Apocryphal books (New Testament); Christian heresies -- History -- Early church, ca. 30-600; Gnosticism
bound, these whom they are wont to call in all the World of the mankind
by these names: the first they are wont to call him, Kronos; the second,
Ares; the third, The hermes; the fourth, The aphrodite; the fifth,
[321^b] The zeus. Continued further Jesus, said he, Hear also that I may
say unto you their mystery. It happened therefore, Ieou, having bound
them thus, he drew a power out of the great Invisible, he bound it in
this which they are wont to call it, Kronos. And also he drew another
power out of Ipsantakhounkhainkhoukheokh, who is one among the three
triple-powered gods, he bound it in Ares: and he drew a power out of
Khainkhōōōkh, being one also among the three triple-powered gods. He
bound it in the hermes. Again also he drew a power out of the Pistis the
Sophia, the daughter of the Barbēlōs, he bound it in Aphrodite. And also
he noticed that they needed a rudder for him to steer the World and
(with, MS) the Aeons of the Sphere, that they should not destroy it in
their evil doing, he went up unto the Middle, he drew a power out of
[322^a] the Little Sabaoth the good, he of the Middle, he bound it in
Zeus, because that good is (he), for him to steer them in his goodness.
And he arranged the turning about of his array thus, for him to spend
thirteen months in Aeon (after) Aeon standing still, that every Ruler
upon whom he cometh should liberate (from) the wickedness of their evil
doing. And he gave to him the two Aeons for dwellingplace in the
presence of those of the hermes. I said unto you at the first time the
names of these five great Rulers, these in which are wont the men of the
World to call them: hear also now that I may say unto you also their
incorruptible names, which are these, Orimuth for Kronos, Munikhunaphōr
for Ares, Tarpetanuph for Hermes, Khōsi for the aphrodite, Khōnbal for
Zeus, namely their incorruptible names. But having heard [322^b] these
(words) the disciples, they prostrated, they worshipped Jesus, said
they, Happy are we, we, beyond every man, because thou revealedst to us
these great wonders. They added also, they prayed him, saying, We pray
thee, reveal to us, About (in, MS) what also are these roads. Drew near
in unto him Mariham, she prostrated, she worshipped unto his feet, and
she kissed his hands, said she, Yea, my Lord, reveal to us, What is the
need of the roads of the Middle: for we heard thee that they are put
over great punishments: what therefore is the manner, our Lord, (in)
which we shall escape? or (in) which we shall be quit of them? or are
they wont to lay hold on the souls in what manner? or are they (the
souls) wont to spend how much time in their punishments. Have compassion
upon us, our Lord, our Saviour, that should not take away our souls the
Receivers of the judgments of the roads of the Middle. And that they
should not judge [323^a] us, in their punishments which are evil, that
we may inherit also the Light of thy Father, that we should not become
being poor and cut away from thee.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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