pistis.sophia_book_2_part9 Chapter 1

of the world. And after all these sufferings ye have struggled of your-selves and fought, having renounced the whole world and all the matter therein;

and ye have not left off seeking, until ye found all the mysteries of the kingdom of the Light, which have purified you and made you into refined light, exceedingly purified, and ye have become purified light.

“For this cause have I said unto you aforetime: 'Seek, that ye may find.”

I have, therefore, said unto you: Ye are to seek after the mysteries of the Light, which purify the body of matter and make it. into refined light exceedingly purified.

“Amēn, I say unto you: For the sake of the race of men, because it is material, I have torn myself asunder and brought unto them all the mysteries of the Light, that I may purify them, for they are the refuse of the whole matter of their matter; else would no soul of the total race of men have been saved,”

and they would not be able to inherit the kingdom of the Light, if I had not brought unto them the purifying mysteries.

“For the emanations of the Light have no need of the mysteries, for they are purified; but it is the race of men which hath need of them, because they all are material refuse”

For this cause, therefore, have I said unto you aforetime: 'The healthy have no need | of the physician, but the sick,'–that is: Those of the Light have no need of the mysteries, for they are purified lights; but it is the race of men which hath need of them, for [they] are material refuse [pl.].

“For this cause, therefore, herald to the whole race of men, saying: Cease not to seek day and night, until ye find the purifying mysteries;”

and say unto the race of men: Renounce the whole world and the whole matter therein. For he who buyeth and selleth in the world and he who eateth and drinketh of its matter and who liveth in all its cares and in all its associations, amasseth other additional matters to the rest of his matter, because this whole world and all therein and all its associations are material refuse [pl.], and they will make enquiry of every one concerning his purity.

“For this cause, therefore, I have said unto you aforetime: Renounce the whole world and the whole matter therein, that ye may not amass other additional matter to the rest of your matter in you.”

For this cause, therefore, herald it to the whole race of men, saying: Renounce the whole world and all its associations, | that ye may not amass additional matter to the rest of your matter in you; and say unto them: Cease not to seek day and night and remit not yourselves until ye find the purifying mysteries which will purify you and make you into a refined light, so that ye will go on high and inherit the light of my kingdom.

“Now, therefore, Andrew and all thy brethren thy co-disciples, because of your renunciations and all your sufferings which ye have endured in every region, and because of your changes in every region and of your being poured from one into another of different kinds of bodies and because of all your afflictions, and after all this ye have received the purifying mysteries and are become refined light exceedingly purified,–for this cause, therefore, ye will go on high and penetrate into all the regions of all the great emanations of the Light and be kings in the Light-kingdom for ever.”

“This is the answer to the words on which ye question. Now, therefore, Andrew, art thou still in unfaith and unknowing?”

“But if ye come forth out of the body and come on high and reach unto the region of the rulers, then will all the rulers be seized with shame before you, because ye are the refuse of their matter and have become light more purified than them all. And | if ye reach unto the region of the Great Invisible and unto the region of those of the Midst and of those of the Right and unto the regions of all the great emanations of the Light,”

then will ye be revered among them all, because ye are the refuse of their matter and are became light more purified than them all. And all the regions will sing praises before you, until ye come to the region of the kingdom.

When then the Saviour said this, Andrew knew clearly,

not only he but also all the disciples knew with precision that they should inherit the Light-kingdom. They all threw themselves down together at Jesus' feet,

“cried aloud, wept and besought the Saviour, saying: Lord, forgive our brother the sin of unknowing.”

“The Saviour answered and said: I forgive and will forgive;”

“for this cause, therefore, hath the First Mystery sent me, that I may forgive every one his sins.”

A PORTION OF THE BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR

“AND those who are worthy of the mysteries which abide in the Ineffable, which are those which have not gone forth,–these exist before the First Mystery, and to use a likeness and similitude, that ye may understand it, they are as the Limbs of the Ineffable.”

And every one existeth according to the dignity of its glory: the head according to the dignity of the head and the eye according to the dignity | of the eyes and the ear according to the dignity of the ears and the rest of the Limbs [in like fashion]; so that the matter is manifest: There is a multitude of limbs but one only body.

“Of this indeed have I spoken in a pattern and similitude and likeness, but not in a form in truth; nor have I revealed the word in truth, but the mystery [only] of the Ineffable. And all the Limbs which are in it,–according to the word with which I have made comparison,–that is, those which abide on the mystery of the Ineffable, and those which abide in it, and also the three spaces which are after them according to the mysteries,–of all these in truth and verity”

I am their treasury beside whom there is no other treasury, who hath not his like in the world; but there are still words and mysteries and other regions.

“Now, therefore, blessed is he who hath found the [words of the] mysteries [of the first space] which is from without;”

and he is a god who hath found these words of the mysteries of the second space, which is in the midst;

and he is a saviour and an uncontainable who hath found the words of the mysteries of the third space, which is within, and he is more excellent than the universe and like unto those who are in that third space. Because he hath found the mystery in which they are and in which they stand,–| for this cause, therefore, is he like unto them. He on the other hand who hath found the words of the mysteries which I have described unto you according to a likeness, that they are the Limbs of the Ineffable,

–amēn, I say unto you: That man who hath found the words of these mysteries in divine truth, is the first in truth and like unto him [sc. the First, i.e. the Ineffable], for through those words and mysteries . . . and the universe itself standeth through that First. For this cause he who hath found the words of those mysteries, is like unto the First.

“For it is the gnosis of the gnosis of the Ineffable concerning which I have discoursed with you this day.”