Theos-Talk Archives (May 2006 Message tt00327)

Friends,

Most interesting book.

Carlos. 
De:theos-talk@yahoogroups.com

Para:theos-talk@yahoogroups.com

Cópia:

Data:Thu, 11 May 2006 08:48:14 -0000

Assunto:[Spam] Theos-World The (O)SOPHY of JESUS

> THE GNOSTIC SOCIETY LIBRARY 
> 
> The Nag Hammadi Library 
> 
> The Sophia of Jesus Christ 
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------
> 
> Translated by Douglas M. Parrott 
> 
> 
> The Sophia (Wisdom) of Jesus Christ. 
> After he rose from the dead, his twelve disciples and seven women 
> continued to be his followers, and went to Galilee onto the mountain 
> called "Divination and Joy". When they gathered together and were 
> perplexed about the underlying reality of the universe and the plan, 
> and the holy providence, and the power of the authorities, and about 
> everything the Savior is doing with them in the secret of the holy 
> plan, the Savior appeared - not in his previous form, but in the 
> invisible spirit. And his likeness resembles a great angel of light. 
> But his resemblance I must not describe. No mortal flesh could 
> endure it, but only pure, perfect flesh, like that which he taught 
> us about on the mountain called "Of the Olives" in Galilee. 
> 
> And he said: "Peace be to you, My peace I give you!" And they all 
> marveled and were afraid. The Savior laughed and said to them: "What 
> are you thinking about? Are you perplexed? What are you searching 
> for?" 
> Philip said: "For the underlying reality of the universe and the 
> plan." 
> The Savior said to them: "I want you to know that all men are born 
> on earth from the foundation of the world until now, being dust, 
> while they have inquired about God, who he is and what he is like, 
> have not found him. Now the wisest among them have speculated from 
> the ordering of the world and (its) movement. But their speculation 
> has not reached the truth. For it is said that the ordering is 
> directed in three ways, by all the philosophers, (and) hence they do 
> not agree. For some of them say about the world that it is directed 
> by itself. Others, that it is providence (that directs it). Others, 
> that it is fate. But it is none of these. Again, of the three voices 
> I have just mentioned, none is close to the truth, and (they are) 
> from man. But I, who came from Infinite Light, I am here - for I 
> know him (Light) - that I might speak to you about the precise 
> nature of the truth. For whatever is from itself is a polluted life; 
> it is self-made. Providence has no wisdom in it. And fate does not 
> discern. But to you it is given to know; and whoever is worthy of 
> knowledge will receive (it), whoever has not been begotten by the 
> sowing of unclean rubbing but by First Who Was Sent, for he is an 
> immortal in the midst of mortal men." 
> 
> Matthew said to him: "Lord, no one can find the truth except through 
> you. Therefore teach us the truth." 
> The Savior said: "He Who Is is ineffable. No principle knew him, no 
> authority, no subjection, nor any creature from the foundation of 
> the world until now, except he alone, and anyone to whom he wants to 
> make revelation through him who is from First Light. From now on, I 
> am the Great Savior. For he is immortal and eternal. Now he is 
> eternal, having no birth; for everyone who has birth will perish. He 
> is unbegotten, having no beginning; for everyone who has a beginning 
> has an end. Since no one rules over him, he has no name; for whoever 
> has a name is the creation of another." 
> 
> (BG 84, 13-17 adds: He is unnameable. He has no human form; for 
> whoever has human form is the creation of another). 
> 
> "And he has a semblance of his own - not like what you have seen and 
> received, but a strange semblance that surpasses all things and is 
> better than the universe. It looks to every side and sees itself 
> from itself. Since it is infinite, he is ever incomprehensible. He 
> is imperishable and has no likeness (to anything). He is unchanging 
> good. He is faultless. He is eternal. He is blessed. While he is not 
> known, he ever knows himself. He is immeasurable. He is untraceable. 
> He is perfect, having no defect. He is imperishability blessed. He 
> is called 'Father of the Universe'". 
> 
> Philip said: "Lord, how, then, did he appear to the perfect ones?" 
> The perfect Savior said to him: "Before anything is visible of those 
> that are visible, the majesty and the authority are in him, since he 
> embraces the whole of the totalities, while nothing embraces him. 
> For he is all mind. And he is thought and considering and reflecting 
> and rationality and power. They all are equal powers. They are the 
> sources of the totalities. And their whole race from first to last 
> was in his foreknowledge, (that of) the infinite, unbegotten 
> Father." 
> 
> Thomas said to him: "Lord, Savior, why did these come to be, and why 
> were these revealed?" 
> The perfect Savior said: "I came from the Infinite that I might tell 
> you all things. Spirit-Who-Is was the begetter, who had the power 
> a begetter and a form-giver`s nature, that the great wealth 
> that was hidden in him might be revealed. Because of his mercy and 
> his love, he wished to bring forth fruit by himself, that he might 
> not his goodness alone, but (that) other spirits of the 
> Unwavering Generation might bring forth body and fruit, glory and 
> honor, in imperishableness and his infinite grace, that his treasure 
> might be revealed by Self-begotten God, the father of every 
> imperishableness and those that came to be afterward. But they had 
> not yet come to visibility. Now a great difference exists among the 
> imperishables." 
> 
> He called out, saying: "Whoever has ears to hear about the 
> infinities, let him hear!"; and "I have addressed those who are 
> awake." Still he continued and said: "Everything that came from the 
> perishable will perish, since it came from the perishable. But 
> whatever came from imperishableness does not perish but becomes 
> imperishable. So, many men went astray because they had not known 
> this difference and they died." 
> 
> Mary said to him: "Lord, then how will we know that?" 
> The perfect Savior said: "Come (you) from invisible things to the 
> end of those that are visible, and the very emanation of Thought 
> will reveal to you how faith in those things that are not visible 
> was found in those that are visible, those that belong to Unbegotten 
> Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear! 
> 
> "The Lord of the Universe is not called 'Father', but 'Forefather', 
> the beginning of those that will appear, but he (the Lord) is the 
> beginningless Forefather. Seeing himself within himself in a mirror, 
> he appeared resembling himself, but his likeness appeared as Divine 
> Self-Father, and Confronter over the Confronted ones, First 
> Existent Unbegotten Father. He is indeed of equal age the 
> Light that is before him, but he is not equal to him in power. 
> 
> "And afterward was revealed a whole multitude of confronting, self-
> begotten ones, equal in age and power, being in glory (and) without 
> number, whose race is called 'The Generation over Whom There Is No 
> Kingdom' from the one in whom you yourselves have appeared from 
> these men. And that whole multitude over which there is no kingdom 
> is called 'Sons of Unbegotten Father, God, Savior, Son of God,' 
> whose likeness is with you. Now he is the unknowable, who is full of 
> ever-imperishable glory and ineffable joy. They all are at rest in 
> him, ever rejoicing in ineffable joy in his unchanging glory and 
> measureless jubilation; this was never heard or known among all the 
> aeons and their worlds until now." 
> 
> Matthew said to him: "Lord, Savior, how was Man revealed?" 
> The perfect Savior said: "I want you to know that he who appeared 
> before the universe in infinity, Self-grown, Self-constructed 
> Father, being full of shining light and ineffable, in the beginning, 
> when he decided to have his likeness become a great power, 
> immediately the principle (or beginning) of that Light appeared as 
> Immortal Androgynous Man, that through that Immortal Androgynous Man 
> they might attain their salvation and awake from forgetfulness 
> through the interpreter who was sent, who is with you until the end 
> of the poverty of the robbers. 
> 
> "And his consort is the Great Sophia, who from the first was 
> destined in him for union by Self-begotten Father, from Immortal 
> Man, who appeared as First and divinity and kingdom, for the Father, 
> who is called 'Man, Self-Father', revealed this. And he created a 
> great aeon, whose name is 'Ogdoad', for his own majesty. 
> 
> "He was given great authority, and he ruled over the creation of 
> poverty. He created gods and angels, archangels, myriads 
> without number for retinue, from that Light and the tri-male Spirit, 
> which is that of Sophia, his consort. For from this, God originated 
> divinity and kingdom. Therefore he was called 'God of gods' 
> and 'King of kings'. 
> 
> "First Man has his unique mind, within, and thought - just as he is 
> it (thought) - (and) considering, reflecting, rationality, power. 
> All the attributes that exist are perfect and immortal. In respect 
> to imperishableness, they are indeed equal. (But) in respect to 
> power, they are different, like the difference between father and 
> son <, and son> and thought, and the thought and the remainder. As I 
> said earlier, among the things that were created, the monad is 
> first. 
> 
> "And after everything, all that was revealed appeared from his 
> power. And from what was created, all that was fashioned appeared; 
> from what was fashioned appeared what was formed; from what was 
> formed, what was named. Thus came the difference among the 
> unbegotten ones from beginning to end." 
> 
> Then Bartholomew said to him: "How (is it that) was designated 
> in the Gospel 'Man' and 'Son of Man'? To which of them, then, is 
> this Son related?" 
> The Holy One said to him: "I want you to know that First Man is 
> called 'Begetter, Self-perfected Mind'. He reflected with Great 
> Sophia, his consort, and revealed his first-begotten, androgynous 
> son. His male name is designated 'First Begetter, Son of God', his 
> female name, 'First Begettress Sophia, Mother of the Universe'. Some 
> call her 'Love'. Now First-begotten is called 'Christ'. Since he has 
> authority from his father, he created a multitude of angels without 
> number for retinue from Spirit and Light." 
> 
> His disciples said to him: "Lord, reveal to us about the one 
> called 'Man', that we also may know his glory exactly." 
> The perfect Savior said: "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear. 
> First Begetter Father is called 'Adam, Eye of Light,' because he 
> came from shining Light, and his holy angels, who are ineffable 
> (and) shadowless, ever rejoice with joy in their reflecting, which 
> they received from their Father. The whole Kingdom of Son of Man, 
> who is called 'Son of God,' is full of ineffable and shadowless joy, 
> and unchanging jubilation, (they) rejoicing over his imperishable 
> glory, which has never been heard until now, nor has it been 
> revealed in the aeons that came afterward, and their worlds. I came 
> from Self-begotten and First Infinite Light, that I might reveal 
> everything to you." 
> 
> Again, his disciples said: "Tell us clearly how they came down from 
> the invisibilities, from the immortal to the world that dies?" 
> The perfect Savior said: "Son of Man consented with Sophia, his 
> consort, and revealed a great androgynous light. His male name is 
> designated 'Savior, Begetter of All Things'. His female name is 
> designated 'All-Begettress Sophia'. Some call her 'Pistis'. 
> 
> "All who come into the world, like a drop from the Light, are sent 
> by him to the world of Almighty, that they might be guarded by him. 
> And the bond of his forgetfulness bound him by the will of Sophia, 
> that the matter might be through it to the whole world in 
> poverty, concerning his (Almighty's) arrogance and blindness and the 
> ignorance that he was named. But I came from the places above by the 
> will of the great Light, (I) who escaped from that bond; I have cut 
> off the work of the robbers; I have awakened that drop that was sent 
> from Sophia, that it might bear much fruit through me, and be 
> perfected and not again be defective, but be through me, 
> the Great Savior, that his glory might be revealed, so that Sophia 
> might also be justified in regard to that defect, that her sons 
> might not again become defective but might attain honor and glory 
> and go up to their Father, and know the words of the masculine 
> Light. And you were sent by the Son, who was sent that you might 
> receive Light, and remove yourselves from the forgetfulness of the 
> authorities, and that it might not again come to appearance because 
> of you, namely, the unclean rubbing that is from the fearful fire 
> that came from their fleshly part. Tread upon their malicious 
> intent." 
> 
> Then Thomas said to him: "Lord, Savior, how many are the aeons of 
> those who surpass the heavens?" 
> The perfect Savior said: "I praise you (pl.) because you ask about 
> the great aeons, for your roots are in the infinities. Now when 
> those whom I have discussed earlier were revealed, he provided .... 
> 
> [pages 109 and 110 are missing, replaced here by the corresponding 
> section in the Berlin Gnostic Codex (no.8502), the beginning of 
> which is somewhat different from the final partial sentence of III 
> 108 (the broken off sentence)] 
> 
> [BG107]: "Now when those whom I have discussed earlier were 
> revealed, Self-begetter Father very soon created twelve aeons for 
> retinue for the twelve angels. All these are perfect and good. Thus 
> the defect in the female appeared." 
> 
> And said to him: "How many are the aeons of the immortals, 
> starting from the infinities?" 
> The perfect Savior said: "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear. 
> The first aeon is that of Son of Man, who is called 'First 
> Begetter', who is called 'Savior', who has appeared. The second aeon 
> (is) that of Man, who is called 'Adam, Eye of Light'. That which 
> embraces these is the aeon over which there is no kingdom, (the 
> aeon) of the Eternal Infinite God, the Self-begotten aeon of the 
> aeons that are in it, (the aeon) of the immortals, whom I described 
> earlier, (the aeon) above the Seventh, that appeared from Sophia, 
> which is the first aeon. 
> 
> "Now Immortal Man revealed aeons and powers and kingdoms, and gave 
> authority to all who appear in him, that they might exercise their 
> desires until the last things that are above chaos. For these 
> consented with each other and revealed every magnificence, even from 
> spirit, multitudinous lights that are glorious and without number. 
> These were called in the beginning, that is, the first aeon and 
> second> and . The first called 'Unity and Rest'. 
> Each one has its (own) name; for the aeon was 
> designated 'Assembly' from the great multitude that appeared: in 
> one, a multitude revealed themselves. Now because the multitudes 
> gather and come to a unity we call them 'Assembly of the Eighth.'It 
> appeared as androgynous and was name partly as male and partly as 
> female. The male is called 'Assembly', while the female is 
> called 'Life', that it might be shown that from a female came the 
> life for all the aeons. And every name was received, starting from 
> the beginning. 
> 
> "For from his concurrence with his thought, the powers very soon 
> appeared who were called 'gods'; and the gods of the gods from their 
> wisdom revealed gods; from their wisdom revealed 
> lords; and the lords of the lords from their thinkings revealed 
> lords; and the lords from their power revealed archangels; the 
> archangels from their words revealed angels; from them, semblances 
> appeared, with structure and form and name for all the aeons and 
> their worlds. 
> 
> "And the immortals, whom I have just described, all have authority 
> from Immortal Man, who is called 'Silence', because by reflecting 
> without speech all her own majesty was perfected. For since the 
> imperishabilities had the authority, each created a great kingdom in 
> the Eighth, (and) also thrones and temples (and) firmaments for 
> their own majesties. For these all came by the will of the Mother of 
> the Universe." 
> 
> Then the Holy Apostles said to him: "Lord, Savior, tell us about 
> those who are in the aeons, since it is necessary for us to ask 
> about them." 
> The perfect Savior said: "If you ask about anything, I will tell 
> you. They created hosts of angels, myriads without number, for 
> retinue and their glory. They created virgin spirits, the ineffable 
> and unchangeable lights. For they have no sickness nor weakness, but 
> it is will. [BG 115,14 adds here: And they came to be in an 
> instant.] 
> 
> "Thus the aeons were completed quickly in the heavens and the 
> firmaments in the glory of Immortal Man and Sophia, his consort: the 
> area from which every aeon and the world and those that came 
> afterward took (their) pattern for their creation of likenesses in 
> the heavens of chaos and their worlds. And all natures, starting 
> from the revelation of chaos, are in the Light that shines without 
> shadow, and joy that cannot be described, and unutterable 
> jubilation. They ever delight themselves on account of their 
> unchanging glory and the immeasurable rest, which cannot be 
> described among all the aeons that came to be afterward, and all 
> their powers. Now all that I have just said to you, I said that you 
> might shine in Light more than these." 
> 
> Mary said to him: "Holy Lord, where did your disciples come from, 
> and where are they going, and (what) should they do here?" 
> The Perfect Savior said to them: "I want you to know that Sophia, 
> the Mother of the Universe and the consort, desired by herself to 
> bring these to existence without her male (consort). But by the will 
> of the Father of the Universe, that his unimaginable goodness might 
> be revealed, he created that curtain between the immortals and those 
> that came afterward, that the consequence might follow ... [BG 
> 118:] ... every aeon and chaos - that the defect of the female might 
> , and it might come about that Error would contend with her. 
> And these became the curtain of spirit. From aeons above the 
> emanations of Light, as I have said already, a drop from Light and 
> Spirit came down to the lower regions of Almighty in chaos, that 
> their molded forms might appear from that drop, for it is a judgment 
> on him, Arch-Begetter, who is called 'Yaldabaoth'. That drop 
> revealed their molded forms through the breath, as a living soul. It 
> was withered and it slumbered in the ignorance of the soul. When it 
> became hot from the breath of the Great Light of the Male, and it 
> took thought, (then) names were received by all who are in the world 
> of chaos, and all things that are in it through that Immortal One, 
> when the breath blew into him. But when this came about by the will 
> of Mother Sophia - so that Immortal Man might piece together the 
> garments there for a judgment on the robbers - then welcomed 
> the blowing of that breath; but since he was soul-like, he was not 
> able to take that power for himself until the number of chaos should 
> be complete, (that is,) when the time determined by the great angel 
> is complete. 
> 
> "Now I have taught you about Immortal Man and have loosed the bonds 
> of the robbers from him. I have broken the gates of the pitiless 
> ones in their presence. I have humiliated their malicious intent, 
> and they all have been shamed and have risen from their ignorance. 
> Because of this, then, I came here, that they might be joined with 
> that Spirit and Breath, [III continues:] and might from two become 
> one, just as from the first, that you might yield much fruit and go 
> up to Him Who Is from the Beginning, in ineffable joy and glory and 
> honor and grace of the Father of the Universe. 
> 
> "Whoever, then, knows the Father in pure knowledge will depart to 
> the Father and repose in Unbegotten Father. But whoever knows him 
> defectively will depart to the defect and the rest of the Eighth. 
> Now whoever knows Immortal Spirit of Light in silence, through 
> reflecting and consent in the truth, let him bring me signs of the 
> Invisible One, and he will become a light in the Spirit of Silence. 
> Whoever knows Son of Man in knowledge and love, let him bring me a 
> sign of Son of Man, that he might depart to the dwelling-places with 
> those in the Eighth. 
> 
> "Behold, I have revealed to you the name of the Perfect One, the 
> whole will of the Mother of the Holy Angels, that the masculine 
> multitude may be completed here, that there might appear in the 
> aeons, the infinities and those that came to be in the untraceable 
> wealth of the Great Invisible Spirit, that they all might take from 
> his goodness, even the wealth of their rest that has no kingdom over 
> it. I came from First Who Was Sent, that I might reveal to you Him 
> Who Is from the Beginning, because of the arrogance of Arch-Begetter 
> and his angels, since they say about themselves that they are gods. 
> And I came to remove them from their blindness, that I might tell 
> everyone about the God who is above the universe. Therefore, tread 
> upon their graves, humiliate their malicious intent, and break their 
> yoke and arouse my own. I have given you authority over all things 
> as Sons of Light, that you might tread upon their power with your 
> feet." 
> 
> These are the things the blessed Savior said, and he disappeared 
> from them. Then all the disciples were in great, ineffable joy in 
> the spirit from that day on. And his disciples began to preach the 
> Gospel of God, the eternal, imperishable Spirit. Amen. 
> 
> 
> 
> The Sophia of Jesus 
> 
> Selection made from James M. Robinson, ed., The Nag Hammadi Library, 
> revised edition. HarperCollins, San Francisco, 1990
> 
> 
> 
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