Mortal Souls Are Different from Immortal Souls

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The Revelation of Peter - Part 4 (Jesus Speaks to Peter)

 

Mortal Souls Are Different from Immortal Souls

 

(p.493) " Evil cannot produce good fruit.[25] Everything, wherever it come from,

produces what is like it. Not every soul is of the truth or of immortality. In

our opinion, every soul of these present times[26] is assigned to death and is

always enslaved, since this soul is created to serve its own desires. These

souls are destined for eternal destruction, in which they are and from which

they are, for they love the creatures of matter that came into being with them.

 

" But immortal souls are not like these, Peter. Still, as long as the hour[27]

has not yet come, an immortal soul resembles mortal souls. It [28] will not

reveal its true nature: it alone is immortal and contemplates immortality, and

has faith, and desires to renounce these mortal souls.

 

" People do not gather figs from thistles or thorns, if they are wise, nor grapes

from thornbushes.[29] Something always stays in that state in which it exists.

(p.494) If something is in a bad state, that becomes destruction and death for

the soul. But the soul[30] abides in the eternal one,[31] the source of life and

immortality of life[32] that these[33] resemble.[34]

 

" All that does not really exist will dissolve into nothingness, and those who

are deaf and blind associate only with people like them.

 

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 Revelation of Peter, p.493-494

HarperCollins Publishers - New York

ISBN:978-0-06-052378-7

ISBN-10: 0-06-052378-6

 

Notes:

 

[25] Cf. 'Matthew' 7:18; 12:35; 'Luke' 6:43; 'Gospel of Thomas' 45; 'James'3:12.

 

[26] Or " ages, " " aeons. "

 

[27] I.e., the final hour in which all is to be resolved.

 

[28] Or " She, " here and below, since the soul commonly is personified as a

female in ancient texts.

 

[29] Cf. 'Matthew' 7:16; 'Luke' 6:44' 'Gospel of Thomas' 45.

 

[30] Here the text simply reads " she. "

 

[31] Or " For what is produced always comes from its root. If something comes

from what is bad, that becomes destruction and death for the soul. But the soul

comes from the eternal source... "

 

[32] Cf. the tree of life in paradise.

 

[33] Souls, as produce or fruit.

 

[34] Or " that resemble him " (i.e., the eternal one).