The Pistis Sophia - Page 32

It came to pass, when Jesus had heard Mary say these words, that the Saviour answered in great compassion towards her and said unto her: "Question concerning what thou desirest to question, and I will reveal it unto thee with precision and certainty and without similitude."

Mary further questioneth Jesus.It came to pass then, when Mary had heard the Saviour say these words, that she rejoiced with great joy and exulted exceedingly and said unto Jesus: "My Lord, by how much

greatness then is the second Helper greater than the first Helper? By how much distance is he distant from him, or rather how many times more does he shine than the latter?"

Of the second Helper.Jesus answered and said unto Mary in the midst of the disciples: "Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: The second Helper is distant from the first Helper in great immeasurable distance in regard to the height above and the depth below and the length and the breadth. For he is exceedingly distant from him in great immeasurable distance through the angels and all the archangels and through the gods and all the invisibles. And he is very considerably greater than the latter in an incalculable measure |201. through the angels and archangels and through the gods and all the invisibles. And he shineth more than the latter in an utterly immeasurable measure, there being no measure for the light in which he is, and no measure for him through angels and archangels and through the gods and all the invisibles, as I have already said unto you at another time.

Of the third, fourth, and fifth Helpers."In like manner also the third Helper and fourth and fifth Helper,--one is greater than the other . . . and shineth more than the latter and is distant from him in a great immeasurable distance through the angels and archangels and the gods and all the invisibles, as I have already said unto you at another time. And I will tell unto you also the type of every one [of them] at their expansion."

Mary again questioneth Jesus.It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished saying these words unto his disciples, that Mary Magdalene came forward again, continued and said unto Jesus: "My Lord, in what type will

be those who have received the mystery of the Light, in the midst of the last Helper?"

Of those who receive the mystery in the last Helper.And Jesus answered and said unto Mary in the midst of the disciples: "They who have received the mystery of the Light, if they come out of the body of the matter of the rulers, then will every one be in his order according to the mystery which he hath received. Those who have received the higher mysteries, will abide in the higher order; those who have received the lower mysteries will be in the lower orders. In a word, up to what region every one hath received mysteries, there will he abide in his order in the Inheritance of the Light. For which cause I have said unto you aforetime: 'Where your heart is, there will your treasure be,'--that is up to what region every one hath received mysteries, there shall he be."

It came to pass, when Jesus had finished saying these words unto his disciples, that John came forward and said unto Jesus: "My Lord and my Saviour, give me also commandment that I discourse before thee, and be not wroth with me if I question concerning all with precision and certainty; for thou, my Lord, hast promised me in a promise to make revelation unto us of all concerning which I shall question thee. Now, therefore, my Lord, hide nothing from us at all in the matter on which we shall question thee."

And Jesus answered in great compassion and said unto John: "To thee also, blessed John, and beloved, I give commandment to speak the word which pleaseth thee, and I will reveal it unto thee face to face without similitude, and I

will say unto thee |203. all on which thou wilt question me with precision and certainty."

John questioneth Jesus.And John answered and said unto Jesus: "My Lord, will then every one abide in the region up to which he hath received the mysteries, and hath he no power to go. into other orders which are above him; and hath he no power to go into the orders which are below him?"

And Jesus answered and said unto John: "Finely indeed do ye question on all with precision and certainty. But now, therefore, John, hearken that I may discourse with thee. Every one who hath received mysteries of the Light, will abide in the region up to which every one hath received mysteries, and he hath not the power to go into the height into the orders which are above him.

Of the first Commandment."So that he who hath received mysteries in the first Commandment, hath the power to go into the orders which are below him, that is into all the orders of the third [?] space; but he hath not the power to go into the height to the orders which are above him.

Of the first space."And he who shall receive the mysteries of the First Mystery, which is the four-and-twentieth mystery from without and the head of the first space which is without,--he hath the power to go into all the orders which are without him; but he hath not the power to go into the regions which are above him or to pass through them.

Of the second space."And of those who have received the mysteries in the orders of the four-and-twenty mysteries, |204. every one will go into the region in which he hath received mysteries, and he will have the

power to pass through all the orders and spaces which are without him; but he hath not the power to go into the higher orders which are above him or to pass through them.

Of the third space."And he who hath received mysteries in the orders of the First Mystery which is in the third space, hath the power to go into all the lower orders which are below him and to pass through all; but on the other hand he hath not the power to go into the regions which are above him or to pass through them.

Of the Thrice-spirituals."And he who hath received mysteries of the first Thrice-spiritual, which ruleth over the four-and-twenty mysteries all together which rule over the space of the First Mystery, of whose region at the expansion of the universe I will tell you--he, therefore, who shall receive the mystery of that Thrice-spiritual, hath the power to go down into all orders which are below him; but he hath not the power to go into the height into the orders which are above him, that is into all the orders of the space of the Ineffable.

"And he who hath received the mystery of the second Thrice-spiritual, hath the power to go into all the orders of the first Thrice-spiritual |205. and to pass through them all and all their orders which are in them; but he hath not the power to go into the higher orders of the third Thrice-spiritual.

"And he who hath received the mystery of the third Thrice-spiritual, which ruleth over the three Thrice-spirituals and the three spaces of the First Mystery all together, [hath the power to go into all the orders which are below him]; but he hath not the power to go into the height

into the orders which are above. him, that is into the orders of the space of the Ineffable.

Of the master-mystery."And he who hath received the master-mystery of the First Mystery of the Ineffable, that is the twelve mysteries of the First Mystery all together, which rule over all the spaces of the First Mystery, he, therefore, who shall receive that mystery, hath the power to pass through all the orders of the spaces of the three Thrice-spirituals and the three spaces of the First Mystery and all their orders, and hath the power to pass through all the orders of the inheritances of the Light, to pass through them from without within and from within without and from above below and from below |206. above and from the height to the depth and from the depth to the height and from the length to the breadth and from the breadth to the length; in a word, he hath the power to pass through all the regions of the inheritances of the Light, and he hath the power to bide in the region where he pleaseth, in the Inheritance of the Light-kingdom.

"And amēn, I say unto you: That man will at the dissolution of the world be king over all the orders of the Inheritance of the Light. And he who shall receive that mystery of the Ineffable which I am,

Of the gnosis of the master-mystery."That mystery knoweth why the darkness hath arisen and why the light hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the darkness of the darknesses hath arisen and why the light of the lights hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the chaos hath arisen and why the treasury of the light hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the judgments have arisen and why the light-land and the region of the inheritances of the light have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the chastisements of the sinners have arisen and why the rest of the kingdom of the light hath arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth |207. why the sinners have arisen and why the inheritances of the light have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the impious have arisen and why the good have arisen.

"And that mystery knoweth why the chastisements and judgments have arisen and why all the emanations of the light have arisen.