Gospel of Truth

The Living Book and the cross — Jesus, putting on the testament, takes the book to Himself; the awakening from the nightmare of forgetfulness; the Father's perfume.

1Even as the wealth which is hidden in a testament, so long as it is unopened, the substance of the house remaineth hidden — so was it concerning the All, the All which was hidden, while the Father of the All was unseen, He that is from Himself, He from whom every space cometh forth.

2For this cause did Jesus appear; He put that book upon Himself; He was nailed upon a cross; He affixed the ordinance of the Father unto the cross.

3Oh, this great teaching! He bringeth Himself down even unto death, while life eternal clotheth Him. He stripped Himself of the perishable rags; He put on incorruption, which none can take from Him.

4He entered into the empty places of the terrors. He passed through them which were stripped by forgetfulness, even as One that hath knowledge and perfection. He proclaimed the things of the heart of the Father, that He might make wise them that should receive instruction.

5But they that should receive instruction are the living, that are written in the book of the living. They receive instruction concerning themselves; they receive it from the Father; they turn again unto Him.

6Forasmuch as the perfection of the All is in the Father, it is needful that the All come up unto Him. He that hath knowledge knoweth from whence he came, and whither he goeth. He knoweth as one who having become drunken hath turned from his drunkenness; being returned unto himself, he hath set his own things in order.

7He hath turned many from error. He hath gone before them unto their own places, even from which they had departed when they had received error, on account of the depth of Him that surroundeth every space, and beside whom there is none that can surround Him.

8It was a great wonder that they were in the Father, knowing Him not, and that they were able to come forth on their own — since indeed they were not able to comprehend Him in whom they were, neither was it possible that they should comprehend themselves.

9For this cause was His will an established thing among them. He hath taken thought of those whom He hath revealed; He hath given them the means to know Him; that is, the knowledge of the living book — even that book which He hath revealed unto the aeons in the last hour.

10And as the All looked upon the Word, even Jesus, who hath made known the Father, even Him that calleth Himself the way, the truth, and the life — and as they were instructed by Him concerning the Father, the All was glad, and there was great joy in the assemblies of the holy ones.

11It was as a man asleep, who, finding himself in dreams of terror — fleeing now, weak in pursuit, falling from a height, being struck down by stripes — when he awaketh, he beholdeth nothing of these things; for they were nothing, and he letteth them go like a dream of the night.

12He esteemeth the labour wherein he was entangled as nothing, since he hath cast it from him as a dream. So is the knowledge of the Father unto them that have received it: it is the dawn.

13And so each one acteth as one who hath been asleep at the time of his ignorance — and so doth he leave it, even as he putteth aside dreams of the night, and esteemeth the knowledge of the Father as the light. So hath each one done; so hath each one acted, when he knew not the Father.

14But when he hath received instruction, he can no longer fall asleep. He hath awaked; and he that hath awaked, blessed is he, for he hath turned away his blindness.

15The Spirit hath run after him, that He might raise him up; she hath given a hand unto him that lieth upon the ground; she hath set him upon his feet, for he hath not yet risen.

16He hath given them the means to know the knowledge of the Father, and the manifestation of His Son. For when they have seen Him, and when they have heard Him, He hath given them to taste Him, and to scent Him, and to handle the Beloved Son.

17When the Word that is hidden in the silence of the bosom of the Father came forth, and clothed Himself with the body — though many a stumbling-block He encountered — yet there came forth from Him a perfume.

18Even as cool oils that are sent forth, so the perfume of the Father went out unto them that knew Him not, and gave unto them an odour of life.

19He sent forth oil that they might be healed by His ointment. The ointment is the mercy of the Father; He shall have mercy upon them. But them whom He hath anointed are them that are perfect.

20Now full vessels are them that are sealed. When the seal of one of them is broken, the vessel emptieth, and the cause that it leaketh is the lack of its seal. For a breath bloweth thereon, and it leaveth, drawn off by power. But upon him that is whole, no seal is broken — neither emptieth he, nor doth aught issue from him; rather, what he lacketh, the perfect Father filleth again.

21He is good. He knoweth His seedlings; for He hath sown them in His paradise. Now His paradise is His place of rest.

22This is the perfection in the thought of the Father; and these are the words of His meditation. Each of His words is a work of His one will, in the manifestation of His Word.

23While they were yet in the depth of His mind, the Word that came forth first revealed them, together with a mind that uttereth, the One Word in the silent grace, was called Thought, since they were in it before being made manifest.

24It came to pass, then, that He came forth first, at the season when it was pleasing unto the will of Him that willed it.