Apocryphal books (New Testament); Christian heresies -- History -- Early church, ca. 30-600; Gnosticism
Answered Iohannes, Then a man [352^a] having not done sin but being
become good continually, but having not found thy mysteries for him to
pass through the Rulers, whenever he should come out of body, what will
they do to him? Said Jesus, The man of this kind whenever should his
time be completed by the Sphere, are wont to come after his soul the
Receivers of Bainkhoookh, being one among the Triple-powered Gods, that
they may take his soul in a joy with a gladness, and spend three days
going round with her teaching her the creatures of the World in joy with
gladness. After these (things) they are wont to take her down unto
Amente and teach her the punishment-places, those which (are) in Amente,
but they would not be about to punish her in them, but they are about to
teach her only of them. And the steam of the flame of the punishments
[352^b] is wont to become touching her only a little. After these
(things) they take her away up on the road of the Middle, and teach her
the punishments of the roads of the Middle, while the steam of the flame
toucheth her a little. And after these (things) they take her to the
Virgin of the Light, that she may judge her before the little Sabaoth
the good, he of the Middle, until the Sphere should turn round, that
Zeus with Aphrodite may come in the presence of the Virgin of the Light,
that the Kronos with Ares may come behind her. Then she is wont to take
away that righteous soul and deliver her up to her Receivers and cast
her unto the Aeons of the Sphere, that the Ministers of the Sphere may
take her out unto water being underneath the Sphere, that it may become
a smoke [353^a] boiling, that it may eat in at her until it should
purify her entirely. And is wont to come Ialouham the Receiver of
Sabaoth, the Adamas, this who is wont to give the cup of forgetfulness
to the souls. And he is wont to bring the water of forgetfulness, and
give it to the soul and she forgetteth every thing with every Place unto
which she went. Afterwards is wont to come a Receiver of the little
Sabaoth, the good, he of the Middle, he is wont to bring also a cup,
full of the understanding and wiseness and with watchfulness in it, and
giveth it to the soul, and they cast her unto a body, that she will not
be able to sleep nor will she be able to forget, because of the cup of
the watchfulness which they gave to her, but it will become beating her
heart continually, seeking after the mysteries of the Light, [353^b]
until she find them by the precept of the Virgin of the Light, and
inherit the Light eternal (of-unto-age, MS).
Said Mariham, Then a man having done every sin and every unlawfulness,
having not found the mysteries of the Light is he about to receive all
his punishments at one time? Said Jesus, Yea, he is about to receive
them. If also those which he did (were) three he is about to receive
three punishments.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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