Pistis Sophia
translated by G. S. R. Mead
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Pistis Sophia
translated by G. S. R. Mead
When the Saviour had finished saying all this unto his disciples, |247. Andrew came forward and said: "My Lord, be not wroth with me, but have
mercy upon me and reveal unto me the mystery of the word concerning which I shall question thee, for it hath been hard for me and I have not understood it."
The Saviour answered and said unto him: "Question concerning that on which thou desirest to question, and I will reveal it unto thee face to face without similitude."
Andrew questioneth Jesus.And Andrew answered and said: "My Lord, I am astonished and marvel exceedingly, how the men who are in the world and in the body of this matter, if they come forth out of this world, will pass through these firmaments and all these rulers and all lords and all gods and all these great invisibles and all those of the region of the Midst and those of the whole region of the Right and all the great [ones] of the emanations of the Light, and enter into them all and inherit the Light-kingdom. This matter, therefore, is hard for me."
That the disciples and the powers are all from the same Mixture.When then Andrew had said this, the spirit of the Saviour was roused in him; he cried out and said: "How long am I to endure you? How long am I to bear with you? Have ye then not even yet understood and are ye ignorant? Know ye then not and do ye not understand that ye and all angels and all archangels and the gods and the lords and all the rulers and all the great invisibles |248. and all those of the Midst and those of the whole region of the Right and all the great [ones] of the emanations of the Light and their whole glory,--that ye all one with another are out of one and the same paste and the same matter and the same substance, and that ye all are out of the same Mixture.
"And at the commandment of the First Mystery the Mixture was constrained, until all the great [ones] of the emanations of the Light and all their glory purified themselves, and until they purified themselves from the Mixture. And they have not purified themselves of themselves, but they have purified themselves by necessity according to the economy of the One and Only, the Ineffable.
"They indeed have not at all suffered and have not at all changed themselves in the regions, nor at all torn themselves asunder nor poured themselves into bodies of different kinds and from one into another, nor have they been in any affliction at all.
Of transcorporation and purification."Ye then in particular are the refuse of the Treasury and ye are the refuse of the region of the Right and ye are the refuse of the region of those of the Midst and ye are the refuse of all the invisibles and of all the rulers; in a word, ye are the refuse of all these. And ye are in great sufferings and great afflictions in your being poured from one into another of different kinds of bodies |249. 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.
Of the purifying mysteries."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 |250. 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, |251. 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.
That all who are purified will be saved."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.
That finally they will be higher than all powers."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 |252. 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.
"This is the answer to the words on which ye question. Now, therefore, Andrew, art thou still in unfaith and unknowing?" 1
Jesus pardoneth the ignorance of Andrew.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."
210:1 These two sentences are placed at the end of the preceding paragraph, but clearly belong here.