Pistis Sophia
translated by G. S. R. Mead
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Pistis Sophia
translated by G. S. R. Mead
Peter protesteth against the women.Peter said: "My Lord, let the women |383. cease to question, in order that we also may question."
Jesus said unto Mary and the women: "Give opportunity to your men brethren, that they also may question."
Peter answered and said: "My Lord, a robber and thief, whose sin is this persistently, when he cometh out of the body, what is his chastisement?"
Of the chastisement of the thief.Jesus said: "If the time of such an one is completed through the sphere, the receivers of Adōnis come after him, and lead his soul out of the body, and they spend three days circling round with it and instructing it concerning the creatures of the world.
"Thereafter they lead it down into the Amente before Ariēl, and he taketh vengeance on it in his chastisements three months, eight days and two hours.
"Thereafter they lead it into the chaos before Yaldabaōth and his forty-and-nine demons, and every one of his demons taketh vengeance on it another three months, eight days and two hours.
"Thereafter they lead it on to the way of the midst, and every one of the rulers of the way of the midst taketh vengeance on it through his dark smoke and his wicked fire another three months, eight days and two hours.
"Thereafter they lead it up unto the Virgin of Light, who judgeth the righteous and the sinners, that she may judge it. And when the sphere turneth itself, she handeth it over to her receivers, that they may cast it into the æons of the sphere. And they lead it forth into a water which is below the sphere; |384. and it becometh a seething fire and eateth into it until it purifieth it utterly.
"Thereafter cometh Yaluham, the receiver of Sabaōth, the Adamas, bringeth the cup of forget-fulness and handeth it unto the soul; and it drinketh it and forgetteth all things and all the regions to which it had gone. And they cast it into a lame, halt and blind body.
"This is the chastisement of the thief."
Andrew answered and said: "An arrogant, overweening man, when he cometh out of the body, what will happen to him?"
Of the chastisement of the arrogant.Jesus said: "If the time of such an one is completed through the sphere, the receivers of Ariēl come after him and lead out his soul [out of the body] and spend three days travelling round in the world [with it] and instructing it concerning the creatures of the world.
"Thereafter they lead it down into the Amente before Ariēl; and he taketh vengeance on it with his chastisements twenty months.
"Thereafter they lead it into the chaos before Yaldabaōth and his forty-and-nine demons; and
he and his demons, one by one, take vengeance on it another twenty months.
"Thereafter they carry it on to the way of the midst; and every one of the rulers of the way of the midst taketh vengeance on it another twenty months.
"And thereafter they lead it unto the Virgin of Light, that she may judge it. And when the sphere turneth itself, she handeth it over to her receivers, that they may cast it into the æons of the sphere. And the servitors of the sphere |385. lead it into a water which is below the sphere; and it becometh a seething fire and eateth into it until it purifieth it.
"And Yaluham, the receiver of Sabaōth, the Adamas, cometh and bringeth the cup with the water of forgetfulness and handeth it to the soul; and it drinketh and forgetteth all things and all the regions to which it had gone. And they cast it up into a lame and deformed body, so that all despise it persistently.
"This is the chastisement of the arrogant and overweening man."
Thomas said: "A persistent blasphemer, what is his chastisement?"
Of the chastisement of the blasphemer.Jesus said: "If the time of such an one is completed through the sphere, the receivers of Yaldabaōth come after him and bind him by his tongue to a great demon with a horse's face; they spend three days travelling round with him in the world, and take vengeance on him.
"Thereafter they lead him into the region of the cold and of the snow, and take vengeance on him there eleven years.
"Thereafter they lead him down into the
chaos before Yaldabaōth and his forty-and-nine demons, and every one of his demons taketh vengeance on him another eleven years.
"Thereafter they lead him into the outer darkness until the day when the great ruler with the dragon's face |386. who encircleth the darkness, shall be judged. And that soul becometh frozen up [?] and destroyed and dissolved.
"This is the judgment of the blasphemer."