The Wisdom of Jesus Christ - Part 2

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THE WISDOM OF JESUS CHRIST [1] - Part 2

 

[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 One Who Is (93,24-95,18)

 

(p.288) Matthew said to him, " Master, [8] no one can find truth except through

you. Teach us the truth. "

 

The Savior said, " The One Who Is [9] is ineffable [indescribable]. From the

foundation of the world until now, no power, no authority, no creature, no

nature has known the One Who Is. Only the One Who Is, and anyone to whom this

One wishes to give revelation through the emissary from the first light, knows

the One Who Is. Henceforth, I am the great Savior.

 

The One Who Is is

immortal and eternal, and being eternal, is without birth,

for whoever is born will die;

unconceived, [10] without a beginning,

for whoever has a beginning has an end;

undominated, without a name,

for whoever has a name has been made by another; [11]

unnamable, with no human form,

for whoever has a human form has been made by another.

The One Who Is has an appearance of its own, [12]

not like anything you have seen and received,

but an alien appearance that surpasses everything

and is superior to the universe.

It looks everywhere and beholds itself in itself.

 

The One is infinite,

incomprehensible,

and constantly imperishable.

The One is unequalled,

immutably good,

without fault,

eternal,

blessed,

unknown,

yet it knows itself.

The One is immeasurable,

untraceable,

perfect,

without defect.

The One is blessed,

imperishably,

and is called the Father of all. " [13]

 

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.288-289

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.

 

[8] Or " Lord, " here and below.

 

[9] Cf. the description of the divine in the Septuagint of 'Exodus' 3:14 as 'ho

on', " the One Who Is, " for 'Ehyeh 'asher 'ehyeh, " I am that I am " (or the like)

in Hebrew. On account of these parallels with the Jewish scriptures, masculine

personal pronouns may be preferred in the following lines. We employ gender

neutral pronouns, however, because of the insistence in the text that the divine

is infinite and transcends finite categories.

 

[10] Or " unbegotten, " " unengendered, " " ungenerated " ('agennetos'), here and

below. The language of conception is used more frequently in this translation

because the text emphasizes creativity in both sexual and psychological terms.

 

[11] The following section is added from BG 8502, 84.

 

[12] Here the Codex III version resumes.

 

[13] Cf. 'Secret Book of John' II, 2-4. The phrase " Father of all " (and similar

phrases) may also be translated " Father of the All, " here and below, perhaps

referring to the divine realm of Fullness.