The Apocryphon of John (vegetarian): From the Gnostic Nag Hammadi Library, Part 2 of 2

Today, we will continue with the fascinating reading from Codex II, “The Apocryphon of John” from the Nag Hammadi Library. “‘And His thought performed a deed and She came forth, namely She Who had appeared before Him in the shine of His Light. This is the first power which was before all of them (and) which came forth from His Mind. She is the forethought of the All – Her light shines like His Light – the perfect power which is the image of the invisible, virginal Spirit Who is perfect. The first power, the glory of Barbelo (the first entity arisen from God), the perfect glory in the aeons, the glory of the revelation, She glorified the virginal Spirit and it was She Who praised Him, because thanks to Him She had come forth. This is the first thought, His image; She became the womb of everything, for it is She Who is prior to them all, the Mother-Father, the first man, the holy Spirit, the thrice-male, the thrice-powerful, the thrice named androgynous one, and the eternal aeon among the invisible ones, and the first to come forth.” “‘This is the pentad of the aeons of the Father, which is the first man, the image of the invisible Spirit; it is the forethought, which Barbelo, and the thought, and the foreknowledge, and the indestructibility, and the eternal life, and the truth. This is the androgynous pentad of the aeons, which is the decade of the aeons, which is the Father.’ ‘And He looked at Barbelo with the pure Light which surrounds the invisible Spirit, and (with) His spark, and She conceived from Him. He begot a spark of light with a light resembling blessedness. But it does not equal His greatness. This was an only-begotten child of the Mother-Father which had come forth; it is the only offspring, the only-begotten One of the Father, the pure Light.” “‘And from the foreknowledge of the perfect mind, through the revelation of the will of the invisible Spirit and the will of the Autogenes, the perfect Man (appeared), the first Revelation, and the Truth. It is He (Adam) Whom the virginal Spirit called Pigera-Adamas, and He placed Him over the first aeon with the Mighty One, the Autogenes, the Christ, by the first light (angel) Armozel; and with Him are His powers. And the invisible One gave Him a spiritual, invincible power. And He spoke and glorified and praised the invisible Spirit, saying, ‘It is for Thy sake that everything has come into being and everything will return to Thee. I shall praise and glorify Thee and the Autogenes and the aeons, the three: the Father, the Mother, and the Son, the perfect power.’”