Pistis Sophia 114–122

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard Mary say these words, that he said: “Well said, all-blessed Mary, spiritual [one]. These are the solutions of the words which I have spoken.” Mary answered and said: “Still, my Lord, do I question thee, because from now on I will begin to question thee on all things with sureness. For this cause, therefore, my Lord, be patient with us and reveal unto us all things on which we shall question thee for the sake of the manner, how my brethren are to herald it to the whole race of men.” And when she had said this to the Saviour, to the Saviour answered and said unto her in great compassion towards her: “Amen, amen, I say unto you: Not only will I reveal unto you all things on which ye shall question me, but from now on I will reveal unto you other things on which ye have not thought to question, which have not entered into the heart of man, and which also all the gods, who are below man, know not. Now, therefore, Mary, question on what thou mayest question, and I will reveal it unto thee face to face without similitude.”

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

And Mary answered and said: “My Lord, in what type then do the baptisms forgive sins? I heard thee say: ’ The retributive servitors follow the soul, being witnesses to it for all the sins which it committeth, that they may convict it in the judgments.’ Now, therefore, my Lord, do the mysteries of the baptisms wipe out the sins which are in the hands of the retributive servitors, so that they forget them? Now, therefore, my Lord, tell unto us the type, how they forgive sins; nay, we desire to know it with sureness.” And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary: “Finely hast thou spoken. The servitors indeed are they who bear witness to all sins; but they abide in the judgments, seizing the souls and convicting all the souls of sinners who have received no mysteries; and they keep them fast in the chaos, chastizing them. And those retributive receivers cannot overstep the chaos to reach to the orders which are above the chaos, and convict the souls which come forth out of those regions. Now then it is not lawful to use force on the souls which receive mysteries, and lead them into the chaos, so that the retributive servitors may convict them. But the retributive servitors convict the souls of the sinners and they keep fast those who have received no mysteries which may lead them out of the chaos. The souls on the other hand which receive mysteries, — they have no power of convicting them, because they do not come forth out of their regions, and also, if they come forth into their regions, they are not able to obstruct them; nay, they cannot lead them into that chaos. “Hearken moreover that I may tell you the word in truth, in what type the mystery of baptism forgiveth sins. Now, therefore, if the souls sin when they are still in the world, the retributive servitors indeed come and are witnesses of all the sins which the soul committeth, lest in sooth they should come forth out of the regions of the chaos, in order that they may convict them in the judgments which are outside the chaos. And the counterfeiting spirit becometh witness of all the sins which the soul shall commit, in order that it may convict it in the judgments which are outside the chaos, not only that it may bear witness of them, but — all the sins of the souls — it sealeth the sins and maketh them fast on to the soul, in order that all the rulers of the chastisements of the sinners may recognize it, that it is a sinning soul, and that they may know of the number of sins which it hath committed, by the seals which the counterfeiting spirit hath made fast on to it, so that it shall be chastized according to the number of sins which it hath committed. This do they with all sinning souls. “Now, therefore, he who shall receive the mysteries of the baptisms, then the mystery of them becometh a great, exceedingly violent, wise fire and it burneth up the sins and entereth into the soul secretly and consumeth all the sins which the counterfeiting spirit hath made fast on to it. And when it hath finished purifying all the sins which the counterfeiting spirit hath made fast on to the soul, it entereth into the body secretly and pursueth all the pursuers secretly and separateth them off on the side of the portion of the body. For it pursueth the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny and separateth them off from the power and from the soul and putteth them on the side of the body, so that it separateth off the counterfeiting spirit and the destiny and the body into one portion; the soul and power on the other hand it separateth into another. The mystery of baptism on the contrary remaineth in the midst of the two, continually separating them from one another, so that it maketh them clean and purifieth them, in order that they may not be stained by matter. “Now, therefore, Mary, this is the way in which the mysteries of the baptisms forgive sins and all iniquities.”

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

When then the Saviour had said this, he said unto his disciples: “Understand ye in what manner I discourse with you? “Then Mary started forward and said: “Yea, my Lord, in truth I enquire closely into all the words which thou say est. Concerning’ the word then of the forgiveness of sins thou hast spoken unto us in similitude aforetime, saying: ‘I am come to cast fire on the earth,’ and again: ’ What will I that it burn? ’ And again thou hast distinguished it clearly, saying: ’ I have a baptism, to baptize in it; and how shall I endure until it is accomplished? Think ye I am come to cast peace on the earth? Nay, but I am come to cast division. For from now on five will be in one house; three will be divided against two, and two against three.’ This, my Lord, is the word which thou hast spoken clearly. “The word indeed which thou hast spoken: ‘I am come to cast fire on the earth, and what will I that it burn? ’ — that is, my Lord: Thou hast brought the mysteries of the baptisms into the world, and thy pleasure is that they should consume all the sins of the soul and purify them. And thereafter again thou hast distinguished it clearly, saying: ‘I have a baptism, to baptize in it; and how shall I endure until it is accomplished? ’ — that is: Thou wilt not remain in the world until the baptisms are accomplished and purify the perfect souls. “And moreover the word which thou hast spoken unto us aforetime: ’ Think ye I am come to cast peace on the earth? Nay, but I am come to cast division. For from now on five will be in one house; three will be divided against two, and two against three,’ — that is: Thou hast brought the mystery of the baptisms into the world, and it hath effected a division in the bodies of the world, because it hath separated the counterfeiting spirit and the body and the destiny into one portion; the soul and the power on the other hand it hath separated into another portion; — that is: Three will be against two, and two against three.” And when Mary had said this, the Saviour said: “Well said, thou spiritual and light-pure Mary. This is the solution of the word.”

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

Mary answered again and said: “My Lord, I will still continue to question thee. Now, therefore, my Lord, bear with me questioning thee. Lo, in openness have we known the type in which the baptisms forgive sins. Now on the other hand the mystery of these three spaces and the mysteries of this First Mystery and the mysteries of the Ineffable, in what type do they forgive sins? Do they forgive in the type of the baptisms, or not? “The Saviour answered again and said: “Nay, but all the mysteries of the three spaces forgive the soul in all the regions of the rulers all the sins which the soul hath committed from the beginning onwards. They forgive it, and moreover they forgive the sins which it thereafter will commit, until the time up to which every one of the mysteries shall be effective, — the time up to which every one of the mysteries shall be effective I will tell you at the expansion of the universe. “And moreover the mystery of the First Mystery and the mysteries of the Ineffable forgive the soul in all the regions of the rulers all the sins and all the iniquities which the soul hath committed; and [not only] do they forgive it all, but they impute unto it no sin from this hour unto all eternity, because of the gift of that great mystery and its prodigiously great glory.”

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

When then the Saviour had said this, he said unto his disciples: “Understand ye in what manner I speak with you? “And Mary answered again and said: “Yea, my Lord, already have I seized on all the words which thou sayest. Now, therefore, my Lord, concerning the word which thou sayest: ’ All the mysteries of the three spaces forgive sins and cover their [sc. the souls’] iniquities,’ — David, the prophet, then hath prophesied aforetime concerning this word, saying: ’ Blessed are they whose sins are forgiven and whose iniquities are covered.’ “And the word which thou hast spoken: ’ The mystery of the First Mystery and the mystery of the Ineffable forgive all men who shall receive those mysteries, not only the sins which they have committed from the beginning onwards, but also they impute them not to them from this hour unto all eternity,’ — concerning this word David hath prophesied aforetime, saying: ’ Blessed are those to whom the Lord God will not impute sins,’ — that is: Sins will not be imputed from this hour to those who have received the mysteries of the First Mystery and who have received the mystery of the Ineffable.” He said: “Well said, Mary, thou spiritual and Light-pure Mary. This is the solution of the word.” And Mary continued again and said: “My Lord, if the man receiveth mysteries from the mysteries of the First Mystery and again turneth and sinneth and transgresseth, and if he thereafter again turneth and repenteth and prayeth in any [mystery] of his mystery, will it be forgiven him, or not? “The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: “Amen, amen, I say unto you: Every one who shall receive the mysteries of the First Mystery, if he again turneth and transgresseth twelve times and again twelve times repenteth, praying in the mystery of the First Mystery, it will be forgiven. “But if after the twelve times he again transgresseth and turneth and transgresseth, it will not be forgiven him for ever, so that he should turn himself to any [mystery] of his mystery; and this [man] hath not repentance unless he receiveth the mysteries of the Ineffable, which have compassion at every time and forgive at every time.”

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

Mary continued again and said: “My Lord, but if on the other hand they who have received the mysteries of the First Mystery, turn and transgress, and if they come out of the body before they have repented, will they inherit the kingdom or not, because indeed they have received the gift of the First Mystery? “The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: “Amen, amen, I say unto you: Every man who hath received mysteries in the First Mystery, I having transgressed for the first and the second and the third time, and if he cometh out of the body before he hath repented, his judgment is far sorer than all the judgments; for his dwelling is in the midst of the jaws of the dragon of the outer darkness, and at the end of all this he will be frozen up [?] in the chastisements and perish for ever, because he hath received the gift of the First Mystery and hath not abided in it [sc, the gift]. Mary answered and said: “My Lord, all men who shall receive the mysteries of the mystery of the Ineffable, and have turned aerain, have transgressed and have ceased in their faith, and received the again thereafter, when they are still in Life, have turned and have repented, how many times will it be forgiven them? “The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: “Amen, amen, I say unto you: To every man who shall receive the mysteries of the Ineffable, not only if he transgresseth once, turneth again and repenteth, will it be forgiven, but if at any time he transgresseth, and if, when still in life, he turneth again and repenteth, without playacting, and again if he turneth and repenteth and prayeth in any of his mysteries, then will it be forgiven him, because he hath received of the gift of I the mysteries of the Ineffable, and moreover because those mysteries are compassionate and forgive at every time.” And Mary answered again and said unto Jesus: “My Lord, those who shall receive the mysteries of the Ineffable, and have again turned, have transgressed and have ceased in their faith and are moreover come out of the body before they have repented, what will befall such? “And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary: “Amen, amen, I say unto you: All men who shall receive the mysteries of the Ineffable, — blessed indeed are the souls which shall receive of those mysteries; but if they turn and transgress and come out of the body before they have repented, the judgment of those men is sorer than all the judgments, and it is exceedingly violent, even if those souls are new and it is their first time for coming into the world. They will not return to the changes of the bodies from that hour onwards and will not be able to do anything, but they will be cast out into the outer darkness and perish and be non-existent for ever.”

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

And when the Saviour had said this, he said unto his disciples: “Understand ye in what manner I speak with you? “Mary answered and said: “I have seized on308. the words which thou hast said. Now, therefore, my Lord, this is the word which thou hast said: ’ They who shall receive the mysteries of the Ineffable, — blessed indeed are those souls; but if they turn, transgress, and cease in their faith, and if they go forth out of the body without having repented, they are no more fit from this hour onwards to return to the changes of the body, nor for anything at all, but they are cast out into the outer darkness, they will perish in that region and be non-existent for ever,’ — concerning [this] word thou hast spoken unto us aforetime, saying: ‘Salt is good; but if the salt becometh sterile, with what are they to salt it? It is fit neither for the dunghill nor for the earth; but they throw it away,’ — that is: Blessed are all the souls which shall receive of the mysteries of the Ineffable; but if they once transgress, they are not fit to return to the body henceforth from this hour onwards nor for anything at all, but they are cast into the outer darkness and perish in that region.” And when she had said this, the Saviour said: “Well said, thou spiritual Light-pure Mary. This is the solution of the word.” And Mary continued again and said: “My Lord, all men who have received the mysteries of the First Mystery and the mysteries of the Ineffable, those who have not transgressed, but whose faith in the mysteries was in sincerity, without play-acting, — they then have again sinned through the compulsion of the Fate and have again turned and repented and again prayed in any of the mysteries, how often will it be forgiven them? “And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary in the midst of his disciples: ‘‘Amén, amén, I say unto you: All men who shall receive the mysteries of the Ineffable and moreover the mysteries of the First Mystery, sin every time through the compulsion of the Fate, and if they, when they are still in life, turn and repent and abide in any of their mysteries, it will be forgiven them at every time, because those mysteries are compassionate and forgiving for all time. For this cause then have I said unto you before: Those mysteries will not only forgive them their sins which they have committed from the beginning onwards, but they do not impute them to them from this hour onwards, — of which I have said unto you that they receive repentance at any time, and that they also will forgive the sins which they commit anew. ‘Tf on the other hand those who shall receive mysteries of the mystery of the Ineffable and of the mysteries of the First Mystery, turn and sin and come out of the body without having repented, then they will be even as those will be who have transgressed and not repented. Their dwelling also is in the midst of the jaws of the dragon of the outer darkness and they will perish and be non-existent for ever. For this cause have I said unto you: All men who shall receive the mysteries, if they knew the time when they come out of the body, would watch themselves and not sin, in order that they may inherit the Light-kingdom for ever.”

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

When then the Saviour had said this unto his disciples, he said unto them: “Understand ye in what manner I speak with you? “Mary answered and said: “Yea, my Lord, with precision have I precisely followed all the words which thou hast said. Concerning this word then thou hast spoken unto us aforetime: ’ If the house-holder knew at what hour in the night the thief cometh to break into the house, he would keep awake and not suffer the man to break into his house.’ “When then Mary had said this, the Saviour said: “Well said, thou spiritual Mary. This is the word.” The Saviour continued again and said unto his disciples: “Now, therefore, herald ye unto all men who shall receive mysteries in the Light, and speak I unto them, saying: Keep watch over yourselves and sin not, lest ye heap evil on evil and go out of the body without having repented and become strangers to the Light-kingdom for ever.” When the Saviour had said this, Mary answered and said: “My Lord, great is the compassion of those mysteries which forgive sins at every time.” The Saviour answered and said unto Mary in the midst of the disciples: “If to-day a king who is a man of the world, giveth a gift to men of his like, and also forgiveth murderers and those who have intercourse with males, and the rest of the very grievous sins which are deserving of death, — if it becometh him who is a man of the world, to have done this, much more then have the Ineffable and the First Mystery, who are the lords of the universe, the authority to act in all things as it pleaseth them, that they forgive every one who shall receive mysteries. “Or if on the other hand a king to-day investeth a soldier with a royal vesture and sendeth him into foreign regions, and he committeth murders and other grievous sins which are deserving of death, then they will not impute them to him, and are not able to do him any evil because he is invested with the royal vesture, — how much more then those who wear the mysteries of the vestures of the Ineffable and those of the First Mystery, who are lords over all those of the height and all those of the depth!”

English translation by G. R. S. Mead (1921); the original is not shown

Thereafter Jesus saw a woman who came to make repentance. He had baptized her three times, and yet she had not done what was worthy of the baptisms. And the Saviour desired to try Peter, to see if he was compassionate and forgiving, as he had commanded them. He said unto Peter: “Lo, three times have I baptized this soul, and yet at this third time she hath not done what is worthy of the mysteries of the Light. Wherefor then doth she make her body good for nothing? Now, therefore, Peter, perform the mystery which cutteth off the souls from the inheritances of the Light; perform that mystery in order that it may cut off the soul of this woman from the Inheritance of the Light.” When then the Saviour had said this, he tried [Peter] to see whether he was compassionate and forgiving. When then the Saviour had said this, Peter said: “My Lord, let her yet this time, that we may give her the higher mysteries; and if she is fit, then hast thou let her inherit the Light-kingdom, but if she is not fit, then hast thou [to] cut her off from the Light-kingdom.” When then Peter had said this, the Saviour knew that Peter was compassionate as he and forgiving. When then all this was said, the Saviour said unto his disciples: “Have ye understood all these words and the type of this woman? “Mary answered and said: “My Lord, I have understood the mysteries of the things which have fallen to this woman’s lot. Concerning: the things then which have fallen to her lot, thou hast spoken unto us aforetime in similitude, saying: ‘A man owned a fig-tree in his vineyard; and he came to look for its fruit, and he found not a single one on it. He said to the vinedresser: Lo, three years do I come to look for fruit on this fig-tree, and I have not any produce at all from it. Cut it down then; why doth it make the ground also good for nothing? But he answered and said unto him: My lord, have patience with it still this year, until I dig round it and give it dung; and if it beareth in another year, thou hast let it, but if thou dost not find any [fruit] at all, then hast thou [to] cut it down.’ Lo, my Lord, this is the solution of the word.” The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: “Well said, spiritual [one]. This is [the solution of] the word.”