Apocryphon of John

John withdraws from the temple, is met on the mountain by the Savior in threefold form, and is promised the revelation of all mysteries.

1The teaching of the Savior, and the revelation of the mysteries, and the things hidden in silence — even these things which he taught to John, his disciple.

2It came to pass one day, when John the brother of James — who are the sons of Zebedee — had gone up to the temple, that a Pharisee named Arimanius approached him and said to him, "Where is your master whom you followed?"

3And he said to him, "He has gone back to the place from which he came."

4The Pharisee said to him, "With deception did that Nazarene deceive you, and he filled your ears with lies, and closed your hearts, and turned you from the traditions of your fathers."

5When I, John, heard these things, I turned away from the temple to a desert place.

6And I grieved greatly in my heart, saying, "How was the Savior appointed? Why was he sent into the world by his Father? Who is his Father who sent him? And what manner of aeon is it to which we shall go?

7For what did he mean when he said to us, 'This aeon to which you will go is of the form of the imperishable aeon,' yet he did not teach us what manner of aeon it is?"

8Immediately, while I was considering these things, behold, the heavens opened, and the whole creation beneath the heaven shone with light, and the world was shaken.

9I was afraid, and behold — I saw in the light a youth who stood beside me.

10And while I gazed at him, he became like an old man; and again he changed his likeness and became as a servant.

11There were not many beings before me, but one likeness with many forms in the light, and the forms appeared through one another, and the likeness had three forms.

12He said to me, "John, John, why do you doubt, and why are you afraid? Are you not a stranger to this image?

13That is, do not be fainthearted. I am he who is with you always. I am the Father. I am the Mother. I am the Son.

14I am the undefiled and unpolluted one. Now I have come to teach you what is, and what has been, and what shall come to pass,

15that you may understand the things invisible as well as those visible, and that I may teach you concerning the perfect Man.

16Therefore, lift up your face to me and hearken, and receive the things which I shall tell you this day, that you may make them known to your fellow spirits, who are of the unwavering race of the perfect Man."

17And I asked, that I might understand, and he said to me: "The Monad is a sovereignty with nothing ruling over it.

18He is the God and Father of the All, the Invisible, the Holy One, who is above the All, who is in his own incorruption, dwelling in the pure light upon which no eye can gaze.

19He is the Invisible Spirit, of whom it is not fitting to think as a god, nor as one of any particular kind.

20For he is more excellent than the gods. He is a Majesty over whom there is nothing. There is none before him, neither does he stand in need of anything.

21He has no need of life, for he is eternal. He has no need of anything, for he is unattainable in all things, lacking nothing that could be given unto him.

22Rather, at all times he provides unto the All, since he is himself the fullness. He is pure, immeasurable light, which no eye can behold.

23He is the Spirit. It is not fitting to think of him as bodily, nor as wholly incorporeal.

24He is not great, nor is he small. There is no one who can say, 'What is his quantity?' or, 'What is his quality?' — for none can know him.

25He is not among the things that exist, but is far more excellent. Yet he is not excellent as though he could be compared; for he is unsearchable, not such as partakes in any age.

26For whatever partakes of an age was prepared for it. Time was not apportioned unto him, for he receives nothing from any other, since whatever he might receive would be as a loan.

27For he who goes before lacks nothing, that he should receive from another; for he beholds himself alone in the light which encompasses him,

28that is, the fountain of the living water, the light which is full of purity.

29The fountain of the Spirit flowed forth from the living water of light, and it furnished all aeons and worlds.

30In every way he perceived his own image, beholding it in the pure water of light which surrounds him.

31And his Thought became a work. She appeared, she stood before him out of the brilliance of the light: she is the first power which came forth before the All from his Thought — the perfect Forethought of the All, the Light, the likeness of the Light, the image of the Invisible, the perfect power Barbelo, the perfect aeon of glory.

32She glorifies him, for she came forth from him and conceived of him. She is the first Thought, his image.

33She became a womb of the All, for she is before them all: Mother-Father, first Man, holy Spirit, thrice-male, thrice-powerful, thrice-named, the androgynous one, the eternal aeon among the invisible ones, the first to come forth.

34She — that is, Barbelo — requested of the Invisible Virgin Spirit that he grant her Foreknowledge; and he consented.

35When he had consented, Foreknowledge came forth, and it stood with Forethought. It glorified the Invisible One, and the perfect power Barbelo, for whose sake it had come into being.

36Again she requested that he grant her Incorruption, and he consented. When he had consented, Incorruption came forth, and it stood with Thought and Foreknowledge, glorifying the Invisible One and Barbelo, for whose sake they had come into being.

37She asked further that he grant her Eternal Life, and he consented. When he had consented, Eternal Life came forth, and they stood and glorified him and Barbelo, for whose sake they had come into being.

38Again she asked that Truth be given her, and he consented. When he had consented, Truth came forth, and they stood and glorified the good Invisible Spirit and his Barbelo, for whose sake they had come into being.

39This is the fivefold of the aeons of the Father: the first Man, which is the image of the Invisible Spirit — that is, Forethought, namely Barbelo — and Thought and Foreknowledge and Incorruption and Eternal Life and Truth.

40This is the androgynous fivefold of the aeons, which is the tenfold of the aeons — which is the Father.

41He gazed into Barbelo with the pure light which surrounds the Invisible Spirit, and with his spark; and she conceived of him.

42He begot a spark of light in a light resembling the blessed likeness, yet not equal to his own greatness.

43This was the Only-Begotten who came forth from the Father, the divine Self-Begotten One, the firstborn Son of the All, the Spirit of the pure Light.

44The Invisible Spirit rejoiced over the Light which had come to be — the Light whom the first power of his Forethought, Barbelo, had brought forth.

45And he anointed him with his own goodness, so that he became perfect, lacking nothing of goodness, for he had been anointed with the goodness of the Invisible Spirit.

46And the Spirit poured himself forth upon him. As soon as he had received from the Spirit, he glorified the Holy Spirit and the perfect Forethought, for whose sake he had come forth.

47He requested that a companion be given him, namely Mind; and the Spirit consented. When the Invisible Spirit had consented, Mind came forth, and he stood with the Christ, glorifying him and Barbelo.

48And all these came into being in silence and Thought.

49And the Invisible Spirit willed to perform a work, and his Will became a reality, and it stood with the Mind and the Light, glorifying him.

50And the Word followed the Will. For through the Word, the Christ — the divine Self-Begotten — created all things.

51And Eternal Life, together with the Will, and Mind, and Foreknowledge, stood and glorified the Invisible Spirit and Barbelo, for whose sake they had come into being.

52And the Holy Spirit brought to completion the divine Self-Begotten — his Son — together with Barbelo, that he might stand beside the great Invisible Spirit as the divine Self-Begotten, the Christ, whom he honored with a great voice.

53He came forth through the Forethought. And the Invisible Spirit set the divine Self-Begotten — the True God — over the All, and he subjected all authorities unto him.

54And Truth, which is within him, became known unto him; and he became a great God, the Christ.

55He gave unto him the name of the Father, that by his word every thing might be established.

56For through him all things were made, and without him was not anything made that was made.

57And the Self-Begotten asked that there be given him one fellow worker, even Mind; and the Spirit consented gladly.

58When the Invisible Spirit had consented, Mind came forth and stood with the Christ, glorifying him and Barbelo. And these all came into being in silence.

From the union of the Invisible Spirit and Barbelo proceed the Son, the Four Luminaries, and the heavenly Adam. The fullness of the invisible realm is ordered.

1The Self-Begotten willed to make a work through the Word of the Invisible Spirit. And his Will became a deed.

2It was manifested with the Mind and the Light, glorifying him. And the Word followed the Will.

3For through the Word, the Christ — the divine Self-Begotten — created all things; and Eternal Life, with the Will, and Mind, and Foreknowledge, stood and glorified the Invisible Spirit and Barbelo, for whose sake they had come into being.

4The Holy Spirit brought to completion the divine Self-Begotten — his Son — together with Barbelo, that he might stand beside the Invisible Spirit as the Son whom he honored with a great voice.

5From the Foreknowledge of the perfect Mind, through the revelation of the Will of the Invisible Spirit and the Will of the Self-Begotten, came forth the perfect Man, the first revelation, the Truth.

6It is he whom the Virgin Spirit called Pigera-Adamas; and he set him over the first aeon with the great Self-Begotten, the Christ, beside the first Luminary, Harmozel.

7And his powers are with him. The Invisible One gave unto him a spiritual, invincible power.

8And he spoke, glorifying and praising the Invisible Spirit, saying, "For thy sake all things have come into being, and unto thee shall all things return.

9I shall praise and glorify thee, and the Self-Begotten, and the aeons — the Three: the Father, the Mother, and the Son, the perfect power."

10And he set his son Seth over the second aeon, beside the second Luminary, Oroiael.

11And in the third aeon was placed the seed of Seth — the souls of the saints who are forever with the third Luminary, Daveithai.

12And in the fourth aeon were placed the souls of those who did not know the fullness, and did not repent at once, but held back for a time, and then repented — they abide with the fourth Luminary, Eleleth.

13These are the four Luminaries who stand before the divine Self-Begotten, and the twelve aeons who stand before the Son of the great Self-Begotten, the Christ, through the Will and the gift of the Invisible Spirit.

14The twelve aeons belong to the Son of the Self-Begotten; and through the Will of the Holy Spirit, the Self-Begotten was established — and the All was established through the Will of the Holy Spirit through the Self-Begotten.

15And from the Foreknowledge of the perfect Mind, through the Will of the Invisible Spirit and the Will of the Self-Begotten, came forth the perfect Man, the first manifestation, the Truth: the Invisible Spirit called him Adam.

16He was set over the first aeon with the mighty Self-Begotten, the Christ, beside the first Luminary Harmozel, and with him are his powers.

17And the Invisible Spirit gave him a spiritual, invincible power. And he spoke and glorified and praised the Invisible Spirit, saying, "It is for thy sake that everything has come into being, and unto thee shall everything return.

18I shall praise and glorify thee and the Self-Begotten and the aeons — the Three: the Father, the Mother, and the Son, the perfect power."

19And he set his son Seth upon the second aeon beside the second Luminary, Oroiael.

20And in the third aeon was placed the seed of Seth, upon the third Luminary, Daveithai; and the souls of the saints were placed there.

21And in the fourth aeon were placed the souls of those who knew their own fullness and did not repent at once, but persisted for a season and at last repented — they were placed upon the fourth Luminary, Eleleth.

22These are the dwelling places of those who glorify the Invisible Spirit.

23Now the Sophia of the Foreknowledge, being an aeon, conceived a thought of herself.

24The thinking of the Spirit and the Foreknowledge was her reflection; and she willed to manifest a likeness out of herself without the consent of the Spirit — who had not approved — and without her consort, and without his consideration.

25Though the person of her maleness had not consented, and she had not found her agreement, and she had considered without the consent of the Spirit and the knowledge of her consort, yet she brought forth.

26And because of the invincible power which was in her, her thought did not remain idle; and there came forth out of her a work which was imperfect and different from her appearance, for she had created it without her consort.

27And it was not conformed to the likeness of its mother, but was of another form.

28When she saw the consequence of her desire, it had changed into the form of a serpent with the face of a lion, and its eyes were as flashing fires of lightning.

29She cast it away from her, outside those places, that none of the immortals might see it, for she had brought it forth in ignorance.

30And she surrounded it with a luminous cloud, and set a throne in the midst of the cloud, that none might see it except the Holy Spirit, who is called the Mother of the Living.

31And she called his name Yaldabaoth. This is the first archon, who took great power from his mother.

32And he departed from her, and he moved away from the places in which he had been born.

33He grew strong, and he fashioned for himself other aeons in a flame of radiant fire, which yet endures.

34And he joined himself with the Ignorance which is within him, and he begot authorities for himself.

35The name of the first is Athoth, whom the generations call the Reaper.

36The second is Harmas, who is the Eye of Envy. The third is Kalila-Oumbri. The fourth is Yabel. The fifth is Adonaiou, called Sabaoth. The sixth is Cain, whom the generations of men call the Sun. The seventh is Abel. The eighth is Abrisene. The ninth is Yobel. The tenth is Armoupieel. The eleventh is Melceir-Adonein. The twelfth is Belias, the one who rules over the depth of Hades.

37And he placed seven kings — one according to the firmament of heaven for each of the seven heavens — over the seven heavens, and five over the depth of the abyss, that they might rule.

38And he shared his fire with them, but he did not give them of the pure light of the power which he had taken from his Mother.

39For this cause he lorded over them, because of the glory which was in him from the power of the light of his Mother.

40Therefore he called himself God, and he was not obedient to the place from which he had come.

41And he joined with the authorities which were in him, seven powers in his thought.

42As he spoke, it came to pass. And he named each power, beginning with the highest.

43The first is Goodness with the first Athoth. The second is Forethought with the second, Eloaios. The third is Divinity with the third, Astaphaios. The fourth is Lordship with the fourth, Yao. The fifth is Kingdom with the fifth, Sabaoth. The sixth is Envy with the sixth, Adonin. The seventh is Understanding with the seventh, Sabbataios.

44And these have a firmament corresponding to each heavenly sphere. They were given names in accord with the glory which belongs to the heavens for the destruction of the powers.

45And in the names given to them by their Originator there was power. But the names given them by the glory of the heaven mean for them destruction and loss of power.

46Thus they have two names.

47And Yaldabaoth arranged every thing according to the likeness of the first aeons which had come into being, that he might create them in the pattern of those which are imperishable.

48Not that he had seen the imperishable ones, but the power which was in him, which he had taken from his Mother — that produced in him the likeness of the ordered world.

49When he saw the creation which surrounded him, and the multitude of angels around him who had come forth from him, he said unto them, "I am a jealous God, and there is no other God beside me."

50But in saying this, he indicated unto the angels who stood before him that there is another God; for if there were no other, of whom would he be jealous?

51Then the Mother began to move to and fro, for she had perceived the deficiency when the brightness of her light diminished.

52She grew dark, because her consort had not agreed with her.

53And I said, "Lord, what is the meaning of 'she moved to and fro'?" But he smiled and said, "Do not think it is, as Moses said, 'upon the waters.'

54Rather, when she had seen the evil which had come to pass, and the theft which her son had committed, she repented. And in the forgetfulness which is in the darkness of ignorance, she began to be ashamed.

55And she did not dare to return, yet she was moving about.

56And the moving is the going to and fro.

57And the Arrogant One took a power from his Mother, for he was ignorant, thinking that no one else existed save his Mother alone.

58And when he had beheld the multitude of the angels which he had created, then he exalted himself above them.

Sophia grieves for her error. The voice of the Father proclaims the Man. The archons plot to fashion their own Adam from the reflection.

1When the Mother perceived that the miscarriage of the darkness was not perfect — since her consort had not agreed with her — she repented with many tears.

2And the whole fullness heard the prayer of her repentance, and they praised on her behalf the Invisible Spirit.

3And the Holy Spirit consented; when he had consented, the Invisible Spirit poured upon her a spirit from the fullness.

4For her consort had descended to her to correct her deficiencies. And it was through Forethought that he was to correct her deficiency.

5She was not restored to her own aeon, but above her son, that she might dwell in the ninth, until she should correct her deficiency.

6A voice came forth from the exalted heaven, saying, "The Man exists, and the Son of Man."

7And the first archon Yaldabaoth heard, and he thought the voice had come from his Mother.

8And he did not know from whence it came. And the holy and perfect Father, the Mother-Father, the complete Forethought, the image of the Invisible — he who is the Father of the All, through whom every thing came into being — the first Man, taught them, for he had revealed his likeness in human form.

9And the whole aeon of the first archon trembled, and the foundations of the abyss were shaken.

10And of the waters which are above matter, the under side was illumined by the appearance of his image, which had been revealed.

11And when all the authorities and the first archon looked, they saw the whole region below illumined. And through the light they beheld the form of the image in the water.

12And he said to the authorities who were with him, "Come, let us make a man according to the image of God and according to our likeness, that his image may become a light for us."

13And they created through their united powers — each according to the signs which had been given.

14And each of the authorities supplied a property of the soul in the image of the likeness which he had beheld.

15He made a being according to the likeness of the first, perfect Man. And they said, "Let us call him Adam, that his name may be unto us a power of light."

16And the powers began from the lowest. The first is Goodness, who made a bone-soul. The second is Forethought, who made a sinew-soul. The third is Divinity, who made a flesh-soul. The fourth is Lordship, who made a marrow-soul. The fifth is Kingdom, who made a blood-soul. The sixth is Envy, who made a skin-soul. The seventh is Understanding, who made a hair-soul.

17And the multitude of angels stood by him, and from the seven substances of the soul that had been given by the authorities, they made the fitting of the joints of the body.

18And the whole assembly labored upon the arranging of the body, and each limb and each member.

19I shall tell thee the names of the angels assigned to the body. The first is Eteraphaope-Abron, who made the head. Meniggesstroeth made the brain. Asterechme made the right eye; Thaspomocha made the left eye; Yeronumos made the right ear; Bissoum made the left ear; Akioreim made the nose; Banen-Ephroum made the lips; Amen made the teeth; Ibikan made the molars; Basiliademe made the tonsils; Achcha made the uvula; Adaban made the neck; Chaaman made the spine of the neck; Dearcho made the throat; Tebar made the right shoulder; the left shoulder, N. N.; Mniarchon made the right elbow; of the left elbow, N. N.; Abitrion made the right underarm; Evanthen made the left underarm; Krys made the right hand; Beluai made the left hand; Treneu made the fingers of the right hand; Balbel made the fingers of the left hand; Kriman made the nails of the hands; Astrops made the right breast; Barroph made the left breast; Baoum made the right shoulder joint; Ararim made the left shoulder joint; Areche made the belly; Phthave made the navel; Senaphim made the abdomen; Arachethopi made the right ribs; Zabedo made the left ribs; Barias made the right hip; Phnouth made the left hip; Abenlenarchei made the marrow; Chnoumeninorin made the bones; Gesole made the stomach; Agromauma made the heart; Bano made the lungs; Sostrapal made the liver; Anesimalar made the spleen; Thopithro made the intestines; Biblo made the kidneys; Roeror made the sinews; Taphreo made the spine of the body; Ipouspoboba made the veins; Bineborin made the arteries; Atoimenpsephei — and theirs are the breaths which are in all the members; Entholleia made all the flesh; Bedouk made the right thigh; Arabeei made the left thigh; Eilo made the testicles; Sorma made the genitals; Gormakaiochlabar made the right leg; Nebrith made the left leg; Pserem made the toes of the right foot; Asaklas made the toes of the left foot; Ormaoth made the right knee; Emenun made the left knee; Kniks made the right shin; Knime made the left shin; Trachoun made the right ankle; Phiouthrom made the left ankle; Boabel made the right foot; Toechtha made the left foot; Arouph made the foot of the right; Miamai made the nails of the feet.

20And those who rule over these — they are seven: Michael, Ouriel, Asmenedas, Saphasatoel, Aarmouriam, Richram, Amiorps.

21And they who work over the members are the head Diolimodraza; the neck Yammeax; the right shoulder Yakouib; the left shoulder Verton; the right hand Oudidi; the left one Arbao; the fingers of the right hand Lampno; the fingers of the left hand Leekaphar; the right breast Barbar; the left breast Imae; the chest Pisandraptes; the right shoulder joint Koade; the left shoulder joint Odeor; the right ribs Asphixix; the left ribs Synogchouta; the belly Aruph; the navel Abenlenarchei; the abdomen Phneme; the upper parts of the back Phnouth; the lower parts of the back Khnoumeninorin; the stomach Gesole; the heart Agromauoma; the lungs Bano; the liver Sostrapal; the spleen Anesimalar; the intestines Thopithro; the kidneys Biblo; the sinews Roeror; the spine of the body Taphreo; the veins Ipouspoboba; the arteries Bineborin; the breaths of every member Atoimenpsephei; all the flesh Entholleia; the right thigh Bedouk; the left thigh Arabeei; the testicles Eilo; the genitals Sorma; the right leg Gormakaiochlabar; the left leg Nebrith; the toes of the right foot Pserem; the toes of the left foot Asaklas; the right knee Ormaoth; the left knee Emenun; the right shin Kniks; the left shin Knyme; the right ankle Trachoun; the left ankle Phiouthrom; the right foot Boabel; the left foot Toechtha.

22And seven have power over all of these: Michael, Ouriel, Asmenedas, Saphasatoel, Aarmouriam, Richram, Amiorps.

23And those who are over the senses are Archendekta; and over perception Deitharbathas; and over all imagination Oummaa; and over the instinct Aachiaram; and over the whole impulse Riaramnacho.

24And the source of the demons which are in the whole body is divided into four: heat, cold, wetness, and dryness; and the mother of them all is matter.

25He who rules over the heat is Phloxopha; and he who rules over the cold is Oroorrothos; and he who rules over the wet is Erimacho; and he who rules over the dry is Athuro.

26In the midst of these four demons, Pleasure dwells — and Desire, and Grief, and Fear. The mother of them all is Esthensis-Ouch-Epi-Ptoe.

27Out of the four demons, passions came into being. From Grief, envy, jealousy, distress, trouble, pain, hard-heartedness, anxiety, mourning, and the like.

28From Pleasure, much wickedness arises, and empty pride, and the like.

29From Desire: anger, wrath, bitterness, bitter passion, unsated desire, and the like.

30From Fear: dread, servility, anguish, and shame.

31All these are of the sort which, while they seem useful, are in truth evil.

32And the Understanding of their true nature is the one called Anaro, who is head of the material soul, for he dwells with Esthesis-Ouch-Epi-Ptoe.

33This is the number of the angels: together they are three hundred and sixty-five.

34They labored all together upon him, limb by limb, until the psychic and the material body were completed by them.

35Now there are others — those who preside over the remaining passions — whom I have not told thee; but if thou desire to know them, it is written in the book of Zoroaster.

36And all the angels and the demons worked until they had arranged the psychic body, and yet their work was entirely inactive and motionless for a long time.

37And when the Mother wished to regain the power which she had given to the first archon, she petitioned the Mother-Father of the All, the one most merciful.

38He sent, through a holy decree, the five Luminaries down upon the place of the angels of the first archon. They counseled him to bring forth the power of his Mother.

39And they said to Yaldabaoth, "Breathe into his face out of the spirit which is in thee, and the being will stand up."

40And he breathed into his face, from the spirit which is the power of his Mother; for he did not know, being in ignorance.

41And the power of the Mother came out of Yaldabaoth into the psychic body which they had fashioned after the likeness of him who is from the beginning.

42The body moved, and it was mighty, and shone.

43And at that moment the rest of the powers were envious. For although Adam had come into being through all of them, and they had given their power to this Man, his understanding proved stronger than that of those who had made him — indeed stronger than the first archon himself.

44And they recognized that Adam was free from wickedness, for he was wiser than they, and had entered into the light.

45They took him and cast him into the lowest place of all matter.

46But the blessed and Mother-Father, the merciful, the compassionate, had mercy upon the power of the Mother which had gone forth from the first archon. For the archons might yet gain power over the psychic, perceptible body.

47And he sent, through his merciful and most benevolent Spirit, a helper for Adam — the luminous Afterthought, which came forth from him, who is called Life.

48And she assists the whole creation, laboring with him, restoring him to his own fullness, teaching him concerning the descent of his seed, and teaching him concerning the way of ascent — the way by which he had come down.

49And the luminous Afterthought was hidden within Adam, that the archons might not know her; but that the Afterthought might be a correcting of the deficiency of the Mother.

50And the man shone because of the shadow of the light which was in him. And his Thought was exalted above those who had made him.

51And when they looked up, they saw that his thinking was exalted above theirs; and they took counsel with the whole array of the archons and the angels.

52They took fire, and earth, and water, and mingled them together with the four fiery winds.

53They wrought them together, and caused a great disturbance.

54They brought him into the shadow of death, that they might form him again out of earth, and water, and fire, and the spirit which is of matter — that is, the ignorance of darkness, and desire, and the counterfeit spirit.

55This is the cave of the remodeling of the body, with which the robbers clothed the man — the bond of forgetfulness. And he became a mortal man.

56This is the first descent, and the first separation. But the Afterthought of the Light which was in him — she is the one who would awaken his thinking.

57And the archons took him and placed him in Paradise, and said to him, "Eat, that is, leisurely" — for their enjoyment is bitter, and their beauty is lawless.

The Savior unveils the true meaning of the Garden, the making of Eve from Adam, the begetting of Cain and Abel by the archon, and the birth of Seth — the image of the Son of Man.

1Their enjoyment is deceit, and their trees are godlessness, and their fruit is deadly poison, and their promise is death.

2And the tree of their life they had set in the midst of Paradise. And I shall teach thee what is the mystery of their life, which is the counsel they make together — the likeness of their spirit.

3The root of this tree is bitter, and its branches are death, its shadow is hatred, and deception is in its leaves; its fruit is the ointment of evil, and its seed drinketh of darkness, and the dwelling place of those who taste it is the under-world.

4But the tree which they call the knowledge of good and evil, which is the Afterthought of the light — they remained before it, that Adam might not perceive his fullness, and might not recognize his shame, and might not be stripped naked of his fullness.

5But I was the one who brought about that they ate.

6And I said to the Savior, "Lord, was it not the serpent that taught Adam to eat?" The Savior laughed and said, "The serpent taught them to eat of the wickedness of begetting, of desire, of destruction — that he might be useful to him.

7But he knew that Adam would not obey him, because of the light of the Afterthought which was in him, which made him in his thinking stronger than the first archon.

8And the archon wished to bring about the power which he himself had given him. And he brought a forgetfulness upon Adam.

9And I said unto the Savior, "What is this forgetfulness?" And he said, "It is not as Moses wrote, and thou didst hear. For he said in his first book, 'He caused him to sleep' — but it was in his senses.

10For he said through the prophet, 'I will make their hearts heavy, that they may not pay attention and may not see.'

11Then the Afterthought of the light hid herself in him. And the first archon wished to bring her out of his rib.

12But the Afterthought of the light cannot be grasped; though the darkness pursued her, it did not overtake her.

13And he brought a part of his power out of him, and he made another creature in the form of a woman, after the likeness of the Afterthought which had appeared to him.

14And he brought the part which he had taken from the power of the Man into the female creature, and not as Moses said, 'his rib bone.'

15And he saw the woman beside him. And at once the luminous Afterthought appeared, and she uncovered the veil which lay upon his mind.

16And he became sober from the drunkenness of the darkness. And he recognized his counter-image, and he said, "This is indeed bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh."

17Therefore the man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall become one flesh. For they will send him his consort, and he will leave his father and his mother.

18And our sister Sophia is she who came down in innocence, that she might correct her deficiency. Therefore she was called Life — that is, the mother of the living — through the Forethought of the sovereignty of heaven.

19And through her they have tasted the perfect Knowledge.

20I appeared in the form of an eagle upon the tree of knowledge, which is the Afterthought of the pure light of the Foreknowledge, that I might teach them and awaken them out of the depth of sleep.

21For they two were in a fallen state, and they recognized their nakedness.

22The Afterthought appeared to them as light; she awakened their thinking.

23And when Yaldabaoth knew that they had withdrawn from him, he cursed his earth. He found the woman preparing herself for her husband, and he was lord over her.

24He did not know the mystery which had come to pass through the holy decree.

25And they were afraid to blame him, but he displayed to his angels the ignorance which was in him, and he cast them out of Paradise, and he clothed them with heavy darkness.

26Then the first archon saw the virgin who stood by Adam, and he was filled with ignorance. He wished to raise up a seed from her. He defiled her, and he begot the first son, and likewise the second — Yave the bear-faced, and Eloim the cat-faced.

27The one is righteous but the other is unrighteous. Yave he set over the fire and the wind; and Eloim he set over the water and the earth. These are the ones whom, unto this day, the generations of men call Cain and Abel.

28Sexual intercourse was established unto this present day by the first archon. And he sowed a desire for begetting in her who belongs to Adam, and through intercourse he raised up two bodies through the counterfeit spirit.

29And the two archons he set over principalities, that they might rule over the tomb.

30Now when Adam knew the likeness of his own foreknowledge, he begot the likeness of the Son of Man. He called him Seth, after the race which is in the aeons.

31Likewise the Mother also sent down her Spirit, which is in her likeness, as a copy of the one who is in the fullness — for she will prepare a dwelling for the aeons who will descend.

32And he made them drink of the water of forgetfulness — which the first archon brings — that they might not know from whence they had come.

33Thus for a season the seed continued, assisting him, that when the Spirit should descend from among the holy aeons, he might raise up and heal him of the deficiency, that the whole fullness might again become holy and without deficiency.

34And I said unto the Savior, "Lord, shall all the souls be brought safely into the pure light?" He answered and said unto me, "Great are the things which have arisen in thy mind. For it is difficult to reveal them to others, except to those who are of the unwavering race.

35Those upon whom the Spirit of Life shall descend, and with whom the power shall be joined — they shall be saved and shall become perfect, and be accounted worthy of greatness, and cleansed in that place from all evil and the care of wickedness.

36They shall take no care for anything save for the incorruption alone, laboring after it from this present moment, without anger, without envy, without jealousy, without desire, and without greed for anything.

37They shall not be restrained by any save the flesh alone, which they bear while they wait for the time at which they shall be met by the receivers. They shall be worthy of the eternal, imperishable life, and of the calling.

38For they endure all things, and they bear all things, that they may finish the good fight and inherit eternal life."

39I said to him, "Lord, will the souls of those upon whom the power of the Spirit of Life did not come be rejected?" He said unto me, "If the Spirit comes upon them, they shall be saved in any case, and they shall change; for the power will descend upon every man, for without it no one can stand.

40And after they have been born, then, if the Spirit of Life increases, and the power comes and strengthens that soul, no one can lead it astray into the works of wickedness.

41But those upon whom the counterfeit spirit descends — they are drawn by him, and he leads them astray."

42And I said, "Lord, when the souls of these go out of their flesh, where will they go?" And he smiled and said unto me, "The soul in which the power becomes stronger than the counterfeit spirit — she is strong, she flees from evil, and through the aid of the Incorruptible One, she is saved, and brought up into the rest of the aeons."

43I said, "Lord, what of those who have not known unto whom they belong — where will their souls go?" And he said unto me, "In them the despicable spirit has prevailed, seizing upon them when they first came astray. He burdens the soul, and draws her to the works of wickedness, and casts her into forgetfulness.

44And after she has come out of the body, she is given over unto the authorities which came into being through the archon, and they bind her with chains, and cast her into prison, and go about with her until she awakens from forgetfulness and receives knowledge.

45And in this way, she becomes perfect, and is saved.

46I said, "Lord, how does the soul become small, and return again into the nature of her mother, or into man?" Then he rejoiced when I asked him this, and he said unto me, "Truly, thou art blessed, for thou hast understood.

47The soul is made to follow another one in whom the Spirit of Life dwells; she is saved through that one. Thereafter she is not cast into another flesh."

48And I said, "Lord, those who have known, and have yet turned away — where will their souls go?" Then he said unto me, "They will be taken to the place where the angels of poverty go — the place where there is no repentance.

49And they will be kept there unto the day when those who have blasphemed against the Spirit shall be tormented, and punished with eternal punishment."

50And I said, "Lord, from whence has the counterfeit spirit come?" Then he said unto me, "The Mother-Father, the rich in mercy, the Holy Spirit in every form — he who is compassionate and has mercy upon you — the Afterthought of the Foreknowledge of light — awakened the seed of the perfect race and its thinking, and the eternal light of Man.

51When the first archon understood that they were exalted above him, and thought better than he, then he wished to take their thinking, being ignorant that they were wiser in thought than he.

52He took counsel with his authorities, even his powers, and together they committed adultery with Sophia, and through them was begotten bitter fate — the last and varied bond.

53And it is such that one differs from the other. It is grievous and strong, to which the gods, and angels, and demons, and all the generations unto this day are bound.

54For from that fate came forth every iniquity and injustice and blasphemy, and the bond of forgetfulness and ignorance, and every grievous command and heavy sins, and great fears.

55Thus was the whole creation made blind, that they might not know the God who is above them all.

56And because of the bond of forgetfulness, their sins were hidden. For they are bound with measures and times and seasons, since fate is lord over all.

57And fate repented of all that she had made. Again, she took counsel to bring a flood upon the creation of man.

The archons bring the flood, and Noah's hidden ark preserves the race. The fallen angels corrupt the daughters of men with the counterfeit spirit.

1But the greatness of the light of the Foreknowledge informed Noah; and he proclaimed it to all the offspring, that is, to the sons of men.

2But those who were strangers to him did not hear him. It was not as Moses said, 'They hid in an ark,' but they were sheltered in a place — not only Noah, but also many others from the unwavering race.

3They went into a place and hid themselves in a luminous cloud. And Noah recognized his authority; and with him was the Luminous One who enlightened them, since the first archon had brought darkness upon all the earth.

4And he took counsel with his powers. He sent his angels unto the daughters of men, that they might take some of them for themselves, and raise up offspring for their enjoyment.

5And at the first they did not succeed. When they saw that they had no success, they gathered together again, and they made a plan together.

6They created a counterfeit spirit after the likeness of the Spirit who had descended, that they might pollute the souls through it. And the angels changed their appearances into the likeness of each one's mate, filling them with the spirit of darkness which they had mingled for them, and with evil.

7They brought gold, and silver, and a gift, and copper, and iron, and metal, and every kind of thing; and they steered the people who had followed them into great troubles, and into many cares.

8And these men became very aged, not having any leisure; for they did not find one another when they would be stricken with evils, because they had received again the spirit of darkness.

9They took wives for themselves, and they begat children out of the darkness, after the likeness of their spirit.

10And they closed their hearts, and they made themselves hard through the hardness of the counterfeit spirit until the present day.

11I, therefore, the perfect Forethought of the All, changed myself into my seed.

12For I existed first, going every way. I am the riches of the light. I am the remembrance of the fullness.

13And I went into the realm of darkness, and I persevered until I entered the midst of the prison. And the foundations of chaos shook, that they might fall upon those who are in chaos and destroy them.

14And I fled up again to my root of light, that they might not be destroyed before their time.

15Again a second time I went. I am the Forethought of the pure light. I entered the midst of darkness and the inward parts of Hades, wishing to fulfill my task.

16And the foundations of chaos shook, as though they would fall down upon those who dwell in chaos, and destroy them. And again I went up to my root of light, that they might not be destroyed before their time.

17Yet a third time I went forth — I, who am the light which dwells in the light, I, the remembrance of the Forethought — that I might enter into the midst of darkness and the inward parts of Hades.

18And I veiled my face through the terror of them, and I entered into the midst of their prison, which is the prison of the body.

19And I said, "He who hears, let him rise up out of deep sleep."

20And the sleeper wept and shed tears. Bitter tears he wiped from himself, and he said, "Who is it that calls my name, and from whence has this hope come unto me, while I am in the bonds of the prison?"

21And I said, "I am the Forethought of the pure light. I am the thought of the virginal Spirit, who raises thee up to the honored place.

22Arise, and remember that it was thou who hearkened, and follow thy root — who am I, the merciful one — and guard thyself against the angels of poverty and the demons of chaos and all who ensnare thee, and beware of the deep sleep and the enclosure of the inward parts of Hades."

23And I raised him up, and sealed him in the light of the water with five seals, that death might no more have power over him from that time forth.

24Behold now, I will ascend to the perfect aeon. I have completed everything for thee in thy hearing.

25And I have told thee every thing, that thou mayest write it down, and give it secretly to thy fellow spirits. For this is the mystery of the unwavering race.

26And the Savior gave these things unto him, that he might write them down, and place them in safekeeping.

27And he said unto him, "Cursed is every one who shall exchange these things for a gift, or for food, or for drink, or for clothing, or for anything of this kind."

28And these things were given to him in a mystery, and at once the Savior vanished from before him.

29And he went to his fellow disciples, and began to declare unto them the things which had been spoken to him by the Savior.

30This is the Apocryphon — the hidden teaching — of John. Now I, John, wrote this down that you might walk in it, and that those who come after might be established therein.

31Now I have declared unto thee, O John, the things that are, and the things that were, and the things that shall be.

32I have revealed unto thee the whole of the perfect aeon, and its twelve dwellings, and the fullness which is within it.

33I have revealed unto thee the Mother, the Father, the Son, the perfect power — three in one — who is one in all, the Invisible Spirit.

34I have taught thee the foundations of all things, the beginning of the aeons, the likeness of the Man, the descent of the spirit, the fashioning of the body, the bond of forgetfulness, and the path of the ascent.

35Now the fullness of the aeons calls upon thee, and all the powers of light. Thou shalt go and give them my words.

36Let no one hear them who is not worthy. But to them that are worthy of these things — speak them, and be not silent.

37For those who receive the word, and keep it, and walk in its way, shall be raised up unto the eternal life.

38They shall become as I am, and I shall become as they are. And there shall be no division between us.

39For we shall be one body, and one light, and one Father, who is over all, and through all, and in all.

40The knowledge of the Father is life; and the knowledge of the Son is the resurrection; and the knowledge of the Spirit is the ascent.

41These three are one. They are the beginning, the middle, and the end of the mystery.

42Therefore, O John, receive this testimony unto a witness, and bear it.

43Write down the things thou hast seen, and the things thou hast heard, and the things I have revealed to thee.

44And hide them in a sacred place. For they shall come forth again in a latter time, when the Spirit shall call them forth.

45And those who are of the unwavering race shall receive them with joy, and they shall know their own, and return unto their own, and be established in their own.

46But those who are not of the unwavering race — they shall turn away, and the words shall be as a stumbling unto them, and they shall not find the path.

47For the word is life to the living, and death to the dead.

48Therefore guard these sayings, and hold them precious.

49And when thou seest thy brothers among the sons of men, greet them as those who are from the fullness, and say, "Peace be with you, from the Father of the perfect light."

50And when they hear, they will remember; and when they remember, they will return; and when they return, they will be saved.

51For this is the teaching of the Mother-Father of the All: that none of her children shall be lost.

52The light is not quenched, though it pass through darkness; and the soul is not destroyed, though she be cast into the body.

53The fullness is not diminished, though a part of it descend; and the aeons are not shaken, though the lower powers rage.

54For the Invisible Spirit is above all, and nothing can be taken from him, and nothing can be added unto him.

55This is the mystery of the hidden Father, which was from the beginning, and is now, and shall be forever.

56Blessed is he who has heard these sayings, and has kept them in his heart.

57For he shall find the way of the ascent, and shall return to the light from whence he came.

Further dialogue on the destinies of souls: those who receive the Spirit, those who repent after long wandering, those who deny the light, and the reincarnation of the almost-saved.

1And John asked, "Lord, what is the end of those who know, and then deny?"

2And the Savior answered, "They shall be gathered to the place of the angels of poverty, where there is no repentance, and they shall wait for the day of judgment.

3For they had received the light, and they hardened themselves against the light; and they had heard the word, and they cast it away.

4To whom much is given, of him much shall be required; and to whom much is committed, of him they shall ask the more.

5But they who never knew, and were held captive in forgetfulness — if they repent in the body, or in the last hour, the Afterthought shall yet reach them.

6For the mercy of the Mother-Father is without measure."

7John said, "Lord, what of the souls that seem righteous in the flesh, yet have not received the Spirit — will they be saved?"

8And the Savior said, "There is a righteousness of the body, and there is a righteousness of the spirit.

9The righteousness of the body is as a shadow — it profits for a season, but in the day of the ascent it does not carry the soul upward.

10But the righteousness of the spirit is from the Spirit of Life, and it is as wings unto the soul; it lifts her up, and she passes the archons without hindrance.

11Therefore it is the Spirit which saves, and not the body. And those who have not yet received the Spirit — let them not despair, for the Spirit goes where it wills.

12And many who were far shall be brought near; and many who were near shall be found far.

13For the Father regards the heart, and not the appearance; and the Mother knows her own, and gathers them, though they be scattered unto the ends of the earth."

14Then John said, "Lord, is the body altogether evil?"

15And the Savior answered, "The body is the garment of the soul — not evil in itself, but a prison when it forgets its purpose, and a temple when it remembers.

16The archons made the garment, but the Spirit wears it, and transforms it from within.

17Despise not the body, but do not be ruled by it. Let the Spirit govern the flesh, and the flesh shall become the instrument of the light."

18John said, "Lord, what must we do that we may find the way?"

19And the Savior said, "Seek the Spirit of Life within thee. For the kingdom is not in the outer places, nor in the visible things.

20The kingdom is within, even as the Father is within, and the Mother is within, and the Son is within. Three in one, and one in three, abiding in the unwavering race.

21Silence thy thoughts, and the Light shall speak. Still thy body, and the Spirit shall move. Empty thy heart of the counterfeit, and the true shall enter in.

22Live as one who is passing through, and not as one who has arrived.

23Love thy fellow spirits, for they are of the same fullness from whence thou camest."

24And John asked, "Lord, what of those who have blasphemed against the Spirit?"

25And the Savior said, "These are they who have looked upon the light and have called it darkness; they have tasted the truth and have called it a lie.

26Their souls are handed over unto the authorities of the lower places, and they abide in torment, until the judgment.

27For the Spirit is merciful, but the Spirit will not be mocked. And they who have set themselves against the Spirit have set themselves against themselves."

28John said, "Lord, and if one turns back, even from such a state — is there hope?"

29And the Savior answered, "The door of repentance is not shut, save by the one who shuts it within himself.

30If he knock, even at the last hour, with a true heart — I am able to open unto him.

31But many knock with the hand, and not with the heart; and of these, many are sent away, not because the door is shut, but because their knock was not knocking."

32John said, "Lord, teach us of the reincarnation of souls. How is it that a soul returns again unto the flesh?"

33And the Savior said, "The soul that hath not completed her task — she cannot enter the perfect rest.

34She is joined unto a body that is worthy to teach her; and she is led, through another life, unto the remembrance which she lost.

35This is not a punishment, but a mercy. The Mother-Father is patient, and will not lose her own.

36Yet the soul which has received the knowledge and the Spirit returns not again. She ascends, and the bonds of the archons hold her no more."

37John asked, "Lord, how shall we know that a soul has received the Spirit?"

38And the Savior said, "By her fruits shalt thou know her. Where the Spirit abides, there is love unfeigned, and peace unshaken, and joy unbroken, and patience, and kindness, and self-mastery.

39But where the counterfeit spirit abides, there is strife, and envy, and bitterness, and self-seeking, and a cleaving to the things that perish.

40Thou canst not hide either spirit long; for that which is within comes forth, sooner or later, in word and in deed."

41John said, "Lord, is the knowledge the same for all, or do the races differ?"

42The Savior answered, "There is one truth, but many are its paths; and there is one fullness, but many dwelling places within it.

43The knowledge is one, but the vessels are many. And the Father is over all, and through all, and in all who receive him.

44Divide not the one body by the many members, nor reject the member because it is not as thou art."

45John said, "Lord, shall there be an end to this age?"

46And the Savior said, "The age shall pass away, and the archons shall be stripped of their power, and the counterfeit spirit shall be judged and confined.

47And the perfect race shall be gathered, even from the four winds, and from the hidden places, and from the depths, and from the heights.

48And there shall be one fold and one Shepherd, and the fullness shall be without deficiency, and the light shall swallow up the darkness."

49John said, "Lord, when shall these things come to pass?"

50And the Savior said, "The hour is hid from the lower aeons, but the signs are already given.

51When the children of the light are persecuted, and the sons of darkness are exalted in the seats of the earth, then the end draws near.

52When knowledge is hated, and deception is welcomed, and the counterfeit is called the true, then the hour is at hand.

53But watch, and be sober; and walk in the light while it is day, for the night cometh, wherein no man can walk."

54John said, "Lord, who shall overcome, in that hour?"

55And the Savior said, "He that endureth unto the end, the same shall be saved. And he that has the Spirit of Life — he shall not be moved.

56For he is rooted in the fullness, and no wind of the lower places can uproot him.

57Be of good cheer. I have overcome the archons, and I am with you unto the close of the age."

Pronoia — the perfect Forethought — sings of her threefold descent into the darkness to awaken the sleeper. The Savior commissions John to write these things, and departs.

1Then the Savior lifted up his voice, and sang the hymn of the perfect Forethought, saying:

2"I, even I, am the perfect Forethought of the All.

3I have become as the light; I have shone forth as the remembrance of the fullness.

4I went forth into the greatness of the darkness; I endured, until I entered into the midst of the prison.

5And the foundations of chaos trembled; and I hid myself, that they might not perish before their time.

6And I returned again unto my root of light.

7A second time I descended; I am the Forethought of the pure light.

8I entered into the midst of darkness, and into the inward parts of Hades, seeking to accomplish my task.

9And the foundations of chaos trembled; and I sheltered them that were mine, that they might not perish before their time.

10And again I returned unto my root.

11Yet a third time I went forth — I, the light dwelling in the light; I, the remembrance of the Forethought.

12I entered into the midst of darkness, and the inward parts of Hades.

13And I veiled my face, for the terror of them; and I entered into the midst of the prison, which is the prison of the body.

14And I said, 'He that heareth, let him rise up out of the deep sleep.'

15And the sleeper wept, and shed bitter tears, and wiped them from his face, and said, 'Who is it that calleth my name? And from whence has this hope come unto me, while I am in the bonds of the prison?'

16And I said, 'I am the Forethought of the pure light. I am the thought of the virginal Spirit, who raiseth thee up to the honored place.

17Arise, and remember — for it was thou who hearkened — and follow thy root, which is I, the merciful one.

18Guard thyself against the angels of poverty, and the demons of chaos, and all them that would ensnare thee. Beware of the deep sleep, and of the enclosure of the inward parts of Hades.'

19And I raised him up. I sealed him in the light of the water with five seals, that death should have no more power over him from that day forth.

20Behold — I shall now ascend to the perfect aeon.

21I have finished every thing for thee in thy hearing.

22I have said unto thee all things, that thou mayest write them down, and give them secretly unto thy fellow spirits.

23For this is the mystery of the unwavering race.

24Then the Savior gave these things unto John, that he might write them down, and place them in safekeeping.

25And he said unto him, "Cursed is every one who shall exchange these things for a gift, or for food, or for drink, or for clothing, or for anything of this kind."

26And these things were given unto him in a mystery. And at once the Savior vanished from before him.

27And he went unto his fellow disciples, and began to declare unto them the things which had been spoken to him by the Savior.

28And they marveled greatly; and some believed, and some doubted; but he wrote them down, as he had been commanded.

29And the things that are written are these: the Monad, and the Pleroma, and the emergence of Barbelo, and the begetting of the Self-Begotten, and the four Luminaries, and the perfect Man, and his son Seth, and the seed of Seth.

30And the transgression of Sophia, and the bringing forth of Yaldabaoth, and his archons, and his boast, and Sophia's repentance.

31And the making of Adam, and the breath of the Spirit, and the Afterthought of the Light hidden within him.

32And the tree of knowledge, and the coming forth of Eve, and the defilement of the first archon, and the begetting of Eloim and Yave.

33And the birth of Seth after the likeness of the Son of Man, and the preservation of the seed.

34And the flood, and the hiding of Noah in the luminous cloud, and the descent of the fallen angels, and the counterfeit spirit which they fashioned.

35And the destinies of souls: they that ascend, they that are held for judgment, and they that are returned for further teaching.

36And the three descents of the Forethought, and the sealing of the awakened, and the promise of the ascent unto the perfect aeon.

37All these things the Savior revealed, and all these things John wrote, and hid for the race that cometh after.

38Blessed is he who reads, and they that hear, and they that keep the things which are written therein.

39For the time is at hand when the sleepers shall awaken, and the hidden shall be revealed, and the light shall return unto the light.

40O John, thou art a beloved disciple. Thou hast held fast the word. Go in peace unto thy fellow spirits, and be a witness among them.

41Say unto them, 'I have seen the Lord, and he hath revealed the mysteries of the beginning and of the end.

42He is the Father, and the Mother, and the Son, abiding in unity, though manifest in the many.

43He is the light of the aeons, and the source of the living water, and the remembrance of them that have forgotten.

44He hath come forth, and hath descended, and hath ascended, and hath sealed them that are his with the five seals.'

45Say unto them, 'Gather yourselves out of the world, and be as strangers in it. For your citizenship is in the perfect aeon, and your dwelling is in the fullness.'

46Say unto them, 'The days of the counterfeit shall be shortened for the sake of the elect. Endure, and watch, and pray, and love one another, and be as one body under one Head.'

47Say unto them, 'The Savior is not far from any of us. He is within, and he is without; he is before, and he is behind; he is above, and he is beneath. He filleth the All, and lacketh in nothing.'

48Say unto them, 'The knowledge is not taken by force, nor gotten by cunning, nor bought with silver. It is given unto them that seek with the whole heart, and it is withheld from them that seek for any other cause.'

49Say unto them, 'Fear not the threats of the archons, nor the terrors of the last hour. For the Spirit of Life hath overcome the archons, and the counterfeit shall be exposed as counterfeit.'

50Say unto them, 'The Mother-Father is with you always, even unto the end of the age.'

51Thus spake the Savior. And John bowed his face unto the earth, and worshipped.

52And he arose, and went his way, and did as the Lord had commanded.

53And he wrote down the mysteries, and hid them, and gave them unto them that were worthy.

54Blessed is the race that receiveth these things, and walketh therein. For they shall be called the sons and daughters of the Living Father.

55And they shall see his face, and shall be with him in the aeon of aeons, in the fullness without measure, in the light without shadow, and in the peace which abideth forever.

56This is the Apocryphon of John, which is the hidden teaching.

57Amen.