The Hierarchy of the Pleroma

The Hierarchy of the Pleroma

Or

The Hierarchy of the Aeons

**The Hierarchy of the Pleroma: A Structure of Divine Manifestation in the *Tripartite Tractate***

The *Tripartite Tractate*, a foundational Valentinian Gnostic text from the *Nag Hammadi Library*, offers a rich theological vision of the Pleroma—the divine Fullness—as a living hierarchy of Aeons emanating from the ineffable Father through the mediation of the Son. This hierarchy is not rigid but dynamic, formed through the interplay of divine thought, word, and spiritual generation. The text portrays the Pleroma as the realm of the incorruptible, where the Aeons exist in ordered harmony, manifesting the intentions and purposes of the Father.

> “For they are ineffable, unnamable, and inconceivable. Only they are able to name themselves in order to conceive of themselves.” (*Tripartite Tractate* 60,1–6)

At the highest level stands the **unborn, unnamable Father**, whose nature transcends comprehension. He is not one being among others but the source of all being, described in absolute terms of ineffability and unknowability. He is not rooted in creation and cannot be grasped by thought or word. His very nature defies articulation. He is the invisible Depth (*Bythos*), the primal source who holds within himself the All in a hidden form.

The text affirms that:

> “The All… existed eternally in the Father’s Thought… while they were in the hidden depth—the Depth himself certainly knew them, but they… were incapable of knowing the depth in which they found themselves.” (*Tripartite Tractate* 60,31–61,4)

From this primal Depth emerged the divine hierarchy. Initially, the Aeons existed in a seminal state—likened to seeds or embryos—contained within the Father’s mind. Though not yet distinct, they were real and present, awaiting a moment of manifestation.

The Father, desiring that they come into their own existence—not merely in his thought but also as beings-for-themselves—initiates the process of emanation by **sowing a seed**, a thought that enables the Aeons to come to self-awareness.

> “He sowed a thought as a seed… that they might understand what kind of Father they have.” (*Tripartite Tractate* 61,31–62,3)

**The Son** emerges from this divine initiative as the **first-begotten**, the one who reveals the Father and brings the Aeons into self-consciousness. He is described as “the full and faultlessly perfect one,” the light and voice through whom the Aeons receive both name and knowledge.

> “That which he now made to rise like a light… that by which they are given a name, that is the Son.” (*Tripartite Tractate* 62,33–63,3)

This Son is not a separate entity but the manifest face of the Father—“the body of the incorporeal, the form of the formless, the word of the inexpressible” (66,5–67,1). He is the mediator through whom the Father makes himself known, yet he remains united with the Depth from which he emerges.

From the Son emanates a complex hierarchy of **Aeons**, divine attributes or personified realities that exist in harmonious pairs and spiritual generations. They do not produce through biological means but through **spiritual faculties**—mind and word, thought and will. The Aeons replicate the mode of their origin, expressing the divine in a pattern of mutual glorification and contemplative emanation.

> “Just as the marvels of silence are eternal births—births of mind—so also the faculties of the word are spiritual emissions… minds and spiritual births for the glory of the Father.” (*Tripartite Tractate* 63,29–64,7)

The ability of the Aeons to procreate reflects the perfection of the Pleroma. Each Aeon is an expression of divine energy—wisdom, strength, life, unity—manifested through spiritual song, knowledge, and contemplation. They give birth not by effort but by simply willing, thinking, and glorifying.

This hierarchy is not static. The Father does not grant perfection at once:

> “He withheld the perfection for a time… in order that the Aeons should not receive their perfection from the beginning and thereby exalt themselves… as equal to the Father.” (*Tripartite Tractate* 62,6–18)

Perfection is reserved, not from jealousy, but to preserve humility and dependence upon the Father. Through this delay, the Aeons grow and mature, ultimately receiving perfection as a gift rather than as an innate possession.

At the heart of the hierarchy is **the distinction between the Father and the Son**, though they are deeply united. The Father remains utterly transcendent—so much so that even the highest Aeon would perish if exposed directly to his full majesty.

> “Even the highest of the Aeons… would have perished.” (*Tripartite Tractate* 64,28–65,4)

Yet through the Son, the Father extends himself and provides structure, nourishment, and illumination. The Son becomes the **dwelling place of the All**, the one in whom the many are gathered and sustained.

Finally, the Son embodies all the names of the Father in a way that is truthful and without deception:

> “He is all these names without falsehood… the form of the formless, the body of the incorporeal, the face of the invisible, the word of the inexpressible…” (*Tripartite Tractate* 66,5–67,34)

Thus, the **Hierarchy of the Pleroma** reflects a movement from ineffable unity to structured multiplicity, always grounded in divine love and mutual glorification. The Aeons are not gods apart from the Father, but expressions of his fullness, arranged in a living, spiritual order through the mediation of the Son. Each Aeon contributes to the ongoing revelation of the Father, and together they form the harmonious Totality that is the Pleroma.

Sure! Here's a continuation and conclusion of your document titled **"The Hierarchy of the Pleroma: A Structure of Divine Manifestation in the Tripartite Tractate"**, beginning at *Tripartite Tractate* 68,36 and completing through 74,18, as you requested.

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# The Hierarchy of the Pleroma: A Structure of Divine Manifestation in the *Tripartite Tractate*

*Continuation from 68,36 to 74,18*

### The Three Fruits of Glorification (68,36–70,19)

The *Tripartite Tractate* continues its exploration of divine structure by describing a triadic glorification process that arises from the Aeons—divine emanations—each bearing fruit in harmony with the Father. This glorification unfolds in three progressive stages:

> "This, then, was a tribute from the aeons to the one who had brought forth the All, a firstfruit offering of those who are immortal and eternal" (*Tractate* 69).

The first glorification stems directly from the Aeons to the Father—immortal beings giving glory in fullness and communion. This reciprocal glorification causes them to become "perfect and full," mirroring their source, the perfect and full Father.

The second glorification emerges from the Father's own response. The glorification He receives is returned, manifesting again in the Aeons:

> “He returns the glory they give to those who glorify him, so as to make them manifest by what he himself is.”

The third glorification arises through the Aeons’ own free will, individually and collectively, exercising their divine power to offer unique and unified praise:

> “They became fathers of the third glorification… enabling them to give glory in unison while at the same time independently of one another, according to the will of each.”

These glorifications are layered expressions of divine perfection, flowing from the One Who Is, through the Aeons, and back again, each manifestation reinforcing the fullness (*Pleroma*).

> “For this reason they exist as minds over minds, words over words, superiors over superiors, degrees over degrees…”

Each Aeon thus occupies a particular station or rank in this sacred order, contributing to the glorification of the Father according to its capacity.

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### The Harmony of the Aeons (70,19–71,7)

This divine structure is not chaotic but harmonious. The Aeons emit offspring through mutual help:

> “They give birth by way of mutual help, and their emissions are unlimited and immeasurable.”

There is no envy or rivalry in the Pleroma. The Father delights in these emissions because they express His own image:

> “Whomever he desires to make a father—he himself is their Father; or a god—he himself is their God.”

Even earthly angels and rulers may bear names like those in the Pleroma, but they lack the eternal substance. Only those within the Fullness share the true likeness and origin of the Father.

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### The Aeons’ Search for the Father (71,7–35)

Despite this order, the Aeons do not fully comprehend the Father:

> “Although the Father does reveal himself, he did not want them to know him from eternity, but he presented himself as something to be reflected upon and sought after…”

The Father remains inscrutable by choice, a mystery to inspire reverent longing. He plants within them "faith and prayer," "hope," and "a fertile love," guiding them toward Himself. Their journey is one of loving yearning, not possession.

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### The Spirit as Divine Guide (71,35–73,18)

The Spirit—the Father’s Will—breathes into the Aeons as a fragrance that causes them to seek its origin:

> “Just as somebody is moved by a fragrance to seek the source of that fragrance…”

Through this divine fragrance, the Aeons are drawn to unity and mutual support. They are silently transformed, contemplating the Father without speaking, because His form is ineffable:

> “He manifested \[himself], though he cannot be spoken... the aeons keep silent about the way the Father exists in his form, his nature, and his greatness.”

Still, through the Spirit, they are empowered to understand:

> “Through his Spirit, which is the trace by which he may be sought, he gives himself to them to be thought and spoken.”

Each Aeon is, therefore, a name—a distinct quality—of the Father. While the Father is One, He is also many through these qualities:

> “The Father is a single Name because he is One, but nevertheless innumerable in his qualities and names.”

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### The Nature of the Emission (73,18–74,18)

The final section of this passage contemplates the nature of the emission of the Aeons. Their origin is not separation but expansion:

> “Their birth has the form of a spreading out, by which the Father spreads himself out into that which he wishes…”

This extension mirrors the division of time: a single aeon divided like years into seasons, days into moments—each part preserving unity:

> “The true aeon also is single yet multiple, being glorified by small as well as by great names according to what each is able to comprehend.”

The metaphors are striking—spring to river, root to tree, body to limbs. The Pleroma, like a living body, expresses itself in diversity, yet retains wholeness. The Father emanates through each Aeon, great or small, in the form of glorification appropriate to their station and comprehension.

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### Conclusion: A Divine Ecology of Order and Freedom

In this rich tapestry from *Tripartite Tractate* 68–74, we witness the cosmic choreography of the Pleroma. The Father, though One and unknowable in His essence, manifests through the Aeons in an ever-deepening circle of glorification. Each Aeon, operating in freedom and harmony, participates in the divine fullness by manifesting what they receive.

This divine hierarchy is not about power but about love, mutual recognition, and the eternal movement toward the ineffable One. The Aeons glorify the Father, and the Father glorifies them in return, creating an eternal cycle of perfect manifestation.

As the *Tripartite Tractate* affirms, the Pleroma is not divided but fully united, a divine order of indivisible parts eternally seeking, revealing, and reflecting the glory of *The One Who Is*.

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**The Names of the Aeons in Relationship to the Hierarchy of the Pleroma**

> “Each of the aeons is a name corresponding to each of the Father’s qualities and powers. Since he exists in many names, it is by mingling and through mutual harmony that they are able to speak of him, by means of a richness of speech… Thus, the Father is a single Name because he is One, but nevertheless innumerable in his qualities and names.”

> — *The Tripartite Tractate* (73:5–74:1)

In the Valentinian cosmology, the Pleroma is a structured realm of divine emanations. These emanations, known as *Aeons*, are not independent beings but the expressive attributes and powers of the One Who Is, the incomprehensible and unnamable Father. The *Tripartite Tractate* describes how these Aeons are not separate in substance from the Father but are “the members of the All,” born through a process of divine manifestation rather than division:

> “The emission of the members of the All that comes from the One Who Is has not taken place by way of a division… their birth has the form of a spreading out, by which the Father spreads himself out into that which he wishes” (*Tripartite Tractate* 73:18–74:18).

### The First Four Aeons: Emanations from the Father

The structure of the Pleroma begins with the first four Aeons, who directly emanate from the Father. These four form the foundational hierarchy of divine manifestation and embody the core aspects of the Father’s identity and emanative force.

1. **Bythos** (*Depth*, also “the One Who Is”) — the source of all existence, the unbegotten origin beyond comprehension.

2. **Sige** (*Silence*, also known as *Charis*, *Ennoia*) — the hidden stillness and receptive potential of the divine will.

3. **Nous** (*Mind*) — the first-born of Bythos and Sige, the thinking faculty through which all subsequent Aeons proceed.

4. **Aletheia** (*Truth*) — paired with Nous, she reveals the hidden character of the divine source.

These four, referred to as the *Tetrad*, are the root of the Pleroma. From Nous and Aletheia, the rest of the Aeons emanate.

> “He is all these names without falsehood… the word of the inexpressible, the mind of the inconceivable, the spring that flowed from him, the root of those who have been rooted…” (*Tripartite Tractate* 66:5–67:10).

### The Remaining Aeons: Emanations from the Son

According to the Valentinian tradition, the Son is “the Name and the Names of the Father” (*Tripartite Tractate* 66:5–67:34). From the Son emanate twenty-six additional Aeons, revealing the Father's many attributes. These unfold in complementary male-female pairs, expressing both initiation and manifestation, unity and harmony.

**Third Generation (from Nous and Aletheia):**

5\. **Logos** (*Word*)

6\. **Zoe** (*Life*)

**Fourth Generation (from Logos and Zoe):**

7\. **Anthropos** (*Man*)

8\. **Ecclesia** (*Church*)

> “While all the members of the All exist in the single one… he is entirely himself forever; he is each and every one of the members of the All eternally at the same time.” (*Tripartite Tractate* 67:1–10)

**Fifth Generation — Two streams of Aeons:**

**From Logos and Zoe:**

9\. **Bythios** (*Profound*)

10\. **Mixis** (*Mixture*)

11\. **Ageratos** (*Never old*)

12\. **Henosis** (*Union*)

13\. **Autophyes** (*Essential Nature*)

14\. **Hedone** (*Pleasure*)

15\. **Acinetos** (*Immovable*)

16\. **Syncrasis** (*Commixture*)

17\. **Monogenes** (*Only-begotten*)

18\. **Macaria** (*Happiness*)

**From Anthropos and Ecclesia:**

19\. **Paracletus** (*Comforter*)

20\. **Pistis** (*Faith*)

21\. **Patricas** (*Paternal*)

22\. **Elpis** (*Hope*)

23\. **Metricos** (*Maternal*)

24\. **Agape** (*Love*)

25\. **Ainos** (*Praise*)

26\. **Synesis** (*Intelligence*)

27\. **Ecclesiasticus** (*Son of Ecclesia*)

28\. **Macariotes** (*Blessedness*)

29\. **Theletus** (*Perfect*)

30\. **Sophia** (*Wisdom*)

These Aeons, though spoken of with distinct names, are never divided from the One. Their unity is emphasized repeatedly:

> “He is not divided as a body, nor is he split apart by the names in which he exists… Rather, he is entirely himself forever.” (*Tripartite Tractate* 67:5–10)

Just as a spring remains one even when it flows into various streams, or a root is still one as it branches into limbs, so the Father remains One while emanating into the Aeons. The hierarchy is not one of subordination but of participation and mutual glorification:

> “They exist as minds over minds, words over words, superiors over superiors, degrees over degrees… each has his own station, rank, dwelling place, and place of rest, which is the glorification he brings forth.” (*Tripartite Tractate* 70:5–15)

### The Aeons as the Father's Names

The Aeons are not independent deities or cosmic beings; they are the Father’s **names**, that is, his attributes revealed in relational form. The Son contains all of these names and reveals them, not by change, but by the Father’s will to be known in multiplicity:

> “The Father is a single Name… but nevertheless innumerable in his qualities and names.” (*Tripartite Tractate* 73:5–10)

> “When they speak, they are all in the one single Name; and if he brings them forth, it is in order that they may be found to exist as individual qualities forming a unity.” (*Tripartite Tractate* 72:15–20)

Thus, the hierarchy of the Pleroma is not a structure of ascending ranks of divine beings, but a harmonic arrangement of divine attributes. These attributes form the fullness (*pleroma*) of the divine nature, revealed in the Son, and made known to the Aeons, who glorify the Father as they return to their source in unity.

In this way, the Aeons are the visible names of the invisible, and their number, thirty, corresponds to the richness of divine speech, each one a reflection of the Father’s power, will, and wisdom.