The Apocryphon of John (vegetarian): From the Gnostic Nag Hammadi Library, Part 1 of 2

The Nag Hammadi Library is a collection of early Christian and Gnostic manuscripts, also called codices, discovered in 1945, near the Upper Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi. The general dating of the books varies from the 2nd to the 4th century. The collection includes 13 ancient books containing over 50 spiritual texts. Let us now read from Codex II, “The Apocryphon of John” from the Nag Hammadi Library. “‘He is the invisible Spirit, of Whom it is not right to think of Him as a god, or something similar. For He is more than a god, since there is nothing above Him, for no one lords it over Him. For He does not exist in something inferior to Him, since everything exists in Him. For it is He Who establishes Himself. He is eternal, since He does not need anything. For He is total perfection. He did not lack anything, that He might be completed by it; rather He is always completely perfect in Light. He is illimitable, since there is no one prior to Him to set limits to Him. He is unsearchable, since there exists no one prior to Him to examine Him. He is immeasurable, since there was no one prior to Him to measure Him. He is invisible, since no one saw Him. He is eternal, since He exists eternally. He is ineffable, since no one was able to comprehend Him to speak about Him. He is unnamable, since there is no one prior to Him to give Him a name. “‘How am I to speak with you about Him? His aeon is indestructible, at rest and existing in silence, reposing (and) being prior to everything. For He is the Head of all the aeons, and it is He Who gives them strength in His goodness. For we know not the ineffable things, and we do not understand what is immeasurable, except for Him Who came forth from Him, namely (from) the Father. For it is He who told it to us alone. For it is He who looks at Himself in His Light which surrounds Him, namely the Spring of the water of Life. And it is He Who gives to all the aeons and in every way, (and) Who gazes upon His image which He sees in the Spring of the Spirit. It is He Who puts His desire in His Water-light which is in the Spring of the pure Light-water which surrounds Him.’”