Section 1e

If you say, “I am a Roman,” no one will be upset. If you say, “I am Greek, a barbarian, a slave, a freeman,” no one will be troubled. But if you say, “I am a Christian,” they will tremble. I wish I had that title. The world will not endure it when hearing the name. GOD IS A MAN-EATER God is a man-eater. So people are sacrificed to him. Before humans were sacrificed, it was animals, because those they were eaten by were not gods. GLASS AND EARTH Glass decanters and earthenware jugs are both made with fire. When a glass decanter breaks, it is redone, since it was made through a breath. When earthenware jugs break, they are destroyed, since they were born without a breath. DONKEY AND MILLSTONE A donkey turning a millstone walked a hundred miles. When it was set loose, it found itself in the same place. Some people travel long but go nowhere. At twilight they have seen no cities or villages, no human constructions or phenomena of nature, no powers or angels. These miserable ones have labored in vain. THE EUCHARIST IS JESUS The eucharist is Jesus. In Syriac it is called pharisatha, which is “one who is spread out,” since Jesus came to crucify the world. THE LORD IN THE DYE WORKS OF LEVI The lord went into the dye works of Levi and took seventy-two different colors and threw them into a vat. He drew them out perfectly white. He said, “In this way the earthly son has come as a dyer.” WISDOM, MOTHER OF THE ANGELS Wisdom, who is called “barren,” is mother of the angels. The companion is Mary of Magdala. Jesus loved her more than his students. He kissed her often on her face, more than all his students, and they said, “Why do you love her more than us?” The savior answered, saying to them, “Why do I not love you like her? If a blind man and one who sees are together in darkness, they are the same. When light comes, the one who sees will see light. The blind man stays in darkness.” BEING The lord said, “Blessings on you who were before you came into being. Whoever is, was, and will be.” HUMANS AND ANIMALS The superiority of humans is not obvious to the eye but lies in what is hidden. Consequently they have mastery over animals who are stronger and larger in ways apparent and hidden. So the animals survive. When humans withdraw, the animals slay and devour each other, because they do not find food. Now they have food because humans plow the soil. WATER AND MYSTERY If you go down into the water and come up, receiving nothing, and say, “I am a Christian,” you have borrowed the name at interest. But if you receive the holy spirit, you have the name as a gift. And a gift you do not pay back. But if you have borrowed at interest, you must pay. So it works when you have passed through mystery. MARRIAGE Great is the mystery of marriage! Without it, the world would not be. The existence of the world depends on marriage. Think of sex. It possesses deep powers, though its image is filthy. BRIDAL CHAMBER AND ANDROGYNY Among the forms of unclean spirits are male and female ones. Males have sex with souls who inhabit a female shape, and females mingle promiscuously with souls in a male form. No one escapes those spirits: they seize you, unless you take on the power of male or female, of groom and bride. This power resides in the mirrored bridal chamber.