Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| Valentinus' Explanation of the Existence of Jesus; Power of Jesus Over Humanity.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
Chapter
XXVII.—Valentinus’ Explanation of the Existence of Jesus;
Power of Jesus Over Humanity.
After, then, there ensued some one (treaty of)
peace and harmony between all the Æons within the Pleroma, it
appeared expedient to them not only by a conjugal union to have
magnified the Son, but also that by an offering of ripe fruits they
should glorify the Father. Then all the thirty Æons
consented to project one Æon, joint fruit of the Pleroma, that he
might be (an earnest) of their union,686
| 686
ἐνότητος: Miller
has νεότητος, i.e.,
youth. The former is the emendation of Bernays. | and unanimity, and peace. And he
alone was projected by all the Æons in honour of the Father.
This (one) is styled among them “Joint Fruit of the
Pleroma.” These (matters), then, took place within the
Pleroma in this way. And the “Joint Fruit of the
Pleroma” was projected, (that is,) Jesus,—for this is his
name,—the great High Priest. Sophia, however, who was
outside the Pleroma in search of Christ, who had given her form, and of
the Holy Spirit, became involved in great terror that she would perish,
if he should separate from her, who had given her form and
consistency. And she was seized with grief, and fell into a state
of considerable perplexity, (while) reflecting who was he who had given
her form, what the Holy Spirit was, whither he had departed, who it was
that had hindered them from being present, who it was that had been
envious of that glorious and blessed spectacle. While involved in
sufferings such as these, she turns herself to prayer and supplication
of him who had deserted her. During the utterance of her
entreaties, Christ, who is within the Pleroma, had mercy upon (her),
and all the rest of the Æons (were similarly affected); and they
send forth beyond the Pleroma “the Joint Fruit of the
Pleroma” as a spouse for Sophia, who was outside, and as a
rectifier of those sufferings which she underwent in searching after
Christ.
“The Fruit,” then, arriving outside
the Pleroma, and discovering (Sophia) in the midst of those four
primary passions, both fear and sorrow, and perplexity and entreaty, he
rectified her affections. While, however, correcting them, he
observed that it would not be proper to destroy these, inasmuch as they
are (in their nature) eternal, and peculiar to Sophia; and yet that
neither was it seemly that Sophia should exist in the midst of such
passions, in fear and sorrow, supplication (and) perplexity. He
therefore, as an Æon so great, and (as) offspring of the entire
Pleroma, caused the passions to depart from her, and he made these
substantially-existent essences.687
| 687 This
is Bunsen’s text, ὑποστάτους.
Duncker reads ὑποστατικὰς,
hypostatic. | He altered fear into animal
desire,688
| 688 Some
read οὐσίαν (see
Theodoret, Hær., c. vii.). | and (made)
grief material, and (rendered) perplexity (the passion) of
demons. But conversion,689
| 689
ἐπιστροφὴν;
or it may be rendered “solicitude.” Literally, it
means a turning towards, as in this instance, for the purpose of prayer
(see Irenæus, i. 5). |
and entreaty, and supplication, he constituted as a path to repentance
and power over the animal essence, which is denominated right.690
| 690 Valentinus
denominates what is psychical (natural) right, and what is material or
pathematic left (see Irenæus, i. 5). | The Creator691
| 691
Cruice renders the passage thus: “which is
denominated right, or Demiurge, while fear it is that accomplishes this
transformation.” The Demiurge is of course called
“right,” as being the power of the psychical essence (see
Clemens Alexandrinus, Hypot. excerpta e Theod., c.
43). | (acted) from fear; (and) that is what, he
says, Scripture affirms: “The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom.”692
| 692
Ps. cxi. 10; Prov. i. 7; ix.
10. | For this is the beginning of
the affections of
Sophia, for she was seized with fear, next with grief, then with
perplexity, and so she sought refuge in entreaty and
supplication. And the animal essence is, he says, of a fiery
nature, and is also termed by them the super-celestial Topos, and
Hebdomad,693
| 693
Schneidewin fills up the hiatus thus: “Place of
Mediation.” The above translation adopts the emendation of
Cruice (see Irenæus, i. 5). | and
“Ancient of Days.”694
| 694
Dan. vii. 9, 13, 22" id="iii.iii.iv.xxviii-p12.1" parsed="|Dan|7|9|0|0;|Dan|7|13|0|0;|Dan|7|22|0|0" osisRef="Bible:Dan.7.9 Bible:Dan.7.13 Bible:Dan.7.22">Dan. vii. 9, 13,
22. | And whatever other such statements
they advance respecting this (Æon), these they allege to hold good
of the animalish (one), whom they assert to be creator of the
world. Now he is of the appearance of fire. Moses also, he
says, expresses himself thus: “The Lord thy God is a
burning and consuming fire.”695
| 695
Deut. ix. 3; Ps. l. 3; Heb.
xii. 29. | For he, likewise, wishes (to think)
that it has been so written. There is, however, he says, a
twofold power of the fire; for fire is all-consuming, (and) cannot be
quenched. According, therefore, to this division, there exists,
subject to death, a certain soul which is a sort of mediator, for it is
a Hebdomad and Cessation.696
For underneath the Ogdoad, where
Sophia is, but above Matter, which is the Creator, a day has been
formed,697
| 697
See Epistle of Barnabas, chap. xv. vol. i. p. 146, and
Ignatius’ Letter to the Magnesians, chap. ix. p.
63, this series. | and the
“Joint Fruit of the Pleroma.” If the soul has been
fashioned in the image of those above, that is, the Ogdoad, it became
immortal and repaired to the Ogdoad, which is, he says, heavenly
Jerusalem. If, however, it has been fashioned in the image of
Matter, that is, the corporeal passions, the soul is of a perishable
nature, and is (accordingly) destroyed.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
