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Pistis Sophia · 30 of 160 · tr. George Horner

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And also let them trust unto him, if they should come unto the Place of the Height: because it (is) he who will see and redeem us, 38 and there is a great mystery [69 ] of deliverance in him: and he is he who will deliver all the powers out of the Chaos, because of my transgression: because I forsook my Place, I came down unto the Chaos. Now therefore he who whose mind is exalted, let him understand. It happened therefore, Jesus having finished saying these words unto his disciples, said he to them, Understand ye that I am speaking with you in what manner? Came forward Andreas, said he, My Lord, concerning the explanation of the sixth repentance of the Pistis Sophia thy power of light prophesied once by David in the hundred and twenty-ninth psalm saying, I cried up unto thee, O Lord, in those which are deep, hear my shout. Let thine ears give heed unto the shout of my supplication, O Lord, if thou should give heed unto the [70 ] unlawfulness, who is he who will be able to stand? Because the forgiveness is being from thee. Because of thy name I had patience unto thee, O Lord. My soul had patience unto thy word. My soul hoped in the Lord from morning even unto evening, Let the Israel hope in the Lord from morning unto evening. Because the mercy is being from the Lord. And there is a great redemption with him, and he it (is) who will redeem the Israel out of all his unlawfulness. Said to him Jesus, Well (done), Andreas, the happy, this is the explanation of her repentance. Amen amen I say to you, I shall fill you with all the mysteries of the Light and with all knowledge, from the inward part of the inward parts, even unto the outward part of the outward parts, from the Ineffable even unto the darkness of the darknesses, [70 ] and from the Light of Lights unto the matter (haab) of the matter, from all the Gods even unto the Demons, from all the Lords even unto the Dekans, from all the Authorities even unto the Ministers, from the fashioning of the men unto that of the wild-beasts with the beasts with the creeping things: because they shall call you the perfect (ones) who are completed with every Pleroma. Amen, amen I say to you, The Place in which I shall become in the kingdom of my Father ye also shall become there with me. And if should be fulfilled the perfect number for the Confusion to be dissolved, I shall command that they shall bring all the tyrant Gods these who gave not the purification of their light. And I shall command the discerning fire (wise fire), [71 ] this which are wont the perfect (ones) to pass across, for it to eat into those Tyrants, until they give (up) the remainder (last) of the purification of their light. It happened therefore, Jesus having finished saying these 39 words unto his disciples, said he to them, Ye understand in what manner I am speaking with you? Said Maria: Yea, O Lord, I understood the word which thou sayest. Concerning the word therefore which thou saidst, In the dissolving of all the Confusion thou wilt sit upon a power of light, and thy disciples, namely we, (will) sit on right of thee, and thou (wilt) give judgment upon the tyrant Gods, these who gave not the purification of their light. And the discerning fire will eat after them until they give the remainder (last) of light which is in them.
Themes
Anthropomorphismtheology

Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.

The divine is described with human attributes such as sitting upon a power of light and having ears to hear.

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Apocatastasiscosmology

The doctrine of the periodic restoration or recurrence of all things to their original state after vast cycles.

References to redemption and the dissolution of confusion imply a restoration of order.

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Cosmic Dualismtheology

Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.

The text contrasts light with chaos and tyrant gods against the divine power.

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Divine Hiddennesstheology

The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.

The mention of a 'great mystery' of deliverance suggests the divine is concealed from ordinary knowledge.

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Divine Lighttheology

The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.

Light is repeatedly invoked as the medium of redemption, power, and the divine presence.

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Eschatological Judgmentsoteriology

Final, collective cosmic judgment as an event in which the wicked are sentenced and the cosmos restored; distinct from psychopomp_journey (individual passage at death) and emphasising verdict where Zoroastrian frashokereti emphasises restoration.

The text describes Jesus commanding judgment upon tyrant gods and dissolving confusion.

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Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.

Salvation is linked to understanding the explanation of repentance rather than external works.

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Hidden Sayingssoteriology

Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.

The passage explicitly states that the explanation of the sixth repentance was prophesied by David and reserved for those ready to understand.

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Inner Lightanthropology

The divine spark or luminous quality residing within the human person, potentially recognisable through introspection.

The text mentions the 'inward part of the inward parts' and purification of light residing within the individual.

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Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

God is depicted as active, responsive, and capable of seeing and redeeming believers.

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Numerical Mysticismtheology

Numbers, proportions, and mathematical relationships as the underlying structure of divine reality.

The text references the 'perfect number' for the Confusion to be dissolved.

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Pleromacosmology

The divine fullness or totality of the highest realm, populated by aeons and divine attributes, contrasted with the deficient material world.

The passage explicitly lists the Pleroma as the divine fullness from which the perfect ones are completed.

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Prayerpraxis

Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.

Disciples pray to the Lord for hearing and mercy in the face of transgression.

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Return To Sourcesoteriology

The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.

The narrative arc involves coming down from the Place of the Height to Chaos and returning through redemption.

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Ritual Firepraxis

Fire as medium of divine presence.

A 'discerning fire' is mentioned as a medium that will eat into tyrants until they give up their light.

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Ritual Puritypraxis

The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.

The text emphasizes purification of light as a prerequisite for standing and redemption.

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Sacred Namestheology

Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice.

The text invokes the Lord's name to secure mercy and forgiveness.

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Separation From Sourcesoteriology

The felt condition of exile from one's divine origin — Rumi's reed flute torn from its bed, Plotinus's 'we have forgotten,' the Gnostic forgetfulness; the affective wound that complements return_to_source and gives the return its motive.

The speaker describes having forsook their Place and come down unto the Chaos due to transgression.

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Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

The text mentions coming unto the Place of the Height as a goal for those with exalted minds.

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Theosis Deificationsoteriology

The doctrine — central to Eastern Orthodox and Maximian theology — that the human person is progressively transformed into a partaker of the divine nature by grace, not merely justified or united in passing ecstasy.

Disciples are promised to become perfect ones completed with every Pleroma and sit upon the power of light with Jesus in the kingdom.

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Theurgypraxis

Iamblichean ritual practice that engages the gods directly through consecrated material symbols and actions, on the premise that divine power descends into properly prepared matter — distinct from philosophical contemplation alone.

The command for fire to eat into tyrants implies ritual engagement with divine powers.

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Related passages · 4 parallels
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter LXXXI
LXXXI. The Heavenly Tablets and the Mission of Enoch . CHAPTER LXXXI. 1. And he said unto me: 'Observe, Enoch, these heavenly tablets, And read what is written thereon, And mark every individual fact.' p. 108 2 And I observed the heavenly t…”
Both passages discuss themes of divine revelation, redemption, and the ultimate judgment of humanity. They share a mystical tone and emphasize the role of a divine figure in the process of salvation and the revelation of hidden knowledge.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter CVII
CHAPTER CVII. 1. And I saw written on them that generation upon generation shall transgress, till a generation of righteousness arises, and transgression is destroyed and sin passes away from the earth, and all manner p. 153 of good comes u…”
Both passages discuss themes of redemption and the end of transgression or unlawfulness. Passage A speaks of a future generation of righteousness that will end transgression, while Passage B discusses Jesus' role in redeeming and delivering from chaos and unlawfulness. Both share a vision of ultimate deliverance and renewal.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter CVIII
CVIII. AN APPENDIX TO THE BOOK OF ENOCH. CHAPTER CVIII. 1. Another book which Enoch wrote for his son Methuselah and for those who will come after him, and keep the law in the last days. 2. Ye who have done good shall wait for those days ti…”
Both passages discuss themes of redemption, judgment, and the fate of the righteous and the wicked. They share a mystical tone and emphasize the ultimate triumph of the righteous over the forces of darkness and evil.
mandaean|Gnostic John the Baptizer — Portents at John's Birth|Section 3
Then all of the priests arose and said to Old Father Zakhriā, [they said] in reproach: "Be at rest and keep thy seat, Old Father, and let the calm of the Good (pl.) rest upon thee. Old p. 39 Father, if there were no dreams in Judća, then wo…”
Both passages discuss themes of divine revelation, prophecy, and the ascent to a higher spiritual realm. They share a focus on the role of a central figure (John the Baptizer and Jesus) in mediating this spiritual transformation, though they come from different mystical traditions.