The Gnostic Crucifixion of Jesus John 19 John 19

The Gnostic Crucifixion of Jesus John 19

metaphysical Meaning of the Crucifixion John 19

The Gospel of Thomas Saying 55. Jesus said, "Whoever does not hate father and mother cannot be my disciple, and whoever does not hate brothers and sisters, and carry the cross as I do, will not be worthy of me."

The Apocryphon of James

I answered and said to him, “Master, we can obey you if you wish, for we have forsaken our fathers and our mothers and our villages, and followed you. Give us the means not to be tempted by the evil devil.”
The master answered and said, “What good is it to you if you do the father’s will but you are not given your part of his bounty when you are tempted by Satan? But if you are oppressed by Satan and persecuted and do the father’s will, I say he will love you, make you my equal, and consider you beloved through his forethought,  and by your own choice. Won’t you stop loving the flesh and fearing suffering? Don’t you know that you have not yet been abused, unjustly accused, locked up in prison, unlawfully condemned, crucified without reason,  or buried in the sand  as I myself was by the evil one? Do you dare to spare the flesh, O you for whom the spirit is a wall surrounding you? If you consider how long the world has existed before you and how long it will exist after you, you will see that your life is but a day and your sufferings an hour. The good will not enter the world. Disdain death, then, and care about life. Remember my cross and my death, and you will live.”
I answered and said to him, “Master, do not mention to us the cross and death, for they are far from you.”
The master answered and said, “I tell you the truth, none will be saved unless they believe in my cross, for the kingdom of god belongs to those who have believed in my cross. Be seekers of death, then, like the dead who seek life, for what they seek becomes apparent to them. And what is there to cause them concern? As for you, when you search out death, it will teach you about being chosen. I tell you the truth: No one afraid of death will be saved, for the kingdom of death  belongs to those who are put to death.  Become better than I. Be like the child of the holy spirit.” (The Apocryphon of James)

 The Gospel of Truth:

For this reason error was angry with him, so it persecuted him. It was distressed by him, so it made him powerless. He was nailed to a cross. 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. (The Gospel of Truth)


The cross represented Jesus' love, symbolizing his willingness to sacrifice his life for us; from this fact, that He cry out with strong emotion upon the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,"(8) the long-suffering, patience, compassion, and goodness of Christ are exhibited, since He both suffered, and did Himself forgive those who had ill-treated Him. For the Word of God, who said to us, "Love your enemies, and pray for those that hate you,"(9) Himself did this very thing upon the cross; loving the human race to such a degree, that He even prayed for those putting Him to death.

Instead of dying upon the cross like the two thieves that were crucified with him, Jesus simply passed through death and came out fully alive on the other side. The bodies of the robbers were turned to dust, while that of Jesus became alive again, was glorified, and, as is plainly taught in the Scriptures,

However there is another meaning to the crucifixion. The cross is referred to is a crossing out of the old, and thus a making way for the new. Jesus' experience on the cross symbolizes the last step to be taken by each individual, when he fully surrenders to God and enters into the “kingdom of the heavens,”.

What is represented by Jesus' thirst and the attempt to satisfy it with vinegar? Thirst is the physical desire for more life. This desire can be satisfied only by the realisation that life is spiritual. The attempt to satisfy it with vinegar shows the vanity of material counterfeits. What thought is represented by the sponge filled with vinegar that was given to Jesus to drink? The vinegar soaked sponge represents the final bitterness and agony of the separation between the carnal mind and the will of God.

now, "when he had tasted, he would not drink." The wording here suggests that Jesus was glad enough to take the drink that was put to his lips, but when the first taste of it told him what its purpose was, he would not have it.

. Jesus refused the sour wine that was presented to him to alleviate his suffering

"The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink if"? So to have faced crucifixion and death in a state of intoxication would have been, in a sense, to have turned away from the cup which his Father now held out to him.


In Matthew 27:46 it is stated that at this stage of the crucifixion Jesus cried: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” The Christ left Jesus on the cross. The Christ the spiritual man, did not die on the cross

Jesus did died, but the fact that He was resurrected proves that He did overcome death. His body did not see corruption

What is symbolized by crucifixion on Golgotha, “The place of a skull”? The skull is the place where the carnal mind is “crossed out,” that the consciousness may awake to the newness of timeless life. Jesus (the carnal intellect) was crucified at “The place of the skull” that Christ (Truth) might become all in all.

Explain the significance of Golgotha. Golgotha (“place of the skull”) represents the domain of the carnal mind seperted from spiritual truth. Purely carnal thoughts and desires in a believer must come to an end and absolute Truth (the Christ) must possess him consciously instead.

Who were with Jesus on the cross? The crucifixion of the “two robbers” who were with Jesus they represent the removal from the mind of all thoughts of the past activities of sin or old life which the old man of the flesh who is crucified with Jesus.

Of what is the "darkness over all the land" a symbol? The three hours of "darkness over all the land" symbolize the failure of understanding that settles upon the consciousness and casts its shadow upon the mind and heart in times of great trial.

What is meant by Jesus giving up the spirit to God? The final giving up of all human ambitions and aims is involved in this surrender to God.

At the crucifixion of Jesus it was the human consciousness of this corruptible flesh that died. "Our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that we should no longer be in bondage to sin."

When the thoughts of sin are crossed out, the spiritual truth and life are manifested in the consciousness. "The Spirit of him that raised up Jesus . . . shall give life also to your mortal bodies." This is pictured in the resurrection of Jesus as an angel of Yahweh descending from heaven (the ruling spiritual kingdom) and rolling away the stone from the door of the tomb.

Jesus resurrected the body that was crucified; He did this by putting into the body the true state of consciousness. "put on the new man, having been created according to God in righteousness and holiness of truth.

We can resurrect our body just as Jesus resurrected His. "Follow me." We can overcome, and make our body like the body of Jesus. We must do this. "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death." We resurrect our body by putting a new mind into it--the mind of Spirit. "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Ignorance and sin kill the body; understanding and righteousness bring it to life.

Surah 4, the Cross and the The Apocalypse of Peter

Title: A Comparative Exploration of Crucifixion Narratives: Quranic, Gnostic, and Apocryphal Perspectives

Introduction:

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is a pivotal event in Christian theology, but various religious texts offer distinct perspectives on the nature of this event. This discussion delves into the Quranic narrative, the Gnostic teachings found in "The Second Treatise of the Great Seth," and the apocryphal account in "The Apocalypse of Peter." While the Quran rejects the crucifixion as a historical event, Gnostic texts and apocryphal writings present nuanced interpretations that challenge traditional Christian beliefs.

Quranic Perspective:

In the Quranic verses (4:157-158), it is explicitly stated that Jesus (known as 'Iesa in Arabic) was not crucified or killed by the Jews. Instead, it is asserted that someone else was made to resemble him, and Allah raised the real Jesus to Himself. The Quranic narrative emphasizes the illusion created in the minds of Jesus's enemies and dismisses conjectures about his crucifixion. The ambiguity in the interpretation of whether Jesus died a natural human death or was taken up to heaven without experiencing death is acknowledged in varying Islamic traditions.

Gnostic Perspective - "The Second Treatise of the Great Seth":

The Gnostic text "The Second Treatise of the Great Seth" provides an alternative perspective on the crucifixion. In this narrative, Jesus claims that the crucifixion is an illusion perceived by those who are blind and deaf to the truth. The text suggests that another, Simon of Cyrene, was thought to be crucified in Jesus's place, while Jesus rejoiced in the realm above. The Gnostic teaching challenges the conventional Christian understanding of the crucifixion as a sacrificial act and emphasizes the spiritual dimension of Jesus's existence.

Apocryphal Perspective - "The Apocalypse of Peter":

"The Apocalypse of Peter" offers a unique account of the crucifixion, presenting a dialogue between the narrator and Jesus. In this narrative, Jesus explains that the one being crucified is the fleshly part of him, a substitute put to shame, while the living Jesus stands apart, laughing at the ignorance of those who think they harm him. The text introduces the concept of an incorporeal body of Jesus, highlighting the duality between the suffering flesh and the immortal, intellectual spirit.

Comparative Analysis:

In comparing these perspectives, it becomes evident that the Quranic narrative rejects the crucifixion altogether, emphasizing the illusion created by the enemies of Jesus. On the other hand, Gnostic teachings and apocryphal writings present a more nuanced view, challenging the traditional Christian understanding of the crucifixion as a redemptive act and focusing on the spiritual and intellectual aspects of Jesus's being.

Conclusion:

The crucifixion narratives in the Quran, Gnostic texts, and apocryphal writings provide diverse insights into the nature of Jesus's final moments. While the Quran dismisses the crucifixion as a historical event, Gnostic and apocryphal perspectives introduce complex theological concepts, emphasizing the spiritual, intellectual, and symbolic dimensions of the crucifixion. Exploring these diverse viewpoints encourages a broader understanding of the significance of Jesus's life and death across different religious traditions.

The Quran the Cross and the The Apocalypse of Peter

[Quran 4:157] And because of their saying (in boast), "We killed Messiah 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), the Messenger of Allah," - but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the resemblance of 'Iesa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man), and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain) knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed him not [i.e. 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)]:

And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah ." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali 663 The end of the life of Jesus on earth is as much involved in mystery as his birth, and indeed the greater part of his private life, except the three main years of his ministry. It is not profitable to discuss the many doubts and conjectures among the early Christian sects and among Muslim theologians.The Orthodox-Christian Churches make it a cardinal point of their doctrine that his life was taken on the Cross, that he died and was buried, that on the third day he rose in the body with his wounds intact, and walked about and conversed, and ate with his disciples, and was afterwards taken up bodily to heaven. 

This is necessary for the theological doctrine of blood sacrifice and vicarious atonement for sins, which is rejected by Islam. But some of the early Christian sects did not believe that Christ was killed on the Cross. The Basilidans believed that someone else was substituted for him. The Docetae held that Christ never had a real physical or natural body, but only an apparent or phantom body, and that his Crucifixion was only apparent, not real. The Marcionite Gospel (about A.C. 138) denied that Jesus was born, and merely said that he appeared in human form. The Gospel of St. Barnabas supported the theory of substitution on the Cross. The Qur'anic teaching is that Christ was not crucified nor killed by the Jews, notwithstanding certain apparent circumstances which produced that illusion in the minds of some of his enemies; that disputatious, doubts, and conjectures on such matters are vain; and that he was taken up to Allah (see 4:158 and 3:55).  

4:158

Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali There is difference of opinion as to the exact interpretation of this verse. The words are: The Jews did not kill Jesus, but Allah raised him up (rafa'ahu) to Himself. One school holds that Jesus did not die the usual human death, but still lives in the body in heaven, which is the generally accepted Muslim view. Another holds that he did die (5:117) but not when he was supposed to be crucified, and that his being "raised up" unto Allah means that instead of being disgraced as a malefactor, as the Jews intended, he was on the contrary honoured by Allah as His Messenger: (see 4:159). The same word rafa'a is used in association with honour in connection with al Mustafa in 94:4. (R)

https://quran.com/4/157-167?translations=20

The Second Treatise of the Great Seth

 For my death, which they think happened, happened to them in their error and blindness, since they nailed their man unto their death.  Their thoughts did not see me, for they were deaf and blind. But in doing these things, they condemn themselves. Yes, they saw me; they punished me. It was another, their father, who drank the gall and the vinegar; it was not I. They struck me with the reed; it was another, Simon, who bore the cross on his shoulder. It was another upon whom they placed the crown of thorns.  But I was rejoicing in the height over all the wealth of the rulers and the offspring of their error, of their empty glory. And I was laughing at their ignorance.

It was my cross that the world did not accept, my apparent exaltation, my third baptism in a revealed image.  When they had fled from the fire of the seven authorities, and the sun of the powers of the rulers set, darkness overtook them. And the world became poor. After they bound him with many restraints, they nailed him to the cross, and they fastened him with four nails of brass.  The veil of his temple he tore with his hands. There was a trembling that overcame the chaos of the earth, for the souls that were in the sleep below were released, and they arose. They walked about boldly, having shed jealousy of ignorance and unlearnedness beside the dead tombs; having put on the new human; having come to know that perfect blessed one of the eternal and incomprehensible father and the infinite light, which is I.  When I came to my own and united them with myself, there was no need for many words, for our thought was with their thought. Therefore they knew what I was saying, for we took counsel about the destruction of the rulers. And therefore I did the will of the father, who is I.



it was The Gnostic teacher Basilides who claimed that Simon of Cyrene was crucified in place of jesus. yet in the The Second Treatise of the Great Seth Simon of Cyrene is never actually crucified and jesus says that it is their man that the world rulers put to death

The Apocalypse of Peter

When he had said those things, I saw him seemingly being seized by them. And I said "What do I see, O Lord? That it is you yourself whom they take, and that you are grasping me? Or who is this one, glad and laughing on the tree? And is it another one whose feet and hands they are striking?"
The Savior said to me, "He whom you saw on the tree, glad and laughing, this is the living Jesus. But this one into whose hands and feet they drive the nails is his fleshly part, which is the substitute being put to shame, the one who came into being in his likeness. But look at him and me."
But I, when I had looked, said "Lord, no one is looking at you. Let us flee this place."

But he said to me, "I have told you, 'Leave the blind alone!'. And you, see how they do not know what they are saying. For the son of their glory instead of my servant, they have put to shame."
And I saw someone about to approach us resembling him, even him who was laughing on the tree. And he was <filled> with a Holy Spirit, and he is the Savior. And there was a great, ineffable light around them, and the multitude of ineffable and invisible angels blessing them. And when I looked at him, the one who gives praise was revealed.

And he said to me, "Be strong, for you are the one to whom these mysteries have been given, to know them through revelation, that he whom they crucified is the first-born, and the home of demons, and the stony vessel in which they dwell, of Elohim, of the cross, which is under the Law. But he who stands near him is the living Savior, the first in him, whom they seized and released, who stands joyfully looking at those who did him violence, while they are divided among themselves. Therefore he laughs at their lack of perception, knowing that they are born blind. So then the one susceptible to suffering shall come, since the body is the substitute. But what they released was my incorporeal body. But I am the intellectual Spirit filled with radiant light. He whom you saw coming to me is our intellectual Pleroma, which unites the perfect light with my Holy Spirit."

"These things, then, which you saw you shall present to those of another race who are not of this age. For there will be no honor in any man who is not immortal, but only (in) those who were chosen from an immortal substance, which has shown that it is able to contain him who gives his abundance. Therefore I said, 'Every one who has, it will be given to him, and he will have plenty.' But he who does not have, that is, the man of this place, who is completely dead, who is removed from the planting of the creation of what is begotten, whom, if one of the immortal essence appears, they think that they possess him - it will be taken from him and be added to the one who is. You, therefore, be courageous and do not fear at all. For I shall be with you in order that none of your enemies may prevail unto you. Peace be to you, Be strong!"

the one  who is above or beside the cross who is smiling and laughing is the living Jesus. and the one actually being crucified is the man of flesh later called man of Elohim man of the cross who is under the law 
the fleshly body of jesus was crucified but the living jesus is an immortal being who  does not suffer and die

Jesus suffered on cross but not Christ

The Spirit left Jesus On The Cross The Gospel of Philip

Jesus the Measurement Spread Out

Jesus the Measurement Spread Out 
(Gospel of Philip and the Odes of Solomon) 

The Apostles who preceded us called (him) thus: Jesus the Nazirite Messiah— this is Jesus the Nazirite Christ. The last name is the Christ, the first is Jesus, that in the middle is the Nazirite. ‘Messiah’ has two references: both the anointed and also the measured. ‘Jesus’ in Hebrew means the redemption. ‘Nazirite’ is the truth, therefore the Nazirite is the true. The Christ is the measured, the Nazirite and Jesus are the measurement. (The Gospel of Philip)

In Aramaic Jesus is Yeshua a shortened form of Yehoshua which is translated into English as Joshuaand means Yahweh is Salvation

The Syriac word for messiah is msiha it can also mean measured 

Nazirte does not mean truth in Hebrew, Aramaic or any other language. But the church father 

Irenaeus mentions that in a formula spoken by Valentinians 

The name of restitution stands thus: Messia, Uphareg, Namempsoeman, Chaldoeaur, Mosomedoea, Acphranoe, Psaua, Jesus Nazaria.(3) The interpretation of these words is as follows: "I do not divide the Spirit of Christ, neither the heart nor the supercelestial power which is merciful; may I enjoy Thy name, O Saviour of truth!"

The words "Jesus Nazaria" translates as "Saviour of truth"

Thus the Christ is the measurement, and the Truth and Redemption have been measured out. (The Gospel of Philip)

The eucharist is Jesus. For he is called in Syriac "Pharisatha," which is "the one who is spread out," for Jesus came to crucify the world. (The Gospel of Philip)

eucharist literally thanksgiving, refers to the Lord's last supper

Jesus is called the Amen in the book of Revelation (Rev 3:14) it is by Jesus that we give thanks and say the Amen 2cor 1:20

The thanksgiving is Jesus. For he is called in Syriac "Pharisatha," which is "the one who is spread out," for Jesus came to crucify the world. (The Gospel of Philip)

Schenke notes the Syriac root prs with the meaning "spread out"  Segal (Concise Hebrew-English Dictionary Tel Aviv 1938) gives a cognate Hebrew word with the two meanings break bread and spread. this would serve to explain the identification of Jesus and the eucharist.

but spread out also suggests extending upon the cross 

For Gnostic Christians redemption is effected by the imparting of the knowledge (gnosis) of the cross. 

A person receives them in the chrism with the oil of the power of the cross. (The Gospel of Philip)

Crucifying the world means presumably revealing is true character and worthlessness

These sayings in the Gospel of Philip should be compared with another Syriac text the Odes of Solomon 


Ode 27 from the Odes of Solomon

I extended my hands and hallowed my Lord,
For the expansion of my hands is His sign.
And my extension is the upright cross.  Hallelujah.


Ode 42 from the Odes of Solomon

1 I stretched out my hands and approached my Lord:
2 For the stretching of my hands is His sign:
3 My expansion is the outspread tree which was set up on the way of the Righteous One.

the  " stretching out of the hands," is meant as a gesture of prayer 

The tree appears to be the Tree of Life. In Ode 27 it is called the "upright" or "righteous" tree, because, on it, the Righteous died for the unrighteous, and made it, as it were, His own.

The " stretching out of the hands," mentioned in Ode 27, and now repeated in Ode 42, as the "sign" of the Lord, indicating the triumph of the Cross; there is also the Bridegroom, no longer merely the Beloved, but with His "arm over the Bride," the wedding being consummated.

42:8 Like the arm of the bridegroom over the bride, so is my yoke over those who know me.

The "measuring " by the "hands" of the Crucified is ordained that He may (Ode 23:19) "inherit" all mankind, making it the family of the righteous Father. Such is the effect of the "upright tree," which is also the "outspread tree," and the "way" to eternal life.

Christ's Own Need Of Salvation

Christ's Own Need Of Salvation

Now the angels were baptised in the beginning, in the redemption of the Name which descended upon Jesus in the dove and redeemed him. And redemption was necessary even for Jesus, in order that, approaching through Wisdom, he might not be detained by the Notion of the Deficiency in which he was inserted, as Theodotus says.

Not only do humans need redemption, but also the angels, too, need redemption, along with the image and the rest of the Pleromas of the aeons and the wondrous powers of illumination. So that we might not be in doubt in regard to the others, even the Son himself, who has the position of redeemer of the Totality, needed redemption as well, - he who had become man, - since he gave himself for each thing which we need, we in the flesh, who are his Church. Now, when he first received redemption from the word which had descended upon him, all the rest received redemption from him, namely those who had taken him to themselves. For those who received the one who had received (redemption) also received what was in him.

Gospel of philip

Jesus revealed himself [at the] Jordan River as the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven. He who was begotten before everything, was begotten anew. He who was once anointed, was anointed anew. He who was redeemed, in turn redeemed others.

This shows that the some gnostic groups understood that Jesus first needed redemption for himself before he could redeem those for whom he came to die for. Jesus is thus the redeemed redeemer coming in our sinful nature the savour himself was in need of redemption

78. The Lord was conceived (born again) from what is imperishable, from God. The [Lord arose] from among the dead. But [He did not come into being as he was. Rather [his body] was [completely] perfect. It was of flesh, and this [flesh is indeed] true flesh.¹ [Yet our flesh] is not true, but rather a mirror-image of the true [flesh]. (¹Jn 1:14, 20:27, II-Jn 7; NHS p. 174

This passage shows that the spiritual body is corporeal (tangible) and it has flesh and this flesh is true flesh, which is called spiritual flesh thus spiritual body but our flesh is only a shadow of the true like Adam who was only a type of him who was to come/

Ode 8
20) Pray and increase, and abide in the love of the Lord;
21) And the beloved ones in the Beloved, and those who are protected in Him Who liveth, and those who are saved in Him Who was saved.
22) And ye shall be found incorrupt in all ages, on account of the Name of your Father.

The interpretation of Knowledge::
 And through the one who was reproached and the one who was redeemed we receive grace.

Melchizedek:

He included himself in the living offering, together with your offspring. He offered them up as an offering to the All. For it is not cattle that you will offer up for sin(s) of unbelief, and for the ignorances, and (for) all the wicked deeds which they will do NHS p. 601

He included himself in the living offering, together with your offspring

Here this passage teaches that Christ the high - priest offered his own body for his own redemption He offered himself for himself and his brothers his offspring in the living offering that is his life as a living sacrifice


Adam was "sentenced to return to the ground from whence he was taken - a sentence which defiled and became a physical law of his being, and was transmitted to all his posterity" (Clause 5);

Jesus Christ "though wearing the condemned nature, was to obtain a title to resurrection by perfect obedience, and, by dying, abolish the law of condemnation for himself, and all who should believe and obey him" (Clause 8);


Jesus was "a sufferer, in the days of his flesh, from all the effects that came by Adam's transgression, including the death that passed upon all men, which he shared by partaking of their physical nature" (Clause 10); that the offering of Jesus’ body was "a propitiation to declare the righteousness of God, as a basis for the remission of sins" (Clause 12).

Because of his human nature, Jesus experienced minor illnesses, tiredness etc. just as we do. It therefore follows that if he had not died on the cross, he would have died any way, e.g. of old age.

In view of this, Jesus needed to be saved from death by God. Intensely recognizing this, Jesus "offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him (God) that was able to save him out of death, and was heard for his godly fear" (Heb. 5:7 A.V. mg.).

The fact that Christ had to plead with God to save him from death rules out any possibility of him being God in person.

“this body of death” (Rom. 6:24 mg.) needs 'redemption' (Rom. 8:23) which comes on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice (Rev. 5:9) when we are 'clothed upon' with our house from heaven (2 Cor. 5:2) which results in mortality being swallowed up of life (2 Cor. 5:4)"


(The Lord’s own body was redeemed on this same basis – (Heb. 9:12, 23 etc.).

After Christ's resurrection, death had "no more dominion over him" (Rom. 6:9), implying that beforehand it did.

Many of the Psalms are prophetic of Jesus; when some verses from a Psalm are quoted about Christ in the New Testament, it is reasonable to assume that many of the other verses in the Psalm are about him too. There are a number of occasions where Christ's need for salvation by God is emphasized:-

- Ps. 91:11,12 is quoted about Jesus in Matt. 4:6. Ps. 91:16 prophesies how God would give Jesus salvation: "With long life (i.e. eternal life) will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation."- Ps. 69:21 refers to Christ's crucifixion (Matt. 27:34); the whole Psalm describes Christ's thoughts on the cross: "Save me, O God...Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it...Let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high" (vs. 1,18,29).

- Ps. 89 is a commentary upon God's promise to David concerning Christ. Concerning Jesus, Ps. 89:26 prophesies: "He shall cry unto me (God), Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation."

Christ's prayers to God for salvation were heard; he was heard because of his personal spirituality, not because of his place in a 'trinity' (Heb. 5:7). That God resurrected Jesus and glorified him with immortality is a major New Testament theme:-

- "God...raised up Jesus...Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour" (Acts 5:30,31).

- "God...hath glorified his Son Jesus...whom God hath raised from the dead" (Acts 3:13,15).

- "This Jesus hath God raised up" (Acts 2:24,32,33).

- Jesus himself recognized all this when he asked God to glorify him (John 17:5 cp. 13:32; 8:54).

If Jesus was God Himself, then all this emphasis would be out of place, seeing that God cannot die. Jesus would not have needed saving if he were God. That it was God who exalted Jesus demonstrates God's superiority over him, and the separateness of God and Jesus.



We do not believe that the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ was not required for the cleansing of his sin nature. [The Lord's sacrifice was necessary for his own redemption. His sacrifice was a public demonstration that his flesh was rightly related to death and a declaration of the righteousness of God that required the offering of his life in devotion to Him. By his sacrifice the ungodly propensities (diabolos) of his nature was destroyed (Heb. 2:14; 9:12; 7:27), thus providing for the granting of immortality

'

The Cross of Light in the Acts of John

The Cross of Light in the Acts of John

The cross of light

Ode 27

I extended my hands and hallowed my Lord,
For the expansion of my hands is His sign.
And my extension is the upright cross.
Hallelujah.

16 Adv. Haer. 1. 2, 5 f. According to Refutatio vi. 31,5 f. another aeon, the Cross, was produced in order that the deficiency that had occurred within the Pleroma might not be made known to the perfect aeons. The Cross also separated that which was outside the Pleroma from the Pleroma itself, and was believed to contain in itself the thirty aeons at one and the same time.

The Acts of John 

97 Thus, my beloved, having danced with us the Lord went forth. And we as men gone astray or dazed with sleep fled this way and that. I, then, when I saw him suffer, did not even abide by his suffering, but fled unto the Mount of Olives, weeping at that which had befallen. And when he was crucified on the Friday, at the sixth hour of the day, darkness came upon all the earth. And my Lord standing in the midst of the cave and enlightening it, said: John, unto the multitude below in Jerusalem I am being crucified and pierced with lances and reeds, and gall and vinegar is given me to drink. But unto thee I speak, and what I speak hear thou. I put it into thy mind to come up into this mountain, that thou mightest hear those things which it behoveth a disciple to learn from his teacher and a man from his God.

98 And having thus spoken, he showed me a cross of light fixed (set up), and about the cross a great multitude, not having one form: and in it (the cross) was one form and one likenesst [so the MS.; I would read: and therein was one form and one likeness: and in the cross another multitude, not having one form]. And the Lord himself I beheld above the cross, not having any shape, but only a voice: and a voice not such as was familiar to us, but one sweet and kind and truly of God, saying unto me: John, it is needful that one should hear these things from me, for I have need of one that will hear. This cross of light is sometimes called the (or a) word by me for your sakes, sometimes mind, sometimes Jesus, sometimes Christ, sometimes door, sometimes a way, sometimes bread, sometimes seed, sometimes resurrection, sometimes Son, sometimes Father, sometimes Spirit, sometimes life, sometimes truth, sometimes faith, sometimes grace. And by these names it is called as toward men: but that which it is in truth, as conceived of in itself and as spoken of unto you (MS. us), it is the marking-off of all things, and the firm uplifting of things fixed out of things unstable, and the harmony of wisdom, and indeed wisdom in harmony [this last clause in the MS. is joined to the next: 'and being wisdom in harmony']. There are [places] of the right hand and the left, powers also, authorities, lordships and demons, workings, threatenings, wraths, devils, Satan, and the lower root whence the nature of the things that come into being proceeded.

99 This cross, then, is that which fixed all things apart (al. joined all things unto itself) by the (or a) word, and separate off the things that are from those that are below (lit. the things from birth and below it), and then also, being one, streamed forth into all things (or, made all flow forth. I suggested: compacted all into [one]). But this is not the cross of wood which thou wilt see when thou goest down hence: neither am I he that is on the cross, whom now thou seest not, but only hearest his (or a) voice. I was reckoned to be that which I am not, not being what I was unto many others: but they will call me (say of me) something else which is vile and not worthy of me. As, then, the place of rest is neither seen nor spoken of, much more shall I, the Lord thereof, be neither seen [nor of spoken].

100 Now the multitude of one aspect (al. [not] of one aspect) that is about the cross is the lower nature: and they whom thou seest in the cross, if they have not one form, it is because not yet hath every member of him that came down been comprehended. But when the human nature (or the upper nature) is taken up, and the race which draweth near unto me and obeyeth my voice, he that now heareth me shall be united therewith, and shall no more be that which now he is, but above them, as I also now am. For so long as thou callest not thyself mine, I am not that which I am (or was): but if thou hear me, thou, hearing, shalt be as I am, and I shall be that which I was, when I [have]thee as I am with myself. For from me thou art that (which I am). Care not therefore for the many, and them that are outside the mystery despise; for know thou that I am wholly with the Father, and the Father with me.

101 Nothing, therefore, of the things which they will say of me have I suffered: nay, that suffering also which I showed unto thee and the rest in the dance, I will that it be called a mystery. For what thou art, thou seest, for I showed it thee; but what I am I alone know, and no man else. Suffer me then to keep that which is mine, and that which is thine behold thou through me, and behold me in truth, that I am, not what I said, but what thou art able to know, because thou art akin thereto. Thou hearest that I suffered, yet did I not suffer; that I suffered not, yet did I suffer; that I was pierced, yet I was not smitten; hanged, and I was not hanged; that blood flowed from me, and it flowed not; and, in a word, what they say of me, that befell me not, but what they say not, that did I suffer. Now what those things are I signify unto thee, for I know that thou wilt understand. Perceive thou therefore in me the praising (al. slaying al. rest) of the (or a) Word (Logos), the piercing of the Word, the blood of the Word, the wound of the Word, the hanging up of the Word, the suffering of the Word, the nailing (fixing) of the Word, the death of the Word. And so speak I, separating off the manhood. Perceive thou therefore in the first place of the Word; then shalt thou perceive the Lord, and in the third place the man, and what he hath suffered.

102 When he had spoken unto me these things, and others which I know not how to say as he would have me, he was taken up, no one of the multitudes having beheld him. And when I went down I laughed them all to scorn, inasmuch as he had told me the things which they have said concerning him; holding fast this one thing in myself, that the Lord contrived all things symbolically and by a dispensation toward men, for their conversion and salvation.

In the Acts of John the Cross has many names such as logos, mind (Greek: nous), Christ, door, way, son, father, spirit  and life

These names of the cross of light show that the cross is a mode in which Christ reveals himself. But at the same time John sees him on top of the cross.

And the cross is not just Christ; it is also a symbol of the unity of the true, redeemed believers.

The crossbeam divides the universe into an upper world and a lower world, and humanity itself also appears to be divided: around the cross there is a multiform multitude that has not yet been saved. In the cross the redeemed can be found.

The Cross is a symbol for the pleroma the centurion and the roman soldiers around the cross represent the unsaved and that state of consciousness termed "mind of the flesh, or the thinking of the flesh." This is the "carnal mind" of Paul

The friends and followers of Jesus represent the church and the 12 aeons

The Cross and the Crucifixion are a Valentinian metaphysical principle of separation and unification. In this process, the Cross became a symbol of the two-fold process in which the lower essences (the Dyad) are separated from the higher ones, and at the same time, the purer essences are strengthened into a unity (the Monad). 

Extracts from the Works of Theodotus:

42 The Cross is a sign of the Limit in the Pleroma, for it divides the unfaithful from the faithful as that divides the world from the Pleroma. Therefore Jesus by that sign carries the Seed on his shoulders and leads them into the Pleroma. For Jesus is called the shoulders of the seed and Christ is the head. Wherefore it is said, “He who takes not up his cross and follows me is not my brother.” Therefore he took the body of Jesus, which is of the same substance as the Church. (Extracts from the Works of Theodotus)

the Cross plays a double role: it both separates and strengthens 

The strengthening power of the Cross is depicted in the words of Jesus according to which “whoever does not take his cross cannot be my disciple” (Mt. 10:38) and the separating power of the Savior is depicted when Jesus says “I came not to send peace, but a sword”, i.e. the Cross (Mt. 10:34).

The Testimony of Truth The males dwell [...] the virgin, by means of [...] in the word [...]. But the word of [...] and spirit ...
... (4 lines unrecoverable)
... is the Father [...] for the man ...
... (1 line unrecoverable)
... like Isaiah, who was sawed with a saw, (and) he became two. So also the Son of Man divides us by the word of the cross. It divides the day from the night and the light from the darkness and the corruptible from incorruptibility, and it divides the males from the females.

Barnabas 9:7 For the scripture saith; And Abraham circumcised of his household eighteen males and three hundred. What then was the knowledge given unto him? Understand ye that He saith the eighteen first, and then after an interval three hundred In the eighteen 'I' stands for ten, 'H' for eight. Here thou hast JESUS (IHSOYS). And because the cross in the 'T' was to have grace, He saith also three hundred. So He revealeth Jesus in the two letters, and in the remaining one the cross..

The superscription on the cross

The superscription on the cross:

Gospel	Quoted language?	Reason	Wording of inscription
Mat 27:37	Latin (Matt was Roman official)	Civil, legal	"Hic est Jesus rex Judaeorum" (This is Jesus the king of the Jews).
Luk 23:38	Greek	Intellectual, cultural	"This is the king of the Jews".
Joh 19:19,20	Hebrew	Religious, national	"Jesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews".
Mark 15:26	Greek, but only words common to all three	Summary of other 3, most concise	"The king of the Jews"

"His crime became his title" -- the "titulus" = inscription board, commonly used in Roman executions.

The fullest title, in Hebrew -- "Yeshua [Jesus] Ha-Natzr [of Nazareth] u'Melek [the King] Ha-Yehudim [of the Jews]" -- spells out, as an acronym, the very name of God: "YHWH". And for this reason, too, the leaders of Israel would demand that the title be removed!
"His crime became his title" -- the "titulus" = inscription board, commonly used in Roman executions. The fullest title, in Hebrew --  ישוע הנצרי מלך היהודים (Yeshua HaNazri Melekh HaYehudim), "Yeshua [Jesus] Ha-Natzr [of Nazareth] u'Melek [the King] Ha-Yehudim [of the Jews]" -- spells out, as an acronym, the very name of God: "YHWH". And for this reason, too, the leaders of Israel would demand that the title be removed!


The cross has four points. "The four points of the cross symbolize the 4 letter of the divine name of God YHWH, Yahweh the divine name and the four faces of the Cherubim the four faces were: that of a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle. They represented the emblems of the four leading tribes of the fourfold division of the nation of Israel: the lion for Judah; the ox for Ephraim; the man for Reuben; and the eagle for Dan. Yahweh is revealed fourfold as Light (Jn. 1:5), Fire (Deu. 4:24) and Spirit (Jn. 4:24), and His characteristics are manifested through the Man (Jn. 1:14)

"The cross does not alone represent a cross upon which a man was hung, this is called a crucifix. The cross also represents a manifestation of God his glory and fullness. The cross is the symbol of one crucified and reborn into the divine nature, by torture and pain. Crucifixion means one who has mastered his lower nature that is the outward senses, and has been made clean in the consciousness of his mind

Crucifixion The giving up of the whole personality.

In the early Church, the cross symbolizes mankind's fall and restoration