Answered Maria, said she, Now therefore, my Lord, then thou didst not bring Mysteries indeed unto the World, that the man should not die by the death which is reckoned unto him by the Rulers of the Destiny: because if it is being reckoned unto one for to die by the sword, or for to die by the waters or in torture with torment with violence which (are) in the laws, or by other evil deaths, then thou didst not bring mystery unto the world, that the man should not die among them by the Rulers of the Destiny, but that he should die in a death sudden, that he should not suffer any tribulation by these deaths of this kind: because that, we, very many are those who are pursuing us [254 ] because of thee, and we, many are those who persecute us because of thy name, that whenever they should torment us we should say the mysteries and come out of the body immediately having not suffered any tribulation.
Answered the Saviour, said he to all his disciples, Because of this word which ye ask me of, I said to you at another time: but hear also that I may say unto you at another time: not only ye but every man who will complete the first mystery (of the First Mystery of the Ineffable, he who will do therefore that Mystery, M), and (will) complete it (in) its figures with all its types with its positions, doing indeed it and coming not out of body, but after completing that mystery with its figure with all its type, afterwards therefore, every time at which he will name that mystery, [255 ] he will be delivered from all those which are reckoned unto him by the Rulers of the Destiny, and at that hour he cometh out of the body of the matter of the Rulers, and his soul will become a great effluence of Light, and (will) fly unto the Height, and (will) pass through every Place of the Rulers with every Place of the Light, until it should go unto the Place of its Kingdom: neither is it wont to give answer nor defence in any Place, for it is one without symbol.
These therefore having said them Jesus, added Maria, she prostrated at the feet of Jesus, she kissed them, said she, My Lord, yet I shall seek from thee, Reveal to us and hide not from us.
Answered Jesus, said he to Maria, Seek after that which ye seek after, [255 ] and I shall reveal to you in boldness 140 without parable.
Answered Maria, said she, My Lord, then thou didst not bring mystery unto the world because of the poverty with the riches and because of the weakness with the strength, and because of the diseased with the bodies which are sound, in one word, because of all these kinds, that whenever we should go in the places of the country, and they should not believe us, and they should not hearken unto our words, and we should do a mystery of this kind in those places, that they should know truth truly that we are preaching the words of (the Lord of) the Universe?
Answered the Saviour, said he to Maria in the midst of the disciples, Concerning this mystery of which ye seek from me, I gave [256 ] it to you at another time, but I shall repeat also and say unto you the word.
Now therefore Maria, not only ye but every man who will complete the mystery of the raising of the dead, this is wont to cure the demons with every pain, with every sickness, and with the blind, and with the lame, with the maimed, with the dumb, with the deaf, this I gave to you once.
Themes
◆Body As Obstacleanthropology
The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return.
The text emphasizes escaping bodily suffering and death to achieve liberation.
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.
Rulers of Destiny are mentioned who assign specific deaths to individuals.
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 liberated soul becomes a great effluence of Light and passes through the Kingdom of Light.
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.
Completing the mystery with its figures and types is presented as an active ritual practice that engages divine power.