Chapter I

Describing the divine only by negation—God transcends all positive categories and concepts; the via negativa.

The inquiry explicitly asks whether the first cause is intellect or above intellect, suggesting a limitation of positive categories to describe the divine.

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

The text questions whether all things are from one principle or many principles, implying an ontological distinction between unity and multiplicity.

A secondary creator deity—often ignorant or malevolent—responsible for fashioning the material world, distinct from the supreme transcendent God.

The passage directly asks whether the first cause is the same as the Demiurgus or prior to it, highlighting a key theological distinction.

The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.

The inquiry into whether the first cause is intellect or above intellect implies a radical concealment beyond ordinary categorization.

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.

The mention of principles that have different orders suggests a structured hierarchy of divine or cosmic entities.

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

The text emphasizes the necessity of investigation to discover the truth about principles, aligning with the goal of direct experiential knowledge.

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

The passage notes that many opinions are circulated among ancient writers regarding these esoteric subjects.

The absolutely simple, undivided first principle from which all multiplicity and existence flows.

The inquiry focuses on the 'first cause' and whether all things are from one principle, reflecting the search for a singular first source.

The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.

The inquiry into whether all things are from one principle suggests a theological commitment to the doctrine of ontological unity.