**Gnosis and the Myth: A Valentinian Perspective**
Unlike many religious traditions that project eschatological fulfillment into the afterlife or an apocalyptic future, Valentinian thought emphasizes the realization of salvation in the present. Those who attain *gnosis* (knowledge) experience a restoration to Fullness (*pleroma*) here and now, through visionary encounters and ritual participation. The early church father Irenaeus, an opponent of the Valentinians, expresses astonishment at their claims that they were already "in the heights beyond every power" (*Against Heresies* 1:13:6) and "neither in heaven nor on earth, but have passed within the Fullness and have already embraced their angel" (*Against Heresies* 3:15:2). These statements reflect the way the Valentinians internalized eschatology, understanding *gnosis* itself as the fulfillment of the eschatological myth.
### The Resurrection as Spiritual Rebirth
Attaining *gnosis* was regarded as a form of spiritual rebirth, echoing the words of Jesus in John 3:6-7. It was seen as the true resurrection from the dead—not from physical death, but from the death of ignorance. Through *gnosis*, the believer was said to share in the resurrection of Christ (*Treatise on the Resurrection* 45:23-27). Unlike orthodox teachings, which place resurrection in a future, postmortem event, Valentinian sources insist that it must be experienced in the present (*Gospel of Philip* 56:18-19; *Treatise on the Resurrection* 49:9-35; cf. Romans 6:4). As the *Gospel of Philip* states, “People who believe they will die first and then rise up are mistaken. If they do not first receive resurrection while they are alive, once they have died, they will receive nothing” (*Gospel of Philip* 73:1-5).
Baptism, in particular, was understood as a symbolic participation in the death and resurrection of Christ (*Gospel of Philip* 67:9-19, 69:25-26, 73:1-7). Through immersion, the old, sinful person was put to death, and the new, spiritual person emerged (*Valentinian Exposition* 41:21-22; *Against Heresies* 1:21:2; *Gospel of Philip* 75:21-24). The anointing that accompanied baptism signified "restoration," marking the initiate’s renunciation of the physical world (*Against Heresies* 1:21:3). As one liturgical text describes it, baptism is the “descent into the water, which is the upward progression—our exodus into the Aeon” (*On the Baptism A*), signifying the transition from the created world into the Fullness (*On the Baptism B*).
### Resurrection and Ascension
Resurrection was closely linked with ascension. The *Exegesis on the Soul* states, “It is fitting that the soul regenerate herself and become again as she formerly was… This is the resurrection that is from the dead. This is the upward journey of ascent to heaven” (134:6-14). Just as the believer participated in Christ’s resurrection, they also shared in His ascension: “We have suffered with him, arisen with him, and ascended with him” (*Treatise on the Resurrection* 45:23-27).
The ultimate goal was to ascend beyond the material world, past the domain of the Demiurge, into the Eighth Heaven. Theodotus writes, “He to whom Christ gives second birth is translated into life, into the Eighth” (*Excerpts of Theodotus* 80:1). Valentinian initiation rites included prayers for this ascension, in which the initiate renounced the authority of the Demiurge and the lower cosmic powers (*Against Heresies* 1:21:5; cf. *First Apocalypse of James* 32:29-36:1).
According to Merkur (1993), ascension was not merely a metaphor for transcendence but a genuine visionary experience. The *Apocryphon of James* describes one such event:
> “We knelt down, I and Peter, and gave thanks, and sent our hearts up to heaven. We heard with our ears and saw with our eyes the sound of wars and a trumpet call and a great commotion. And when we passed beyond that place, we sent our minds up further. And we saw with our eyes and heard with our ears hymns and angelic praises and angelic jubilation…” (*Apocryphon of James* 15:6-25).
Visions of the risen Christ were also common among Valentinian teachers. Valentinus himself claimed to have seen Christ in the form of a small child (*Valentinus Fragment* 7/A), while his disciple Marcus described a vision of Christ as a woman (*Against Heresies* 1:14:1).
### Entering the Fullness
For the Valentinians, *gnosis* led to a state in which one was "neither in heaven nor on earth" (*Against Heresies* 3:15:2). This reflects their theological framework, in which the lower heavens were associated with the realm of the soul, while the Eighth Heaven belonged to the spirit. The gnostic, having transcended both, attained spiritual perfection while still in the flesh. The *Gospel of Philip* describes this state: “Whoever ‘leaves the world’ will no longer be restrained as though in the world. This person is obviously above desire” (*Gospel of Philip* 65:27-30).
This restoration to Fullness was accompanied by great exultation. The *Apocryphon of James* depicts the visionary joining the heavenly beings in praise:
> “We saw with our eyes and heard with our ears hymns and angelic praises and angelic jubilation. And heavenly majesties were hymning, and we ourselves were jubilant…” (15:15-23).
Participation in the *eucharist* was understood as a foretaste of this reality. It was the “wedding-feast” of the saved (*Excerpts of Theodotus* 63:1), held on Sunday, the "eighth day," signifying entry into the Eighth Heaven. The eucharistic bread was identified with Jesus (*Gospel of Philip* 63:1), while the wine was seen as filled with grace and the Holy Spirit (*Against Heresies* 1:13:2; *Gospel of Philip* 75:17-18).
### The Transformation of Reality
Valentinians saw *gnosis* as a means of purging oneself of ignorance (identified with matter) and bringing about the dissolution of the material world. The *Gospel of Truth* states, “Since deficiency came into being when the Father was unknown, therefore when the Father is known, from that moment on, the deficiency will no longer exist” (*Gospel of Truth* 24:28-32). Similarly, Valentinus writes, “Within knowledge (*gnosis*) one will purify himself from multiplicity into Unity, consuming matter (*ignorance*) within himself like a fire” (*Gospel of Truth* 25:10-20).
For the gnostic, “the world has already become the eternal realm” (*Gospel of Philip* 86:11-14). This is what scholars call “realized eschatology,” the idea that the end of the world is not a future event but a present transformation of perception. As Dawson (1992) notes, in Valentinian thought, “the apocalypse now takes place, not in history, but in the mind.”
### Conclusion
The Valentinian myth of fall and restoration serves as a metaphorical description of the *gnostic* experience (*Gospel of Philip* 67:9-12). While it may not be literally true, Valentinians insisted that it described something more real than ordinary reality. As the *Treatise on the Resurrection* declares, “Do not suppose that the resurrection is an illusion. It is not an illusion; rather, it is something real… One ought to maintain that the world is an illusion, rather than resurrection” (*Treatise on the Resurrection* 48:12-17). Through *gnosis*, the believer experiences redemption in the present, realizing the Fullness within.
No comments:
Post a Comment