Not only will they be unable to detain the Perfect Man, but they will not be able to see him, for if they see him they will detain him. There is no other way for a person to acquire this quality except by putting on the perfect light and becoming perfect light. Whoever puts on light will enter [the place of rest]. This is perfect [light, and] we [must] become [the Perfect Man] before we leave [the world].
Gospel of Philip 76.23-30 (Valentinian text from late second century)
Commentary: the reference to the "Perfect Man" is technical jargon that doesn't fit into our modern gender inclusive categories. It is a reference to the Genesis story in chapter 1 where God created the first man, male and female. To conform ourselves to this original creation was the goal. The Valentinians called this primordial human, the Perfect Man, and they thought that the Aeon Jesus who descended through the cosmic spheres to earth, was this Perfect Man. His body was a body of light, an idea they picked up from the first couple of verses of Genesis. When God said "Let there be light." The word for light in Greek translation (which they were reading) means both light and man (although the accent is different). Because of this special invisible body, the Archons could not detain him when he descended or ascended. The Valentinians reasoned that we need resurrected bodies like his. So the thought was that this could be achieved through the sacraments, including here a reference to anointing ("light" is associated with anointing), the eucharist (when they ate his body and it worked internally to change them - think, you are what you eat), and marriage (when Eve reenters Adam).
7 comments:
Richard B here. This is very interesting. I love anything to do with Valentinism (sp?) and want to learn more.
The idea of a divine-human entity as a light body is not so far-fetched or alien to me.
Many many years ago, when I was about 20, and before I ever studied religions or mysticism, I actually had what I can only describe as a mystical experience in which I encountered a "Being of Light." This experience profoundly changed my view of the cosmos, the nature of our existence and my life forever. I had never been religious; it was this experience that started me on my spiritual journey and prompted me to learn more about different religions and mysticism!
This "light being" who visited me (in an altered state of consciousness) and delivered a personal message to me (speaking telepathically) was angelic or even god-like in appearance: a floating, shimmering golden-white light that "cloaked" a human-like, non-physical form. Yet this Being was also someone I recognized who walks around in a normal physical body like anyone else you'd meet on the street every day. I gained experiential knowledge in a spiritual, cosmic sense, far beyond what I could ever learn from any teacher or read in books. From this experience, I KNEW (gnosis!) beyond any doubt that we all have this "light body" - it is our true nature, who we really are when we're not incarnated temporarily in these bodies. It's the Spirit (or Higher Self) part of us that remains on the "other side", as an individual part of the collective/universal consciousness. The soul is just that smaller part of our spirit that is projected into the body during this incarnation. We are eternal Spirit (or consciousness if you will), always connected to the All/Godhead and to each other. Even while in these bodies, we can expand beyond our individual consciousness (what most people think of the brain and self)and tap into our higher, spirit Self which operates independently of time and space. We are those Beings of Light. However, most people fail to recognize this because their physical senses fool them into believing they are only their bodies, and they are separate from God and all other beings in creation.
I totally relate to many so-called Gnostic sayings, especially in the Gospel of Thomas - no matter who coined these saying, they know of what they speak! Truth with a capital T. Those who have never experienced anything "mystic" such as an encounter with a light being/Spirit might certainly not understand Gnostic texts, and think of them as strange, cryptic or even as nonsensical garbage. Those who do not truly seek will not find... To experience is to know, which bolsters one's faith beyond any doubt at all, versus merely relying on faith to accept as Truth what one reads in the gospels or is taught by others...
I don't agree with or understand some of the early Christian Gnostic groups' complicated concept of the Cosmos (e.g., all the Archons, demiurges, etc.). Neither do I agree with their dualistic, ascetic view that matter/the world and the flesh are bad, but I can understand the fervent desire to "escape" the flesh and shed the earthly "clothing" and "put on the Perfect Man" because experiencing one's own light body or the presence of a "light being" is so ecstatic and blissful - pure, boundless, unconditional LOVE! I do understand from first-hand experience that human beings can see/recognize, attain and become "the Perfect Man" - our true nature as primordial, pre-existent Spirit and Light, created from - indeed, we are extensions, reflections and expressions of! - the very essence of God.
This is straying from the topic a bit, but even Saul/Paul of Tarsus had some Gnostic tendencies - and perhaps his conversion experience on the road to Damascus was a vision such as mine, where he encountered a seemingly divine Being of Light which he recognized as the risen Jesus. Perhaps he did speak with Jesus, only Saul/Paul knew for certain. Perhaps all those angels the ancients encountered (or the "glory" of the Lord/God experienced by prophets/mystics) were really encounters with light beings who are really not divine at all - they might just be us, how we appear when not incarnate. We are the angels.... and yet we fail to recognize our own glory, ourselves in a different state of existence!
For me, the big difference between the Gnostics and the Orthodox was (and maybe still is) that, while the latter saw a huge chasm between the divine Jesus-as-God and sinful, lowly, mortal humans (where Jesus had to intercede between man and God), the former group understood (perhaps from experiences similar to my own!) that, like Jesus, we all have the potential to recognize that we are divine light beings as well as human, here and now, on Earth.
Peace, Love and Light
Which Greek for is similar for both man and light?
Richard--phos (with an omega).
"Let There Be Light"
"In The Beginning" The Creator(Our Father) said,
"Let There Be Light, and There Was Light"
"Let There Be Light!"
"The Beginning of The Creation of GOD!"
And the revelation that The Messiah received of
Our Father and gave unto the apostle John bore
witness to The Truth that The Messiah, was
"The Beginning of the Creation of GOD(Our
Father, Creator of ALL)"! (Rev 1:1, 3:14)
And The Messiah bore witness to His Brethren
when He testified, "My GOD is your GOD and My
Father(Creator) is your Father(Creator)."(Jn 20:17)
The Messiah testified "I have sent My angel to
you with this testimony for the assemblies. I am
the root and the offspring of David. I am the bright,
Morning Star(Light)"! (Rev 22:16) ) Peter testified
"We have the more sure word of prophecy; and
you do well to take heed, as to a lamp shining in a
dark place, until the day dawns, and The Morning
Star(Light) arises in your hearts."(2Pt 1:19) "But
you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, HIS own special people, that you
may proclaim the praises of HIM who called you
out of darkness into His marvelous Light."(1Pt2:9)
And the evening(darkness) and The Morning
(Light) was the First Day." (Gen 1:5)
"The Beginning of The Creation of GOD"!
It is very important to both know and experience
The Messiah as He Is, Was and always Will Be,
and also to know the "glory He had with Our
Father" before He was born in "the likeness of
sinful flesh". (John 17:5, Rom 8:3) For what The
Messiah Was and Is, Is that which He will always
Will Be."The Only Begotten Son" of "Our Father"!
First, let me simply state that I do not believe the
"catholic" and "christian" theo'ry'logical doctrines
concerning "The Only True GOD, Father ALL". For
they "image"ine a three-headed "god" they call
their "trinity", or they declare their "christ" to be
their "god and father", or they believe that The
Messiah was but an exalted messenger(angel)
or prophet.
John The Baptist testified, "And I saw, and bare
record that The Messiah is the Son of GOD(Our
Father)."(John 1:34) Peter testified, "You are The
Messiah, The Son of The Living GOD(Father of
ALL)"!(Matt 16:16) And the Ethiopian eunuch
testified, "I believe that The Messiah is The Son
of GOD(Our Father)". (Acts 8:37) "Seeing then
that we have a great high priest, that is passed
into the Heavens, The Messiah, The Son of
GOD(Our Father), let us hold fast our profession."
(Heb 4:14) "These things are written so that you
might believe that The Messiah is The Son of GOD
(Our Father)". (John 20:31) The Messiah testified
that He was "The Son of GOD", and that His GOD
was "The Only True GOD(Father of ALL)".
(John 10:36,17:3)
And The Messiah also testified that He was the
"Son of man" and "The Light of the world".
(Matt 26:64, John 8:12)
It is needful to believe that The Messiah Was, Is
and always Will Be "The Son of The Living GOD",
and that there is but "One GOD, HE WHO is
Father of ALL". (Mat 16:16, Eph 4:6) The Messiah
bore witness to His Brethren when He testified
after being "raised from among the dead", "My GOD
is your GOD and My Father(Creator) is your Father
(Creator)" (John 20:17)
Is The Messiah's GOD and Father your GOD
and Father?
Who are The Brethren of The Messiah?
"Let There Be Light"
Once again, It is very important to both know and
experience The Messiah as He Was, Is and always
Will Be. The Messiah simply testified in John 17:5
"And now O Father, glorify Me with YOUR own self
with the glory that I had with YOU before the world
began".
Prior to that testimony The Messiah had testified,
"Yet a little while is The Light with you. Walk while
you have The Light, lest darkness comes upon
you: for he that walks in darkness does not know
where he goes. While you have Light, believe in
The Light, that you may be the children of Light."
(John 12:35-36)
And the apostle John testified: "In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with GOD, and
The Word was GOD. (John did not testify that
The Word is GOD)The same was in the beginning
with GOD. All things were made by Him, and
without Him was not any thing made that was
made. In Him was Life; and The Life was The
Light of men. And The Light shined in darkness;
and the darkness comprehended it not. There
was a man sent from GOD, whose name was
John. The same came for a witness, to bear
witness of The Light, that all men through Him
might believe. He(John the baptist) was not that
Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
That was the True Light, which enlightens every
man that comes into the world. He(The Messiah)
was in the world, and the world was made by
Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto
His own, and His own received Him not. But as
many as received Him, to them He gave power
to become the sons of GOD, even to them that
believe on His name: Which were born, not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will
of man, but of "The Only True GOD, Father of
ALL"." (John 1:1-13)
It is needful to realize that The Messiah testified
of "The Only True GOD" in John 17:3, and so it is
that The GOD and Father of The Messiah IS,
WAS and always WILL BE "The Only True GOD".
"The Only True GOD" is "Father of ALL".
And "The Father of ALL" is "Our Father", HE WHO
IS "The Only True GOD" and Father of The Messiah
and His Brethren.
And the apostle John testified in John 3:17-21:
"For Our Father sent not his Son into the world
to condemn the world; but that the world through
Him might be saved. He that believes on Him is
not condemned: but he that believes not is
condemned already, because he has not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son of GOD(Our
Father). And this is the condemnation, that Light is
come into the world, and men loved darkness
rather than Light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one that does evil hates The Light,
neither comes to The Light, lest his deeds should
be reproved. But he that does Truth comes to The
Light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that
they are wrought in GOD(Our Father)."
In John 12:34 the people asked, "Who is this Son
of man? Then in John 12:35-36, "The Messiah said
unto them, yet a little while is The Light with you.
Walk while you have The Light, lest darkness come
upon you: for he that walks in darkness does not
know where he goes. While you have Light, believe
in The Light, that you may be the children of Light.
The Messiah spoke these things, and departed,
and hid Himself from them."
Simply, "In The Beginning" The Only True GOD
spoke The Word, "Let There Be Light", "And there
was Light"! "And there was evening(darkness) and
there was morning (Light), The First Day". (Gen 1:5)
Certainly such "Light" was not "natural" light, for
"natural" light, the sun, moon, and stars were not
created until the "fourth day". (Gen 1:14-19)
"In the beginning", "The First Day", The Father of
All created "The Light", without which Creation and
Life, as we now know and experience it, could not
have been.
The First Day, "The Light", The Messiah, "The
beginning of the Creation of GOD(HE WHO is
The Only True GOD and Father of ALL)"!
(Gen 1:3, Rev 3:14, John 17:3, Eph 4:6)
And "The Only True GOD" created all "things" by,
through, and for "The Light", The Messiah, "The
Son of The Living GOD" and "Son of man".
(Col 1:15, Eph 3:9, Mat 16:16, Mat 12:32)
And "The True Light which enlightens every man
coming into the world", was born as a child
destined to be The Messiah. (John 1:9, Mat 1:21)
The Messiah, "The Light of the world".
(John 8:12, 9:5)
The Messiah, "The firstborn of every creature
(all creation)". (Col 1:15)
The Messiah, "Begotten of Our Father",
"The firstborn among many Brethren".
(Heb 1:5) (Ps 2:7) (Rom 8:29)
The Messiah, "A servant of The Only True GOD
(Father of ALL)". (Isa 42:1-7)
The Messiah, "The Lamb of GOD".
(John 1:29,36)
The Messiah, "The firstborn from among the dead".
(Col 1:18)
Once again: "In The Beginning" Our Father, "The
Only True GOD" spoke: "Let there be Light, and
there was Light"! The Messiah, "The Beginning of
the Creation of GOD", "the firstborn of every
creature(all creation)". (Gen 1:3, John 17:3,
Rev 3:14, Col 1:15)
Thanks Be To "Our Father"!
The Messiah, The Creation of "The Only True
GOD, Father of ALL"! (Rev 3:14)
The Messiah, "made so much better than the
angels"! (Heb 1:4)
The Messiah, "The Light of the world"!
(John 8:12, 9:5)
"The Lamb of GOD", "The Light of The New
Heavenly Jerusalem"! (Rev 21:22-23)
Paul experienced "The Light " on the road to
Damascus. "And it came to pass, that, as I
made my journey, and came near unto
Damascus about noontime, suddenly a great
Light from Heaven shone round about me.
And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice
saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why do you
persecute Me? And I answered, "Who are
You, Master"? And He said unto me, I am
Yehowshuwa'(Yahshua, Joshua) of Nazareth,
Whom you persecute. And they that were
with me saw The Light, and were afraid; but
they did not hear the voice of Him that spoke
to me. And I said, "What shall I do, Master"?
And He said unto me, arise and go into
Damascus, and there you shall be told all
things which are appointed for you to do.
And when I could not see for the glory of
that Light, I was led by the hand into
Damascus." (Acts 22:6-11)
Paul also testified, "At midday I saw in the
way a Light from Heaven, ABOVE THE
BRIGHTNESS OF THE SUN, shining round
about me and those who journeyed with me.
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I
heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying
in the HEBREW tongue, Saul, Saul, why do
you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick
against the pricks." (The Messiah could not
have told Paul, "I am jesus" for He spoke in
the "HEBREW tongue") (Acts 26:13-14)
Paul saw "The Light" that was The Messiah
and he was blinded(naturally, not Spiritually)
for a time. Now when The Messiah was in
the "likeness of sinful flesh", born as "the
Son of man", He could only reflect "The
Light", liken unto the moon which but reflects
the light of the natural sun.
"Let There Be Light"
The Messiah, "The Light of the world"!
And consider the natural light provided by the
sun, which was Created on the fourth day.
Does not the natural light of the sun reveal
outwardly, all the earthly, natural things?
Consider what happens when that which you
thought was clean is exposed to the light of
the sun? Is not the least outward particle of
uncleanness readily seen in the light of the
sun? And so it is with "The Light" that is The
Messiah. For His Life, "The Life", reveals
and exposes all the uncleanness in "our"
life, the life that is of "our" own creation,
which is the "I(ego, id)" in all of us, the
product of "our" own vain "imag"inations!
So it needs be that "The Light" penetrates
deeply, even into the innermost recesses
of the heart, "rightly dividing the soul and
spirit", exposing all the darkness that the
"I" in all of us did not want to "see"!
Yet for such a cleansing to begin one must
"experience The Messiah(The Light) and
The Power that raised Him from among the
dead"!(Php 3:10) Oh, there are many who
know of a "messiah", yet who has
experienced "The Light"? For "The Light"
was "The Beginning of Creation" both the
old, which was natural and earthly and The
New, which is of The Spirit and Heavenly.
Those who "love this world and it's things"
yet desire that which "decayed, waxed
old and vanished away" (Heb 8:13) They
are of those "whose 'god' is their belly,
and whose glory is in their shame, for
they mind earthly things". (Phlp 3:19)
Sadly, those who "love this world and it's
things" yet love darkness more than The
Light and they will abide in the darkness
they loved forever ;-( (1Jn2:15,Jn3:19-20)
Sadder yet, systems of religion that are of
this world, such as "catholicism", "christianity",
"judaism", "islam", etc., have so perverted
The Testimonies, that today, as in the two
thousand or so, years gone by, "The Way
of Truth is evil spoken of"! All because of
the theo'ry'logical, heretical doctrines that
are of men! And especially those
theo'ry'logical doctrines which seek to
define "The Only True GOD, Father of All".
(2Peter 2:1-2)
All such doctrines are but the product of
mankind's "imag"ination and mankind's
"imag"ination is destroying and perverting
Creation(land, air, water, creatures, Light,
Truth, Love, Peace, Joy, Hope, .etc.)
Yes, sadly ;-( Creation is being destroyed
by self-willed men who could care less
about that which is of The Truth(What Is,
Was, and always Will Be), and care even
less about those things which they can
not comprehend apart from their
"natural" senses and mental processes ;-(
And The Truth testifies, The Creator "will
destroy those who destroy the earth(HIS
Creation)"(Rev 11:18).
Sadly, in this wicked world, those who
seek profit will naturally overcome those
who do not ;-(
Yet, There Is Hope!
For The Life is of The Spirit!
And Miracles do happen!
And Faith rejoices against profit(greed)
and theo'ry'logy(logic)!
Hope is there would be those who experience
The Miracle that is receiving "a love of The
Truth" for they will "see" "The Light".
(2Thes 2:10, John 8:12, 9:5)
And they will receive peace, in spite of the
dis-ease(no-peace) that is of this world, for
they will clearly "see" that "The WHOLE
world is under the control of the evil one".
(1John 5:19) And they will clearly "see"
things as they are and not as "imag"inative,
world-loving humans would have others
believe them to be, for they will "see" The
Light that is The Messiah....... francisco
Whew, Elderchild! I thought Lightseeker had a lot to say.
Here’s a little something I had put together with Lightseeker in mind before the last most-lengthy entry.
************
There is a little light and then there is the great Light. The little light is what we receive when we eat the fruit in the Garden of Eden. ("There are two trees growing in Paradise . . . . Adam [ate] from the tree which bore animals." Gospel of Philip) It is the light of our self which can at times be so bright to ourselves that it totally detracts from any realization of the great Light. We are in a sense blinded by our self. “Self-realization” is a very intense experience but one can become totally deluded by it if one does not realize or understand that there is an incomparably greater Light who is the Maker of the self that we may come to realize. In this case, because of its obfuscating power, it is no more than a lucifer, that is, the morning star, a little light and nothing like the symbolic Sun that pursues us as we tend to flee from Him.
Jung made a little clarification, in reference to archetype and by extension to the imago dei, whose enormous relevance unfortunately too many Jungians have missed. “. . .When I say as a psychologist that God is an archetype, I mean by that the ‘type’ in the psyche. The word ‘type’ is, as we know, derived from [Greek] ‘blow’ or ‘imprint’; thus an archetype presupposes an imprinter.”
What is important to note is how easy it may be to confound the “imprint” with the Imprinter, the imago dei with the Dei Himself.
By Christian teaching and Scripture the only truly Perfect Man, the Son of God, says of Himself, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Although the Gospel of Philip appears rather orthodox in its sacramental practices and contains significant Christian instruction to be derived through both in concreto and symbolic—even cryptic—statements, it suffers from numerous gaps which some enjoy filling in with silly and sensationalistic ideas, e.g., Jesus kissing Mary “on her [lips or mouth],” and outright myths, e.g., Joseph having made the cross of Jesus. It appears to have also been considerably tampered with over the years into the late 3rd century and “the line of thought is rambling and disjointed.”
Blessings.
(That's my deletion above for typo problem.)
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