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Pistis Sophia · 32 of 160 · tr. George Horner

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Give heed unto the Rulers of the twelve Aeons, these which hated me in jealousy. Be watchful with my power and deliver me, and let me not remain in this darkness: because I believed thee, and they made me foolish greatly because I believed [74 ] thee, O Light. Now therefore, O Light, deliver my powers up from the emanations of the Self-willed, these in which I am oppressed. Now therefore he who is sober let him be sober. These therefore Jesus having said them unto his disciples came forward Thomas, said he, My Lord, I am sober I become soberer and my spirit is ready in me, and I am glad greatly, because thou revealedst to us these words: nevertheless therefore I am bearing with my brothers up till now, that I should not be angry with them. But I bear with each of them, coming forward to thee, saying the explanation of the repentance of the Pistis Sophia. Now therefore, my Lord, concerning the explanation of the seventh repentance of the Pistis Sophia, [74 ] thy power of light prophesied about it by David the prophet, saying thus in the twenty-fourth psalm, O Lord, I lifted my soul up unto thee, my God, I confided in thee, let me not be ashamed, nor let mine enemies mock at me. For even every one who is patient with thee, they will not be ashamed. They shall be ashamed, those who are unlawful 41 without a cause. O Lord, show to me thy ways and teach me thy paths guide me in the way of thy truth and teach me: because thou art my God my Saviour, I will have patience with thee all the day. Remember thy compassions, O Lord, and thy [75 ] mercies because they become from age. The sins of my youth with my ignorance remember not; remember me rather according to the multitude of thy mercy, because of thy kindness, O Lord: kind and being straight is the Lord, because of this he will teach the sinners on the road: he will guide the meek in judgment, he will teach the meek his roads. All the roads of the Lord mercies are and truth, to those who seek for his righteousness and his testimonies: because of thy name, O Lord, forgive my sin to me which is plentiful greatly. Who is the man who feareth the Lord? He will establish law for him on the road which he wished. His soul [75 ] will dwell in goods, and his seed will inherit the earth. The Lord is the firmness of those who fear him, and the name of the Lord is that of those who fear him, to show to them his covenant. Mine eyes are gazing at the Lord at every time; because he it is who will draw my feet out of the snare. Look upon me, and have mercy upon me, because I am orphan, I am poor, indeed. The afflictions of my heart widened. Bring me out of my necessities. See my humility with my tribulations and forgive all my sins. See mine enemies because they increased; and they hated me in a hatred of violence. Guard my soul [76 ] and save me. Let me not be ashamed because I hoped unto thee. The innocent (ones) with those who are straight clave unto me, because I have patience unto thee, Lord God, redeem the Israel out of all his afflictions. But Jesus having heard the words of Thomas, said he to him, Well (done) Thomas and fairly. This is the explanation of the seventh repentance of the Pistis Sophia. Amen, amen I say to you, Will call you happy upon the earth all the generations of the World, because I revealed these (things) to you, and ye received out of my spirit, and ye became understanding and spiritual (ones), understanding the (things) which I say.
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Themes
Aeonscosmology

Divine archetypal beings or eternal attributes dwelling within the Pleroma, often arranged in male-female syzygies.

The passage explicitly names 'the Rulers of the twelve Aeons' as a specific group of divine beings that hold power over the Pistis Sophia.

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Anthropomorphismtheology

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

The divine is addressed directly with human pronouns like 'O Light', 'my Lord', and 'thou'.

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Birth Of Word In Soulanthropology

Eckhart's signature doctrine that the Father eternally begets the Son in the ground of the soul; the human interior as the actual site of the divine generative act, distinct from inner_light's static indwelling.

Thomas claims he received understanding and spiritual power directly from Jesus's spirit.

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Body As Obstacleanthropology

The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return.

The speaker prays to be delivered from the 'emanations of the Self-willed' that oppress him.

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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 the Light with darkness and the Self-willed powers that oppress.

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Divine Lighttheology

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

The text repeatedly invokes 'O Light' as a source of power and salvation against oppression.

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Divine Providencetheology

Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity.

Jesus is portrayed as actively revealing words and teaching paths to guide the faithful.

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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 references the 'seventh repentance' and the final redemption of Israel from afflictions.

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Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

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

The text emphasizes receiving understanding and becoming spiritual through direct revelation rather than external faith.

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Hidden Sayingssoteriology

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

Thomas describes receiving the 'explanation of the repentance' which reveals deeper truths to those ready.

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Inner Lightanthropology

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

The speaker identifies with the Light and claims his spirit is ready within him.

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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 teaching and guiding human affairs.

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Meditationpraxis

Disciplined inward attention — sitting, focused, or open-awareness practice — as a stand-alone term that umbrellas active_contemplation, inner_silence, and dhyana-style sitting.

The instruction 'Be watchful with my power' implies a state of attentive spiritual vigilance.

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Prayerpraxis

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

The passage is structured as a direct petition to the Lord for deliverance and mercy.

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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 speaker seeks to be delivered from darkness and oppression back to the Light.

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Ritual Puritypraxis

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

Thomas declares he is 'sober' and the speaker asks God to forgive sins and see humility.

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Self Knowledgesoteriology

The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.

Thomas identifies his own state as 'sober' and declares he is ready for the Lord.

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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 being oppressed in darkness and wishing to be delivered from it.

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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.

Thomas claims he has become understanding and spiritual through receiving power from the Lord.

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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 invocation of divine power ('my Lord') for deliverance implies ritual engagement with the divine.

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