(4) And he was taken from amongst the children of men, and we conducted" him into the Garden of Eden in majesty and honour, and behold there he wnteth down the condemnation and judgment of the world, and all the wickedness of the children of men.

Afterward he created an angelic assembly —thousands, myriads without number belong to it—that was like the assembly in the eighth heaven, and a first-born called Israel, that is, the one who sees god, and also another called Jesus Christ, who is like the savior above in the eighth heaven and who sits at his right upon an excellent throne. But at his left the virgin of the holy spirit sits upon a throne praising him. And the seven virgins stand before her, with thirty lyres and harps and trumpets in their hands, glorifying him. And all of the armies of angels glorify him and praise him. But he sits on a throne concealed by a great light-cloud. And there was no one with him in the cloud except Sophia, the daughter of Pistis, teaching him about all those that exist in the eighth heaven, so that the likeness of those might be created, in order that his kingdom might continue until the consummation of the heavens of chaos and their powers. Now, Pistis Sophia separated him from the darkness and summoned him to her right, but the chief creator she put at her left. Since that day right has been called justice, but left has been called injustice. Moreover, because of this they all received a realm in the assembly of justice, and injustice is set over all their creations.

(40) Even as God reproached Adam in the Garden of Eden, when he had put the outward Garment upon him, saying; Behold, Adam is become as one of us. All this Reproach [and Scorn] must the Man Christ take upon him; also all Torment and Misery into which Adam was fallen this Champion in the Battle must bear upon him before his heavenly Father, and there was the Lamb of God, and he hung upon the Cross as a patient Lamb in our Stead; for we should have been afflicted eternally in our Cross-Birth, and therefore there hung in great Patience (as an obedient Lamb for the Slaughter) the Prince of the eternal Life, and set himself before his Father, as if he himself was the Transgressor. The Gate of the great Secret.

(3) "It is I who opened the eternal gates that were shut from the beginning. To those who long for the best of life, and those who are worthy of rest, he revealed them. I granted perception to those who perceive. I disclosed to them all the thoughts and the teaching of the righteous ones. And I did not become their enemy at all. But when I had endured the wrath of the world, I was victorious. There was not one of them who knew me. The gates of fire and endless smoke opened against me. All the winds rose up against me. The thunderings and the lightning flashes for a time will rise up against me. And they will bring their wrath upon me. And on account of me, with regard to the flesh, they will rule over them according to their race.

(6) For the Son of Man clothed himself with their first-fruits; he went down to Hades and performed many mighty works. He raised the dead therein; and the world-rulers of darkness became envious of him, for they did not find sin in him. But he also destroyed their works from among men, so that the lame, the blind, the paralytic, the dumb, (and) the demon-possessed were granted healing. And he walked upon the waters of the sea. For this reason he destroyed his flesh from [...] which he [...]. And he became [...] salvation [...] his death ... ... (4 lines unrecoverable) ... everyone [...] how many they are! They are blind guides, like the disciples. They boarded the ship; at about thirty stadies, they saw Jesus walking on the sea. These are empty martyrs, since they bear witness only to themselves. And yet they are sick, and they are not able to raise themselves.

(7) And the Lord destroyed everything from off the face of the earth ; because , of the wickedness of their deeds, and because of the blood which they had shed in the midst of the earth He destroyed everything.

(1) He caused and produced Beth, predominant in wisdom, crowned, combined, and formed the Moon in the Universe, the first day of the week, and the right eye, of man.

The son appeared, informing them of the father, the illimitable one. He inspired them with that which is in the mind, while doing his will. Many received the light and turned toward him. But material people were alien to him and did not discern his appearance nor recognize him. For he came in the likeness of flesh and nothing blocked his way because what is incorruptible is irresistible. Moreover, while saying new things, speaking about what is in the heart of the father, he proclaimed the faultless word. Light spoke through his mouth, and his voice brought forth life. He gave them thought and understanding and mercy and salvation, and the spirit of strength derived from the infinity and sweetness of the father. He caused punishments and scourgings to cease, for it was they that caused many in need of mercy to stray from him in error and in chains—and he mightily destroyed them and derided them with knowledge. He became a path for those who went astray and knowledge for those who were ignorant, a discovery for those who sought, and a support for those who tremble, a purity for those who were defiled.

(46) And he died and all his brethren and all that generation.

(32) And He said unto him again : "I am the Lord who created the heaven and the earth, and I shall increase thee and multiply thee exceedingly, and kings will come forth from thee, and they will judge everywhere wherever the foot of the sons of men hath trodden.

(24) For though he ascend unto heaven, Thence will he be brought down, And though he make himself strong on earth, Thertce will he be dragged forth, And though he hide himself amongst the nations, Even from thence will he be rooted out ; And though he descend into Sheol, There also will his condemnation be great, And there also he will have no peace.

(13) After this Manner you may understand how he destroyed Death, by the Springing of the eternal Life in the Deity through Death; and you may understand how the new Body in the Love of God holds the eternal Source of the Anger captive, for the Love is the Prison [of the Anger,] for the Source of the Anger cannot enter into the Love, but continues only by itself, as it was from Eternity, and therein the Devils are imprisoned; for the Light of God strikes them down, they neither can nor dare behold that Light in Eternity; a Principle is between; for the Love springs forth in the Center of the Soul, and therein the Holy Trinity appears, [or shines.]

(55) Who, by his proud elevation in his kingdom, kindled the qualities or the divine Salitter out of which he was made; ["Understand the centre of his nature, or the first Principle;"] and set it on fire.

(46) But now we must not think, that the holy Man in Christ died, for that died not; but the mortal [Man] from the Kingdom of this World [is that which died,] that [was it which] cried (on the Cross) My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me! And we see very clearly the great Might [and Power] of the holy Man in Christ, when the Mortal (which was taken from this World) went into Death, how the holy almighty [Man] wrestled with Death, insomuch that the Elements shaked with it, and the Sun (which is the Light of the Nature of this World) lost its Splendor, as if it were then to perish; and then the living Champion in Christ fought with the Anger, and stood in the Hell of the Anger of God, and loosed the Soul (which he commended into his Father's Hands) quite off from the Anger of God, also from the Source [or Torment] of Hell; and this was that which David said; Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell, nor permit thy holy [one] to perish.

(5) And He said : " I shall destroy man and all flesh upon the face of the earth which I have created."

(62) But seeing he elevated and kindled himself against the right of the Deity, thereupon the sharp birth in the body of the Father rose up against him, and took him, as an angry son, prisoner or captive in the sharpest birth, and therein now is his eternal dominion.

(2) By not enduring on the power that wills Curb for his good, that man who ne'er was born, Damning himself damned all his progeny; Whereby the human species down below Lay sick for many centuries in great error, Till to descend it pleased the Word of God To where the nature, which from its own Maker Estranged itself, he joined to him in person By the sole act of his eternal love. Now unto what is said direct thy sight; This nature when united to its Maker, Such as created, was sincere and good; But by itself alone was banished forth From Paradise, because it turned aside Out of the way of truth and of its life. Therefore the penalty the cross held out, If measured by the nature thus assumed, None ever yet with so great justice stung, And none was ever of so great injustice, Considering who the Person was that suffered, Within whom such a nature was contracted. From one act therefore issued things diverse; To God and to the Jews one death was pleasing; Earth trembled at it and the Heaven was opened.

(39) When he now had undergone all the Reproach and Sufferings, he said on the Cross, It is finished; while he yet lived in the earthly Body, he said it was finished; understand all that should have remained upon us eternally, and should have sprung up in us, with all the Ignominy in which he stood before Hell and the Kingdom of Heaven, he had all that laid upon him; concerning which Isaiah says, Surely, he bore our Infirmities, and took upon him our Transgressions; yet we held him as one smitten of God, tormented, and afflicted, but he took upon him our Diseases, and all our Miseries were laid upon him, and through his Wounds we are healed; we all went astray like Sheep, every one has looked upon his own Way; and yet we could not help ourselves, but we went as miserable half-slain Sheep, and we must let the Devil (in the Anger of God) do with us what he will; for we bear on us a monstrous Garment, and stand in great Ignominy before Heaven and Hell.

(10) And he prayed before the Lord his God, and said : " God of the spirits of all flesh, who hast shown mercy unto me, And hast saved me and my sons from the waters of the flood, And hast not caused me to perish as Thou didst the sons of perdition ; * For Thy grace hath been great towards me, And great hath been Thy mercy to my soul ; Let Thy grace be lift up upon my sons, And let not wicked spirits rule over them Lest they should destroy them from the earth.

(58) He suffered himself to be accounted one that had a Devil, and a Sorcerer, Seducer, and Deceiver, as if he would have set up an imperial Crown for himself, as the High-Priests laid to his Charge; he suffered himself to be mocked, scourged, spit upon, and smitten on the Face; he suffered a false Crown of Thorns to be set upon his Head; and as we proceed against one another, and vex one another with Falshood and Malice upon Earth, where the Potent does what he lists, to satisfy his Anger; and as we revile, deride, mock, vilify, and send one another to the Devil, to deprive one another of their Credit and Reputation through Falshood, so must Christ therefore take all this upon him,