pistis.sophia_book_3_part3 Chapter 1

“Jesus continued again in the discourse and said: If on the contrary it is a soul which hath not hearkened unto the counterfeiting spirit in all its works,”

but hath become good and hath received the mysteries of the Light which are in the second space or even those which are in the third space which is within, when the time [of the coming-forth] of that soul out of the body is completed,

“then the counterfeiting spirit followeth that soul, it and the destiny; and it followeth it on the way on which it will go above. And before it removeth itself above, it uttereth the mystery of the undoing of the seals and all the bonds of the counterfeiting spirit with which the rulers have bound it to the soul; and when it is uttered, the bonds of the counterfeiting spirit undo themselves, and it ceaseth to come into that soul”

and releaseth the soul according to the commandments which | the rulers of the great Fate have commanded it, saying: 'Release not this soul until it tell thee the mystery of the undoing of all the seals with which we have bound thee to the soul.'

“If then the soul shall have uttered the mystery of the undoing of the seals and of all the bonds of the counterfeiting spirit, and if it ceaseth to come into the soul and ceaseth to be bound to it,”

then it uttereth in that moment a mystery and releaseth the destiny to its region to the rulers who are on the way of the midst.

And it uttereth the mystery and releaseth the counterfeiting spirit to the rulers of the Fate to the region in which it was bound to it.

“And in that moment it becometh a great light-stream, shining exceedingly,”

and the retributive receivers who have led it forth out of the body, are afraid of the light of that soul and fall on their faces.

And in that moment that soul becometh a great light-stream, it becometh entirely wings of light, and penetrateth all the regions of the rulers and all the orders of the Light, until it reacheth the region of its kingdom up to which it hath received mysteries.

“If on the other hand it is a soul which hath received mysteries in the first space which is without, and if after it | hath received the mysteries it hath accomplished them, it [then] turneth and committeth sin after the accomplishing of the mysteries,”

and if the time of the coming-forth of that soul is completed, then the retributive receivers come to lead that soul out of the body.

“And the destiny and the counterfeiting spirit follow that soul. Because the counterfeiting spirit is bound to it with the seals and the bonds of the rulers, it followeth thus that soul which travelleth on the ways with the counterfeiting spirit. It uttereth the mystery of the undoing of all the bonds and all the seals with which the rulers have bound the counterfeiting spirit to the soul.”

And when the soul uttereth the mystery of the undoing of the seals,

straightway the bonds of the seals which are bound in the counterfeiting spirit to the soul undo themselves.

And when the soul uttereth the mystery of the undoing of the seals, straightway the counterfeiting spirit undoeth itself and ceaseth to be assigned to the soul.

And in that moment the soul uttereth a mystery and restraineth the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny and dischargeth them which follow it. But no one of them is in its power; | but it is in their power.

“And in that moment the receivers of that soul come with the mysteries which it hath received, come and snatch that soul out of the hands of the retributive receivers,”

and the [latter] receivers go back to the works of the rulers for the purpose of the economy of the leading-forth of the souls.

“And the receivers of that soul on the other hand who belong to the Light, become wings of light for that soul and become vestures of light for it”

and they do not lead it into the chaos, because it is not lawful to lead into the chaos souls which have received mysteries, but they lead it on the way of the rulers of the midst. And when it reacheth the rulers of the midst, those rulers meet the soul, they being in great fear and violent fire and with different faces, in a word in great immeasurable fear.

“And in that moment the soul uttereth the mystery of their apology. And they are exceedingly afraid and fall on their faces, being in fear of the mystery which it hath uttered, and of their apology. |”

And that soul surrendereth their destiny, saying unto them: Take your destiny! I come not to your regions from this moment onwards. I have become a stranger unto you for ever, being about to go unto the region of my inheritance.

“And when the soul shall have said this, the receivers of the Light fly with it on high and lead it into the æons of the Fate, it giving every region its apology and its seals,”

–which I will tell you at the expansion of the universe. And it giveth the counterfeiting spirit to the rulers

and telleth them the mystery of the bonds with which it is bound to it, and sayeth unto them: There have ye your counterfeiting spirit! I come not to your region from this moment onwards. I have become a stranger unto you for ever.

And it giveth every one his seal and his apology.

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“And when the soul shall have said this, the receivers of the Light fly with it on high”

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and lead it | out of the æons of the Fate and lead it up into all the æons [above], it giving to every region its apology and the apology of all the regions and the seals to the tyrants of the king, the Adamas. And it giveth the apology of all the rulers of all the regions of the Left,–whose collective apologies and seals I will one day tell you when I shall tell you the expansion of the universe.

“And moreover those receivers lead that soul to the Virgin of Light”

and that soul giveth the Virgin of Light the seals and the glory of the songs of praise.

And the Virgin of Light and also the seven other virgins of the Light together prove that soul and find together their signs in it and their seals and their baptisms and their chrism.

And the Virgin of Light | sealeth that soul and the receivers of the Light baptize that soul and give it the spiritual chrism;

and every one of the virgins of the Light sealeth it with her seals.

“And moreover the receivers of the Light hand it over to the great Sabaōth, the Good, who is at the gate of the Life in the region of those of the Right, who is called 'Father.”

And that soul giveth him the glory of his songs of praise and his seals and his apologies.

And Sabaōth, the Great and Good, sealeth it with his seals.

And the soul giveth its science and the glory of the songs of praise and the seals to the whole region of those of the Right.

They all seal it with their seals; and Melchisedec, the great Receiver of the Light who is in the region of those of the Right, sealeth that soul and all the receivers of Melchisedec seal that soul and lead it into the Treasury of the Light.

“And it giveth the glory and the honour and the laud of the songs of praise and. all the seals of all the regions of the Light. And all those of the region of the Treasury of the Light seal it with their seals and it goeth unto the region of the Inheritance.”

“When then the Saviour had said this unto his disciples | he said unto them: Understand ye in what manner I discourse with you?”

“And Mary again started forward and said: Yea, my Lord, I understand in what manner thou dost discourse with me, and I will comprehend them all [sc. thy words].”

Now, therefore, concerning these words which thou sayest, my mind hath brought forward four thoughts in me and my light-man hath led me and exulted and seethed, desiring to come forth out of me and enter into thee. Now, therefore, my Lord, hearken that I may tell thee the four thoughts which have arisen in me.

“The first thought hath arisen in me concerning the word which thou hast spoken: 'Now, therefore, the soul giveth the apology and seal unto all the rulers who are in the region of the king, the Adamas, and giveth the apology and the honour and the glory of all their seals and the songs of praise to the region of the Light,'–concerning this word then thou hast spoken unto us aforetime,”

when they brought thee the piece of money and thou didst see that it was of silver and copper and didst ask: 'Whose is this image?' They said: 'The king's.'

And when thou sawest that it was of silver and copper mixed,

thou saidst: 'Give therefore the king's unto the king and God's unto God,'–that is: If the soul receiveth mysteries, it giveth the apology to all the rulers and to the region | of the king, the Adamas; and the soul giveth the honour and the glory to all those of the region of the Light. And the word: 'It hath glistened, when thou didst see that it is made up of silver and copper,'

–it is the type thereof, that in it [sc. the soul] is the power of the Light, which is the refined silver, and that in it is the counterfeiting spirit, which is the material copper. This, my Lord, is the first thought.

“The second thought is on the other hand that which thou hast just said unto us concerning the soul which receiveth the mysteries: 'If it cometh into the region of the rulers of the way of the midst, they come forth to meet it in exceedingly great fear and they are afraid of it.”

And the soul giveth the mystery of the fear unto them and they are afraid before it. And it giveth the destiny to its region,

and it giveth the counterfeiting spirit to its own region, and it giveth the apology and the seals to every one of the rulers who are on the ways,

and it giveth the honour and the glory and the laud of the seals and the songs of praise to all those of the region of the Light,'

–concerning this word, my Lord, thou hast spoken aforetime through the mouth of our brother Paul: 'Give tax to whom tax is due,

give fear to whom fear is due, give tribute to whom tribute is due, give honour to whom honour is due, and give laud to whom laud is due, and owe not any other anything,' | –that is, my Lord: The soul which receiveth mysteries, giveth apology to all regions. This, my Lord, is the second thought.

“The third thought on the other hand concerning the word which thou hast aforetime spoken unto us: 'The counterfeiting spirit is hostile to the soul, making it do all sins and all mischiefs, and it transferreth it in the chastisements because of all the . sins which it hath made it commit;”

in a word, it is hostile to the soul in every way,'–concerning this word, therefore, thou hast said unto us aforetime: 'The foes of the man are the dwellers in his house,'–that is: The dwellers in the house of the soul are the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny, which are hostile to the soul the whole time, making it commit all sin and all iniquities. Lo this, my Lord, is the third thought.

“The fourth thought on the other hand concerning the word which thou hast said: 'If the soul goeth forth out of the body and travelleth on the way with the counterfeiting spirit,”

and if it hath not found the mystery of the undoing of all the bonds and the seals which are bound to the counterfeiting spirit, so that it may cease to haunt or be assigned to it,

–if it then hath not found it, the counterfeiting spirit leadeth the soul to the Virgin of Light, the judge;

and the judge, the Virgin of Light, proveth the soul and findeth | that it hath sinned and, as she also hath not found the mysteries of the Light with it, she handeth it over to one of her receivers,

and her receiver leadeth it and casteth it into the body, and it cometh not out of the changes of the body before it hath yielded its last circuit,'

“–concerning this word, then, my Lord, thou hast said unto us aforetime: 'Be reconciled with thy foe as long as thou art on the way with him, lest perchance thy foe hand thee over to the judge and the judge hand thee over to the servant and the servant cast thee into prison, and thou shalt not come forth out of that region till thou hast yielded the last farthing.' Because of this manifestly is thy word: Every soul which cometh forth out of the body and travelleth on the way with the counterfeiting spirit”

and findeth not the mystery of the undoing of all the seals and all the bonds, so that it may undo itself from the counterfeiting spirit which is bound to it,–that soul which hath not found mysteries of the Light and hath not found the mysteries of detachment from the counterfeiting spirit which is bound to it,–if then it hath not found it, the counterfeiting spirit leadeth that soul to the Virgin of Light,

“and the Virgin of Light, yea that judge, handeth over that soul | to one of her receivers, and her receiver casteth it into the sphere of the æons, and it cometh not out of the changes of the body before it hath yielded the last circuit which is appointed for it. This then, my Lord, is the fourth thought.”

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“And Mary answered and said: My Lord, in what type then do | the baptisms forgive sins? I heard thee say:”

The retributive servitors follow the soul, being witnesses to it for all the sins which it committeth, that they may convict it in the judgments.'

“Now, therefore, my Lord, do the mysteries of the baptisms wipe out the sins which are in the hands of the retributive servitors, so that they forget them? Now, therefore, my Lord, tell unto us the type, how they forgive sins; nay, we desire to know it with sureness.”

“And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary: Finely hast thou spoken. The servitors indeed are they who bear witness to all sins; but they abide in the judgments, seizing the souls and convicting all the souls of sinners who have received no mysteries; and they keep them fast in the chaos, chastizing them.”

And those retributive receivers cannot overstep the chaos to reach to the orders which are above the chaos, and convict the souls which come forth out of those regions.

Now then it is not lawful to use force on the souls which receive mysteries, and lead them into the chaos, so that the retributive servitors may convict them. But the retributive servitors convict the | souls of the sinners and they keep fast those who have received no mysteries which may lead them out of the chaos.

The souls on the other hand which receive mysteries,–they have no power of convicting them, because they do not come forth out of their regions, and also, if they come forth into their regions, they are not able to obstruct them; nay, they cannot lead them into that chaos.

“Hearken moreover that I may tell you the word in truth, in what type the mystery of baptism forgiveth sins.”

Now, therefore, if the souls sin when they are still in the world, the retributive servitors indeed come and are witnesses of all the sins which the soul committeth, lest in sooth they should come forth out of the regions of the chaos, in order that they may convict them in the judgments which are outside the chaos.

And the counterfeiting spirit becometh witness of all the sins which the soul shall commit, in order that it may convict it in the judgments which are outside the chaos, not only that it may bear witness of them,

but–all the sins of the souls–it sealeth the sins and maketh them fast on to the soul, in order that all the rulers of the chastisements of the sinners may recognize it, that it is a sinning soul, and that they may know of the number of sins which it hath committed, by the seals which the counterfeiting spirit hath made fast on to it, so that it shall be chastized according to | the number of sins which it hath committed.

“This do they with all sinning souls. Now, therefore, he who shall receive the mysteries of the baptisms, then the mystery of them becometh a great, exceedingly violent, wise fire and it burneth up the sins and entereth into the soul secretly and consumeth all the sins which the counterfeiting spirit hath made fast on to it.”

And when it hath finished purifying all the sins which the counterfeiting spirit hath made fast on to the soul, it entereth into the body secretly and pursueth all the pursuers secretly and separateth them off on the side of the portion of the body.

For it pursueth the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny and separateth them off from the power and from the soul and putteth them on the side of the body, so that it separateth off the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny and the body into one portion;

the soul and power on the other hand it separateth into another.

“The mystery of baptism on the contrary remaineth in the midst of the two, continually separating them from one another, so that it maketh them clean and purifieth them, in order that they may not be stained by matter. Now, therefore, Mary, this is the way in which the mysteries of the baptisms forgive sins and all iniquities.”