Pistis Sophia · 61 of 160 · tr. George Horner

Document SECOND-l

And the word which thy power said, I became prevailing in thy truth, and cleansed in thy righteousness.

That is the word which said the Pistis Sophia, I became prevailing by thy light.

And I am becoming light which is purified by thy effluence.

And the word which thy power said, Were distant from me those who fight against me.

That is the word which said the Pistis Sophia, Were distant from me the emanations of the Self-willed, these which were oppressing me.

And the word which thy power of light said by Solomon, And I was justified in thy kindness, because thy rest becometh [142 ] even unto age of age.

That is the word which said the Pistis Sophia, I was delivered in thy kindness, because thou, thou art wont to deliver every one.

This therefore, my Lord is all the explanation of the repentance 77 which said the Pistis Sophia, she having been delivered from the Chaos, and she was loosened out of the bonds.

It happened therefore, the First Mystery having heard Thomas saying these words, said he to him, Well (done and) fairly, Thomas, the happy: this (is) the explanation of the hymn which said the Pistis Sophia.

But he added also the First Mystery, said he to the disciples, But [143 ] added also the Pistis Sophia, she hymned up unto me saying, I hymn up unto thee this, through thy precept; thou broughtest me from the Aeon which is high, which (is) the upper part, and thou broughtest me down unto the Places which (are) below.

And also by thy precept thou deliveredst me out of the Places which (are) below.

And through thyself thou tookest away the matter there which becometh in my powers of light, and I saw it.

And thou art he who scatterest away from me the emanations of the Self-willed these which were oppressing me, and being enemies unto me.

And thou gavest to me the authority for to loosen [143 ] the bonds of the emanations of the Adamas, and thou struckest the serpent of basilisk, that of the seven heads: thou castest him out of my hands, and thou madest me stand upon his matter, thou destroyedst it, that this seed should not rise (up) from this hour.

And thou art he who was being with me, giving power to me in all these (things).

And thy light surrounded me in every Place.

And through thyself thou madest all the emanations of the Self-willed powerless: because thou tookest away the power of their light from them.

And thou directedst my way to bring me out of the Chaos.

And thou removedst me out of the material darkness, and thou tookest away all my powers from them, [144 ] these (powers) whose light they took away.

Thou castest in unto them a light being purified, and all my members, these in which there is not light, thou gavest to them a light being purified out of the light of the Height.

And thou directedst the way for them.

And the light of thy face, it became to me manifest incorruptible.

Thou broughtest me up to that which is above the Chaos, the Place of the Chaos with the destruction, that should be dissolved all the matters which (are) in it, these which become in that Place and became new all my powers by thy light, and thy light became in them all: thou puttest the light of thy effluence in me, I became light being purified.

[144 ] This again is the second hymn which said the Pistis Sophia.

He who understandeth therefore this repentance, let him come forward and say it.

§ Ask Guru about this passage →

Themes

Anthropomorphismtheology

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

The divine is described using human attributes such as 'Lord,' 'face,' 'hands,' and 'light.'

All passages →

Body As Obstacleanthropology

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

The text describes being oppressed by emanations and material darkness that must be overcome.

All passages →

Cosmic Dualismtheology

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

The passage explicitly contrasts light with darkness, truth with falsehood, and the divine with opposing emanations.

All passages →

Divine Lighttheology

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

Light is repeatedly described as a purifying force that surrounds the practitioner and reveals the divine face.

All passages →

Emanation Hierarchycosmology

A chain of divine beings or principles flowing downward from a single transcendent source (the One or the Father), each level less perfect than the one above.

References are made to 'emanations of the Self-willed' and 'the Height,' implying a structured flow of being from a higher source.

All passages →

Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

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

The text emphasizes understanding the repentance as the key to salvation and liberation.

All passages →

Hidden Sayingssoteriology

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

The passage describes a specific hymn that contains an esoteric explanation reserved for those who understand it.

All passages →

Inner Lightanthropology

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

The text states that the practitioner becomes light being purified and sees the light of the Height within.

All passages →

Living Godtheology

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

The divine is portrayed as active and responsive, bringing the practitioner from the Aeon to the Places below.

All passages →

Mystical Unionsoteriology

The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.

The practitioner declares 'I became prevailing in thy truth' and identifies with the divine light.

All passages →

Prayerpraxis

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

The text includes a hymn that is recited by the Pistis Sophia as an act of worship.

All passages →

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 centers on the liberation from Chaos and the movement back to the divine Height through purification.

All passages →

Ritual Puritypraxis

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

The text emphasizes being cleansed in righteousness and purified by effluence from light.

All passages →

Sacred Namestheology

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

Divine names like 'Pistis Sophia' and 'Solomon' are invoked as sources of power and liberation.

All passages →

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 text describes the state of being distant from the divine and oppressed by emanations before liberation occurs.

All passages →

Spiritual Ascentpraxis

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

The practitioner moves from the material darkness to the Height and is brought up from the Aeon which is high.

All passages →

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.

The practitioner states 'I became prevailing in thy truth' and 'I became light,' indicating a transformation into the divine nature.

All passages →

Related passages · 2 parallels

christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 2, Section 1n

“200 Redemption is a work performed by the whole Trinity through the Second Person. (So, too, is Creation. Cf. p. 65, n. 2). 201 i. e. We strive to distinguish the two planes of Being in God. Cf. Athan. Creed: “Neither confounding…”

Shared concept: Theosis Deification — 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. (derived)

neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 127

“Section 5 5. It may be objected that the Intellectual-Principle possesses its content in an eternal conjunction so that the two make a perfect unity, and that thus there is no Matter there. But that argument would equally cancel the Matter…”

Shared concept: Cosmic Dualism — Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality. (derived)