The Apocryphon of John (long version)

Translated by Frederik Wisse

The teaching of the savior, and the revelation of the mysteries and the things hidden in silence, even these things which he

taught John, his disciple.

And it happened one day, when John, the brother of James - who are the sons of Zebedee - had come up to the temple, that

a Pharisee named Arimanius approached him and said to him, "Where is your master whom you followed?" And he said to

him, "He has gone to the place from which he came." The Pharisee said to him, "With deception did this Nazarene deceive

you (pl.), and he filled your ears with lies, and closed your hearts (and) turned you from the traditions of your fathers."

When I, John, heard these things I turned away from the temple to a desert place. And I grieved greatly in my heart, saying,

"How then was the savior appointed, and why was he sent into the world by his Father, and who is his Father who sent him,

and of what sort is that aeon to which we shall go? For what did he mean when he said to us, 'This aeon to which you will go

is of the type of the imperishable aeon, but he did not teach us concerning the latter, of what sort it is."

Straightway, while I was contemplating these things, behold, the heavens opened and the whole creation which is below

heaven shone, and the world was shaken. I was afraid, and behold I saw in the light a youth who stood by me. While I

looked at him, he became like an old man. And he changed his likeness (again), becoming like a servant. There was not a

plurality before me, but there was a likeness with multiple forms in the light, and the likenesses appeared through each other,

and the likeness had three forms.

He said to me, "John, John, why do you doubt, or why are you afraid? You are not unfamiliar with this image, are you? -

that is, do not be timid! - I am the one who is with you (pl.) always. I am the Father, I am the Mother, I am the Son. I am

the undefiled and incorruptible one. Now I have come to teach you what is and what was and what will come to pass, that

you may know the things which are not revealed and those which are revealed, and to teach you concerning the unwavering

race of the perfect Man. Now, therefore, lift up your face, that you may receive the things that I shall teach you today, and

may tell them to your fellow spirits who are from the unwavering race of the perfect Man."

And I asked to know it, and he said to me, "The Monad is a monarchy with nothing above it. It is he who exists as God and

Father of everything, the invisible One who is above everything, who exists as incorruption, which is in the pure light into

which no eye can look.

"He is the invisible Spirit, of whom it is not right to think of him as a god, or something similar. For he is more than a god,

since there is nothing above him, for no one lords it over him. For he does not exist in something inferior to him, since

everything exists in him. For it is he who establishes himself. He is eternal, since he does not need anything. For he is total

perfection. He did not lack anything, that he might be completed by it; rather he is always completely perfect in light. He is

illimitable, since there is no one prior to him to set limits to him. He is unsearchable, since there exists no one prior to him to

examine him. He is immeasurable, since there was no one prior to him to measure him. He is invisible, since no one saw him.

He is eternal, since he exists eternally. He is ineffable, since no one was able to comprehend him to speak about him. He is

unnameable, since there is no one prior to him to give him a name.

"He is immeasurable light, which is pure, holy (and) immaculate. He is ineffable, being perfect in incorruptibility. (He is) not

in perfection, nor in blessedness, nor in divinity, but he is far superior. He is not corporeal nor is he incorporeal. He is neither

large nor is he small. There is no way to say, 'What is his quantity?' or, 'What is his quality?', for no one can know him. He

is not someone among (other) beings, rather he is far superior. Not that he is (simply) superior, but his essence does not

partake in the aeons nor in time. For he who partakes in an aeon was prepared beforehand. Time was not apportioned to

him, since he does not receive anything from another, for it would be received on loan. For he who precedes someone does

not lack, that he may receive from him. For rather, it is the latter that looks expectantly at him in his light.

"For the perfection is majestic. He is pure, immeasurable mind. He is an aeon-giving aeon. He is life-giving life. He is a

blessedness-giving blessed one. He is knowledge-giving knowledge. He is goodness-giving goodness. He is mercy and

redemption-giving mercy. He is grace-giving grace, not because he possesses it, but because he gives the immeasurable,

incomprehensible light.

"How am I to speak with you about him? His aeon is indestructible, at rest and existing in silence, reposing (and) being prior

to everything. For he is the head of all the aeons, and it is he who gives them strength in his goodness. For we know not the

ineffable things, and we do not understand what is immeasurable, except for him who came forth from him, namely (from)

the Father. For it is he who told it to us alone. For it is he who looks at himself in his light which surrounds him, namely the

spring of the water of life. And it is he who gives to all the aeons and in every way, (and) who gazes upon his image which he

sees in the spring of the Spirit. It is he who puts his desire in his water-light which is in the spring of the pure light-water

which surrounds him.

"And his thought performed a deed and she came forth, namely she who had appeared before him in the shine of his light.

This is the first power which was before all of them (and) which came forth from his mind, She is the forethought of the All -

her light shines like his light - the perfect power which is the image of the invisible, virginal Spirit who is perfect. The first

power, the glory of Barbelo, the perfect glory in the aeons, the glory of the revelation, she glorified the virginal Spirit and it

was she who praised him, because thanks to him she had come forth. This is the first thought, his image; she became the

womb of everything, for it is she who is prior to them all, the Mother-Father, the first man, the holy Spirit, the thrice-male,

the thrice-powerful, the thrice-named androgynous one, and the eternal aeon among the invisible ones, and the first to come

forth.

"<She> requested from the invisible, virginal Spirit - that is Barbelo - to give her foreknowledge. And the Spirit consented.

And when he had consented, the foreknowledge came forth, and it stood by the forethought; it originates from the thought of

the invisible, virginal Spirit. It glorified him and his perfect power, Barbelo, for it was for her sake that it had come into being.

"And she requested again to grant her indestructibility, and he consented. When he had consented, indestructibility came

forth, and it stood by the thought and the foreknowledge. It glorified the invisible One and Barbelo, the one for whose sake

they had come into being.

"And Barbelo requested to grant her eternal life. And the invisible Spirit consented. And when he had consented, eternal life

came forth, and they attended and glorified the invisible Spirit and Barbelo, the one for whose sake they had come into being.

"And she requested again to grant her truth. And the invisible Spirit consented. And when he had consented, truth came

forth, and they attended and glorified the invisible, excellent Spirit and his Barbelo, the one for whose sake they had come

into being.

"This is the pentad of the aeons of the Father, which is the first man, the image of the invisible Spirit; it is the forethought,

which Barbelo, and the thought, and the foreknowledge, and the indestructibility, and the eternal life, and the truth. This is

the androgynous pentad of the aeons, which is the decad of the aeons, which is the Father.

"And he looked at Barbelo with the pure light which surrounds the invisible Spirit, and (with) his spark, and she conceived

from him. He begot a spark of light with a light resembling blessedness. But it does not equal his greatness. This was an

only-begotten child of the Mother-Father which had come forth; it is the only offspring, the only-begotten one of the Father,

the pure Light.

"And the invisible, virginal Spirit rejoiced over the light which came forth, that which was brought forth first by the first

power of his forethought, which is Barbelo. And he anointed it with his goodness until it became perfect, not lacking in any

goodness, because he had anointed it with the goodness of the invisible Spirit. And it attended him as he poured upon it. And

immediately when it had received from the Spirit, it glorified the holy Spirit and the perfect forethought, for whose sake it had

come forth.

"And it requested to give it a fellow worker, which is the mind, and he consented gladly. And when the invisible Spirit had

consented, the mind came forth, and it attended Christ, glorifying him and Barbelo. And all these came into being in silence.