But answered Iohannes, said he, My Lord, whenever we should come preaching and (should) go into a city or a village, and (should) come out in front of us [250 ] the men of that city, and we know not what they are, being in great guile with great hypocrisy, and they (should) receive us unto them, and take us in unto their house wishing to make trial of the mysteries of the kingdom of the Light; and become playing the hypocrite with us in the subjection, and we should think that they are wishing for God; and we (should) give to them the mysteries of the kingdom of the Light, and after these (things) we (should) know 137 that they did not that which is worthy of the mystery, and we (should) know that they played the hypocrite with us, and they became with guile toward us, and the mysteries also they did them in derision from place to place, trying us and also our mysteries, then what is the thing which will happen to these of this kind?
But answered the Saviour, said he to [250 ] Iohannes, Whenever ye should go into a city or a village, the house unto which ye will go in, and they receive you unto them, give to them a mystery: if they are worthy then ye will gain their souls and they (will) inherit the kingdom of the Light.
But if they should not be worthy, but being with guile unto you, and should do the mysteries also in derision, trying you with the mysteries also, then cry up unto the first mystery of the First Mystery, this which is wont to have mercy on every one: say, Even, the mystery which we gave to these souls impious and lawbreaking, having not done that which is worthy of the mystery even, but they made us for derision, return the mystery unto us, and make them alien to the mystery of thy kingdom unto age.
And shake off the dust [251 ] of your feet unto a witness to them, saying to them, Your souls shall become as the dust of your house.
And Amen I say to you, In that hour will return to you every mystery which ye gave to them, and they will take them away from them every word with every mystery of the Place unto which they received figure.
Concerning the men therefore of this kind I said unto you in a parable once, saying, The house unto which ye go in and they receive you unto it, say to them, The peace to you.
And if they are worthy, let your peace come upon them, and if they are not worthy, let it return unto you your peace, namely, if those men do that which is worthy of the mysteries [251 ] and wishing for God of the truth, then give to them the mysteries of the kingdom of the Light.
But if rather they are playing the hypocrite with you, and they are being with guile unto you, ye having not known, and ye gave to them the mysteries of the kingdom of the Light; and also after these (things) they did the mysteries in derision, and they made trial also of you with the mysteries also, do the first mystery of the First Mystery and he will make return unto you every mystery which ye gave to them (him, MS ).
And he will make them alien to the mysteries of the Light unto age.
And these men of this kind, [and] they will not cast them back unto the World from this hour: but Amen I say unto you, Their dwelling place shall (be) in the midst of the mouth of the dragon of the Darkness which is outer.
Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.
The passage explicitly contrasts the 'kingdom of the Light' with the 'dragon of the Darkness,' establishing an ontological opposition between light and darkness.
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 passage outlines specific consequences for those who receive mysteries unworthily, indicating a final verdict on their state.
Augustinian and Plotinian doctrine that evil has no positive being of its own but is a lack, distortion, or absence of the good — denying ontological dualism while preserving moral seriousness.
Worthiness is defined by doing what is worthy of the mystery rather than possessing inherent goodness.
Transgressive knowing acquired against divine prohibition — the Watchers' teaching of metallurgy, sorcery, and cosmetics in 1 Enoch, the Gnostic Eve narratives, the Promethean mytheme; explicitly contrasted with gnosis_direct_knowledge, which is salvific.
The text describes men playing the hypocrite with mysteries in derision, implying a transgressive use of sacred knowledge.
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 passage describes souls becoming alien to the mystery of the kingdom unto age and dwelling in the mouth of the dragon of Darkness.
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.
Salvation is linked to gaining souls and inheriting the kingdom of the Light through divine mysteries.
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 text prescribes specific ritual actions like crying up a mystery and shaking off dust to effect a return of divine power.