Pistis Sophia

Pistis Sophia — G. R. S. Mead — Section 1

Pip 'US: 1;" ! i II ill' ;l II M !i nil II !l: !l 1 ' "^ ; ^ i I Iliill Jill iiil': Hi lit ■I I'liil'lUili'-' LOS ANGbLt'^ PISTIS^SOPHIA «^ A GNOSTIC GOSPEL (WITH EXTEACTS FKOM THE BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUE APPENDED) OEIGINALLY TEAN SLATED FEOM GEEEK INTO COPTIC AND NOW FOE THE FIEST TIME ENGLISHED FEOM SCHWAETZE'S LATIN VEE- SION OF THE ONLY KNOWN COPTIC MS. AND CHECKED BY AMELINEAU'S FEENCH VEESION WITH AN INTEODUCTION BY G. E. S. MEAD B.A. M.E.A.S. London The Theosophical Publishing Society 26 Charing Cross, S.W. New Yoek: The Theosophical Publishing Society, 65 Fifth Avenue Benares : The Theosophical Publishing Society Madras: "The Theosophist" Office, Adyar 1896 ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY PRESS TABLE OF SUMMAEIES. INTRODUCTION. The documents and general literature of Gnosticism The method of the best Gnostic doctors . Description and criticism of the MS. General analysis of contents .... The date and authorship of the Greek original The Books of the Saviour The probable history of the treatise . The translator's apologia ..... The work that has been previously done . PAGE xvii xxiii XXV xxix XXX xxxi xxxiii XXXV xxxvi THE FIRST BOOK OF PISTIS SOPHIA. Jesus hitherto instructeth his disciples only up to the region of the first mystery What the first mystery surroundeth The regions of the great invisible The treasure of light .... The light-world Jesus and his disciples are seated on the Mount of Olives A great light-stream descendeth on Jesus It surroundeth him entirely Jesus ascendeth into heaven The confusion of the powers and the great earthquake The dismay of the disciples Jesus descendeth again The nature of his glory Jesus addresseth them ...... He draweth his light unto himself .... He promiseth to tell them all things How the vesture of light was sent unto him . Of the souls of the disciples and their incarnation . Of the incarnation of John the Baptist . That John was Elias in a former birth . 9 10 11 12 209402 1 IV CONTENTS. Of his own incarnation through Mary More concerning the light-powers in the disciples Why they should rejoice that the time of his investiture had