A PART OF THE BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR [ The Interposed Fragment ] [233 ] and those who are worthy of the Mysteries which dwell in the Ineffable, namely, which did not proceed out: these become before the First Mystery and according to resemblance and (with, MS ) equality with the word, that ye may understand it, so that they are the Members of the Ineffable: and each according to the honour of his glory, the head according to the honour of the head, and the eye according to the honour of the eyes, and the ear according to the honour of the ears, and (so with) the rest of the Members.
So that the thing (is) manifest, that many members are, but one body it is.
This indeed I am saying in an example with an equality with a comparison, but in truth not of form, nor did I manifest the word in truth, but the Mystery of the Ineffable, and every member [234 ] which (is) in him, according to the word (with) which I compared it, namely, those who dwell unto the Mystery of the Ineffable with those who dwell in him, and the three Spaces which (are) after them, according to the Mysteries in one of all of these in truth.
I am the Treasury of them all, this beside which there is not other Treasury, this which hath not his own upon the World.
But yet there are words becoming, and there are mysteries and there are Places.
Now therefore happy is he who brought the Mysteries unto the outward: and a God is he who found these words of the Mysteries of the second Space which is in the Middle.
And a Saviour he is, and uncontainable is he who found the words of the mysteries, with the words of the third Space which is on the inward: and he excelleth the Universe, and he is acceptable to those who become in that third Space, [234 ] because that the Mystery, in which they become, with that in which they stand, receiveth him.
Because of this therefore he is equal unto them.
He who found also the words of the mysteries, these which I wrote to you according to a comparison, because they are the members of the Ineffable.
Amen I say to you, He who found the words of those mysteries in truth of the God, that that man, he is 128 the first in truth, and he is equal unto him, because of those words with the mysteries.
And the Universe also stood because of that First (One).
Because of this he who found the words of those mysteries is equal with the First (One).
For the knowledge of the comprehension of the Ineffable (is that) in which I spake (it) with you to-day.
[235 ] Continued also Jesus in the word, said he to his disciples, Whenever I should go unto the Light, preach ye to all the World, say unto them, Desist not in the day with the night seeking, and hold not yourselves back (in lower margin) even until ye find the mysteries of the kingdom of the Light, these which will purify you and make you pure light, and take you unto the kingdom of the Light.
Say unto them, Renounce all this World with all the matter which (is) in it, and with all its cares, and with all its sins, in one word, with all its life (politeia, MS ), which (are) in it, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light, and be delivered from all the punishments which (are) in the judgments.
Say unto them, Renounce the murmuring, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light, and be delivered from the fire of the face [235 ] of a dog.
Themes
◆Anthropomorphismtheology
Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.
The text describes divine attributes like head, eyes, and ears in relation to the Ineffable.
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.
References to 'judgments' and 'punishments' are mentioned in the context of purification.
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 current state of dwelling in the World versus the higher realm of the Ineffable.
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.
Those who find the words are declared equal unto the First One and become worthy of the mysteries.