The Gnostic Society Library

Pistis Sophia
translated by G. S. R. Mead


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CHAPTER 96

Jesus promiseth to explain further all in detail."Of all these then will I speak unto you at the expansion of the universe--in a word, all those whom I have spoken of unto you: those who will arise and those who will come, those who emanate, and those who come forth, and those who are without over them, and those who are implanted in them, those who will contain the region of the First Mystery and those who are in the space of the Ineffable--of these will I speak unto you, because I will reveal them unto you, and I will speak of them unto you according to every region and according to every order, at the expansion of the universe. And I will reveal unto you all their mysteries which rule over them all, and their Pro-thrice-spirituals and their Super-thrice-spirituals which rule over their mysteries and their orders.

Of the mystery succinctly."Now, therefore, the mystery of the Ineffable knoweth wherefor all these have arisen of whom I have spoken unto you in openness, and through which all these have arisen. It is the mystery which is in them all; and it is the out-going of them all, and it is the up-going of them all, and it is the setting-up of them all.

"And the mystery of the Ineffable is the mystery which is in all these of whom I have spoken unto you, and of whom I will speak unto you at the expansion of the universe. And it is the mystery which is in them all, and it is the one only mystery of the Ineffable and the gnosis of all these |226. of whom I have spoken unto you, and of whom I will speak unto you, and of whom I have not spoken. Of these will I speak unto

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you at the expansion of the universe and of their total gnosis one with another, wherefor they have arisen. It is the one and only word of the Ineffable.

"And I will tell you the expansion of all mysteries and the types of every one of them and the manner of their completion in all their figures. And I will tell you the mystery of the One and Only, the Ineffable, and all its types, all its figures and its whole economy, wherefor it hath come forth from the last Limb of the Ineffable. For that mystery is the setting-up of them all.

Of the one and only word of the Ineffable."And that mystery of the Ineffable is moreover also a one and only word, which existeth in the speech of the Ineffable, and it is the economy of the solution of all the words which I have spoken unto you.

"And he who will receive the one and only word of that mystery which I shall now say unto you, and all its types and all its figures, and the manner of accomplishing its mystery,--for ye are perfect and all-perfect and ye will accomplish the whole gnosis of that mystery with its whole economy, for unto you all mysteries are entrusted,--hearken, therefore, now, that I may tell you that mystery, which is [ . . .?].

Of the ascension of the soul of him who shall receive the one and only mystery."He |227. then, who shall receive the one and only word of that mystery, which I have told you, if he cometh forth out of the body of the matters of the rulers, and if the retributive receivers come and free him from the body of matter of the rulers,--that is those [receivers] who free from the body all out-going souls,--when, therefore, the retributive receivers free the soul which

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hath received this one and only mystery of the Ineffable, which I have just told you, then will it straightway, if it be set free from the body of matter, become a great light-stream in the midst of those receivers, and the receivers will be exceedingly afraid of the light of that soul, and the receivers will be made powerless and fall down and desist altogether for fear of the great light which they have seen.

"And the soul which receiveth the mystery of the Ineffable, will soar into the height, being a great light-stream, and the receivers will not be able to seize it and will not know how the way is fashioned upon which it will go. For it becometh a great light-stream and soareth into the height, and no power is able to hold it down at all, nor |228. will they be able to come nigh it at all.

"But it will pass through all the regions of the rulers and all the regions of the emanations of the Light, and it will not give answers in any region, nor giveth it any apologies, nor giveth it any tokens; neither will any power of the rulers nor any power of the emanations of the Light be able to come nigh that soul. But all the regions of the rulers and all the regions of the emanations of the Light,--every one singeth unto it praises in their regions, in fear of the light of the stream which envelopeth that soul, until it passeth through them all, and goeth to the region of the inheritance of the mystery which it hath received,--that is to the mystery of the One and Only, the Ineffable,--and until it becometh one with its Limbs. Amēn, I say unto you: It will be in all the regions in the time a man shooteth an arrow.

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Of the rank of such a soul."Now, therefore, amēn, I say unto you: Every man who will receive that mystery of the Ineffable and accomplish it in all its types and all its figures,--he is a man in the world, but he towereth above all angels and will tower still more above them all.

"He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all archangels and will tower still more above |229.them all.

"He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all tyrants and will raise himself above them all.

"He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all lords and will raise himself above them all.

"He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all gods and will raise himself above them all.

"He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all light-givers and will raise himself above them all.

"He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all pure [ones] and will raise himself above them all.

"He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all triple-powers and will raise himself above them all.

"He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all forefathers and will raise himself above them all.

"He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all invisibles and will raise himself above them all.

"He is a man in the world, but he towereth above the great invisible forefather and will raise himself above him.

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"He is a man in the world, but he towereth above all those of the Midst and will raise himself above them all.

"He is a man in the world, but he towereth above the emanations of the Treasury of the Light and will raise himself above them all.

"He is a man in the world, but he towereth above the Mixture |230. and will raise himself entirely above it.

"He is a man in the world, but he towereth above the whole region of the Treasury and will raise himself entirely above it.

"He is a man in the world, but he will rule with me in my kingdom.

"He is a man in the world, but he is king in the Light.

"He is a man in the world, but he is not one of the world.

"And amēn, I say unto you: That man is I and I am that man.

Such souls are one with the First Mystery."And at the dissolution of the world, that is when the universe will be raised up and when the numbering of the perfect souls will be raised up all together, and when I am king in the midst of the last Helper, being king over all the emanations of the Light and king over the seven Amēns and the five Trees and the three Amēns and the nine guards, and being king over the Child of the Child, that is the Twin-saviours, and being king over the twelve saviours and over the whole numbering of the perfect souls who shall receive the mysteries in the Light,--then will all men who shall receive the mysteries in the Ineffable, be fellow-kings with me and will sit on my right and on my left in my kingdom.

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"And amēn, I say unto you: Those men are I, and I am they.

"On this account have I said unto you aforetime: 'Ye will sit on your |231. thrones on my right and on my left in my kingdom and will rule with me.'

"On this account, therefore, I have not hesitated nor have I been ashamed to call you my brethren and my companions, because ye will be fellow-kings with me in my kingdom. This, therefore, I say unto you, knowing that I will give you the mystery of the Ineffable; that is: That mystery is I, and I am that mystery.

Of the dignity of the thrones in the kingdom."Now, therefore, not only will ye reign with me, but all men who shall receive the mystery of the Ineffable, will be fellow-kings with me in my kingdom. And I am they, and they are I. But my throne will tower over them. [And] because ye will suffer sorrows in the world beyond all men, until ye herald forth all the words which I shall speak unto you, your thrones shall be joined to mine in my kingdom.

"On this account I have said unto you aforetime: 'Where I shall be, there will be also my twelve ministers.' But Mary Magdalene and John, the virgin, will tower over all my disciples and over all men who shall receive the mysteries in the Ineffable. And they will be on my right and on my left. And I am they, and they are I.

"And they will be like unto you in all things save that your thrones will tower over theirs, and my throne |232. will tower over yours.

"And all men who will find the word of the Ineffable,--amēn, I say unto you: The men

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Of the gnosis of the word of the Ineffable.who shall know that word, will know the gnosis of all these words which I have spoken unto you, both those of the depth and those of the height, those of the length and those of the breadth; in a word, they will know the gnosis of all these words which I have spoken unto you and which I have not yet spoken unto you, which I will speak unto you, region by region and order by order, at the expansion of the universe.

"And amēn, I say unto you: They will know in what manner the world is established, and they will know in what type all those of the height are established, and they will know out of what ground the universe hath arisen."


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