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The Gospel of Mary, transl. Karen L. King, George
W. McRae, R. McL. Wilson and Douglas M. Parrot, from The Nag Hammadi
Library James M. Robinson (ed) , Harper & Row, San Francisco 1988, pp.
252-527.
"Will matter then be [destroyed] or not?". The Saviour said, "All
natures, all formations, all creatures exist in and with one another, and they
will be resolved into their own roots. For the nature of the matter is resolved
into the (roots) of its nature alone. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
Peter said to Him, "Since you have explained everything to us, tell us
this also: What is the sin of the world?"
The Saviour said, "There is no sin, but it is you who make sin when you
do the things that are like the nature of adultery, which is called 'sin'. That
is why the Good came into your midst, to the essence of every nature, in order
to restore it to its root."
Then He continued and said, "That is why you [become sick] and die, for
[Š] of the one who [Š He who] understands, let him understand. Matter
gave birth to a passion that has no equal, which proceeded from (something)
contrary to nature. Then there arise a disturbance in the whole body. That is
why I said to you, 'Be of good courage', and if you are discouraged (be)
encouraged in the presence of the different forms of nature. He who has ears to
hear, let him hear."
When the blessed one had said this, He greeted them all, saying, "Peace
be with you. Receive my peace to yourselves. Beware that no one lead you
astray, saying, 'Lo here!' or 'Lo there!' for the Son of Man is within you.
Follow after Him! Those who seek Him will find Him. Go then and preach the
gospel of the kingdom. Do not lay down any rules beyond what I appointed for
you, and do not give a law like the lawgiver lest you be constrained by
it."
When He said this, He departed. But they were grieved. They wept
greatly, saying, "How shall we go to the gentiles and preach the gospel of the
kingdom of the Son of Man? If they did not spare him, how will they spare us?"
Then Mary [= Mary Magdalen] stood up, greeted them all, and said to her
brethren, "Do not weep and do not grieve nor be irresolute, for His grace will
be entirely with you and will protect you. But rather let us praise His
greatness, for He has prepared us and made us into men." When Mary said this,
she turned their hearts to the Good, and they began to discuss the words of the
[Saviour].
Peter said to Mary, "Sister, we know that the Saviour loved you more
than the rest of women. Tell us the words of the Saviour which you remember -
which you know (but) we do not, nor have we heard them." #
Mary answered and said, "What is hidden from you I will proclaim to
you." And she began to speak to them these words: "I," she said, "I saw the
Lord in a vision and I said to him, 'Lord, I saw you today in a vision.' He
answered and said to me, 'Blessed are you that you did not waver at the sight
of me. For where the mind is, there is the treasure.' I said to him, 'Lord, how
does he who sees the vision see it through the soul or through the spirit?' The
Saviour answered and said, 'He does not see through the soul nor through the
spirit, but the mind which [is] between the two - that is [what] sees the
vision and it is [Š].' (the mid-section of the original text is missing)
"[Š] it. And desire that, 'I did not see you descending, but now I see you
ascending. Why do you lie, since you belong to me?' The soul answered and said,
'I saw you. You did not see me nor recognise me. I served you as a garment, and
you did not know me.' When it had said this, it went away rejoicing greatly.
"Again it came to the third power, which is called ignorance. It (the power)
questioned the soul saying, 'Where are you going? In wickedness are you bound.
But you are bound; do not judge!' And the soul said, 'Why do you judge me
although I have not judged? I was bound though I have not bound. I was not
recognised. But I have recognised that the All is being dissolved, both the
earthly (things) and the heavenly'. When the soul had overcome the third power,
it went upwards and saw the fourth power, (which) took seven forms. The first
form is darkness, the second desire, the third ignorance, the fourth is the
excitement of death, the fifth is the kingdom of the flesh, the sixth is the
foolish wisdom of flesh, the seventh is the wrathful wisdom. These are the
seven [powers] of wrath. They ask the soul, "Whence do you come, slayer of men,
or where are you going, conqueror of space?" The soul answered and said, "What
binds me has been slain, and what surrounds me has been overcome, and my desire
has been ended and ignorance has died. In a [world] I was released from a
world, [and] in a type from a heavenly type, and (from) the fetter of oblivion
which is transient. From this time on will I attain to the rest of the time, of
the season, of the aeon, in silence."
When Mary had said this, she fell silent, since it was to this point
that the Saviour had spoken with her. But Andrew answered and said to the
brethren, "Say what you (wish to) say about what she has said. I at least do
not believe that the Saviour said this. For certainly these teachings are
strange ideas."
Peter answered and spoke concerning these same things. He questioned
them about the Saviour: "Did He really speak with a woman without our knowledge
(and) not openly? Are we to turn about and all listen to her? Did He prefer her
to us?"
Then Mary wept and said to Peter, "My brother Peter, what do you think?
Do you think that I thought this up myself in my heart, or that I am lying
about the Saviour?"
Levi answered and said to Peter, "Peter, you have always been hot -
tempered. Now I see you contending against the woman like the adversaries. But
if the Saviour made her worthy, who are you indeed to reject her? Surely the
Saviour knows her very well. That is why He loved her more than us. Rather let
us be ashamed and put on the perfect man and acquire him for ourselves as He
commanded us, and preach the gospel, not laying down any other rule or other
law beyond what the Saviour said." When [Š] and they began to go forth
[to] proclaim and to preach.
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