Apocryphon of John.pdf

The Apocryphon of John

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The Apocryphon of John (long version)

Translated by Frederik Wisse

The teaching of the savior, and the revelation of the mysteries and the things hidden in silence, even these

things which he taught John, his disciple.

And it happened one day, when John, the brother of James - who are the sons of Zebedee - had come up to

the temple, that a Pharisee named Arimanius approached him and said to him, "Where is your master whom

you followed?" And he said to him, "He has gone to the place from which he came." The Pharisee said to

him, "With deception did this Nazarene deceive you (pl.), and he filled your ears with lies, and closed your

hearts (and) turned you from the traditions of your fathers."

When I, John, heard these things I turned away from the temple to a desert place. And I grieved greatly in my

heart, saying, "How then was the savior appointed, and why was he sent into the world by his Father, and

who is his Father who sent him, and of what sort is that aeon to which we shall go? For what did he mean

when he said to us, 'This aeon to which you will go is of the type of the imperishable aeon, but he did not

teach us concerning the latter, of what sort it is."

Straightway, while I was contemplating these things, behold, the heavens opened and the whole creation

which is below heaven shone, and the world was shaken. I was afraid, and behold I saw in the light a youth

who stood by me. While I looked at him, he became like an old man. And he changed his likeness (again),

becoming like a servant. There was not a plurality before me, but there was a likeness with multiple forms in

the light, and the likenesses appeared through each other, and the likeness had three forms.

He said to me, "John, John, why do you doubt, or why are you afraid? You are not unfamiliar with this image,

are you? - that is, do not be timid! - I am the one who is with you (pl.) always. I am the

Father, I am the Mother, I am the Son. I am the undefiled and incorruptible one. Now I have come to teach

you what is and what was and what will come to pass, that you may know the things which are not revealed

and those which are revealed, and to teach you concerning the unwavering race of the perfect Man. Now,

therefore, lift up your face, that you may receive the things that I shall teach you today, and may tell them to

your fellow spirits who are from the unwavering race of the perfect Man."

And I asked to know it, and he said to me, "The Monad is a monarchy with nothing above it. It is he who

exists as God and Father of everything, the invisible One who is above everything, who exists as incorruption,

which is in the pure light into which no eye can look.

"He is the invisible Spirit, of whom it is not right to think of him as a god, or something similar. For he is more

than a god, since there is nothing above him, for no one lords it over him. For he does not exist in something

inferior to him, since everything exists in him. For it is he who establishes himself.

He is eternal, since he does not need anything. For he is total perfection. He did not lack anything, that he

might be completed by it; rather he is always completely perfect in light. He is illimitable, since there is no one

prior to him to set limits to him. He is unsearchable, since there exists no one prior to him to examine him. He

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is immeasurable, since there was no one prior to him to measure him. He is invisible, since no one saw him.

He is eternal, since he exists eternally. He is ineffable, since no one was able to comprehend him to speak

about him. He is unnameable, since there is no one prior to him to give him a name.

"He is immeasurable light, which is pure, holy (and) immaculate. He is ineffable, being perfect in

incorruptibility. (He is) not in perfection, nor in blessedness, nor in divinity, but he is far superior. He is not

corporeal nor is he incorporeal. He is neither large nor is he small. There is no way to say, 'What is his

quantity?' or, 'What is his quality?', for no one can know him. He is not someone among (other) beings, rather

he is far superior. Not that he is (simply) superior, but his essence does not partake in the aeons nor in time.

For he who partakes in an aeon was prepared beforehand. Time was not apportioned to him, since he does

not receive anything from another, for it would be received on loan. For he who precedes someone does not

lack, that he may receive from him. For rather, it is the latter that looks expectantly at him in his light.

"For the perfection is majestic. He is pure, immeasurable mind. He is an aeon-giving aeon. He is life-giving

life. He is a blessedness-giving blessed one. He is knowledge-giving knowledge. He is goodness-giving

goodness. He is mercy and redemption-giving mercy. He is grace-giving grace, not because he possesses it,

but because he gives the immeasurable, incomprehensible light.

"How am I to speak with you about him? His aeon is indestructible, at rest and existing in silence, reposing

(and) being prior to everything. For he is the head of all the aeons, and it is he who gives them strength in his

goodness. For we know not the ineffable things, and we do not understand what is immeasurable, except for

him who came forth from him, namely (from) the Father. For it is he who told it to us alone. For it is he who

looks at himself in his light which surrounds him, namely the spring of the water of life. And it is he who gives

to all the aeons and in every way, (and) who gazes upon his image which he sees in the spring of the Spirit. It

is he who puts his desire in his water-light which is in the spring of the pure light-water which surrounds him.

"And his thought performed a deed and she came forth, namely she who had appeared before him in the

shine of his light. This is the first power which was before all of them (and) which came forth from his mind,

She is the forethought of the All - her light shines like his light - the perfect power which is the image of the

invisible, virginal Spirit who is perfect. The first power, the glory of Barbelo, the perfect glory in the aeons,

the glory of the revelation, she glorified the virginal Spirit and it was she who praised him, because thanks to

him she had come forth. This is the first thought, his image; she became the womb of everything, for it is she

who is prior to them all, the Mother-Father, the first man, the holy Spirit, the thrice-male, the thrice-powerful,

the thrice-named androgynous one, and the eternal aeon among the invisible ones, and the first to come forth.

"<She> requested from the invisible, virginal Spirit - that is Barbelo - to give her foreknowledge. And the

Spirit consented. And when he had consented, the foreknowledge came forth, and it stood by the

forethought; it originates from the thought of the invisible, virginal Spirit. It glorified him and his perfect power,

Barbelo, for it was for her sake that it had come into being.

"And she requested again to grant her indestructibility, and he consented. When he had consented,

indestructibility came forth, and it stood by the thought and the foreknowledge. It glorified the invisible One

and Barbelo, the one for whose sake they had come into being.

"And Barbelo requested to grant her eternal life. And the invisible Spirit consented. And when he had

consented, eternal life came forth, and they attended and glorified the invisible Spirit and Barbelo, the one for

whose sake they had come into being.

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"And she requested again to grant her truth. And the invisible Spirit consented. And when he had consented,

truth came forth, and they attended and glorified the invisible, excellent Spirit and his Barbelo, the one for

whose sake they had come into being.

"This is the pentad of the aeons of the Father, which is the first man, the image of the invisible Spirit; it is the

forethought, which Barbelo, and the thought, and the foreknowledge, and the indestructibility, and the eternal

life, and the truth. This is the androgynous pentad of the aeons, which is the decad of the aeons, which is the

Father.

"And he looked at Barbelo with the pure light which surrounds the invisible Spirit, and (with) his spark, and

she conceived from him. He begot a spark of light with a light resembling blessedness. But it does not equal

his greatness. This was an only-begotten child of the Mother-Father which had come forth; it is the only

offspring, the only-begotten one of the Father, the pure Light.

"And the invisible, virginal Spirit rejoiced over the light which came forth, that which was brought forth first by

the first power of his forethought, which is Barbelo. And he anointed it with his goodness until it became

perfect, not lacking in any goodness, because he had anointed it with the goodness of the invisible Spirit. And

it attended him as he poured upon it. And immediately when it had received from the Spirit, it glorified the

holy Spirit and the perfect forethought, for whose sake it had come forth.

"And it requested to give it a fellow worker, which is the mind, and he consented gladly. And when the

invisible Spirit had consented, the mind came forth, and it attended Christ, glorifying him and Barbelo. And all

these came into being in silence.

"And the mind wanted to perform a deed through the word of the invisible Spirit. And his will became a deed

and it appeared with the mind; and the light glorified it. And the word followed the will. For because of the

word, Christ the divine Autogenes created everything. And the eternal life <and> his will and the mind and

the foreknowledge attended and glorified the invisible Spirit and Barbelo, for whose sake they had come into

being.

"And the holy Spirit completed the divine Autogenes, his son, together with Barbelo, that he may attend the

mighty and invisible, virginal Spirit as the divine Autogenes, the Christ whom he had honored with a mighty

voice. He came forth through the forethought. And the invisible, virginal Spirit placed the divine Autogenes of

truth over everything. And he subjected to him every authority, and the truth which is in him, that he may

know the All which had been called with a name exalted above every name. For that name will be mentioned

to those who are worthy of it.

"For from the light, which is the Christ, and the indestructibility, through the gift of the Spirit the four lights

(appeared) from the divine Autogenes. He expected that they might attend him. And the three (are) will,

thought, and life. And the four powers (are) understanding, grace, perception, and prudence. And grace

belongs to the light-aeon Armozel, which is the first angel. And there are three other aeons with this aeon:

grace, truth, and form. And the second light (is) Oriel, who has been placed over the second aeon. And there

are three other aeons with him: conception, perception, and memory. And the third light is Daveithai, who has

been placed over the third aeon.

And there are three other aeons with him: understanding, love, and idea. And the fourth aeon was placed

over the fourth light Eleleth. And there are three other aeons with him: perfection, peace, and wisdom. These

are the four lights which attend the divine Autogenes, (and) these are the twelve aeons which attend the son

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of the mighty one, the Autogenes, the Christ, through the will and the gift of the invisible Spirit. And the twelve

aeons belong to the son of the Autogenes. And all things were established by the will of the holy Spirit

through the Autogenes.

"And from the foreknowledge of the perfect mind, through the revelation of the will of the invisible Spirit and

the will of the Autogenes, <the> perfect Man (appeared), the first revelation, and the truth. It is he whom the

virginal Spirit called Pigera-Adamas, and he placed him over the first aeon with the mighty one, the

Autogenes, the Christ, by the first light Armozel; and with him are his powers. And the invisible one gave him

a spiritual, invincible power. And he spoke and glorified and praised the invisible Spirit, saying, 'It is for thy

sake that everything has come into being and everything will return to thee. I shall praise and glorify thee and

the Autogenes and the aeons, the three: the Father, the Mother, and the Son, the perfect power.'

"And he placed his son Seth over the second aeon in the presence of the second light Oriel. And in the third

aeon the seed of Seth was placed over the third light Daveithai. And the souls of the saints were placed

(there). And in the fourth aeon the souls were placed of those who do not know the Pleroma and who did

not repent at once, but who persisted for a while and repented afterwards; they are by the fourth light Eleleth.

These are creatures which glorify the invisible Spirit.

"And the Sophia of the Epinoia, being an aeon, conceived a thought from herself and the conception of the

invisible Spirit and foreknowledge. She wanted to bring forth a likeness out of herself without the consent of

the Spirit, - he had not approved - and without her consort, and without his consideration. And though the

person of her maleness had not approved, and she had not found her agreement, and she had thought without

the consent of the Spirit and the knowledge of her agreement, (yet) she brought forth. And because of the

invincible power which is in her, her thought did not remain idle, and something came out of her which was

imperfect and different from her appearance, because she had created it without her consort. And it was

dissimilar to the likeness of its mother, for it has another form.

"And when she saw (the consequences of) her desire, it changed into a form of a lion-faced serpent. And its

eyes were like lightning fires which flash. She cast it away from her, outside that place, that no one of the

immortal ones might see it, for she had created it in ignorance. And she surrounded it with a luminous cloud,

and she placed a throne in the middle of the cloud that no one might see it except the holy Spirit who is called

the mother of the living. And she called his name Yaltabaoth.

"This is the first archon who took a great power from his mother. And he removed himself from her and

moved away from the places in which he was born. He became strong and created for himself other aeons

with a flame of luminous fire which (still) exists now. And he joined with his arrogance which is in him and

begot authorities for himself. The name of the first one is Athoth, whom the generations call the reaper. The

second one is Harmas, who is the eye of envy. The third one is Kalila-Oumbri. The fourth one is Yabel. The

fifth one is Adonaiou, who is called Sabaoth. The sixth one is Cain, whom the generations of men call the sun.

The seventh is Abel. The eighth is Abrisene. The ninth is Yobel. The tenth is Armoupieel. The eleventh is

Melceir-Adonein. The twelfth is Belias, it is he who is over the depth of Hades. And he placed seven kings -

each corresponding to the firmaments of heaven - over the seven heavens, and five over the depth of the

abyss, that they may reign. And he shared his fire with them, but he did not send forth from the power of the

light which he had taken from his mother, for he is ignorant darkness.

"And when the light had mixed with the darkness, it caused the darkness to shine. And when the darkness

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had mixed with the light, it darkened the light and it became neither light nor dark, but it became dim.

"Now the archon who is weak has three names. The first name is Yaltabaoth, the second is Saklas, and the

third is Samael. And he is impious in his arrogance which is in him. For he said, 'I am God and there is no

other God beside me,' for he is ignorant of his strength, the place from which he had come.

"And the archons created seven powers for themselves, and the powers created for themselves six angels for

each one until they became 365 angels. And these are the bodies belonging with the names: the first is Athoth,

a he has a sheep's face; the second is Eloaiou, he has a donkey's face; the third is Astaphaios, he has a

hyena's face; the fourth is Yao, he has a serpent's face with seven heads; the fifth is Sabaoth, he has a

dragon's face; the sixth is Adonin, he had a monkey's face; the seventh is Sabbede, he has a shining fire-face.

This is the sevenness of the week.

"But Yaltabaoth had a multitude of faces, more than all of them, so that he could put a face before all of them,

according to his desire, when he is in the midst of seraphs. He shared his fire with them; therefore he became

lord over them. Because of the power of the glory he possessed of his mother's light, he called himself God.

And he did not obey the place from which he came. And he united the seven powers in his thought with the

authorities which were with him. And when he spoke it happened. And he named each power beginning with

the highest: the first is goodness with the first (authority), Athoth; the second is foreknowledge with the

second one, Eloaio; and the third is divinity with the third one, Astraphaio); the fourth is lordship with the

fourth one, Yao; the fifth is kingdom with the fifth one, Sabaoth; the sixth is envy with the sixth one, Adonein;

the seventh is understanding with the seventh one, Sabbateon. And these have a firmament corresponding to

each aeon-heaven.

They were given names according to the glory which belongs to heaven for the destruction of the powers.

And in the names which were given to them by their Originator there was power. But the names which were

given them according to the glory which belongs to heaven mean for them destruction and powerlessness.

Thus they have two names.

"And having created [...] everything, he organized according to the model of the first aeons which had come

into being, so that he might create them like the indestructible ones. Not because he had seen the

indestructible ones, but the power in him, which he had taken from his mother, produced in him the likeness

of the cosmos. And when he saw the creation which surrounds him, and the multitude of the angels around

him which had come forth from him, he said to them, 'I am a jealous God, and there is no other God beside

me.' But by announcing this he indicated to the angels who attended him that there exists another God. For if

there were no other one, of whom would he be jealous?

"Then the mother began to move to and fro. She became aware of the deficiency when the brightness of her

light diminished. And she became dark because her consort had not agreed with her."

And I said, "Lord, what does it mean that she moved to and fro?" But he smiled and said, "Do not think it is,

as Moses said, 'above the waters.' No, but when she had seen the wickedness which had happened, and the

theft which her son had committed, she repented. And she was overcome by forgetfulness in the darkness of

ignorance and she began to be ashamed. And she did not dare to return, but she was moving about. And the

moving is the going to and fro.

"And the arrogant one took a power from his mother. For he was ignorant, thinking that there existed no

other except his mother alone. And when he saw the multitude of the angels which he had created, then he

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