From the Apocryphon of John (ca. 125-150 CE)
Jesus 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."
5 comments:
I didn't know the Apochryphon of John was that early. Also, the Gospel of Philip verse 18 (similar time period?) backs this up as well:
18. Some say that Mariam was impregnated by the Sacred Spirit. They are confused, they know not what they say. Whenever has a female been impregnated by a female?
This is from Patterson Brown's web site http://www.metalog.org/ and his commentary there elaborates more on this theme.
Steve,
Thanks. Yes Gospel of Philip too. There are plenty of other references in the early tradition.
Apocryphon of John dates to early-mid first century. Irenaeus is referencing it in 180 CE.
I see Stevan Davies believes a Christian editor changed the text of the Apocryphon to present it as a long dialogue between Jesus and John son of Zebedee. http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/apocjn-davies.html This implies that there was no mention of Jesus and John in earlier forms of the Apocryphon.
I believe that language similar to the spiritistic language of the Apocryphon was once in the NT. The Jewish world was one of bodies animated by spirits of all sorts, for example of truth and deceit, as in the DSS. Spiritual gifts in the NT were originally gifts of spirits of truth, or pure spirits (1 Cor.12). 1 Cor. 13 was originally about what the Spirit is.
And for a long time I have thought that Mary was filled with the Spirit, not with child.
Geoff
Isn't the Jewish God male and thus his Spirit male? This tradition was continuous for 'Christians' who were not gnostic.
Geoff,
No the spirit in Hebrew tradition is always female. This is what the first Christians believed as well.
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