A Spirit of Infirmity Luke 13:10-13 Prov 17:22

A Spirit of Infirmity

Luke 13:10-13 

10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 

11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 

12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 

13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”
15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 

16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” 17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

Prov 17:22 A heart that is joyful does good as a curer, but a spirit that is stricken makes the bones dry

medical diagnosis: 

arthritis of the spine, 

self inflated bad posture maybe?

Spirit  the basic meaning of which is to breathe heavily. When the word is used of the wind, as it is on some occasions, it denotes a strong, powerful wind. Similarly the ruach (spirit) of God is said to rush suddenly and powerfully on a man It is used here in the sense of an over-mastering rush of nagtive feeling.

Spirit mind and heart (feelings) of a person 

but a spirit that is stricken makes the bones dry

 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.

psychosomatic

adjective

1. 1.

   (of a physical illness or other condition) caused or aggravated by a mental factor such as internal conflict or stress.

Look, when you get down to it, even mental states are actually only physical states, are they not? I mean, the brain is just a-a chemical supercomputer (Dr. Rodney Mckay) 

The brain creates chemicals which produce feelings and emotions

Like it or not, emotions share some very real biochemical links with your nervous system, immune system and digestive system.

Consciousness is a property of the brain, and the brain is a biochemical engine or its just a chemical super-computer.

Sin originates in the brain-flesh, not in the mind.

The Scriptures recognize the psychosomatic principle, though only in relatively recent times have medical researchers in general become aware that there is some connection between pathological conditions in the body and a person’s emotional state. Proverbs 17:22 states: “A heart that is joyful does good as a curer, but a spirit that is stricken makes the bones dry.”

 Such emotions as envy, fear, greed, hate, and selfish ambition are injurious, whereas good and sometimes remedial effects are produced through cultivating and displaying love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, and self-control, the fruitage of the spirit. (Ga 5:22, 23)

 The Scriptures do not, of course, classify all illness as psychosomatic, nor do they rule out as objectionable all consulting of and treatment by physicians. Paul called the faithful Christian Luke “the beloved physician.”—Col 4:14.

The bones are the interior supporting framework of the body, and as such are used in the Bible metaphorically to represent one’s being, especially as affected by deep feelings and emotions. Thus, the bones of a fearful individual are said to be “filled with dread.” (Job 4:14) One’s bones can shake because of extreme dejection or be “hot from dryness” because of disease. (Jer 23:9; Job 30:30) 

Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me; all my bones tremble. I am like a drunken man, like a strong man overcome by wine, because of the LORD and his holy words.

Job 30:30 KJV

My skin is black upon me, And my bones are burned with heat.

The fear of Yahweh is ‘a refreshment to the bones.’ (Pr 3:8) A good report is said to ‘make the bones fat’ or fill them with marrow, that is, invigorate the whole body. (Pr 15:30) “Pleasant sayings are . . . a healing to the bones.” (Pr 16:24) On the other hand, negative emotions can have a harmful effect on one’s organism. “A spirit that is stricken makes the bones dry.” (Pr 17:22) A wife that acts shamefully is said to be to her husband “as rottenness in his bones.” (Pr 12:4) The harboring of jealousy toward others can also be destructive to a person physically and spiritually, and so “jealousy is rottenness to the bones.”—Pr 14:30. 

Spirit of infirmity 

Spirit not a demon, spirit refers to the human mind and heart

illnesses caused by a bad human spirit wrong mental attitude: 

Prov 17:22 A heart that is joyful does good as a curer, but a spirit that is stricken makes the bones dry

17: 22 ¶  A merry heart doeth good [like] a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

spirit that is stricken makes the bones dry compare Spirit of infirmity 

makes the bones dry arthritis of the spine caused by the sin in the flesh due to the spirit of man being stricken with bad emotions (heart, spirit) effecting the nervous system (brain), immune system (flesh) and digestive system (soul)

Prov  18:14 The spirit of a man can put up with his malady; but as for a stricken spirit, who can bear it?

18:14 ¶  The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?

2Co 7:10  Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

was a lame woman whose body had for 18 years been hunched over and could not stand up straight by disease—called in the narrative “a spirit of infirmity” and “Satan”—the personified adversary which is SIN. 

Caused by SIN the curse placed on Adam 

Notice the language at the end of v 12 " thou art loosed from thine infirmity." She was loosed from her infirmity - by inference before that she was bound by her infirmity. 

Look at  verse 16, Jesus speaking says, "And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these  eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" (not the spirit of infirmity - but Satan)

 

What does Satan mean to you? Well simply Satan means in the Old Testament 'satan' – adversary. This woman was in an adverse situation. She had arthritis - she was buckled up, she couldn't straighten up. So can we see that the spirit of infirmity is synonymous here with the term 'satan'? She was bound by her infirmity or we might say she was bound by 'satan' and the nature of this satan was arthritis. She had been bent up with arthritis, and now she was made straight.

Satan and the spirit of infirmity are equivalent expressions

“Satan”—the personified adversary = The Sin in the flesh

Romans 5:12 That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men (by genetic inheritance) because they had all sinned

Hebrews 2:14 Therefore, since the “young children” are sharers of blood and flesh, he also partook of the same things, that through his death (not his life) he might bring to nothing the one having the means to cause death (the sin in the flesh has the power of death), that is, the Devil (devil personification of sin)

Romans  8:3 For, there being an incapability on the part of the Law, while it was weak through the flesh, God, by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, condemned the sin in the flesh 

condemned sin in a sinful nature called the body of sin

Sometimes Illnesses come from God or Yahweh not Satan the devil, demons or so-called evil spirits  (Iasiah 45:7  1Samuel 16:14,15)

Deut 28:22 The Lord will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching, and with mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish.

Deut 28:27The Lord will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, with the scab, and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed. 

28The Lord will strike you with madness and blindness (another type of so-called demon illness) and confusion of heart. 

29And you shall grope at noonday, as a blind man gropes in darkness; you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you.

What is the difference between the 'brain' and the 'mind'?

Answer:

It may seem, on the surface, that distinguishing between the brain and the mind is not important but to understand the Scriptures properly we must recognize the difference in the brain versus that which the brain produces.

The difference is seen in considering the two words, “brain” and “mind”. The brain is brain-flesh, the physical source of the impulses of man’s defiled nature. The brain is defined as, “

The dictionary says, Brain: "That part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull". In other words it is the physical member of the body that controls the biological functions of the body in addition to producing thoughts, attitudes &c.

The mind is defined as, “human consciousness that originates in the brain and is manifested especially in thought, perception, emotion, will, memory, and imagination” (Am. Heritage Dictionary).  

Mind: Thinking produced by the brain.

The problem is that some false teaching say that sin is a matter of morality and not as a physical law of that nature’s constitution.

The uncleanness is shifted from the physical realm of the brain’s flesh to the mental-moral

realm.

 with this information we can can understand how a person with a bad spirit makes themsleves ill 

 its all about sin did you now that the sin in the flesh which is cellular aging

we do not die because we break gods law we die because of sin which by genetic inheritance was passed on from Adam 

this is called called cellular aging that physical element of animal nature which cause all diseases and death  

Prophecies about the corruption of the church

Prophecies about the corruption of the church

There are many prophecies in the bible about the the corruption of the church but what do the Gnostic Gospels say

The Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles

For many in the churches have shown partiality to the rich, because they also are sinful, and they give occasion for others to sin. But judge them with uprightness, so that your ministry may be glorified, and that my name also, may be glorified in the churches." The disciples answered and said, "Yes, truly this is what is fitting to do."

James 2:4,  My brothers,show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. ..(4) have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

On the Origin of the World

And out of envy the authorities mixed their seed with them, in hopes of polluting them. They could not. Then when the blessed beings appeared in luminous form, they appeared in various ways. And each one of them, starting out in his land, revealed his (kind of) knowledge to the visible church constituted of the modelled forms of perdition. It (viz., the church) was found to contain all kinds of seed, because of the seed of the authorities that had mixed with it.

forms of perdition reminds me of 

 2Th 2:3Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

The Second Treatise of the Great Seth

we were hated and persecuted, not only by those who are ignorant (gentiles, pagans), but also by those who think that they are advancing the name of Christ (so-called Chistians), since they were unknowingly empty, not knowing who they are, like dumb animals. 

revelatin 2:8 “And to the [a]angel of the church in Smyrna write,

‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: 

9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a [b]synagogue of Satan. 

10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The Odes Of Solomon

Ode 38

All the poisons of error, and pains of death which are considered sweetness.
And the corrupting of the Corruptor, I saw when the bride who was corrupting was adorned, and the bridegroom who corrupts and is corrupted.
And I asked the Truth, Who are these? And He said to me: This is the Deceiver and the Error.
And they imitate the Beloved and His Bride, and they cause the world to err and corrupt it.
And they invite many to the wedding feast, and allow them to drink the wine of their intoxication;
So they cause them to vomit up their wisdom and their knowledge, and prepare for them mindlessness.
Then they abandon them; and so they stumble about like mad and corrupted men.
Since there is no understanding in them, neither do they seek it.
But I have been made wise so as not to fall into the hands of the Deceivers, and I myself rejoiced because the Truth had gone with me.


17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying [a]to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of [b]her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written:

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS

OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

The Gospel of Thomas 

(39) Jesus said, The Pharisees and the scholars have taken the keys of knowledge and have hidden them. They have not entered, nor have they allowed those who want to enter to go inside. You should be shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves.

The Pharisees here are a symbol of all false religion and undoubtedly today the Lord would speak this way of the priests and clergy of orthodox Christianity, the churches have lost the keys. The keys of knowledge are the one true faith and hope of Abraham the promises made to him. Therefore we must have the faith as that of Abraham for those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham Gal 3:9 who is the father of us all saying 105 cp. Rom 4:11,12,16. Now his faith and ours is this that the gentiles shall be blessed in him and this promises was made to him before the law and his seed who is the Christ 

39) ## Jesus said, "The Pharisees and the scribes [who are still operating today through the Triple Crown Power controlled by the Vatican] have taken the keys of Knowledge [the higher/inward (spiritual) meaning of the scriptures] and hidden them [behind the fleshly locks of earthly types and images]. They themselves have not entered [in their depraved condition and deceptive practices they have shut themselves out of the Kingdom], nor have they allowed to enter those who wish to [these have become "wolves in sheep's clothing" who subvert the knowledge of truth that they may continue to "lord it over you" for the glory of men]. #You, however, be as wise as serpents [the Pharisees and scribes (Mat 23:33, 12:34 etc.. we must be aware that the devil will use many deceptions and tricks through your own flesh and the people around you to find ways "to accuse you day and night before the Father"] and as innocent as doves [we are to take great care not to harm anyone, even "those who hate you and despitefully use you" for they are all your brothers and some are there for the sole purpose of the Elect (doves/peacemakers) that they may be tested and refined in the Way]." 

saying 40 Jesus said, "A grapevine has been planted outside the father. And because it is not sound, it will be plucked out by the root and will perish."


But what orthodox churches of Christianity called the error was planted outside of the father’s wises in the days of the apostles and Paul also tells us that wolfs will come in and destroy the truth and this evenly gave birth to the man of lawlessness when Constine removed that which was holding it back.. This grapevine cannot bear fruit (everlasting life) and those in it are already dead not knowing the knowledge of the truth that brings everlasting life. 

40)# Jesus said, "A grapevine [religion] has been planted outside of the Father, but being unsound [in health being rooted in the depraved imaginations of men], it will be pulled up by its roots [that it has no chance to come back] and destroyed [by Jesus the true vine (Jn. 15:1)]."

(102) Jesus said, Shame on the Pharisees.[today, the Churches that spread the wrong message to gain power and profit for themselves like most Churches that call themselves 'Catholic', 'Christian' or 'Evangelic', Mormons] They are like a dog sleeping in the cattle manger. It does not eat or let the cattle eat. [They will spiritually starve, because instead of drinking from Jesus Christ's mouth, they spread lies either because they have their own agenda or they simply just don't see the truth and don't let their 'believers' drink from Jesus Christ's words either]."

102) Jesus said, "Woe to the Pharisees [who hid the Key of Knowledge], for they are like a dog [unclean animal] sleeping [spiritually dead in law] in the manger [where the animals (beasts) food is kept] of oxen [the Laity who are to tread out the corn (the Word of God)], for neither does he eat ["if anyone is not willing to work, neither let him eat"] nor does he let the oxen eat [the Laity are always discouraged or kept from doing so by religious leaders who love to "lord it over them"]."




In The Gospel of Judas we can we the corruption of the church


THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS
THE DISCIPLES SEE THE TEMPLE AND DISCUSS IT

They [said, “We have seen] a great [house (Ezekiel 8:6) with a large] altar [in it, and] twelve men (Ezekiel 8:11,16)— they are the priests, we would say—and a name; and a crowd of people is waiting at that altar, [until] the priests [… and receive] the offerings. [But] we kept waiting.” [Jesus said], “What are [the priests] like?” They [said, “Some …] two weeks; [some] sacrifice their own children, others their wives, in praise [and] humility with each other; some sleep with men; some are involved in [slaughter]; some commit a multitude of sins and deeds of lawlessness. And the men who stand [before] the altar invoke your [name], [39] and in all the deeds of their deficiency, the sacrifices are brought to completion […].” After they said this, they were quiet, for they were troubled.

JESUS OFFERS AN ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE VISION OF THE TEMPLE

Jesus said to them, “Why are you troubled? Truly I say to you, all the priests who stand before that altar invoke my name. Again I say to you, my name has been written on this […] of the generations of the stars through the human generations. [And they] have planted trees without fruit, in my name, in a shameful manner.” Jesus said to them, “Those you have seen receiving the offerings at the altar—that is who you are. That is the god you serve, (2 Thess 2:3,4) and you are those twelve men you have seen. The cattle you have seen brought for sacrifice are the many people you lead astray [40] before that altar. […] will stand and make use of my name in this way, and generations of the pious will remain loyal to him. After him another man will stand there from [the fornicators], and another [will] stand there from the slayers of children, and another from those who sleep with men, and those who abstain, and the rest of the people of pollution and lawlessness and error, and those who say, ‘We are like angels’; they are the stars that bring everything to its conclusion. For to the human generations it has been said, ‘Look, God has received your sacrifice from the hands of a priest’—that is, a minister of error. But it is the Lord, the Lord of the universe, who commands, ‘On the last day they will be put to shame.’” [41] Jesus said [to them], “Stop sac[rificing …] which you have […] over the altar, since they are over your stars and your angels and have already come to their conclusion there. So let them be [ensnared] before you, and let them go [—about 15 lines missing—] generations […]. A baker cannot feed all creation [42] under [heaven]. And […] to them […] and […] to us and […]. Jesus said to them, “Stop struggling with me. Each of you has his own star, (Jude 13) and every[body—about 17 lines missing—] [43] in […] who has come [… spring] for the tree […] of this aeon […] for a time […] but he has come to water God’s paradise, and the [generation] that will last, because [he] will not defile the [walk of life of] that generation, but […] for all eternity.”

what the disciples have seen in Jerusalem is interpreted as a foreshadowing of the emerging Catholic church

The vision of the temple and twelve priests should first be understood from an historical point of view.The Gospel of Judas challenges the idea that God wants people to die as martyrs—just as it challenges the idea that God wanted Jesus to die. Whoever wrote this gospel—and the author is anonymous—is challenging church leaders who teach that.

The Testimony of Truth

The foolish - thinking in their heart that if they confess, "We are Christians," in word only (but) not with power, while giving themselves over to ignorance, to a human death, not knowing where they are going nor who Christ is, thinking that they will live, when they are (really) in error - hasten towards the principalities and authorities. They fall into their clutches because of the ignorance that is in them. For (if) only words which bear testimony were effecting salvation, the whole world would endure this thing and would be saved. But it is in this way that they drew error to themselves. ...
... (3 lines unrecoverable)
... they do not know that they will destroy themselves. If the Father were to desire a human sacrifice, he would become vainglorious.

For the Son of Man clothed himself with their first-fruits; he went down to Hades and performed many mighty works. He raised the dead therein; and the world-rulers of darkness became envious of him, for they did not find sin in him. But he also destroyed their works from among men, so that the lame, the blind, the paralytic, the dumb, (and) the demon-possessed were granted healing. And he walked upon the waters of the sea. For this reason he destroyed his flesh from [...] which he [...]. And he became [...] salvation [...] his death ...
... (4 lines unrecoverable)
... everyone [...] how many they are! They are blind guides, like the disciples. They boarded the ship; at about thirty stadies, they saw Jesus walking on the sea. These are empty martyrs, since they bear witness only to themselves. And yet they are sick, and they are not able to raise themselves.

But when they are "perfected" with a (martyr's) death, this is the thought that they have within them: "If we deliver ourselves over to death for the sake of the Name we will be saved." These matters are not settled in this way. But through the agency of the wandering stars they say they have "completed" their futile "course", and [...] say, [...]. But these [...] they have delivered themselves ...
... (7 lines unrecoverable)


... but they resemble [...] them. They do not have the word which gives life. (The Testimony of Truth)

Vision through the soul or through the spirit? The Gospel of Mary

Vision through the soul or through the spirit? The gospel of Mary

or

how does the person who sees the vision see it, through the soul or through the spirit? The Gospel of Mary

8) And she began to speak to them these words: I, she said, I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, Lord I saw you today in a vision. He answered and said to me,
9) Blessed are you that you did not waver at the sight of Me. For where the mind is there is the treasure.
10) I said to Him, Lord, how does he who sees the vision see it, through the soul or through the spirit?
11) The Savior answered and said, He does not see through the soul nor through the spirit, but the mind that is between the two that is what sees the vision and it is [...]
(pages 11 - 14 are missing from the manuscript)

the past tense Lord I saw you today in a vision Mary is addressing Jesus after the vision

this passage is based on John 20:14-18

John 20:14 After saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 

15 Jesus said to her: “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She, thinking it was the gardener, said to him: “Sir, if you have carried him off, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 

16 Jesus said to her: “Mary!” On turning around, she said to him in Hebrew: “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher!”) 

17 Jesus said to her: “Stop clinging to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God.’” 

18 Mary Magdalene came and brought the news to the disciples: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what he had said to her.

17 Jesus said to her: “Stop clinging to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God.’”

This suggests the ascent of the soul as the theme of the vision which Mary goes on to narrate

He answered and said to me,
9) Blessed are you that you did not waver at the sight of Me. For where the mind is there is the treasure.

did not waver not wavering and standing firm are terms in gnostic texts for those who possess knowledge

treasure and mind 

where the mind is, there is the treasure’. In one way this appears to be close to (but not identical with) the saying in Matt. 6.21 // Luke 12.34: ‘where your treasure is, there will your heart be also’ here in the Gospel of Mary replacing heart with mind

Metaphysical meaning of treasure (rw)
treasure--True wealth is a state of consciousness, the consciousness of God as man's supply. Spiritual wealth expresses itself as faith, love, wisdom, grace, joy, and so on. Material wealth expresses as worldly riches, possessions of an earthly nature

Justin, 1 Apol. 15.16 But seek the kingdom of heaven, and all these things shall be added unto you. For where his treasure is, there also is the mind of a man.

the version in the Gospel of Mary seems to refer to a present state of affairs the ‘mind’ itself the valued site, this is where the treasure’ itself is. 

the ‘mind’ (as the place where one’s ‘treasure’ is) 

This should be understood in light of Jesus's words that For the Son of Man is within you. his saving work allows us to follow after him the way to the true human existence and to find within ourselves the son of man as our own new self 

mind and vision

10) I said to Him, Lord, how does he who sees the vision see it, through the soul or through the spirit?
11) The Savior answered and said, He does not see through the soul nor through the spirit, but the mind that is between the two that is what sees the vision and it is

Here the words soul and spirit refer to natural human faculties

Man is made up of a body, soul and spirit

1Th 5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Heb 4:12  For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Sometimes the word soul and spirit and be translated mind, heart,

brain seat of consciousness

Mind = the intellect

soul = seat of the outward senses or the body 

spirit = seat of emotions or the heart 

Mary asks which human faculty enables one to see a vision, and she mentions the ‘soul’ or the ‘spirit’ as possibilities. The Saviour’s reply is to say that, rather than the soul or the spirit, it is the mind. 

The mind conveys the vision, functioning as a mediator between the spirit and the soul.

The mind is the ruling function of the soul, not something separate from it. He maintained that the soul, as well as the body, is material

For the Gospel of Mary, a human being is composed of body, soul, and mind.9 The mind is consciousness literally a co-perception. It implies that there are two types of perception within the believer- human perception, and spiritual self perception, that which links it with God. The Mind that is cleansed in Christ, that is at peace, will be a consciousness that keeps those two perceptions, of the real self and of the ego, in harmony.

The mind rules and leads the soul, so that when the mind is directed toward God, it purifies and directs the soul toward spiritual attainment. As the Savior said, "Where the mind is, there is the treasure" (GMary 7:4).

According to the Gospel of Mary, however, it is not the soul that sees the vision, but the mind acting as a mediator between the sensory perceptions of the soul and the Deity. This view was widely held among Christian theologians.18 For example, the second-century theologian and martyr, Justin,19 argued that God is invisible, and thus "the vision of God does not occur with the eyes, as with other living beings, but He can be grasped only by the mind" (Dialogue with Trypho 3).

The Gospel of Mary clearly agrees that only spiritually advanced persons have visionary experiences. Mary, for example, is praised by the Savior because she has not wavered at the sight of him.21 

The Savior ascribes Mary's stability to the fact that her mind is concentrated on spiritual matters. Mary has clearly achieved the purity of mind necessary to see the Savior and converse with him. The vision is a mark of that purity and her closeness to God.22 Note, too, that her stability is in marked contrast with the contentious fearfulness of the other disciples.

Because the mind is not associated with the senses, it is not dimmed in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Madness and ecstasy are not necessary characteristics of true prophecy from the Gospel of Mary's point of view; rather the purified mind is clear and potent.

The mind being described as a treasure (GosMar 10.15-16) reminds one of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians where he quotes Isaiah's question 'who has the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?' (Isa. 11.13). And he answers: but we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2.16). In his letter to the Romans the mind is the inner Human being, which is able to distinguish between the good and the bad (Rom. 7.22-23). The mind is able to honour the law of God, but is held prisoner by the flesh, causing death (Rom. 7.26). 

If the Spirit of God who raised Christ lives within one, this situation changes, enabling one to become free and alive (Rom. 7.24-25; 8.10-15). In the second letter to the Corinthians Paul calls the knowledge of God's glory in Jesus Christ, a treasure which we have in earthen vessels, referring to his hardships as an apostle (2 Cor. 4.6-11). He encourages his readers by saying that, although the outer human being is decaying, the inner one is renewed from day to day (2 Cor. 4.16). Furthermore he asks them to change themselves and to live their lives in accordance with their renewed mind (Rom. 12.2). In the letter to the Ephesians this renewal through one's mind is the same as clothing oneself with the new Human being (Eph. 4.23-24).