The Wisdom of Jesus Christ - Part 1

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THE WISDOM OF JESUS CHRIST [1] - Part 1

 

[The title of the text is sometimes given as the 'Sophia of Jesus Christ'. The

present translation is based primarily on the Codex III version; when the BG

8502 version is used (mainly for pages missing in the Codex III version), this

is indicated in the translation and notes] [1]

 

 

The Savior Appears to His Followers After the Resurrection

 

(90,14-93,24)

 

(p.287) After he [2] rose from the dead, his twelve disciples and seven women

continued to be his followers. They went to Galilee, up on the mountain called

" Prophecy and Joy. " [3] As they gathered together, they were confused about the

true nature of the universe, and the plan of salvation, and divine forethought,

and the strength of the authorities, and everything the Savior was doing with

them in the secret plan of salvation. Then the Savior appeared, not in his

previous form but in invisible spirit. He looked like a great angel of light,

but I must not describe his appearance. Mortal flesh could not bear it, but only

pure and perfect flesh, like what he taught us about, in Galilee, on the

mountain called Olivet. [4]

 

He said, " Peace be with you. My peace I give to you. " They all marveled, and

they were afraid.

 

The Savior laughed and said to them, " What are you thinking about? Are you

confused? What do you want to find out about? "

 

Philip said, " About the nature of the universe and the plan of salvation. "

 

The Savior said to them, " I want you to know that all people born on earth from

the foundation of the world until now are of dust, and though they have inquired

about God, who he is and what he is like, they have not found him. The wisest of

people have speculated on the basis of the order and movement of the universe,

yet their speculation has missed the truth. (p.288) It is said that philosophers

voice three distinct opinions about the order of the universe, and they disagree

with each other. Some of them say that the world governs itself, others say that

divine forethought governs it, still others that fate is in charge. All these

opinions are wrong. Of the three opinions I have just mentioned, none of them

comes close to the truth. They are mere human opinions.

 

" I have come from infinite light; I am here, and I can tell you exactly what the

truth is. For any life that comes from itself is defiled, made by itself.

Forethought lacks wisdom. Fate remains senseless. [5]

 

" It is given to you, however, to know the truth. Whoever deserves knowledge will

receive it, whoever has not been conceived by the semen of unclean sexual

rubbing [6] but by the first one who was sent, for that person is immortal among

mortal people. " [7]

 

The Nag Hammadi Scriptures (The International Edition)

Edited by Marvin Meyer; Advisory Board: Wolf-Peter Funk, Paul-Hubert Poirier,

James M. Robinson; Introduction by Elaine H. Pagels

The Wisdom of Jesus Christ, p.287-288

HarperCollins Publishers - New York

ISBN:978-0-06-052378-7

ISBN-10: 0-06-052378-6

 

Notes:

 

[1] Coptic Text: NHC III,4: 90,14-119,18; BG 8502,3:77,8-127,12. Greek fragment:

P. Oxy. 1081. Editions: 'The Facsimile Edition of the Nag Hammadi Codices: Codex

III', 88-113; Michel Tardieu, ed., 'Ecrits gnostiques', Walter C. Till and

Hans-Martin Schenke, eds., 'Die gnostischen Schriften des koptischen Papyrus

Berolinensis 8502'; Catherine Barry, ed., 'La Sagesse de Jesus-Christ'; Douglas

M. Parrott, ed., 'Nag Hammadi Codices III', 3-4 and V,1; Hans-Martin Schenke,

Hans-Gebhard Bethge, and Ursula Ulrike Kaiser, eds., 'Nag Hammadi Deutsch',

1.323-70 (Judith Hartenstein). The title of the text is sometimes given as the

'Sophia of Jesus Christ'. The present translation is based primarily on the

Codex III version; when the BG 8502 version is used (mainly for pages missing in

the Codex III version), this is indicated in the translation and notes.

 

[2] The Savior.

 

[3] Here the Coptic reads mante hi rase, and mante may be read as a form of

Greek manteia, " prophecy, divination. " Mante could also be read as ma n te,

" Place of Harvest, " which would suggest " Place of Harvest and Joy " for the name

of the mountain. Perhaps cf. 'John' 4:34-38.

 

[4] The geography is somewhat confused here, since Olivet--the Mount of

Olives--is in Judea near Jerusalem.

 

[5] The text 'On the Origin of the World' also opens with a consideration of

various opinions about the origin and nature of the universe.

 

[6] A similar image of sexual rubbing, here and below, is found throughout the

'Paraphrase of Shem'.

 

[7] On this expression, cf. 'Nature of the Rulers 96'.