First Thought who is Barbelo
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# Barbelo: Who Is the First Thought
**Reading from *The Apocryphon of John***
> “And [Its thinking became a] thing. And she who ap[pea]red in Its presence in [the lu]min[escence of] Its light was revealed. She is the first [power who came into] being before them a[ll.. She appeared] from Its thought, [the Pronoia of the All], her light [. . .] light, the [perfect] power, that is, [the image of the perfect invisible virginal Spirit, [the first po]wer, the glory of Barbelo, the glory which is perfect in the aeons, the glory of the revelation. [She] glorified the virginal Spirit and praised It since she had appeared because of It. That one is the first Thought (Protennoia) of Its image. She became a womb for the All because she is prior to them all, the Mother-Father, the first Human, the holy Spirit, the triple male, the triple power, the triple named androgyne, and the eternal aeon among the invisible ones, and the first to come forth.”
Barbelo is introduced in this passage as the first emanation of the Invisible Spirit, the first Thought (*Protennoia*) of the Father’s image. She embodies the totality of the divine fullness, described as Mother-Father, holy Spirit, and the triple-named androgyne, highlighting her completeness in both masculine and feminine aspects. She is the origin of all creation, the womb for the aeons, and the first power to come forth from the mind of the Self-Generated Father.
> “Barbelo asked the invisible virgin spirit to give her foreknowledge, and the spirit consented. When the spirit consented, foreknowledge appeared and stood by forethought. This is the one who came from the thought of the invisible virgin spirit. Foreknowledge glorified the spirit and the spirit’s perfect power, Barbelo, for because of her, foreknowledge had come into being. She asked again to be given incorruptibility, and the spirit consented. When the spirit consented, incorruptibility appeared and stood by thought and foreknowledge. Incorruptibility glorified the invisible one and Barbelo. Because of her they had come into being. Barbelo asked to be given life eternal, and the invisible spirit consented. When the spirit consented, life eternal appeared, and they stood together and glorified the invisible spirit and Barbelo. Because of her they had come into being. She asked again to be given truth, and the invisible spirit consented. Truth appeared, and they stood together and glorified the good invisible spirit and its Barbelo. Because of her they had come into being.”
This sequence demonstrates Barbelo’s active role in the emanation of divine qualities. Foreknowledge, incorruptibility, life eternal, and truth all come into being through her request and the consent of the Invisible Spirit. Barbelo is thus the channel through which divine attributes are realized, glorifying both herself and the Spirit. In Gnostic cosmology, she is not passive but the originating power that shapes the qualities of the aeons, making her indispensable to creation.
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**The Gnostic Study of Barbelo**
In my study, the Lord reminded me:
> “Remind your brothers and sisters of what I have told before this day.” (*Matthew 25:40*)
Hearing these words as a childlike revelation, it became clear that Barbelo is the unseen source guiding creation itself. The passage from Genesis resonates here:
> “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over the beasts and over all the earth and over every serpent that moves upon the earth.” (*Genesis 1:26, Jubilee Bible 2000*)
The chief rulers of this world, who attempted creation in their own authority, were unaware of Barbelo, the First Thought. They sought to create mankind in their own image without understanding the origin of their forms. Barbelo, the mind and power behind the invisible Spirit, instructed them in thought:
> “You and your fellows shall create a body for mankind, but create it after the likeness of him who is the visible image of the invisible father, from whom you and your fellows have taken your forms. For he also is the first born son of first man of whom I am! You shall call these forms mankind, for the souls that shall inhabit these forms shall be of me who is first man, for they are of my kind.”
This passage demonstrates that the visible creation, the forms of mankind, is derived from the first human—the archetype of humanity—under Barbelo’s guidance. The rulers were limited in comprehension; they could only reproduce forms, while the souls and life that inhabit them originate from the invisible first Thought.
> “It is they who have been given authority over all things of matter, of light and matter mixed and light beings, they have authority over all the beings that dwell in the realms of the waters above the realms of matter and of the earth, they have authority over all the beings of the air which are those beings that are of light and matter mixed, they have authority over all beings of spirit realms that walks upon the earth that mankind shall inherit even the creatures that creeps upon the worlds of matter and light matter mixed.”
Through this, Barbelo establishes a divine order in which mankind inherits authority over the visible and mixed realms, yet their origin remains linked to her thought. Even the chief ruler cannot fully grasp this authority or its source; the knowledge is revealed only to those attuned to the light and to the mysteries of the Invisible Verginal Spirit.
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**Barbelo as Mother, Wisdom, and Holy Spirit**
Linguistically, the name Barbelo may derive from Hebrew *Be-arba Eloha*, interpreted as “God is in the four,” linking to the Tetragrammaton (YHWH). In Gnostic interpretation, this emphasizes her role as the feminine aspect of God, the active, creative principle. She is Mother-Father, a source of the Christos, and the first human—the archetypal being from which all souls descend.
Barbelo brings forth the Christos through the Light of the Father, not as a separate preexistent being but as an emanation of divine thought. She embodies wisdom, life, and the eternal principles of incorruptibility, foreknowledge, and truth. As the holy Spirit, she is the active mental power of God, unfolding creation from thought into visible form. The narrative portrays her as both maternal and paternal, androgyne in fullness, yet eternally the first to come forth.
> “When Barbelo spoke this to their chief God he could not comprehend that which was spoken nor could he grasp hold of its fullness, but only spoke that which pierced him, and that is what was written down by his scribe and that's what was given to Moses by him.”
This illustrates the limitation of material rulers who act without knowledge of divine thought. The visible creation is shaped by them, but the origin of life, the spark of intelligence and soul, is from Barbelo and the invisible Spirit.
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**Inheritance of Light and Knowledge**
Barbelo’s teachings emphasize that the hidden mystery is reserved for those attuned to the kingdom of light.
> “The hidden mystery of this text was not meant for the rulers of this world but for you to search out, all the mysteries of the Invisible Verginal Spirit, Self Conceived Father who is your Father, gave these mysteries to you as an inheritance to know him and from whom you came.”
Humankind, therefore, possesses not the bodies themselves but life—self-perpetuating, life-giving being, reflecting the Father’s image. Recognition of this origin allows the initiate to understand the mysteries of the light, the hidden divine reality that governs existence. The bread of life is knowledge of one’s true self, derived from Barbelo, the first Thought, and the Invisible Spirit.
> “You are the likeness of your father, and your bodies are the forms that the rulers of this world have created, you are not your bodies, you are self perpetuating life giving life being, as your father is self life giving, learn of your origin and of the mysteries of the kingdom of light, this is the bread of life!”
Barbelo thus stands as the first thought, the guiding principle of creation, the source of all souls, and the channel of divine knowledge. She is the Mother-Father, the holy Spirit, the active mental force of God, and the archetype of humanity. Through her, the invisible becomes visible, and the mystery of life is revealed to those who seek the light.
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Reading from The Apocryphon of John:
And [Its thinking became a] thing. And she who ap[pea]red in Its presence in [the lu]min[escence of] Its light was revealed. She is the first [power who came into] being before them a[ll.. She appeared] from Its thought, [the Pronoia of the All], her light [. . .] light, the [perfect] power, that is, [the image of the perfect invisible virginal Spirit, [the first po]wer, the glory of Barbelo, the glory which is perfect in the aeons, the glory of the revelation.
[She] glorified the virginal Spirit and praised It since she had appeared because of It. That one is the first Thought (Protennoia) of Its image. She became a womb for the All because she is prior to them all, the Mother-Father, the first Human, the holy Spirit, the triple male, the triple power, the triple named androgyne, and the eternal aeon among the invisible ones, and the first to come forth.
Barbelo asked the invisible virgin spirit to give her foreknowledge, and the spirit consented. When the spirit consented, foreknowledge appeared and stood by forethought. This is the one who came from the thought of the invisible virgin spirit. Foreknowledge glorified the spirit and the spirit’s perfect power, Barbelo, for because of her, foreknowledge had come into being.
She asked again to be given incorruptibility, and the spirit consented. When the spirit consented, incorruptibility appeared and stood by thought and foreknowledge. Incorruptibility glorified the invisible one and Barbelo. Because of her they had come into being.
Barbelo asked to be given life eternal, and the invisible spirit consented. When the spirit consented, life eternal appeared, and they stood together and glorified the invisible spirit and Barbelo. Because of her they had come into being.
She asked again to be given truth, and the invisible spirit consented. Truth appeared, and they stood together and glorified the good invisible spirit and its Barbelo. Because of her they had come into being. (The Apocryphon of John - The Secret Revelation of John)
Gnostic teacher says
The Lord and I sat together this night and he said to me, " Remind your brothers and Sisters of what I have told before this day " .
My Brethren I was as a child before the lord this night hear what he has reminded me to tell to you.
In this passage......... Genesis 1:26 ►............Jubilee Bible 2000
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over the beasts and over all the earth and over every serpent that moves upon the earth.
When the chief ruler of this world said this to his associates, he thought that he was saying this under his own authority and with his own power, for he did not know of " First Thought " who is " " Barbelo " .
he nor his associates knew of barbelo nor did they know where the thought came from, that they should create mankind in their image and after their likeness.
This is what Barbelo said to their chief in thought form, " you and your fellows shall create a body for mankind, but create it after the likeness of him who is the visible image of the invisible father, from whom you and your fellows have taken your forms from,
For he also is the first born son of first man of whom I am! You shall call these forms mankind, for the souls that shall inhabit these forms shall be of me who is first man, for they are of my kind.
It is they who have been given authority over all things of matter, of light and matter mixed and light beings, they have authority over all the beings that dwell in the realms of the waters above the realms of matter and of the earth, they have authority over all the beings of the air which are those beings that are of light and matter mixed, they have authority over all beings of spirit realms that walks upon the earth that mankind shall inherit even the creatures that creeps upon the worlds of matter and light matter mixed.
Brethren when barbelo spoke this to their chief God he could not comprehend that which was spoken nor could he grasp hold of it's fullness, but only spoke that which pierced him, and that is what was written down by his scribe and that's what was given to Moses by him.
Again my brethren, this is what was spoken to me of our lord to remind you of, and I say to you that it is this authority you have even over the body of matter you dwell in, the hidden mystery of this text was not meant for the rulers of this world but for you to search out, all the mysteries of the Invisible Verginal Spirit, Self Conceived Father who is your Father, gave these mysteries to you as an inheritance to know him and from whom you came.
You are the likeness of your father, and your bodies are the forms that the rulers of this world have created, you are not your bodies, you are self perpetuating life giving life being, as your father is self life giving, learn of your origin and of the mysteries of the kingdom of light, this is the bread of life!