Pistis Sophia 123–129

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

Mary continued again and said unto the Saviour: “My Lord, a man who hath received mysteries and hath not done what is worthy of them, but he hath turned and hath sinned, thereafter he hath again repented and hath been in great repentance, — is it then lawful for my brethren to renew for him the mystery which he hath received, or rather give him a mystery out of the lower mysteries, — is it lawful, or not?” The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: “Amen, amen, I say unto you: Neither the mystery which he hath received, nor the lower hearken unto him, to forgive his sins; but it is the mysteries which are higher than those which he hath received, which hearken unto him and forgive his sins. Now, therefore, Mary, let thy brethren give him the mystery which is higher than that which he hath received, and they are to accept his repentance from him and forgive his sins, — the latter indeed, because he hath received it once more, and the former, because he hath towered over them [the lower mysteries] upward, — the latter indeed hearkeneth not unto him to forgive his sin; but it is the mystery which is higher than that which he hath received, that forgiveth his sins. But if on the other hand he hath received the three mysteries in the two spaces or in the third from within, and he hath turned and transgressed, no mystery hearkeneth unto him to help him in his repentance, neither the higher nor the lower, save the mystery of the First Mystery and the mysteries of the Ineffable, —it is they which hearken unto him and accept his repentance from him.” Mary answered and said: “My Lord, a man who hath received mysteries up to two or three in the second or third space, and he hath not transgressed, but is still in his faith in uprightness and without play-acting, [what will befall him]? “And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary: “Every man who hath received mysteries in the second and in the third space, and hath not transgressed, but is still in his faith without play-acting, it is lawful for such an one to receive mysteries in the space which pleaseth him, from the first to the last, because they have not transgressed.”

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

Mary continued again and said: “My Lord, a man who hath known the godhead and hath received of the mysteries of the Light, and hath turned and transgressed and done lawlessly and hath not turned to repent, and a man on the other hand who hath not found the godhead nor known it, and that man is a sinner and moreover impious, and they both have come out of the body, — which of them will get more suffering in the judgments? “The Saviour answered again and said unto Mary: “Amen, amen, I say unto thee: The man who hath known the godhead and hath received the mysteries of the Light, and sinned and hath not turned to repent, he will get suffering in the chastisements of the judgments in great sufferings and judgments exceedingly far more in comparison with the impious and law-breaking man who hath not known the godhead. Now, therefore, who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” When then the Saviour had said this, Mary started forward and said: “My Lord, my Light-man hath ears, and I have understood the whole word which thou hast spoken. Concerning this word then thou hast spoken unto us in a similitude: ’ The slave who knew the will of his lord and made not ready nor did the will of his lord, will receive great blows; but he who knew not and did not, will be deserving of less. For from every one to whom more is entrusted, of him will more be demanded, and to whom much is handed over, of him much is required,’ — that is, my Lord: He who knew the godhead and hath found the mysteries of the Light and hath transgressed, will be chastized in a far greater chastisement than he who hath not known the godhead. This, my Lord, is the solution of the word.”

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

Mary continued again and said unto the Saviour: “My Lord, if the faith and the mysteries shall have revealed themselves, — now, therefore, if souls come into the world in many circuits and are neglectful of receiving mysteries, hoping that, if they come into the world at any other circuit, they will receive them, will they not then be in danger of not succeeding in receiving the mysteries? “The Saviour answered and said unto his disciples: “Herald unto the whole world and say unto men: Strive thereafter that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light in this time of affliction and enter into the Light-kingdom. Join not one day to another, or one circuit to another, hoping that ye may succeed in receiving the mysteries if ye come into the world in another circuit. “And these know not when the number of the perfect souls will be at hand; for if the number of the perfect souls shall be at hand, I will now shut the gates of the Light, and no one from this hour onwards will enter in, nor will any one hereafter go forth, for the number of the perfect souls is completed and the mystery of the First Mystery is completed, for the sake of which the universe hath arisen, — that is: I am that Mystery. “And from this hour onwards no one will be able to enter into the Light and no one be able to go forth. For at the completion of the time of the number of the perfect souls, before I have set fire to the world, in order that it may purify the æons and the veils and the firmaments and the whole earth and also all the matters which are on it, mankind will be still existing. “At that time then the faith will reveal itself still more and the mysteries in those days. And many souls will come by means of the circuits of the changes of the body, and coming back into the world are some of those in this present time who have hearkened unto me, how I taught, who at the completion of the number of the perfect souls will find the mysteries of the Light and receive them and come to the gates of the Light and find that the number of the perfect souls is complete, which is the completion of the First Mystery and the gnosis of the universe. And they will find that I have shut the gates of the Light and that it is impossible that any one should enter in or that any one should go forth from this hour. “Those souls then will knock at the gates of the Light, saying: Lord, open unto us! And I will answer unto them: I know you not, whence ye are. And they will say unto me: We have received of thy mysteries and fulfilled thy whole teaching and thou hast taught us on the high ways. And I will answer and say unto them: I know you not, who ye are, ye who are doers of iniquity and of evil even unto now. Wherefor go into the outer darkness. And from that hour they will go into the outer darkness, there where is howling and grinding of teeth. “For this cause then, herald unto the whole world and say unto them: ’ Strive thereafter, to renounce the whole world and the whole matter therein, that ye may receive the mysteries of the Light before the number of the perfect souls is completed, in order that they may not make you stop before the gates of the Light and lead you away into the outer darkness.’ “Now, therefore, who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” When then the Saviour had said this, Mary started forward again and said: “My Lord, not only hath my light-man ears, but my soul hath heard and understood all the words which thou sayest. Now, therefore, my Lord, concerning the words which thou hast spoken: ‘Herald unto the men of the world and say unto them: Strive thereafter, to receive the mysteries of the Light, in this time of affliction, that ye may inherit the Light-kingdom.... [A CONSIDERABLE LaCUNA HERE OCCURS IN THE Text.]

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

And Mary continued again and said unto Jesus: “In what type is the outer darkness; or rather how many regions of chastisement are there in it?” And Jesus answered and said unto Mary: “The outer darkness is a great dragon, whose tail is in his mouth, outside the whole world and surrounding the whole world. And there are many regions of chastisement within it. There are twelve mighty chastisement- dungeons and a ruler is in every dungeon and the face of the rulers is different one from another. “And the first ruler, who is in the first dungeon, hath a crocodile’s face, whose tail is in his mouth, And out of the jaws of the dragon cometh all ice and all dust and all cold and all different diseases. This [is] he who is called with his authentic name in his region ’ Enchthonin.’ “And the ruler who is in the second dungeon, — a cat’s face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region ‘Charachar.’ “And the ruler who is in the third dungeon, — a dog’s face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region ’ Archaroch.’ “And the ruler who is in the fourth dungeon, — a serpent’s face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region ‘Achrochar.’ “And the ruler who is in the fifth dungeon, — a black bull’s face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region ’ Marchur.’ “And the ruler who is in the sixth dungeon, — a wild boar’s face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region ’ Lamchamor.’ “And the ruler who is in the seventh dungeon, I — a bear’s face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region with his authentic name ‘Luchar.’ “And the ruler of the eighth dungeon, — a vulture’s face is his authentic face, whose name in his region is called ‘Laraoch.’ “And the ruler of the ninth dungeon, — a basilisk’s face is his authentic face, whose name in his region is called ‘Archeoch.’ “And in the tenth dungeon is a multitude of rulers, and every one of them hath seven dragon’s heads in his authentic face. And he who is over them all is in his region with his name called ‘Xarmaroch.’ “And in the eleventh dungeon is a multitude of rulers, — and every one of them hath seven cat-faced heads in his authentic face. And the great one over them is called in his region ’ Eochar.’ “And in the twelfth dungeon is an exceedingly great multitude of rulers, and every one of them hath seven dog-faced heads in his authentic face. And the great one over them is called in his region ’ Chremaor.’ “These rulers then of these twelve dungeons are inside the dragon of the outer darkness, each and every one of them hath a name every hour, and every one of them changeth his face every hour. And moreover every one of these dungeons hath a door opening upwards, so that the dragon of the outer darkness hath twelve dark dungeons, and every dungeon hath a door opening upwards. And an angel of the height watcheth each of the doors of the dungeons, — whom Yew, the First Man, the overseer of the Light, the envoy of the First Commandment, hath established as watchers of the dragon, so that the dragon and the rulers of his dungeons which are in him, may not mutiny.”

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

When the Saviour had said this, Mary Magdalene answered and said: “My Lord, will then the souls which shall be led into that region, be led through these twelve doors of the dungeons, every one according to the judgment of which it is deserving? “The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: “No soul at all will be led into the dragon through these doors. But the soul[s] of the blasphemers and of those who are in the doctrines of error and of all who teach doctrines of error, and of those who have intercourse with males, and of those stained and impious men and of atheists and murderers and adulterers and sorcerers, — all such souls then, if while still in life they do not repent but remain persistently in their sin, and all the souls which have stayed behind without, — that is those which have had the number of the circuits which are appointed them in the sphere, without having repented, — well, at their last circuit will those souls, they and all the souls of which I have just told you, be led out of [?] the jaws of the tail of the dragon into the dungeons of the outer darkness. And when those souls have been led into the outer darkness into the jaws of his tail, he turneth his tail into his own mouth and shutteth them in. Thus will the souls be led into the outer darkness. “And the dragon of the outer darkness hath twelve authentic names on his doors, a name on every one of the doors of the dungeons. And these twelve names are different one from another; but the twelve are one in the other, so that he who speaketh one name, speaketh all. These then will I tell you at the expansion of the universe. Thus then is fashioned the outer darkness, — that is the dragon.” When then the Saviour had said this, Mary answered and said unto the Saviour: “My Lord, are then the chastisements of that dragon far more terrible compared with all the chastisements of the judgments? “The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: “Not only are they more painful compared with all the chastisements of the judgments, but all the souls which are led into that region, will be frozen up [?] in the violent cold and the hail and exceedingly violent fire which is in that region, but also at the dissolution of the world, that is at the ascension of the universe, those souls will perish through the violent cold and the exceedingly violent fire and be non-existent for ever.” Mary answered and said: “Woe unto the souls of sinners! Now, therefore, my Lord, is the fire in the world of mankind fiercer, or the fire in Amente? “The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: “Amen, I say unto thee: The fire in Amente is nine times fiercer than the fire in mankind. “And the fire in the chastisements of the great chaos is nine times more violent than that in Amente. “And the fire in the chastisements of the rulers who [are] on the way of the midst, is nine times more violent than the fire of the chastisements in the great chaos. “And the fire in the dragon of the outer darkness and in all the chastisements in him is seventy times more violent than the fire in all the chastisements and in all the judgments of the rulers who [are] on the way of the midst.”

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

And when the Saviour had said this unto Mary, she smote her breast, she cried out and wept, she and all the disciples together, and said: ‘‘Woe unto sinners, for their chastisements are exceedingly numerous! “Mary came forward, she fell down at the feet of Jesus, kissed them and said: “My Lord, bear with me if I question thee, and be not wroth with me, that I trouble thee oft; for from now on I will begin to question thee on all things with determination.” The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: “Question concerning all things on which thou desirest to question, and I will reveal them unto thee in openness without similitude.” Mary answered and said: “My Lord, if a good man hath accomplished all the mysteries and he hath a kinsman, in a word he hath a man, and that man is an impious [one] who hath committed all sins and is deserving of the outer darkness, and he hath not repented, or he hath completed his number of circuits in the changes of the body, and that man hath done nothing useful, and he hath come out of the body, and we have known certainly of him, that he hath sinned and is deserving of the outer darkness, — what are we to do with him, to save him from the chastisements of the dragon of the outer darkness, and that he may be removed into a righteous body which shall find the mysteries of the Light-kingdom, in order that it may be good and go on high and inherit the Light-kingdom? “The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: “If a sinner is deserving of the outer darkness, or hath sinned according to the chastisements of the rest of the chastisements and hath not repented, or a sinning man who hath completed his number of circuits in the changes of the body and hath not repented, — if then these men of whom I have spoken, shall come out of the body and be led into the outer darkness, now, therefore, if ye desire to remove them out of the chastisements of the outer darkness and all the judgments and to remove them into a righteous body which shall find the mysteries of the Light, that it may go on high and inherit the Light-kingdom, — then perform this same mystery of the Ineffable which forgiveth sins at every time, and when ye have finished performing the mystery then say: “The soul of such or such a man of whom I think in my heart, — if it is in the region of the chastisements of the dungeons of the outer darkness, or if it is in the rest of the chastisements of the dungeons of the outer darkness and in the rest of the chastisements of the dragons, — then is it to be removed out of them all. And if it hath completed its number of its circuits of the changes, then is it to be led before the Virgin of Light, and the Virgin of Light is to seal it with the seal of the Ineffable and cast it down in whatever month into a righteous body which shall find the mysteries of the Light, so that it may be good, go on high and inherit the Light-kingdom. And moreover if it hath completed the circuits of changes, then is that soul to be led before the seven virgins of the Light who [are set] over the baptisms, and they are to apply them to the soul and seal it with the sign of the kingdom of the Ineffable and lead it into the orders of the Light. “This then will ye say when ye perform the mystery. “Amen, I say unto you: The soul for which ye shall pray, if it indeed is in the dragon of the outer darkness, he will draw his tail out of his mouth and let go that soul. And moreover if it is in all the regions of the judgments of the rulers, amen, I say unto you: The receivers of Melchisedec will with haste snatch it away, whether the dragon let it go or it is in the judgments of the rulers; in a word, the receivers of Melchisedec will snatch it away out of all the regions in which it is, and will lead it into the region of the Midst before the Virgin of Light, and the Virgin of Light proveth it and seeth the sign of the kingdom of the Ineffable which is on that soul. “And if it hath not yet completed its number of circuits in the changes of the soul, or [in the changes] of the body, the Virgin of Light sealeth it with an excellent seal and hasteth to have it cast down in any month into a righteous body which shall find the mysteries of the Light, be good and go on high into the Light-kingdom. “And if that soul hath had its number of the circuits, then the Virgin of Light proveth it, and doth not have it chastized, because it hath had its number of circuits, but handeth it over to the seven virgins of the Light. And the seven virgins of the Light prove that soul, baptize it with their baptisms and give it the spiritual chrism and lead it into the Treasury of the Light and put it in the last order of the Light until the ascension of all the perfect souls. And when they prepare to draw apart the veils of the region of those of the Eight, they cleanse that soul anew and purify it and put it in the orders of the first saviour who [is] in the Treasury of the Light.”

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

It came to pass then, when the Saviour had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that Mary answered and said unto Jesus: “My Lord, I have heard thee say: ’ He who shall receive of the mysteries of the Ineffable or who shall receive of the mysteries of the First Mystery, — they become flames of light-beams and light-streams and penetrate all the regions until they reach the region of their inheritance.’ “The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: “If they receive the mystery when still in life, and if they come out of the body, they become light-beams and light-streams and penetrate all the regions until they reach the region of their inheritance. “But if they are sinners and are come out of the body and have not repented, and if ye perform for them the mystery of the Ineffable, in order that they may be removed out of all the chastisements and be cast into a righteous body, which is good and inheriteth the Light-kingdom or is brought into the last order of the Light, then they will not be able to penetrate the regions, because they do not perform the mystery [themselves]. But the receivers of Melchisedec follow them and lead them before the Virgin of Light. And the servitors of the judges of the rulers make frequent haste to take those souls and hand them over from one to the other until they lead them before the Virgin of Light.”