Becoming Christians according to the Gospel of Philip

How to become a Christian according to the Gospel of Philip

# Becoming Christians According to the Gospel of Philip  

## The Name "Christian"  

The word *Christian* appears three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). The first recorded use of this term was in Antioch, Syria, where the followers of Jesus were identified as Christians.  

**Acts 11:26 (KJV)** – "And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch."  

The Greek word for *Christian* (Χριστιανός, *Christianos*) is derived from *Christos* (Χριστός), meaning "anointed one." In the Greek Septuagint, *Christos* is used to translate the Hebrew *Mašíaḥ* (מָשִׁיחַ), meaning "Messiah" or "anointed."  

The word rendered "called" in Acts 11:26 is *chrematisai*, meaning "to utter an oracle" or "to be divinely called." Some translations clarify that the name *Christian* was divinely appointed:  

- **Young’s Literal Translation**: "The disciples also were divinely called first in Antioch Christians."  

- **New World Translation (NWT)**: "It was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians."  

Early non-Christian sources such as Josephus (*Antiquities of the Jews*, XVIII.3:3), Tacitus (*Annals*), and Pliny the Younger confirm that Christians were recognized by this name. Early Christian writings such as Ignatius (*Ephesians* 11.2; *Romans* 3.2) and the *Didache* (12.4) also affirm the term's significance.  

## The Gospel of Philip on Becoming a Christian  

The *Gospel of Philip*, discovered in 1948 among the *Nag Hammadi* texts, is classified as a Valentinian work. It uses the word *Christian* ten times and distinguishes between Jews, Romans, Greeks, and Christians.  

**"If you say, 'I am a Jew,' no one will be moved. If you say, 'I am a Roman,' no one will be disturbed. If you say, 'I am a Greek, barbarian, slave, free,' no one will be troubled. If you say, 'I am a Christian,' the [world] will be shaken. May I [receive the one] whose name the [world] cannot bear to hear."** (*Gospel of Philip*)  

This passage reflects the early Christian experience of persecution and the distinctiveness of their identity. Unlike ethnic categories (Jew, Greek, Roman), *Christian* was a spiritual designation open to all people.  

## The Anointing and the Name Christian  

The *Gospel of Philip* teaches that the name *Christian* comes from *anointing* rather than from *baptism*:  

**"The anointing is superior to baptism, for it is from the word 'anointing' that we have been called 'Christians,' certainly not because of the word 'baptism.' And it is because of the anointing that 'the Christ' has his name. For the Father anointed the Son, and the Son anointed the apostles, and the apostles anointed us. He who has been anointed possesses everything."** (*Gospel of Philip*)  

Although baptism is an important initiation, it is through anointing with the Holy Spirit that a believer truly becomes a Christian. This anointing was understood as the means by which the apostles transferred spiritual power, mirroring Jesus' own anointing:  

- **Acts 10:38** – "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power."  

- **2 Corinthians 1:21** – "Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God."  

The *Gospel of Philip* further states:  

**"Anyone who goes down into the water and comes up without receiving anything and says, ‘I am a Christian,’ has borrowed the name. But one who receives the Holy Spirit has the name as a gift."**  

This suggests that true Christian identity is not based on a ritual but on the reception of the Holy Spirit. The anointing with oil was symbolic of the deeper anointing of the Spirit, which marked a person as truly belonging to Christ.  

## Becoming Christ  

The *Gospel of Philip* goes beyond calling believers *Christians*—it teaches that the goal is to *become Christ*:  

**"We are born again through the Holy Spirit, and we are conceived through Christ in baptism with two elements. We are anointed through the spirit, and when we were conceived, we were united."** (*Gospel of Philip*)  

This passage implies that spiritual rebirth (*being born again*) through the Holy Spirit leads to the name *Christian*. However, true union with Christ (symbolized by anointing and baptism) brings about a transformation beyond mere Christian identity:  

**"Those who receive the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and have accepted them must do this. If someone does not accept them, the name will also be taken from that person. A person receives them in the chrism with the oil of the power of the cross… This person is no longer a Christian but is Christ."** (*Gospel of Philip*)  

Here, the *Gospel of Philip* presents a mystical progression:  

1. A believer first receives the name *Christian* through anointing.  

2. As they grow spiritually, they move beyond being a *Christian* to becoming *Christ*.  

This idea is echoed in the concept of the believer being transformed into the divine image:  

**"People cannot see anything that really is without becoming like it… you have seen Christ and have become Christ, you have seen the Father and will become Father."** (*Gospel of Philip*)  

## Conclusion  

The *Gospel of Philip* presents a unique view of becoming a Christian. Unlike mainstream Christian teachings that emphasize baptism, this text highlights *anointing* with the Holy Spirit as the defining moment of Christian identity. The name *Christian* is received through this anointing, not merely through baptism.  

Furthermore, the *Gospel of Philip* teaches that being a Christian is not the final goal. Instead, spiritual growth leads one beyond the title *Christian* to full unity with Christ—*becoming Christ*. This reflects the Valentinian understanding of salvation as a process of divine transformation, where believers ultimately become one with Christ through the anointing of the Spirit.  

Thus, according to the *Gospel of Philip*, to become a Christian is to be anointed with the Spirit, but the journey does not end there. The true fulfillment of the Christian path is to be transformed into the very likeness of Christ.

How does a person become a Christian according to the Gospel of Philip? We well answer this question below but first we will look at the meaning of the name Christian 

The Name “Christian”

The word christian is used three times in the New Testament (Ac 11:26, Acts 26:28; 1Peter 4:16) It was first Antioch in Syrian that Christ’s followers became known as Christians. 

5546. Χριστιανός Christianos [khris-tee-an-os’]; from 5547; a Christian, i.e. the exponents of Christ: —  Christian.

— Gr. christianous: "Christ-like; Christ-ones." the Bible shows that it was a God-given name; they "were divinely called first in Antioch Christians" (Young’s) it confirmed their identity (Acts 26:28; 1Peter 4:16).

In the Greek Septuagint, christos was used to translate the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ (Mašíaḥ, messiah), meaning "[one who is] anointed.

Acts 11:26  And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (KJV)

The word rendered "called" is chrematisai, defined by Strong as "to utter an oracle, i.e., divinely intimate; by impl. to constitute a firm for business; (gen.) to bear as a title." The word is rendered "warned from God" in ch. 10:22. 

The NWT and Young’s Literal Translation specify that God was involed with the court megerstes using  the name “Christian”

Acts 11:26 and having found him, he brought him to Antioch, and it came to pass that they a whole year did assemble together in the assembly, and taught a great multitude, the disciples also were divinely called first in Antioch Christians. (Young’s Literal Translation)

Acts 11:26 and, after he found him, he brought him to Antioch. It thus came about that for a whole year they gathered together with them in the congregation and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians. (NWT)

From this we can see that the name christian was divinely appointed

The earliest occurrences of the term in non-Christian literature include Josephus, referring to "the tribe of Christians, so named from him;" ( Josephus. "Antiquities of the Jews — XVIII, 3:3".)

Pliny the Younger in correspondence with Trajan; and Tacitus, writing near the end of the 1st century. In the Annals he relates that "by vulgar appellation [they were] commonly called Christians" (Tacitus, Cornelius; Murphy, Arthur (1836). The works of Cornelius Tacitus: with an essay on his life and genius, notes, supplements, &c. Thomas Wardle. p. 287.) and identifies Christians as Nero's scapegoats for the Great Fire of Rome. ( Bruce, Frederick Fyvie (1988). The Book of the Acts. Eerdmans. p. 228.)

We next see the word appear in other early Christian sources in Ignatius, Eph 11.2; Rom 3.2; Pol 7.3. Cf. too Did 12.4; MPol 3.1; 10.1; 12.1-2; EpDiog 1.1; 4.6; 5.1;

This brings us to the gospel of philip a lost christian text found in 1948 it has been classified as a Valentinian document the word Christian is used ten times in the Gospel of Philip the first few paragraphs in the Gospel of Philip make a distinction between a Hebrew and a Christian this is carried on later in the text which we will look at now

I am a Christian

If you say, “I am a Jew,” no one will be moved. If you say, “I am a Roman,” no one will be disturbed. If you say, “I am a Greek, barbarian, slave, free,” no one will be troubled. If you say, “I am a Christian,” the [world] will be shaken. May I [receive the one] whose name the [world] cannot bear to hear. (Gospel of Philip)

If you say, “I am a Jew,” no one will be moved. If you say, “I am a Roman,” no one will be disturbed. 

no one will be disturbed because the world loves its own

The Gentile symbolizes the material, the Jew symbolizes soulical and the Christian typifies the spiritual  .

If you say, "I am a Christian," the world will tremble 

This passage reflects a period when Christians had begun to be persecute for the name at any rate they are thought of as standing apart from other people

In the early years of the church from the 1st century until the 4th century AD Christianity was still a new and unknown faith. it was viewed with suspicion by many and internally Christianity was full of divisions with a huge variety of sects calling themselves christian. Greek Romam Barbarian and jew are fundamentally ethnic categories whereas Christians could come from any race nationality or culture from slaves or free men and women.

The Anointing

The anointing is superior to baptism, for it is from the word "anointing" that we have been called "Christians," certainly not because of the word "baptism". And it is because of the anointing that "the Christ" has his name. For the Father anointed the Son, and the Son anointed the apostles, and the apostles anointed us. He who has been anointed possesses everything.

Although baptism is often seen as the major expression of a convert’s faith, the Gospel of Philip regarded it as far less important than the anointing—it is only with the anointing that a convert can truly be termed a Christian. Receiving this title is the most immediate effect of anointing.

Notice that the name “Christian” (coming only after the anointing) is one that will make everyone "tremble.”

"And it is because of the anointing that "the Christ" has his name." Jesus was anointed at his baptism with holy spirit and power ()

The verb xplw and the name Christ occur in association in 2 Corinthians 1:21.

Segelberg (193) compares Theophilus ad Autol. i. 12, where it is said that we are called Christians because we are anointed with the oil of God. Tertullian (de Bapt. 7) also derives the name of Christ from the chrism (c£ Iren. Dem. 53; Froidevaux 114 n. 8).

For the Father anointed the Son, and the Son anointed the apostles [giving them the “power to become sons”], and the apostles anointed us [and still do to this day by the written Word].

"He who has been anointed possesses everything." is joint heir with Christ being joined together in union by the fellowship of the spirit

The anointing with literal oil is only symbolic of the anointing of the holy spirit. The anointing with the spirit appears to happen at the same time as the baptism:

Anyone who goes down into the water and comes up without receiving anything and says, “I am a Christian,” has borrowed the name. But one who receives the holy spirit has the name as a gift. A gift does not have to be paid back, but what is borrowed must be paid. This is how it is with us, when one of us experiences a mystery. (Gospel of Philip)

a definite going down and coming up, that is, it was not a baptism of sprinkling only.'

it is a baptism of full submersion in water

"he has borrowed the name at interest" his sin debt has not yet been forgiven (paid) and is accruing interest - this is what the christo-pagan community is all about.

it appears that at the same time a person goes down into the water they receive the holy spirit:

We are anointed through the spirit
"But one who receives the holy spirit has the name as a gift" 
The name of course is the "Christian" name the holy spirit is the anointing

no longer a Christian but is a Christ

We are born again through the holy spirit, and we are conceived through Christ in baptism with two elements. We are anointed through the spirit, and when we were conceived, we were united. No one can see oneself in the water or in a mirror without light, nor can you see yourself in the light without water or a mirror. So it is necessary to baptize with two elements, light and water, and light is chrism.(Gospel of Philip)

to be born again by the holy spirit is to receive the name christian.to be conceived by Christ is to become Christ

Those who receive the name of the father, son, and holy spirit and have accepted them must do this. If someone does not accept them, the name will also be taken from that person. A person receives them in the chrism with the oil of the power of the cross. The apostles called this power the right and the left. This person is no longer a Christian but is Christ. (Gospel of Philip)

receiving the name christian is only the beginning of the journey the end goal is to be come a Christ

People cannot see anything that really is without becoming like it. It is not so with people in the world, who see the sun without becoming the sun and see the sky and earth and everything else without becoming them.

Rather, in the realm of truth,
you have seen things there and have become those things,
you have seen the spirit and have become spirit,
you have seen Christ and have become Christ,
you have seen the [father] and will become father.

[Here] in the world you see everything but do not [see] yourself, but there in that realm you see yourself, and you will [become] what you see.



A Christian is a person who has been anointed with holy spirit
Christian means Christ-like; Christ-ones
A Christian as both Father and Mother

Gnosis of the Dead Sea Scrolls

• 

# Gnosis of the Dead Sea Scrolls


The Dead Sea Scrolls provide a remarkable insight into the spiritual and theological world of the Qumran community. While this sectarian group was engaged in an apocalyptic struggle, anticipating an eventual triumph of divine light, they also cultivated a profound inner spiritual tradition. This duality—political-religious conflict and mystical introspection—characterizes their worldview.


Paul, in his epistles, speaks of a spiritual knowledge (*gnosis*), which suggests he was familiar with similar teachings to those preserved at Qumran. The Pharisaic authorities of his time largely forbade deep psychological or mystical introspection, but some members of the Qumran community actively pursued what they called the “Mystery of Existence” and sought “the Knowledge of the Secret of the Truth.” This esoteric wisdom is revealed in their texts:


> "Also, do not take Riches from a man you do not know, lest it only add to your poverty. If (God) has ordained that you should die in [you]r poverty, so He has appointed it; but do not corrupt your spirit because of it. Then you shall lie down with the Truth, and your sinlessness will He clearly proclai[m to th]em (the recording angels). As your destiny, you will inherit [Eternal] bliss. [For] though you are Poor, do not long for anything except your own portion; and do not be swallowed up by desire, lest you backslide because of it. And if He restores you, conduct yourself honorably. And inquire among His children about the Mystery of Existence; then you will gain knowledge of the inheritance and walk in Righteousness." (*4Q416, 418, plate 22, fragment 10, column 2, lines 6–11*)


The community members saw poverty not as an impediment to spiritual insight but as an opportunity to cultivate wisdom. They were instructed:


> "Though you are poor, do not say ‘I am penniless, so I cannot seek out knowledge.’ (Rather) bend your back to all discipline and through al[l Wisdo]m, purify your heart, and in the abundance of your intellectual potential, investigate the Mystery of Existence. And ponder all the Ways of Truth, and consider all the roots of Evil." (*Fragment 10, column 2, lines 13–15*)


This pursuit of wisdom was to be carried into daily life, including relationships:


> "If you take a wife in your poverty, take her from among the daughter[s of . . . ] . . . (fragment 10, column 2, line 21) from the Mystery of Existence. In your companionship, go forward together. With the helpmate of your flesh . . ." (*Fragment 10, column 2, line 22*)


Moreover, there was a warning against materialism at the expense of spiritual inheritance:


> "Do not exchange your Holy Spirit for any Riches, because no price is worth [your Soul]." (*4Q 416, 418, plate 22, fragment 9, column 2, line 6*)


A particularly fascinating fragment among the Dead Sea Scrolls is the so-called *Beatitudes* (*4Q 525, plate 12*), which presents wisdom teachings similar to those found in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. In one passage, the teacher instructs his disciples:


> "[Now, hear me, all my sons, and I will speak] about that Wisdom which God gave me . . . (column 1, line 1) [For He gave the Kn]owledge of Wisdom and instruc[tion] to teach [all the sons of Truth . . . (column 1, line 2)]"


The concept of the “Mystery of Existence” remains elusive, but the ecstatic and visionary elements in these writings suggest that the Qumran community had access to profound mystical experiences. They spoke of hidden mysteries within their *holy spirits* and of encountering divine realities through meditation and study of the Torah. However, their gnosis was not aimed at individual liberation, as seen in later Gnostic movements, but rather at affirming the covenant and reinforcing their Torah-based identity.


Their visions of divine knowledge often involved heavenly secrets:


> "Secret Wisdom and image of Knowledge and Fountain of Understanding, Fountain of Discovery and counsel of Holiness and Secret Truth, treasurehouse of Understanding from the sons of Righteousness." (*4Q 286–87, plate 21, manuscript A, fragment 1, line 6*)


This esoteric wisdom, with its imagery of divine chariots and fiery splendors, bears striking resemblance to the *Merkabah* (chariot) mysticism later found in the Kabbalah:


> "Of Your Holiness and the chariots of Your Glory with their (mu)ltitudes and wheel-angels, and all [Your] Secrets, Foundations of fire, flames of Your lamp, Splendors of honor, fi[re]s of lights and miraculous brilliances, [hon]or and virtue and highness of Glory, holy Secret and pla[ce of Spl]endor and the highness of the beauty of the Fou[ntain]." (*Manuscript A, fragment 1, lines 3–4*)


This raises the possibility that the roots of Jewish mysticism—what would later emerge as Kabbalah—can be traced back to Qumran. While Jewish gnosis may have developed more fully in the urban centers of Babylonia, Alexandria, and Syria, the presence of mystical contemplation in the Dead Sea Scrolls suggests an early form of this tradition.


The Qumran texts demonstrate a blend of apocalyptic hope and mystical insight. While their strict adherence to Torah law may have limited the development of a more liberating form of gnosis, their emphasis on inner transformation and divine mysteries places them at an important crossroads between Jewish apocalypticism and later mystical traditions. Understanding the *gnosis* of the Dead Sea Scrolls provides valuable context for the broader development of Jewish and early Christian mystical thought.








Gnosis of the Dead Sea Scrolls




Regarding the second question—gnosis at Qumran—we can see from the evidence that the “community” lived in two different worlds, apparently simultaneously. There was a politico-religious conflict with (it was believed) an eventual historical denouement with the coming of the Era of Light, and an inner spiritual world whence they extracted their precious visions. This latter side of “Qumrani” life has proved to hold a more enduring value.


When we think, for example, of Paul’s claim to spiritual knowledge (gnosis),72 we can be reasonably sure that he was familiar with the kinds of spiritual treasury once preserved near Qumran. While it seems that Pharisaic rabbis in this period forbade psychological introspection into the nature of one’s being, some “Qumranis” pondered deeply on what they called “the Mystery of Existence,” seeking “the Knowledge of the Secret of the Truth”:


Also, do not take Riches from a man you do not know, lest it only add to your poverty. If (God) has ordained that you should die in [you]r poverty, so He has appointed it; but do not corrupt your spirit because of it. Then you shall lie down with the Truth, and your sinlessness will He clearly proclai[m to th]em (the recording angels). As your destiny, you will inherit [Eternal] bliss. [For] though you are Poor, do not long for anything except your own portion; and do not be swallowed up by desire, lest you backslide because of it. And if He restores you, conduct yourself honorably. And inquire among His children about the Mystery of Existence; then you will gain knowledge of the inheritance and walk in Righteousness. (4Q416, 418, plate 22, fragment 10, column 2, lines 6–11) 75


Though you are poor, do not say “I am penniless, so I cannot seek out knowledge.” (Rather) bend your back to all discipline and through al[l Wisdo]m, purify your heart, and in the abundance of your intellectual potential, investigate the Mystery of Existence. And ponder all the Ways of Truth, and consider all the roots of Evil. (fragment 10, column 2, lines 13– 15)


If you take a wife in your poverty, take her from among the daughter[s of . . . ] . . . (fragment 10, column 2, line 21) from the Mystery of Existence. In your companionship, go forward together. With the helpmate of your flesh . . . (fragment 10, column 2, line 22)


Do not exchange your Holy Spirit for any Riches, because no price is worth [your Soul]. Willingly seek the face of him who has authority over your storehouse, and in his own tongue, and in his own tongue [speaks with him] . . . (4Q 416, 418, plate 22, fragment 9, column 2, line 6)


Do not forsake your Laws, and keep (secret) your Mysteries. (fragment 9, column 2, line 8)


If He assigns His service to you . . . (don’t allow) sleep (to enter) your eyes until you have done it . . . (fragment 9, column 2, line 9)


Do not sell your Glory for money, and do not transfer it as your inheritance, lest your bodily heirs be impoverished. (fragment 9, column 2, line 18)


There is a striking and tantalizing fragment that Eisenman calls the “Demons of Death” from a series of what he calls “Beatitudes” (4Q 525, plate 12), a text that contains a Wisdom discourse from a teacher to his “sons” (pupils):


[Now, hear me, all my sons, and I will speak] about that Wisdom which God gave me . . . (column 1, line 1) [For He gave the Kn]owledge of Wisdom and instruc[tion] to teach [all the sons of Truth . . . (column 1, line 2)


Bring forth the knowledge of your inner self and in . . . meditate. (fragment 2, column 4, line 19) 76


Darkness . . . poison . . . [all] those born [on the earth] . . . Heaven . . . (column 5, line 1) . . .


serpents in [it, and you will] go to him, you will enter . . . there will be joy [on the day] the Mysteries of God [are revealed] for[ever] . . . (column 5, line 2)


The problem for us in all this is that we cannot be certain about the substance of what is meant by the “Mystery of Existence” and the “inner self” of the pupil. Nevertheless, it is clear from the ecstatic and highly imaginative character of some of the new fragments that the authors of the works clearly found authentic spiritual wisdom in their meditations on God and God’s Law. They recognize that there are hidden mysteries in their “holy spirits” that can be accessed and that offer ecstatic visions of the life of God within them.


The sense of certainty gained from these experiences, however, is always used to justify the strict Torah-mindset of the community. This undoubtedly puts their gnosis more in the category of apocalyptic revelation than of Gnostic liberation. The “knowledge” invariably concerns the secrets of God’s heavenly places, while the Messiah invariably appears as a separate being.  While the reliance on external legal formulas for understanding spiritual experiences may have proved a weakness for the community as eschatological commandos, the vein of spiritual discovery nonetheless proved to be a comforting treasure afterward.


As stated earlier in this chapter, the apocalyptic hope eventually became almost entirely internalized. Perhaps it is at this point that we can discern the beginnings of that tree called Jewish Gnosticism, or rather the Kabbalah (especially Merkabah—that is, “chariot” or “throne” mysticism), a tradition of piety and redemption from the material world sought through inner exploration.


Themes and language such as those found in the following fragment were to be developed by Jewish communities in the Middle East (particularly in Baghdad), to emerge in medieval Europe among certain pious Jews of Spain and the Languedoc:

Secret Wisdom and image of Knowledge and Fountain of Understanding, Fountain of Discovery and counsel of Holiness and Secret Truth, treasurehouse of Understanding from the sons of Righteousness. (From 77 “The Chariots of Glory,” 4Q 286–87, plate 21, manuscript A, fragment 1, line 6) . . . of Your Holiness and the chariots of Your Glory with their (mu)ltitudes and wheel-angels, and all [Your] Secrets, Foundations of fire, flames of Your lamp, Splendors of honor, fi[re]s of lights and miraculous brilliances, [hon]or and virtue and highness of Glory, holy Secret and pla[ce of Spl]endor and the highness of the beauty of the Fou[ntain]. (Manuscript A, fragment 1, lines 3–4)


It may be that we see the roots of the kabbalistic tradition in the Qumran fragments published by Eisenman and Wise. However, it is as likely that the movement of Jewish gnosis—and its frequently accompanying magic—was more profitably developed in the relative safety of Babylonia, Alexandria, and Syria and in initiated circles in the Diaspora generally. Nevertheless, merely to know that some kind of Kabbalah existed historically at least as early as the first century A.D. not only is a boon to scholarship, but also gives us new tools for understanding the Jesus both of the New Testament and of the so-called Gnostic Gospels.

Valentinianism and Kabbalistic Parallels: A Jewish-Christian Synthesis

 # Valentinianism and Kabbalistic Parallels: A Jewish-Christian Synthesis  

Valentinian Gnosticism, one of the most developed forms of early Christian mystical thought, exhibits striking parallels with Jewish Kabbalistic traditions. These correspondences suggest that Valentinus or his followers may have drawn upon Jewish-Christian mystical traditions, particularly those associated with early Kabbalah. Samuel Zinner has highlighted numerous points of convergence between the Valentinian system and Jewish esotericism, demonstrating how both traditions share an emanationist metaphysical framework and a symbolic numerical structure.  

## The Emanationist Structure of the Pleroma and the Sefirot  

One of the most significant similarities between Valentinianism and Kabbalah is their shared doctrine of emanations. In the Valentinian system, the primal Father, also called the Depth (*Bythos*), generates a series of emanations known as Aeons. These Aeons emerge in structured pairs and are responsible for the manifestation of divine attributes within the Pleroma. According to Zinner, in the Valentinian tradition, "Logos and Zoe (Word and Life) emit ten emanations whereas the celestial Son of Man and Ecclesia (Church) emit twelve emanations" (Zinner, *The Gospel of Thomas*). This numerical structure directly corresponds to the ten *Sefirot* of Jewish Kabbalah and the twelve tribes of Israel. Kabbalists often add these two numbers together to reach 22, representing the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which are believed to be the building blocks of divine creation.  

Moreover, the Valentinian tradition speaks of Sophia (*Wisdom*) as the final emanation of the Aeonic hierarchy, a concept that aligns closely with the Kabbalistic *Shekhinah*. In later Valentinian schools, particularly that of Ptolemy, the distinction between two Sophias—one celestial and pure, the other fallen and morally ambiguous—mirrors the Kabbalistic differentiation between the Upper and Lower *Shekhinah* (Zinner, *The Gospel of Thomas*). This parallel suggests a shared understanding of divine wisdom as both transcendent and immanent, existing in both higher and lower aspects of reality.  

## The Role of the Divine Name and the Logos  

The Valentinian use of divine names also has strong affinities with Jewish mystical traditions. According to Zinner, the Gospel of Truth, which is often attributed to Valentinus, "avoids using the word 'God' except once, which is strongly suggestive of the traditional Jewish avoidance of the divine name" (Zinner, *The Gospel of Thomas*). This is reminiscent of Jewish mystical practices where the divine name is considered too sacred to be spoken directly.  

Furthermore, in the Gospel of Truth, the Son is described as the Name of the Father, echoing the Jewish-Christian doctrine that the divine essence itself is unnameable:  

> "This passage implies that the Father's essence is unnameable, for his essence cannot be named; therefore, the Son is his Name" (Zinner, *The Gospel of Thomas*).  

This aligns with Kabbalistic teachings where the ineffable divine essence is revealed through the *Tetragrammaton* (YHWH) and other permutations of the divine name.  

## Valentinian Gematria and the Creative Words of God  

The Valentinian system also incorporates numerical symbolism akin to Jewish Kabbalistic gematria. According to Zinner, the name *Iesous* (Jesus) was used in gematric calculations in ways that resemble typical Kabbalistic methods (Zinner, *The Gospel of Thomas*). Although gematria was present in Greek thought, Zinner argues that given the broader Jewish-Christian elements in Valentinianism, it is more natural to associate this practice with Jewish mysticism rather than Hellenistic numerology.  

Additionally, Ptolemy, a major Valentinian teacher, taught that all Aeons were Words (*Logoi*), a doctrine strikingly similar to the Kabbalistic teaching that the ten *Sefirot* correspond to God's ten creative words in Genesis (Zinner, *The Gospel of Thomas*). In Kabbalah, these words are understood as divine commands that shape existence, just as the Valentinian Aeons embody the creative aspects of the Father.  

## The Hypostatic Book and Emanational Attributes  

Another deeply Jewish-Christian element in the Gospel of Truth is the imagery of the "hypostatic Book," which contains emanational attributes of the Pleroma. Zinner notes that many of these attributes closely correspond to the Kabbalistic *Sefirot*, including Wisdom, Knowledge, Forbearance, Crown, Glory, and Love (Zinner, *The Gospel of Thomas*). The concept of divine knowledge being inscribed or contained within a metaphysical book has strong parallels in Jewish mysticism, where the Torah is sometimes envisioned as a pre-existent divine blueprint.  

Furthermore, the Gospel of Truth reflects the idea of a feminine aspect of God, identifying the Holy Spirit with the "bosom of the Father." This corresponds to the Jewish-Christian understanding of the Holy Spirit as a maternal presence:  

> "Folio 24 reflects the Syrian Jewish-Christian idea that the feminine bosom of the Father is the Holy Spirit. Jewish-Christian as well is the Triad of Father, Mother (=Holy Spirit), and Son" (Zinner, *The Gospel of Thomas*).  

This conception resonates with Kabbalistic depictions of *Binah* (Understanding) as the motherly aspect of divinity.  

## The Influence of Theudas and Jewish-Christian Transmission  

Zinner proposes that Valentinus may have been influenced by Jewish-Christian traditions transmitted through Theudas, a lesser-known early Christian figure:  

> "Naturally, qualifications must be made with regard to various details, but the overall general paradigms seem sufficient to indicate a strong Jewish—or better, Jewish-Christian—component within Valentinianism, and we would suggest that the best candidate for transmission of these ideas to Valentinus would be Theudas" (Zinner, *The Gospel of Thomas*).  

If Valentinianism indeed absorbed elements of early Jewish-Christian mysticism, Theudas could have played a pivotal role in transmitting these traditions. This would help explain the numerous points of contact between the Valentinian Pleroma and the Kabbalistic *Sefirot*.  

## Conclusion  

The evidence provided by Zinner strongly suggests that Valentinian theology was not solely a product of Hellenistic speculation but was deeply intertwined with Jewish-Christian mystical traditions. From the structure of the Aeons and the use of divine names to the numerical symbolism and hypostatic attributes of the Pleroma, Valentinian thought exhibits clear affinities with Kabbalistic teachings. While direct historical connections remain speculative, the conceptual parallels indicate a common esoteric worldview that transcended rigid sectarian boundaries in the early centuries of Christianity.

The Valentinian and the Sefirot

The Valentinian and the Sefirot








# **The Valentinian and the Sefirot**


The interplay between Valentinian thought and Jewish mysticism, particularly Kabbalah, reveals profound parallels in their descriptions of divine emanation and structure. Both traditions depict God as manifesting through stages, utilizing a system of paired attributes or emanations that define the divine order. The concept of the **Sefirot** in Kabbalah and the **Aeons** in Valentinianism function as metaphysical structures that reveal divine characteristics, emphasizing order, balance, and the gradual unfolding of divinity into the cosmos.


## **The Root of the All and the Emanation of the Four**


The Valentinian Exposition from the Nag Hammadi Library describes the ineffable Father as **"the Root of the All,"** an expression that evokes the image of a tree, similar to the **Sefirot** as the "Tree of Life" in Kabbalistic thought. The Father, before any manifestation, exists alone in silence:


> "He dwells alone in silence, and silence is tranquility since, after all, he was in fact One and nothing existed before him. He also exists as Twoness and as a Pair, and his partner is Silence. And he possessed the All dwelling within him." (*A Valentinian Exposition, Nag Hammadi Library*)


Here, the ineffable God first emanates into Two—representing a primordial polarity—and then into Four. The **Tetrad** in Valentinianism corresponds to this fourfold emanation: **Mind and Truth, Word and Life, Man and Church**. This Tetrad is the foundation of the Pleroma, analogous to the **four letters of the Tetragrammaton (YHWH)** in Jewish mysticism.


Further in the text, the expansion of the Father continues:


> "The Fourth accordingly is he who restricted himself in the Fourth: while dwelling in the Three-hundred-sixtieth, he first brought himself (forth), and in the Second he revealed his will, and in the Fourth he spread himself out." (*A Valentinian Exposition, Nag Hammadi Library*)


This reference to **360** represents the totality of divine emanation, linking it to the idea of a **full cycle or completion**. The number 360 corresponds to the **entirety of divine manifestation**, an idea that resonates with the mystical numerology found in Kabbalah.


## **The Tetrad and the Shemhamphorash**


In Jewish mystical traditions, the **Tetragrammaton (YHWH)** is permutated into **72 divine names**, known as the **Shemhamphorash**. This transformation reflects the idea that the divine name contains hidden dimensions, unfolding into the angelic hierarchy. Valentinianism similarly understands the **Tetrad as generating additional divine manifestations**, with the structure of the Aeons expanding into the **Decad (10 Aeons) and Dodecad (12 Aeons), forming a total of 30 Aeons in the Pleroma**.


> "That Tetrad projected the Tetrad which is the one consisting of Word and Life and Man and Church. [...] And the Tetrad is begotten [... ] the Decad from Word and Life, and the Dodecad from Man, and Church became a Triacontad." (*A Valentinian Exposition, Nag Hammadi Library*)


Here, the **Decad** (10 Aeons) mirrors the **Ten Sefirot**, which in Kabbalah serve as the divine attributes through which God interacts with the world. The **Dodecad (12 Aeons)** extends this manifestation, paralleling how **the 10 Sefirot are connected by 22 paths**, forming the **"32 Paths of Wisdom"**, a key structure in Kabbalah.


## **The Decad and the Sefirot**


The Valentinian **Decad** consists of paired emanations, much like the Sefirot, which function in dynamic relationships. The ten Valentinian Aeons of the Decad are:


1. **Bythios (Profound) and Mixis (Mixture)**
2. **Ageratos (Never old) and Henosis (Union)**
3. **Autophyes (Essential nature) and Hedone (Pleasure)**
4. **Acinetos (Immovable) and Syncrasis (Commixture)**
5. **Monogenes (Only-begotten) and Macaria (Happiness)**


In Kabbalistic thought, the **Sefirot** are similarly understood as divine attributes, each with its own function. The first three Sefirot—**Keter (Crown), Chokhmah (Wisdom), and Binah (Understanding)**—parallel the **Valentinian Mind (Nous), Word (Logos), and Life (Zoe)**. The **lower Sefirot**, such as **Chesed (Mercy) and Gevurah (Judgment)**, reflect **aspects of divine justice and balance**, which in Valentinianism manifest as the interplay between **male and female Aeons**.


## **The Father as the Tree and the Tree of Life**


Valentinian texts often describe the **Father as a tree**, which aligns with the **Tree of Life (Etz Chaim)** in Kabbalistic thought. The **Tripartite Tractate** states:


> "The Father is a single one, like a number, for he is the first one and the one who is only himself. Yet he is not like a solitary individual. Otherwise, how could he be a father? For whenever there is a 'father,' the name 'son' follows. But the single one, who alone is the Father, is like a root, with tree, branches and fruit." (*The Tripartite Tractate, Nag Hammadi Library*)


The **Sefirot** are arranged **in a tree-like pattern**, connected by **22 paths**, corresponding to the **22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet**. In Jewish mysticism, these paths serve as the channels through which divine energy flows. The **Valentinian Aeons** similarly exist in structured pairs, reflecting a dynamic process of emanation and return.


## **The Numerological Significance of the Tree of Life**


In both Valentinianism and Kabbalah, **numerology plays a crucial role** in the divine structure. The **10 Sefirot + 22 paths** create the **"32 Paths of Wisdom,"** a system mirrored in Valentinian teachings where the **Aeons form numerical structures representing divine totality**. Additionally, the **seven lights of the Jewish menorah**, symbolizing divine wisdom, can be understood in relation to the **Aeons and their functions within the Pleroma**.


> "The seven lamps allude to the branches of human knowledge, represented by the six lamps inclined inwards towards, and symbolically guided by, the light of God represented by the central lamp." (*Jewish Mystical Tradition*)


This **symbolism of divine light** is reflected in Valentinian descriptions of the **Aeons as divine attributes**, forming the **Pleroma**—the **fullness of divine presence**.


## **Conclusion**


The Valentinian system of **emanation** bears striking parallels to the **Sefirot** of Kabbalah. Both describe a structured process where the **divine manifests in stages**, forming a tree-like pattern of **paired attributes**. The **Tetrad of Valentinianism corresponds to the Tetragrammaton (YHWH), and the Decad to the Ten Sefirot**. Both traditions employ **numerological structures, divine names, and symbolic trees** to illustrate how **God emanates into the cosmos while maintaining transcendence**.


By examining these connections, we see that **Valentinianism and Kabbalah share a common mystical language**, revealing a deep-seated tradition of **divine emanation and structure**, shaping early Christian and Jewish esoteric thought.





















I will speak my mystery to those who are mine and to those who will be mine. Moreover it is these who have known him who is, the Father, that is, the Root of the All, the Ineffable One who exists as Oneness. He dwells alone in silence, and silence is tranquility since, after all, he was in fact One and nothing existed before him. He also exists as Twoness and as a Pair, and his partner is Silence. And he possessed the All dwelling within him. And as for Intention and Persistence, Love and Permanence, they are indeed unbegotten. (The Nag Hammadi Library A Valentinian Exposition)

God came forth: the Son, Mind of the All, that is, it is from the Root of the All that even his Thought stems, since he had this one (the Son) in Mind. For on behalf of the All, he received an alien Thought since there were nothing before him. From that place it is he who moved [...] a gushing spring. Now this is the Root of the All and Oneness without any one before him. Now the second spring exists in silence and speaks with him alone. And the Fourth accordingly is he who restricted himself in the Fourth: while dwelling in the Three-hundred-sixtieth, he first brought himself (forth), and in the Second he revealed his will, and in the Fourth he spread himself out. (The Nag Hammadi Library A Valentinian Exposition)

This passage is taken to mean that the root of the All the Father first spreads himself out into Two and than Four. From Four he also extends himself as far as Three Hundred Sixty, representing the ultimate edge of the Pleroma although in a distinct dimension of his transcendent essence he keeps himself restricted to the primal Four.

The Four primal emanations maybe a symbol for the four worlds (Olam) in Kabbalah they could also stand as a symbol for 4 letters of the divine name YHWH or Tetragrammaton (meaning "consisting of four letters"). The Tetragrammaton was permutated into 72 angelic names by simply taking the yo da valve and mutating them

The Valentinians understood the four primal emanations as a refernce to the tetragrammaton which was permutated into 72 angelic names by simply taking the yo da valve and permutating them, that was known as the Shemhamphorash.

The different names of God in the Jewish mysticism current at the time of Jesus the names of God were understood to be emanations or divine attributes of God they were hypostasis or emanations of Godhead manifesting into existence as the world's are coming into existence Jewish mysticism

In Jewish angelology, the angels and archangels are manifested as coming forth and emanating from Godhead and originally all the angels were personifications of these things and they were named with a suffix EL which means of God for example Micha-EL the loving kindness of God Rapha-EL the healing of God and so on. In the Kabbalah the Sephirot became the emanation of the more abstract moral qualities of God in the Valentinian Pleroma of the Aeons Godhead was manifested in pairs male/female pairs

The Valentinian Exposition from the Nag Hammadi Library

That Tetrad projected the Tetrad which is the one consisting of Word and Life and Man and Church. Now the Uncreated One projected Word and Life. Word is for the glory of the Ineffable One while Life is for the glory of Silence, and Man is for his own glory, while Church is for the glory of Truth. This, then, is the Tetrad begotten according to the likeness of the Uncreated (Tetrad). And the Tetrad is begotten [... ] the Decad from Word and Life, and the Dodecad from Man, and Church became a Triacontad. Moreover, it is the one from the Triacontad of the Aeons who bear fruit from the Triacontrad. They enter jointly, but they come forth singly, fleeing from the Aeons and the Uncontainable Ones. And the Uncontainable Ones, once they had looked at him, glorified Mind since he is an Uncontainable One that exists in the Pleroma.
But the Decad from Word and Life brought forth decads so as to make the Pleroma become a hundred, and the Dodecad from Man and Church brought forth and made the Triacontad so as to make the three hundred sixty become the Pleroma of the year. (The Nag Hammadi Library A Valentinian Exposition)



The Decad is the Sefirot
God emanated himself in stages to create the universe. There are ten aeons, which are vessels or containers called the Sephirot (the word Sephirot means emanations). These emanations or attribute that are manifested are powers and virtues, wisdom, knowledge, justice, mercy, and so on these are still referenced in attributions to the seven lights of the Jewish synagogue, which you will find on the altar in a synagogue with seven lights this seven lights will reference 10 Sefirot.

The seven lamps allude to the branches of human knowledge, represented by the six lamps inclined inwards towards, and symbolically guided by, the light of God represented by the central lamp.

There are 22 paths that connect these ten Sephirot and that makes 32 names of God. The root attributes of the powers and virtues of God were understood as a kind of tree like the tree of life. It was the image of God in mankind as the blind men said I see men as trees walking we find a lot of this tree language in this tree of life are ten Sefirot ten vessels

The tree of sefirot also has a numerological significance. Between the 10 sefirot run 22 channels or paths, which connect them, a number which can be associated with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Together the spiritual forces of the 10 sefirot and the 22 connecting channels are called the "32 Paths of Wisdom".






Samuel Zinner writes:

Morever the name Theudas is curiously reminiscent of Syrian Jewish-Christian tradition and this might explain the many Jewish (actually; Jewish-Christian) Kabbalistic elements in the Valentino an system. Traditional scholarship over-emphasizer traditional scholarship over-elements the Valentnian system.aspects of Valentine's thought we therefore now turn to an examination of the possible Jewish components found in his metaphysics.First in the Valentnian system Logos. and Zoe (word and Life) emit ten emanations whereas the celestial Son of man and Ecclesia (Church) emit twelve emanations.These number correspond precisely to the ten sefirot and the twelve tribes of Israel whi Kabbalists add together in order to arrive at the number of the 22 Letters of the Hebrew alphabet. (The Gospel of Thomas By Samuel Zinner)

In later Valentnian school of Ptolemy we encounter a doctrine of two Sophia's precisely paralleled in the Kabbalah Upper and lower shekhinah, the upper being wholy righteous, the lower being morally ambiguous. (The Gospel of Thomas By Samuel Zinner)

The Jewish-Christian Ebionite distinction between the celestial Saviour the earthly Jesus. also seems to be reflected in Valentnian thought. The Valentnian system reflected in Valentnian thought. The Valentinian systems references to concepts such as the Father measure size or extent are all reminiscent of the ancients shi'ur qomah traditions. For Valentinus Sophia is the last of the aeonic emanations precisely as Shekinah is the final sefirah in Kabbalah . (The Gospel of Thomas By Samuel Zinner)

According to Ptolemy all the aeons were Words which is exactly paralleled in the Kabbalah a teaching that the ten sefirot correspond to God's ten words of creative command in the Genesis creation account (nine explicit commands one implicit). (The Gospel of Thomas By Samuel Zinner)

The Valentinian use of gematria in the Greek name iesous is also indicative of typical Kabbalistic procedures. Although gematria was by no means confined to Jewish circles in light of the other extensive specifically Jewish parallels in Valentinus' thought it is more natural to associate his practice of gematria with Judaism than with Hellenism. (The Gospel of Thomas By Samuel Zinner)

As the Zohar teaches that Hokhmah made the emanation Elohim (Binah understanding) so the Valentnian Ptolemy teaches that Sophia is exalted above the Demiurge. Naturally qualifications must be made with regard to various details but the overall general paradigms seem sufficient to indicate a strong Jewish or better Jewish-Christian component within Valentinianism and we would suggest that the best candidate for transmission of these ideas to Valentinus would be Theudas. (The Gospel of Thomas By Samuel Zinner)


Since it is quite likely that the Nag Hammadi Gospel of Truth was written by Valentinus we should comment on it somewhat .Its Jewish Christian character is especially apparent in its divine Name Christology. We note that the word God occurs in this document only once and this is strongly suggestive of the traditional Jewish avoidance of the name God. There is a heavily Syrian Jewish-Christian complexion this text if this tendency had been mediated to Valentinus via Theudas this then might imply that the latter may have been of Syrian origin. (The Gospel of Thomas By Samuel Zinner)

According the Gospel of Truth 17 the obvious flaws in creation do not in actuality exist. For the mutable creation itself in contrast to the immutable Father can be said to be non_existent therefore the flaws in creation are no dishonor to God. In Folio 18 We find a point curiously Philo Oblivion did not emerg into existence from the Father even if it did come to because of him (The Gospel of Thomas By Samuel Zinner)


The image of the hypostatic Book in folios 19_23 is deeply Jewish-Christian in tone. 6In folio 23 we encounter a list of emanational attributes associat!ed with the supernal pleroma man of which curiously coincide to varying degrees with the Kabbalistic sefirot such as Wisdom Knowledge Forbearance. Crown Glory Love.Folio 24 reflects the Syrian Jewish-Christian idea that the feminine bosom of the Father is the Holy spirit Jewish-Christian as well is the Triad of Father Mother (=Holy Spirit) and Son ... into the Father into the Mother Jesus of the unending sweetness Folio 27 s lan_guage may indicate Knowledge of the traditions concerning pre-existence found in the Gospel of Thomas logion19 and this yet another Syrian feature of the Gospel of Truth...those come into existence... before they come into existence Fo-lios 38-39 present the Jewish-Christian doctrine of the Son as the Name of the Father.This passage implies that the Father essence is unnameable for his essence cannot be named there fore the Son is his name. (The Gospel of Thomas By Samuel Zinner)

Why Gnostic Christians Should Meditate on the Aeons, Not Chakras

 

# **Why Gnostic Christians Should Meditate on the Aeons, Not Chakras**  

**Welcome to *Pleroma Pathways* apocalyptic and mystic Christianity, where we explore esoteric and apocalyptic texts.**  

Throughout early Christian history, the Aeons have been central to the spiritual life of the Gnostic believer. The term *Aeon* occurs over a thousand times in the Nag Hammadi Scriptures and in the writings of the early Church Fathers, emphasizing their significance. In contrast, the concept of Chakras, which originates from Eastern traditions and has been absorbed into New Age mysticism, is entirely absent from early Christian writings. The Gnostics did not focus on energy centers within the body but instead meditated on the names of the Aeons, particularly those within the Ogdoad.  

Just as Jewish mystics meditate upon the **Sefirot** of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life to draw closer to God, so too should Christian Gnostics focus on the Aeons, divine emanations that lead us back to the Pleroma. The Ogdoad, consisting of **Bythos Βύθος (the Depth) and Sige-Charis  Nous Νοΰς (Nus, Mind) and Aletheia Άλήθεια (, Truth) (the Word; Logos Λόγος) and  (the Life; Zoe Ζωή) Anthropos Άνθρωπος (Man) and Ecclesia Έκκλησία**, represents the divine order through which Christ came into the world. By meditating upon these Aeons, we attune ourselves to the divine, becoming luminaries in the midst of mortals.  

## **The Biblical and Gnostic Basis for Meditating on the Aeons**  

The *Letter of Peter to Philip* from the Nag Hammadi Scriptures records Jesus saying:  

*"Concerning the Pleroma, it is I. I was sent down in the body for the seed that had fallen away. … They [the Aeons] were brought to completion, filled with rest through his salvation. Since he was deficiency, he became fullness."* (Nag Hammadi Codex VIII, 2)  

This passage affirms that Christ came to restore the fullness of the Aeons and that those who follow Him will also be restored to this divine state. To meditate on the Aeons is to follow Christ’s own path, moving from deficiency to fullness.  

Similarly, the *Gospel of Philip* explains that through Christ, believers also become Aeons:  

*"You saw the Spirit, you became spirit; you saw Christ, you became Christ; you saw the Father, you will become the Father."* (Gospel of Philip, II 61,29-32)  

This mystical identification with Christ is the goal of the Gnostic path. The Pleroma is not merely a distant realm—it is an inner reality accessible through divine knowledge. The *Gospel of Truth* elaborates on this:  

*"Thus fullness, which has no deficiency but fills up deficiency, is provided to fill a person’s need, so that the person may receive grace. … When the diminished part was restored, the person in need was revealed as fullness."*  

Likewise, in the *Secret Book of James*, Christ urges His followers:  

*"Be filled and leave no space within you empty."*  

The meditation on the Aeons is the method by which Gnostic Christians fill themselves with divine knowledge and grace.  

## **Man as a Microcosm of the Aeons: The Valentinian View**  

Valentinian Gnosticism, one of the most developed early Christian mystical traditions, taught that humanity was a reflection of the divine order. The early Church Father Irenaeus records the Valentinian teaching:  

*"Man, also, being formed after the image of the power above, had in himself that ability which flows from the one source. This ability was seated in the region of the brain, from which four faculties proceed, after the image of the Tetrad above, and these are called: the first, sight, the second, hearing, the third, smell, and the fourth, taste. And they say that the Ogdoad is indicated by man in this way: that he possesses two ears, the like number of eyes, also two nostrils, and a twofold taste, namely, of bitter and sweet."* (*Against Heresies*, 1.18.1)  

This passage demonstrates that the Ogdoad is not only a cosmic reality but is also inscribed within the human form. Rather than relying on foreign concepts such as Chakras, Gnostic Christians should recognize that their bodies already reflect the divine emanations. The Ogdoad is hidden within the human being, waiting to be revealed through meditation and divine knowledge.  

## **The Corrupting Influence of New Age Mysticism**  

The term *Chakra* originates from Hindu and Buddhist traditions and was never used by early Christians or Gnostic thinkers. Its introduction into Christian discourse is a result of New Age mysticism, which seeks to merge incompatible religious traditions. While Eastern practices may hold wisdom in their own right, they do not align with the revealed teachings of Christ and the Pleroma.  

Many New Age practitioners claim that Chakras are energy centers that must be balanced to achieve enlightenment. However, Gnosticism teaches that salvation is not about balancing bodily energies but about **ascending through the Aeons** to reunite with the divine fullness. The *Tripartite Tractate* confirms this:  

*"The redemption … is called 'an ascent to the degrees which are in the Pleroma' and is accomplished 'according to the power of each of the Aeons'."*  

This ascent is not about energy centers but about spiritual realization. The Aeons are the path to salvation, not the Chakras.  

## **Why Christians Must Meditate on the Aeons**  

The *Treatise on Resurrection* states that when a person is redeemed, **"fullness fills what it lacks."** This fullness is found in the divine emanations—the Aeons—not in foreign mystical systems. To align with Christ, believers must meditate upon the names of the Aeons, focusing on their spiritual meanings:  

 

- **Bythos Βύθος (the Depth) and Sige-Charis** – Contemplating the ineffable source of all things and the silence that allows divine wisdom to emerge.  

- **Nous Νοΰς (Nus, Mind) and Aletheia Άλήθεια (, Truth** – Awakening divine intelligence and recognizing the hidden things of truth.

- **the Word; Logos Λόγος) and (the Life; Zoe Ζωή) ** – The active Word of God and the divine life that sustains creation.  

- **Anthropos Άνθρωπος (Man) and Ecclesia Έκκλησία** – The spiritual image of the divine and the collective body of believers.  

Meditating on these Aeons restores believers to the divine harmony from which they originated. As the *Gospel of Philip* states:  

*"For those who are in the Pleroma, everything is inside them, and outside them there is nothing."*  

By meditating on the Aeons, Gnostic Christians fulfill the commandment of Christ to become **luminaries in the midst of mortals** (*Letter of Peter to Philip*). They are filled with divine knowledge, transformed into fullness, and prepared for the age to come.  

## **Conclusion**  

Gnostic Christianity does not need to borrow from New Age mysticism. The true path to spiritual restoration lies in the Aeons, as revealed in the Nag Hammadi Scriptures and Valentinian tradition. Just as Jewish mystics contemplate the **Sefirot**, Gnostic Christians must meditate on the divine emanations of the Pleroma. By doing so, they follow in the footsteps of Christ, ascending from deficiency to fullness, and becoming illuminators in the world.  

*"You saw Christ, you became Christ."* (*Gospel of Philip*)  

Let us, therefore, turn our attention away from the foreign concepts of Chakras and return to the sacred tradition of meditating upon the Aeons—the true keys to divine knowledge and transformation.

The Greater and Lesser Yahweh Exodus 23:21

# The Greater and Lesser Yahweh  

## *Two Powers in Heaven (Shtei Rashuyot Ba-Shamayim)*  

During the Second Temple period, some Jewish texts introduced the idea of a second divine figure, either beside YHWH or beneath Him. This concept developed into the belief that there were multiple "powers in heaven" (*shtei rashuyot ba-shamayim*), a teaching later deemed heretical in rabbinic Judaism (Mishnah *Sanhedrin* 4:5 – Sefaria).  

In mystical and esoteric Jewish traditions, these two powers were sometimes referred to as the *Greater Yahweh* and the *Lesser Yahweh*. This distinction is found in Merkabah texts such as *3 Enoch*, where the angel Metatron is called "the Lesser YHWH" (3 Enoch 48B:1[44]; 48D:1[90]). Similarly, in Gnostic literature such as *Pistis Sophia* and the *Book of Jeu*, we encounter "Great Iao" and "Little Iao" (*Pistis Sophia*, chs. 7 [twice], 86, 140; *Book of Jeu*, ch. 50), possibly corresponding to these designations.  

## Two Yahwehs in the Bible  

The idea of two Yahwehs is suggested in passages where one Yahweh appears to speak or act on behalf of another Yahweh.  

### *The Angel of Yahweh in Exodus 23:20-21*  

> *"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him."* (Exodus 23:20-21)  

This angel carries the divine Name and possesses authority to judge sin, suggesting an identity closely tied to Yahweh Himself.  

### *Yahweh Speaking to Yahweh in Exodus 24:1-2*  

> *"And to Moses He (Yahweh) said: 'Go up to Yahweh...'"* (Exodus 24:1)  

Here, Yahweh commands Moses to approach another Yahweh, reinforcing the idea of two Yahwehs.  

### *Elohim and El in Genesis 35:1*  

> *"Then Elohim said to Jacob, 'Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to El, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.'"*  

This passage differentiates between *Elohim* and *El*, suggesting a hierarchy within the divine realm.  

### *Yahweh Calling Upon Yahweh in Genesis 19:24*  

> *"Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven."*  

One Yahweh appears to act on behalf of another Yahweh, further supporting the concept of two Yahwehs.  

### *Amos 4:11 – The Lesser Yahweh and the Greater Yahweh*  

> *"I overthrew some of you, As Elohim overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a burning stick plucked from the burning; Yet you have not returned to me," Says Yahweh.*  

Here, the "I" (Yahweh) overthrows like *Elohim* overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. This implies a Yahweh distinct from Elohim.  

## Yahweh as the Head Angel  

Jewish angelology often presents Yahweh as manifesting through angelic figures. Genesis 18 describes Yahweh appearing to Abraham, yet the text states that three men (*Elohim*) stood before him. The lead figure in this group is later identified as Yahweh, suggesting an angelic Yahweh figure.  

## Second-Century Jewish Literature: *Metatron as the Lesser Yahweh*  

### *The Third Book of Enoch (3 Enoch 12:1-5)*  

Metatron, identified as Enoch after his transformation, is called the "Lesser YHWH":  

> *"And He called me THE LESSER YHWH in the presence of all His heavenly household; as it is written (Ex. 23:21): 'For my name is in him.'"* (*3 Enoch* 12:5)  

Metatron is thus depicted as a divine figure bearing the Name of Yahweh.  

### *3 Enoch 48C – Metatron’s Exaltation*  

> *"I made honor, majesty, and glory his garment; beauty, pride, and strength, his outer robe, and a kingly crown, 500 times 500 parasangs, his diadem. I bestowed on him some of my majesty, some of my magnificence, some of the splendor of my glory... and I called him by my name, 'The Lesser YHWH, Prince of the Divine Presence, knower of secrets.'”*  

This passage reflects the belief that Yahweh's authority could be delegated to a principal angelic figure.  

## The Logos as the Mediator and Energizer of Angels  

The Logos, as described by Philo of Alexandria, serves as the intermediary between God and creation. Philo attributes to the Logos the role of empowering and sustaining angelic beings.  

### *Logos as the Chief of Angels*  

> *“And even if there be not as yet any one who is worthy to be called a son of God, nevertheless let him labor earnestly to be adorned according to his first-born word [Logos], the eldest of his angels, as the great archangel of many names; for he is called the authority, and the name of God, and the Word, and man according to God's image, and he who sees Israel.”*  

— *On the Confusion of Tongues* 146  

### *The Logos as the Mediator of Divine Energy*  

> *“For God, as shepherd and king, governs (περιαντλεῖ) the universe in accordance with law and justice, setting over it His true Logos, His first-born son, who is to receive the charge of this sacred flock, as though he were the lieutenant of a great king.”*  

— *On the Husbandry* 51  

### *The Logos as the Source of Angelic Motion and Action*  

> *“This same Word [Logos] is continually a suppliant to the immortal God on behalf of the mortal race, which is exposed to affliction and misery; and is also the ambassador sent by the Ruler of all to the subject race.”*  

— *Who is the Heir of Divine Things?* 205  

### *The Logos as the Power Behind Angelic Visions*  

> *“For it was indispensable that the man devoted to God should make use of the ministrations of the divine Word [Logos], which is superior to all the angels, inasmuch as it has been called the eldest of all, the archangel with many names.”*  

— *On Dreams* 1.157  

Philo describes the Logos as the chief angel, the firstborn of God, who energizes and sustains the angels in their roles.  

## The Demiurge and the Logos  

According to Heracleon’s commentary on John 1:3:  

> *“All things were made through Him," means that it was the Word who caused the Craftsman (Demiurge) to make the world, that is it was not the Word ‘from whom’ or ‘by whom,’ but the one ‘through whom (all things were made).’”*  

This suggests that the Demiurge, often equated with the *Elohim*, operates under the influence of the Logos.  

### *Elohim as the Demiurge*  

Ptolemy, a Valentinian teacher, explains that the Law was given through angels (*Elohim*), aligning with Acts 7:53, Galatians 3:19, and Hebrews 2:2. This suggests that the *Elohim*, as intermediaries, function as the Demiurge—divine agents governing the material world.  

### *Conclusion: The Logos and the Lesser Yahweh*  

While *3 Enoch* attributes the title of *Lesser YHWH* to Metatron, the broader tradition suggests that this role aligns more closely with the Logos. The Logos serves as the intermediary power, energizing the angelic host and directing the Demiurge in shaping the cosmos. This perspective bridges Jewish angelology with early Christian thought, positioning the Logos as the ultimate mediator between the divine and the created world.

https://youtu.be/Kab_farFCOA

Why Gnosticism Does Not Support Karma

 

Why Gnosticism Does Not Support Karma  

The concept of karma, which originated in India with the *Rig Veda*, is not a Jewish, Christian, or Gnostic teaching. Karma, as commonly understood, is a principle of cause and effect where actions determine future experiences, often linked to reincarnation. However, neither Valentinian Gnosticism nor the teachings found in *Eugnostos the Blessed* support such an idea. Instead, these traditions address fate and providence in distinct ways, but neither suggests a system of karmic justice governing human existence.  

The word karma originates from the Sanskrit root kṛ, meaning "to act" or "to do." In Hinduism and Buddhism, karma refers to the moral law of cause and effect, where one's actions determine future experiences. However, this concept is distinct from the Greek and Hebrew terms used in biblical and Gnostic texts. The Greek word for fate, μοίρα (moíra), refers to an allotted portion or destiny, while πεπρωμένο (peproméno) signifies something that has been predetermined. Neither of these terms carry the moral causality implied in karma. Furthermore, fate is not the same as providence, which is expressed by the Greek πρόνοια (pronoia), meaning divine foresight or care. Unlike karma, which suggests an impersonal moral mechanism, providence implies an intentional guiding force, often associated with God’s will in biblical thought.

Ecclesiastes 9:11 provides a perspective that directly contrasts with the deterministic implications of karma. The verse states: "I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all." Here, the Hebrew word מִקְרֶה (miqreh) and the Greek ἀπάντημα (apántēma) convey the idea of random chance or unforeseen events, emphasizing unpredictability in life. This contradicts the notion of karma, which suggests that one’s past actions always determine their future outcomes. Instead, the biblical and Gnostic perspectives recognize that human experiences are shaped by a mixture of fate, providence, and random occurrences, none of which align with the karmic cycle of action and reaction.

## The Valentinian Perspective: Fate and Providence  

Valentinian Gnosticism acknowledges the existence of fate (*heimarmene*) and providence (*pronoia*), but it does not equate these with karma. Fate is seen as a system of opposing forces that influence human existence through cosmic alignments, while providence is the means by which salvation is granted through Christ. According to the Valentinians, the celestial bodies and their movements indicate the workings of unseen powers, but they do not independently cause events. Instead, these movements display the activity of higher powers, which guide births and circumstances.  

However, Valentinian Gnosticism teaches that the coming of Christ liberates believers from fate, transferring them to divine providence. This transition is achieved through baptism, which is not merely a ritual but a transformative act that frees one from the constraints of fate. Before baptism, fate is real, but afterward, it no longer holds power over the believer. This belief places emphasis on knowledge (*gnosis*) as the key to salvation, rather than on a deterministic system of cause and effect like karma.  

The idea that one's destiny is shaped by past actions and carried forward in a cycle of rebirth is absent in Valentinian thought. Instead, fate governs those who lack *gnosis*, while those who attain knowledge are freed from it. The Valentinian tradition presents a dualistic worldview where opposing forces influence human existence, but ultimate liberation comes through the knowledge and guidance of Christ, not through karmic retribution.  

## Eugnostos the Blessed: A Rejection of Fate and Providence  

The non-Valentinian text *Eugnostos the Blessed* goes even further in rejecting any concept of fate, providence, or self-governance. Unlike the Valentinians, who see fate as real until transcended, *Eugnostos* dismisses all such concepts as misguided human speculation. The text states:  

> “The wisest among them have speculated about the truth from the ordering of the world. And the speculation has not reached the truth. For the ordering is spoken of in three (different) opinions by all the philosophers; hence they do not agree. For some of them say about the world that it was directed by itself. Others, that it is providence (that directs it). Others, that it is fate. But it is none of these. Again, of three voices that I have just mentioned, none is true. For whatever is from itself is an empty life; it is self-made. Providence is foolish. Fate is an undiscerning thing.”  

This passage makes it clear that *Eugnostos* does not accept fate as a governing force over human affairs. It also rejects providence as lacking wisdom and denies the idea that the world directs itself. Instead, the text argues that true knowledge comes not from philosophy or cosmic determinism, but from the revelation of the true God. 

Both *Eugnostos* and Ecclesiastes emphasize the limitations of relying on external forces and highlight the randomness of existence, which stands in direct contrast to the structured cause-and-effect system of karma.   

## Galatians 6:7-8 and the Rejection of Karma  

Galatians 6:7-8 states:  

> “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”  

At first glance, this passage may seem similar to karma because it speaks of reaping what one sows. However, the key difference is that this principle is not an impersonal law of cause and effect operating over multiple lifetimes. Instead, it is a moral and spiritual truth governed by God’s judgment, not by an automatic system. The passage warns that choices have consequences, but these consequences are based on divine will, not a mechanical cycle of rebirth or karmic debt.  

Unlike karma, which suggests that every action produces a corresponding effect in a future life, Galatians 6:7-8 presents two clear paths: corruption for those who live according to the flesh and eternal life for those who live by the Spirit. This distinction is not based on an endless cycle of rebirth but on a direct relationship with God, who grants eternal life as a gift. The emphasis is on spiritual transformation rather than inevitable repayment for past deeds. This understanding of sowing and reaping is rooted in the biblical concept of divine justice rather than an impersonal cosmic law, making it incompatible with karma.

## 

## Gnostic Thought and the Rejection of Karma  

Neither Valentinian Gnosticism nor *Eugnostos the Blessed* supports the idea of karma. The Valentinians acknowledge fate as a temporary condition from which one can be liberated through Christ, while *Eugnostos* outright denies fate, providence, and self-governance. In both perspectives, salvation comes through knowledge, not through a cycle of moral retribution.  

Unlike karma, which suggests that past actions determine future experiences in a continuous cycle, these Gnostic perspectives emphasize the role of knowledge in transcending worldly conditions. Valentinian thought allows for fate’s influence until it is overcome, while *Eugnostos* dismisses the very idea that fate or providence has any real power.  

Thus, Gnosticism does not support karma, because it neither upholds a system of moral causality nor believes in reincarnation. Instead, it presents a path of liberation through knowledge, rejecting the idea that human existence is bound to an endless cycle of consequences dictated by past actions.