Joy and Redemption The Gospel of Truth

The Gospel of Truth

Ode 8:8 Hear the word of truth, and receive the knowledge of the Most High.

In some texts the first sentence contains the total substance of the work in a nutshell. this is certainly true of the prologue to the gospel of truth where we find the great central concepts which will subsequently be elaborated 

The gospel of truth is joy to those who have received from the Father of truth the gift of knowing him by the power of the Logos, who has come from the Pleroma and who is in the thought and the mind of the Father; he it is who is called "the Savior," since that is the name of the work which he must do for the redemption of those who have not known the Father. For the name of the gospel is the manifestation of hope, since that is the discovery of those who seek him, because the All sought him from whom it had come forth. You see, the All had been inside of him, that illimitable, inconceivable one, who is better than every thought.

those of the middle

The "all" is used collectively of the body of Christ the church, here in the Gospel of Truth I think the term is first used for the nation of Israel and secondly for the believers 

In the "All" there is a group called "those of the middle" it is the same group of people described as "those who have not known the Father" it is this group which can be deceived and taken captive which needs redemption. 

Joy

He was nailed to a tree.  He became a fruit of the knowledge of the father. He did not, however, destroy them because they ate of it. He rather caused those who ate of it to be joyful because of this discovery.

This fruit eternally will be at hand, providing insight, reunion and joy for those who eat it.

the fruit that brought joy is the crucified Jesus

those who eat the fruit that Jesus became are filled with joy.

Truth's good news generates joy in those who have received from the father the gift of knowing him.

1. To the blessed ones the joy is from their heart, and light from Him who dwells in them;
2. And the Word of truth who is self-originate,
3. Because He has been strengthened by the Holy Power of the Most High; and He is unshaken for ever and ever.
   Hallelujah.

Redemption 

Redemption is a Jewish and Christian technical team meaning to buy back it is linked to the word ransom

In modern usage, if you are ransomed it means that you have been captured and imprisoned as a hostage and that someone has paid to have you released.

In the gospel of truth the words "captive" " in chains" or "in bonds" is used to describe "those of the middle" who can be enticed and beguiled. These people are captured by Error into ignorance by means of fears and forgetfulnesses:

(The Gospel of Truth) She was preparing works and forgetfulnesses and fears in order, by these means, to beguile those of the middle  and to make them captive.

(The Gospel of Truth) Having made punishments and tortures cease - for it was they which were leading astray from his face some who were in need of mercy, in error and in bonds - he both destroyed them with power and confounded them with knowledge. 

Jesus quotes from Isaiah 61:1, 2, applying it to himself as sent by the Father “to preach a release to the captives and a recovery of sight to the blind.” (Lu 4:16-21) 

Eph 4:8;  Wherefore he says: “When he ascended on high he carried away captives; he gave gifts [in] men

Christ led a host of captives out of the bondage of spiritual Egypt

2Cor 10:5 For we are overturning reasonings and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God; and we are bringing every thought into captivity to make it obedient to the Christ

“If anyone is meant for captivity, he goes away into captivity.”—Re 13:10

captivity is a state of bondage to mental confusion


The release or the ransom to escape the captive of Error is knowledge people are redeemed by knowledge

Redemption means the transformation of ignorance into knowledge this is what the gospel is about  

Col 3:10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,

The inner, spiritual man is redeemed through knowledge, and it suffices to have knowledge of all things: this is the true redemption

Therefore knowledge is the redemption of the inner man. 

knowledge is the means of achieving redemption 

discovery of those who seek him

The last words of the prologue speak about discovery and seeking or searching "since it is the discovery for those who are searching for him"