Gnostic View of Partial Inspiration

 Gnostic View of Partial Inspiration

The Valentinian Letter to Flora provides one of the clearest early examples of what can be called a doctrine of partial inspiration. Rather than treating the Law of Moses as a single, perfectly inspired revelation, the author argues that the Law contains elements from multiple sources and must be critically examined to understand its origin and authority. The letter opens by acknowledging confusion surrounding the Law:

“The Law was ordained through Moses, my dear sister Flora, has not been understood by many persons, who have accurate knowledge neither of him who ordained it nor of its commandments.”

Two opposing explanations are then rejected. Some claim the Law came directly from the highest God, while others attribute it to an evil power:

“Some say that it is legislation given by God the Father; others, taking the contrary course, maintain stubbornly that it was ordained by the opposite, the Devil who causes destruction… Both are completely in error; they refute each other and neither has reached the truth of the matter.”

The letter argues that the Law cannot come entirely from the perfect Father because parts of it are imperfect:

“For it is evident that the Law was not ordained by the perfect God the Father, for it is secondary, being imperfect and in need of completion by another…”

At the same time, it cannot come from an evil source because the Law also contains justice and order. The writer therefore proposes a middle explanation: the Law originates from a just but intermediate creator, not the highest God. The argument appeals to scripture:

“For a house or city divided against itself cannot stand [Matt 12:25]… Everything was made through him and apart from him nothing was made. [John 1:3]”

The letter claims both extreme positions miss the truth:

“From what has been said, it is evident that these persons entirely miss the truth… the first because they do not know the God of justice, the second because they do not know the Father of all.”

The central claim follows: the Law itself is composite. It is not fully divine, but partly human:

“First, you must learn that the entire Law contained in the Pentateuch of Moses was not ordained by one legislator… some commandments are Moses', and some were given by other men.”

Jesus’ own teaching is used as proof. Concerning divorce:

“Because of your hard-heartedness Moses permitted a man to divorce his wife; from the beginning it was not so; for God made this marriage…” [Matt 19:8]

Thus, Moses allowed something contrary to divine intention as a concession to human weakness. The letter argues Moses chose a lesser evil to prevent greater injustice.

Traditions added by elders are also blamed for corrupting the Law:

“You… have declared as a gift to God, that by which you have nullified the Law of God through the tradition of your elders… teaching precepts which are the commandments of men.” [Matt 15:4–9]

The Law is therefore divided into three parts: commands from God, laws from Moses, and traditions from elders. Even the divine portion is further divided. First is the pure but incomplete law, such as the Ten Commandments, which needed completion:

“The Decalogue… contains pure but imperfect legislation and required the completion made by the Savior.”

Second is legislation mixed with injustice, especially retaliation:

“An eye should be cut out for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth…”

The letter criticizes revenge justice as incompatible with the Father’s goodness, arguing that repaying murder with murder multiplies injustice. Christ, therefore, replaced this law:

“For I say to you, do not resist the evil man, but if anyone strikes you, turn the other cheek to him.”

Third comes symbolic legislation: sacrifices, circumcision, sabbath, fasting, and festivals. These are seen as symbolic forms pointing to spiritual realities:

“Since all these things are images and symbols, when the truth was made manifest they were translated to another meaning.”

Sacrifice becomes spiritual praise; circumcision becomes purification of the heart; fasting becomes abstinence from evil. Paul is cited as support:

“Christ our passover has been sacrificed… that you may be unleavened bread.” [1 Cor 5:7]

Thus, according to the letter, parts of the Law were completed, others destroyed, and others spiritualized. Paul also distinguishes aspects of the Law:

“The law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.” [Rom 7:12]

But some commandments were abolished:

“The law of commandments in ordinances were destroyed.” [Eph 2:15]

The letter then asks who truly ordained the Law. Since it came neither from the highest God nor from the devil, it must come from a middle being:

“The legislator must be some one other than these two… he is the demiurge and maker of this universe… rightly given the name, intermediate.”

This intermediate creator is just but not perfectly good:

“He is neither good nor evil or unjust, but can properly be called just.”

He stands between perfect goodness and corruption.

The Father alone is ungenerated:

“There is only one ungenerated Father, from whom are all things.” [1 Cor 8:6]

The demiurge is inferior yet still greater than destructive powers. The author concludes by encouraging Flora to continue learning:

“If God permit, you will later learn about their origin and generation… we too are able to prove all our points by the teaching of the Savior.”

The letter ends with reassurance that these teachings are seeds meant to grow:

“These points will be of great benefit to you in the future, if like fair and good ground you have received fertile seeds and go on to show forth their fruit.”

In summary, the Valentinian letter expresses a clear doctrine of partial inspiration. The Law is neither wholly divine nor wholly corrupt but contains elements from God, Moses, and human tradition. Parts were temporary, symbolic, or concessions to weakness. The Savior completed, corrected, or transformed these elements. This view stands as one of the earliest and most systematic arguments that sacred scripture contains layers of inspiration mixed with human adaptation, forming a foundational example of partial inspiration in early Gnostic Christianity.