light will be able to love you. Neither those who belong above nor those
who belong within will be able to rest in you, and you have no part in them. He who is a slave
against his will, will be able to become free.
Farming in the world requires the cooperation of four essential elements.A harvest is gathered into
the barn only as a result of the natural action of water, earth, wind and light. God`s farming
likewise has four elements - faith, hope, love, and knowledge. Faith is our earth, that in which we
take root.And hope is the water through which we are nourished.Love is the wind through which
we grow.Knowledge is the light through which we ripen. Grace exists in four ways; it is
earthborn, it is heavenly; it comes from the highest heaven; and it resides in truth.
Blessed is the one who on no occasion caused a soul distress. That person is Jesus Christ.He came
to the whole place and did not burden anyone.Therefore the blessed is the one who is like this,
because he is a perfect man.This indeed is the Word.Tell us about it, since it is difficult to
define.How shall we be able to accomplish such a great thing? How whill he give everyone
comfort? Above all, it is not proper to cause anyone distress - whether the person is great or
small, unbeliever or believer - and then give comfort only to those who take satisfaction in good
deeds.Some find it advantageous to give comfort to the one who has fared well.He who does good
deeds cannot give comfort to such people, for it goes against his will. He is unable to cause
distress, however, since he does not afflict them.To be sure, the one who fares well sometimes
causes people distress . not that he intends to do so; rather, it is their own wickedness which is
responsible for their distress.He who possesses the qualities of the perfect man rejoice in the
good.Some, however, are terribly distressed by all this.
There was a householder who had every conceiveable thing, be it son or slave or cattle or dog or
pig or corn or barley or chaff or gress or castor oil or meat and acorn.Now he was a sensible
fellow and he knew what the food of each one was.He himself served the children bread and
meat.He served the slaves castor oil and meal. Anf he threw barley and chaff and grass to the
cattle. He threw bones to the dogs, and to the pigs he threw acorns and scraps of bread. Compare
the disciple of God: if he is a sensible fellow he understands what discipleship is all about.The
bodily forms will not deceive him, but he will look at the condition of the soul of each one and
speak with him.There are many animals in the world which are in a human form.When he
identifies them, to the swine he will throw acorns, to the cattle he will throw barley and chaff and
grass, to the dogs he will throw bones.To the slaves he will give only the elementary lessons, but
to the children he will give the complete instruction.
There is the Son of man and there is the son of the Son of man. The Lord is the Son of man, and
the son of the Son of man is he who created through the Son of man.The Son of man received
from God the capacity to create.He also has the ability to beget.He who has received the ability to
create is a creature.He who has received the ability to beget is an offspring.He who creates cannot
beget. He who begets also has the ability to create.Now they say, He who creates begets.But his
so-called offspring is merely a creature.Therefore his children are not offspring but creatures.He
who create works openly; he himself is visible. He who begets, begets in private; he is himself
hidden, since he is superior to every image.He who creates, creates openly. But one who begets,
begets children in private.No one will be able to know when the husband and the wife have
intercourse with one another, except the two in them.Indeed, marriage in the world is a mystery
for those who have taken a wife.If there is a hidden quality to the marriage of defilement, how
much more is the undefiled marriage a true mystery!It is not fleshly but pure.It belongs not to
desire but to the will.It belongs not to the darkness or the night but to the day and the light.If a
marriage is open to the public, it has become prostitution, and the bride plays the harlot not only
when she is impregnated by another man but even if she slips out of her bedroom and is seen.Let
her show herself only to the father and her mother and the friend of the bridegroom and the sons
of the bridegroom. There are permitted to enter every day into the bridal chamber. But let the
others yearn to listen to her voice and to enjoy her ointment, and let them feed from the crumbs
that fall from the table, like dogs.Bridegrooms and brides belong to the bridal chamber. No one
shall be able to see the bridegroom with the bride unless one becomes one.
When Abraham rejoiced that he was to see what he was to see, he circumcised the flesh of the
foreskin, teaching us that it is proper to destroy the flesh.
Most things in the world, as long as their inner parts are hidden, stand upright and live. If they are
revealed they die, as is illustrated by the visible man: as long as the intestines of the man are
hidden, the man is alive; when his intestines are exposed and come out of him, the man will die.
So also with the tree: while its root is hidden it sprouts and grows. If its root is exposed, the tree
dries up.So it is with every birth that is in the world, not only with the revealed but with the
hidden.For so long as the root of wickedness is hidden, it is strong.But when it is recognized, it is
dissolved.When it is revealed, it perishes.That is why the word say, Already the axe is laid at
the root of the tree[Matt3:10] It will not merely cut - what is cut sprouts again - but the ax
penetrates deeply until it brings up the root.Jesus pulled out the root of the whole place, while
others only did it partially. As for ourselves, let each one of us dig down after the root of evil
which is within one, and let one pluck it out of one`s heart from the root.It will be plucked out if
we recognize it. But if we are ignorant of it, it takes root in us and produces its fruit in our heart.It
masters us.We are its slaves.It takes us captive, to make us do what we do not want; and what we
do want we do not do. It is powerful because we have not recognized it. While it exists it is
active.Ignorance is the mother of all evil.Ignorance will eventuate in death, because thos who
come from ignorance neither were nor are nor shall be.But those who are in the truth will be
perfect when all the truth is revealed.For truth is like ignorance: while it is hidden it rests in itself,
but when it is revealed and is recognized, it is praised inasmuch as it is stronger than ignorance
and the error. It gives freedom.The word said, If you know the truth, the truth will make you
free[John8:32] Ignorance is a slave.Knowledge is freedom.If we know the truth, we shall find
the fruits of the truth within us.If we are joined to it, it will bring fulfillment.
At the present time we have the manifest things of creation. We say, The strong are they who
are held in high regard.And the obscure are the weak who are despised. Contrast the manifest
things of truth: they are weak and despised, while the hidden things are strong and held in high
regard. The mysteries of truth are revealed, though in type and image. The bridal chamber,
however, remains hidden.It is the Holy in the Holy.The veil at first concealed how God controlled
the creation, but when the veil is rent and the things inside are revealed, this house will be left
desolate, or rather - it will be destroyed. But the whole inferior godhead will flee from these
places into the holy of holies, for it wil not be able to mix with the unmixed light and the flawless
fullness, but will be under the wings of the cross and its arms.This asrk will be its salvation when
the flood of water(?) surges over them.If some belong to the order of the priesthood, they will be
able to go within the veil with the high priest. For this reason the veil was not rent at the top only
since it would have been revealed only to those below. But it was rent from the top to
bottom.Those above opened to us who are below, in order that we may go into the secret of truth.
This truly is what is held in high regard, since it is strong! But we shall go into there by means of
lowly types and forms of weakness.They are lowly indeed when compared with the perfect glory.
There is glory which surpasses glory.There is power which surpasses power.Therefore, the perfect
things have opened to us, together with the hidden things of truth.The holies of the holies were
revealed, and the bridal chamber invited us in.
As long as it is hidden, wickedness is indeed ineffectual, but it has not been removed from the
midst of the seed of the Holy Spirit. They are slaves of evil.But when it is revealed, then the
perfect light will flow out on everyone.And all those who are in it will receive the chrism. Then
the slaves will be free and the captives ransomed.Every plant which my father in heaven has not
planted will be plucked out[Matt15:13]. Those who are seperated will be united and will be
filled.Every one who will enter the bridal chamber will kindle the light, for it burns just as in the
marriages which are observed, though they happen at night.That fire burns only at night and is put
out.But the mysteries of this marriage are perfected rather in the day and the light. Neither that
day nor its light ever sets.If anyone becomes a son of the bridal chamber, he will receive the
light.If anyone does not receive it while he is in these places, he will not be able to receive it in
the other place.He who will receive the light will not be seen, nor can he be detained. And none
shall be able to torment a person like this even while he dwells in the world.And again, when he
leaves the world he has allready received the truth in the images.The world has become the Aeon,
for the Aeon if fullness for him.This is the way it is: it is revealed to him alone, not hidden in the
darkness and the night, but hidden in a perfect day and a holy light.
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Questions or comments? Please feel free to email us at:
selection made from James M.Robinson(ed): The Nag Hammadi Library, revised
edition.
HarperCollins, San Fransisco 1990.ISBN 0-06066935-7.