Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (78 page)

When I heard this, I wept and

33

ing, and crying he said, “Have pity on

groaned over the human race.

me! For I am hurt more than the rest who

THE APOCALYPSE OF PAUL

295

are in this punishment.” And I asked,

said, “Sir, what is this place?” And he

“Sir, who is this?” And he said to me,

said to me, “Into that pit stream all the

“This man whom you see was a deacon

punishments.” And I saw men and

who devoured the oblations and commitwomen immersed up to the lips, and I ted fornication and did not do right in the

asked, “Sir, who are these?” And he said

sight of God; for this cause he unceasto me, “These are the magicians who ingly pays this penalty.”

prepared for men and women evil magic

And I looked closely and saw alongarts and did not cease till they died.”

side of him another man, whom they de

And again I saw men and women with

livered up with haste and cast into the

very black faces in a pit of fire, and I

fiery river, and he was in it up to the

sighed and lamented and asked, “Sir, who

knees; and the angel who was set over

are these?” And he said to me, “These are

the punishments came with a great fiery

fornicators and adulterers who committed

razor, and with it he cut the lips of that

adultery, having wives of their own; likeman and the tongue likewise. And sighwise also the women committed adultery, ing, I lamented and asked, “Who is that,

having husbands of their own; therefore

sir?” And he said to me, “He whom you

they unceasingly suffer penalties.”

see was a reader and read to the people,

but he himself did not keep the precepts

And I saw there girls in black

39

of God; now he also pays the proper

raiment, and four terrifying anpenalty.”

gels having in their hands burning chains,

and they put them on the necks of the

And I saw another multitude of

37

girls and led them into darkness; and I,

pits in the same place, and in

again weeping, asked the angel, “Who

the midst of it a river full with a multitude

are these, sir?” And he said to me. “These

of men and women, and worms conare they who, when they were virgins, sumed them. But I lamented, and sighing

defiled their virginity unknown to their

asked the angel and said, “Sir, who are

parents; for which cause they unceasingly

these?” And he said to me, “These are

pay the proper penalties.”

those who exacted interest on interest and

And again I observed there men and

trusted in their riches and did not hope

women with hands cut and their feet

in God that he was their helper.”

placed naked in a place of ice and snow,

And after that I looked and saw anand worms devoured them. Seeing them other place, very narrow, and it was like

I lamented and asked, “Sir, who are

a wall, and fire round about it. And I saw

these?” And he said to me, “These are

inside men and women gnawing their

they who harmed orphans and widows

tongues, and I asked, “Sir, who are

and the poor, and did not hope in the

these?” And he said to me, “These are

Lord, for which cause they unceasingly

they who in church disparage the Word

pay the proper penalties.”

of God, not attending to it, but as it were

And I observed and saw others hangmaking naught of God and his angels; ing over a channel of water, and their

for that reason they now likewise pay the

tongues were very dry, and many fruits

proper penalty.”

were placed in their sight, and they were

not permitted to take of them, and I

And I observed and saw an38

asked, “Sir, who are these?” And he said

other pool in the pit and its apto me, “These are they who broke their pearance was like blood, and I asked and

fast before the appointed hour; for this

296

NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES

cause they unceasingly pay these

And I saw other men and women covpenalties.”

ered with dust, and their countenance was

And I saw other men and women hang-

like blood, and they were in a pit of pitch

ing by their eyebrows and their hair, and

and sulphur running in a fiery river, and

a fiery river drew them, and I said, “Who

I asked, “Sir, who are these?” And he

are these, sir?” And he said to me, “These

said to me, “These are they who comare they who join themselves not to their mitted the iniquity of Sodom and Go-own husbands and wives but to whores,

morrah, the male with the male, for

and therefore they unceasingly pay the

which reason they unceasingly pay the

proper penalties.”

penalties.” . . .

The Secret Book of John

The Secret Book (sometimes called “Apocryphon”) of John was one of the most remarkable discoveries of the Nag Hammadi Library (see p. 19), where it was found in multiple versions that differ from one another in some ways.1

Cast as a post-resurrection discussion of Jesus with his disciple, John the son of Zebedee, the book contains one of the clearest expositions of the Gnostic myth of creation and redemption, an exposition designed, ultimately, to explain the existence of evil in the world and the path of escape for those who recognize their plight.2

In intricate detail the account discusses the propagation of the divine realm from the one invisible, imperishable, incomprehensible God prior to creation, and the tragic mistake of the aeon Sophia, who produced an offspring apart from her divine consort. The result was the monster Creator God, whom Sophia named Yaltabaoth; this, in fact, is none other than the God of the Bible, who is portrayed here as a malformed and imperfect divine being, who out of ignorance proclaims “I am God, and there is no other God beside me” (Isa 45:5–6).

Yaltabaoth is ultimately responsible for the creation of the world and humans; but he is tricked into breathing the breath of life into the human he has made, thus imparting the power of his mother, Sophia, to them, making them animate, with an element of the divine within. As with other forms of the Gnostic myth, a good deal of the Secret Book of John represents a creative exposition of the stories of creation found in Genesis 1–4. The tale continues with the appearance of Christ from above to provide the divine souls entrapped within mortal bodies the knowledge necessary for escape.

Since this particular version of the Gnostic myth was known, in a slightly different form, to the late second-century church father Irenaeus, most scholars date the Secret Book of John sometime prior to 180 ce.

1See further Ehrman,
Lost
Christianities,
123–25. 2For a fuller explanation of Christian Gnosticism, see Ehrman,
Lost
Christianities,
122–25.

Translation by Frederik Wisse, in James Robinson,
Nag
Hammadi
Library
in
English,
3rd ed. (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1988) 105–13; 116; 117–120; 123; used with permission.

297

298

NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES

The teaching [of the savior], and [the

are not unfamiliar with this image, are

revelation] of the mysteries, [and the]

you?—that is, do not [be] timid!—I am

things hidden in silence, [even these

one who is [with you (pl.)] always. I [am

things which] he taught John, [his]

that Father], I am the Mother, I am the

disciple.

Son. I am the undefiled and incorruptible

[And] it happened one [day], when

one. Now [I have come to teach you]

John, [the brother] of James—who are

what is [and what was] and what will

the sons of Zebedee—had come up to the

come to [pass], that [you may know the]

temple, that a Pharisee named Arimanius

things which are not revealed [and those

approached him and said to him, “Where

which are revealed, and to teach you]

is your master [whom] you followed?”

concerning the [unwavering race of] the

And he [said] to him, “He has gone to

perfect [Man]. Now, [therefore, lift up]

the [place] from which he came.” The

your [face, that] you may [receive] the

Pharisee [said to him, “With deception

things that I [shall teach you] today, [and]

did this Nazarene] deceive you (pl.), and

may [tell them to your] fellow spirits who

he filled [your ears with lies], and closed

[are from] the [unwavering] race of the

[your hearts (and) turned you] from the

perfect Man.”

traditions [of your fathers.”]

[And I asked] to [know it, and he said]

[When] I, [John], heard these things [I

to me, “The Monad [is a] monarchy with

turned] away from the temple [to a desert

nothing above it. [It is he who exists] as

place]. And I grieved [greatly in my heart

[God] and Father of everything, [the insaying]. “How [then was] the savior [apvisible] One who is above [everything, pointed], and why was he sent [in to the

who exists as] incorruption, which is [in

world] by [his Father, and who is his]

the] pure light into which no [eye] can

Father who [sent him, and of what sort]

look.

is [that] aeon [to which we shall go?] For

“He [is the] invisible [Spirit] of whom

what did he [mean when he said to us],

it is not right [to think] of him as a god,

‘This aeon to [which you will go is of

or something similar. For he is more than

the] type of the [imperishable] aeon,’ [but

a god, since there is nothing above him,

he did not teach] us concerning [the latter

for no one lords it over him. [For he does]

of what sort it is.”]

not [exist] in something inferior [to him,

Straightway, [while I was contemplatsince everything] exists in him. [For it is ing these things,] behold, the [heavens

he who establishes] himself. [He is eteropened and] the whole creation [which nal] since he does [not] need [anything].

is] below heaven shone, and [the world]

For [he] is total perfection. [He] did not

was shaken. [I was afraid, and behold I]

[lack anything] that he might be comsaw in the light [a youth who stood] by pleted by [it; rather] he is always comme. While I looked [at him he became]

pletely perfect in [light]. He is [illimitalike an old man. And he [changed his]

ble] since there is no one [prior to him]

likeness (again) becoming like a servant.

to set limits to him. He is unsearchable

There was [not a plurality] before me,

[since there] exists no one prior to him

but there was a [likeness] with multiple

to [examine him. He is] immeasurable

forms in the light, and the [likenesses]

since there [was] no one [prior to him to

appeared through each other, [and] the

measure] him. [He is invisible since no]

[likeness] had three forms.

one saw [him. He is eternal] since he

He said to me, “John, John, why do

[exists] eternally. He is [ineffable since]

you doubt, or why [are you] afraid? You

no one was able to comprehend him to

THE SECRET BOOK OF JOHN

299

speak [about him]. He is unnameable

For it is he who looks at him[self] in his

since [there is no one prior to him] to

light which surrounds [him], namely the

give [him] a name.

spring [of the] water of life. And it is he

“He is [immeasurable light] which is

who gives to [all] the [aeons] and in every

pure, holy, [(and) immaculate]. He is inway, (and) who [gazes upon] his image effable [being perfect in] incorruptibility.

which he sees in the spring of the [Spirit].

(He is) [not] in perfection, nor in bless

It is he who puts his desire in his [water]-

edness, nor in divinity, but he is far sulight [which is in the] spring of the [pure perior. He is not corporeal [nor] is he

light]-water [which] surrounds him.

incorporeal. He is neither large [nor] is

“And [his thought performed] a deed

he small. [There is no] way to say, ‘What

and she came forth, [namely] she who

is his quantity?’ or, ‘What [is his qualhad [appeared] before him in [the shine ity?’], for no one can [know him]. He is

of] his light. This is the first [power which

not someone among (other) [beings,

was] before all of them (and) [which

rather he is] far superior. [Not] that [he

came] forth from his mind. She [is the

is (simply) superior], but his essence does