Theos-Talk Archives (November 2002 Message tt00796)

--- In theos-talk@y..., samblo@c... wrote:
> Steve,
> Have you read G. R. S. Mead's "Fragments of a Faith 
Forgotten?"

Yes, I have. My omments were based on a study of Juppolytus and 
Irenaeus, both of whose works can be downloaded free from thre web.

> In his "Pistis Sophia(Faith Wisdom}" we find the 
> Mystery Play 
> about the Cosmic Creation involving Yaldabaoth and his 7 
Archons. 
> Yaldabaoth
> was called "The Abortion of Sophia" in this Gnostic Mystery 
Drama.

That was a Valentinian iea which they insisted was part of the 
esoteric teachin of the apostle Paul. When Paul poke og himselas 
one "born out of time" (i.e., as an abortion) he is said to have been 
referring to this idea for the benefit of the initiated, while 
puposely confusing everyone else. There are numerous other comments 
in his surviving letters which also refer to esoteric ideas, but 
which uninitiated readers pass right over.

One 
> day
> he proclaims "I Am God - and there is none Above Me!".

This refers to the ignorance of the Demiurge, who believed he created 
the world and was himself uncreated. The same idea appears in 
Buddhism.

> The Nag Hammadhi Library is a Treasury of these Documents 
recovered 
> after so
> many centuries of exile.

Almost all of it is online, but hard to read unless you have studied 
Irenaeus, who wrote to be obscure and yet preserve a serviceable jey 
to the system. He is like Blavatsky. He reveals and yet conceals at 
the same time. But he had access t lost documents and discussed the 
system at length with Valentinian Gnostics, which we cannot do. One 
of the things he concealed behind a lot of orthodox fustian was his 
wvident sympathy and admiration for the esoteric teaching.