ll
32 occurrences across the corpus
NT Apocrypha/Pseudepigrapha
The Gospel of Truth is a joy for those who’ve received grace from the Father of Truth, that they might know him through the power of the Word that came from the fullness – the one who’s in the thought and mind of the Father. They call him “Savior.” That’s the name of the work he’ll do to redeem those who had become ignorant of the Father. And the term “the Gospel” is the revelation of hope, the discovery of those who search for him.
Those whose names he knew beforehand were called at the end, so that the one who has knowledge is the one whose name the Father has called, because those whose name hasn’t been spoken are ignorant. Indeed, how can someone hear if their name hasn’t been called? For the one who’s ignorant until the end is a delusion of forgetfulness, and they’ll dissolve with it. Otherwise, why do these miserable ones have no name? Why do they have no voice?
The Father reveals his bosom, and his bosom is the Holy Spirit. He reveals what’s hidden of himself; what’s hidden of himself is his Son – so that through the mercies of the Father, the generations may know him and cease their work in searching for the Father, resting in him and knowing that this is the rest. He’s filled the need and dissolved its appearance – its appearance is the world in which it served, because where there’s envy and strife there’s need, but where there’s Unity there’s completion. Since need came into being because the Father wasn’t known, when the Father is known, from then on, need will no longer exist. As someone’s ignorance dissolves when they gain knowledge, and as darkness dissolves when the light appears, so also need dissolves in completion. So the appearance is revealed from then on, but it’ll dissolve in the harmony of Unity.
For now, their works lie scattered. In time, Unity will complete the realms. Within Unity each one will receive themselves, and within knowledge they’ll purify themselves from multiplicity into Unity, consuming matter within themselves like fire, and darkness by light, death by life. If indeed these things have happened to each one of us, then it’s right for us to think about all, so that this house will be holy and silent for the Unity.
Truth came into their midst, and all that emanated knew it. They welcomed the Father in Truth with a complete power that joins them with the Father. Truth is the Father’s mouth; the Holy Spirit is his tongue. Everyone who loves the Truth and are joined to the Truth are joined to the Father’s mouth. By his tongue they’ll receive the Holy Spirit. This is the revelation of the Father and his manifestation to his generations. He revealed what was hidden of himself; he explained it, because who has anything, if not the Father alone?
I’m not saying, then, that those who haven’t yet come into being are nothing, but they exist in the one who will want them to come into being when he wants, like a later time. Before everything is revealed, he knows what he’ll produce. But the fruit which he hasn’t yet revealed doesn’t yet know anything, nor does it do anything. In addition, every realm which is itself in the Father is from the one who exists, who establishes them from what doesn’t exist. For those who have no root have no fruit either. They think to themselves, “I’ve come into being,” but they’ll dissolve by themselves. Because of this, those who didn’t exist at all won’t exist.
I’m not saying, then, that those who haven’t yet come into being are nothing, but they exist in the one who will want them to come into being when he wants, like a later time. Before everything is revealed, he knows what he’ll produce. But the fruit which he hasn’t yet revealed doesn’t yet know anything, nor does it do anything. In addition, every realm which is itself in the Father is from the one who exists, who establishes them from what doesn’t exist. For those who have no root have no fruit either. They think to themselves, “I’ve come into being,” but they’ll dissolve by themselves. Because of this, those who didn’t exist at all won’t exist.
This is the Word of the Gospel of the discovery of the fullness, which comes for those who are awaiting the salvation which is coming from above. The hope for which they’re waiting is waiting for those whose image is light with no shadow in it. If at that time the fullness comes, the need of matter doesn’t come through the infinity of the Father, who comes to give time to the need – although no one can say that the incorruptible one will come like this. But the depth of the Father multiplied, and the thought of Error didn’t exist with him. It’s something that’s fallen, which is easily set upright in the discovery of the one who’s to come to what he’ll return, because the return is called “repentance.”
Because of this, they spoke of Christ in their midst: “Seek, and those who were disturbed will receive a return – and he’ll anoint them with ointment.” The ointment is the mercy of the Father, who will have mercy on them. But those whom he anointed are those who have been completed, because full jars are the ones that are anointed. But when the anointing of one dissolves, it empties, and the cause of the need is the place where the ointment leaks, because a breath and its power draws it. But from the one who has no need, no seal is removed, nor is anything emptied, but what it needs is filled again by the Father, who’s complete.
Nothing happens without him, nor does anything happen without the will of the Father, but his will is incomprehensible. His trace is the will, and no one can know him, nor does he exist for people to scrutinize so that they might grasp him, but when he wills, what he wills is this – even if the sight doesn’t please them in any way before God – the will of the Father, because he knows the beginning of all of them, and their end, for in the end he’ll greet them directly. Now the end is receiving knowledge of the one who’s hidden; this is the Father, from whom the beginning has come, and to whom all who’ve come out from him will return. They were revealed for the glory and the joy of his name.
But doubtless one will ask their neighbor, “Who is it who’ll give a name to the one who existed before them, as if offspring didn’t receive a name from those who gave them birth?” First, then, it’s right for us to consider what the name is. It’s the true name, the name from the Father, because it’s the proper name. So he didn’t receive the name on loan, the way others do, according to the form in which each one will be produced. This, then, is the proper name. There’s no one else who gave it to him. But he’s unnameable, indescribable, until the time when he who’s complete spoke of him alone. And it’s he who has the power to speak his name and to see him.
Each one will speak about the place from which they came, and they’ll hurry to return again to the place where they received their restoration to receive from the place where they were, receiving a taste from that place and receiving nourishment, receiving growth.
This is the way of those who possess something of the immeasurable greatness from above, as they wait for the complete one alone, who’s a Mother for them. And they don’t go down to Hades, nor do they have envy or groaning, nor death within them, but they rest in the one who rests, not striving nor twisting around in the search for Truth. But they themselves are the Truth, and the Father is within them, and they’re in the Father, being complete. They’re undivided from the truly good one. They don’t need anything, but they rest, refreshed in the Spirit. And they’ll listen to their root. They’ll devote themselves to those things that they’ll find in their root and not suffer loss to their soul. This is the place of the blessed; this is their place.
This is the way of those who possess something of the immeasurable greatness from above, as they wait for the complete one alone, who’s a Mother for them. And they don’t go down to Hades, nor do they have envy or groaning, nor death within them, but they rest in the one who rests, not striving nor twisting around in the search for Truth. But they themselves are the Truth, and the Father is within them, and they’re in the Father, being complete. They’re undivided from the truly good one. They don’t need anything, but they rest, refreshed in the Spirit. And they’ll listen to their root. They’ll devote themselves to those things that they’ll find in their root and not suffer loss to their soul. This is the place of the blessed; this is their place.
This is the way of those who possess something of the immeasurable greatness from above, as they wait for the complete one alone, who’s a Mother for them. And they don’t go down to Hades, nor do they have envy or groaning, nor death within them, but they rest in the one who rests, not striving nor twisting around in the search for Truth. But they themselves are the Truth, and the Father is within them, and they’re in the Father, being complete. They’re undivided from the truly good one. They don’t need anything, but they rest, refreshed in the Spirit. And they’ll listen to their root. They’ll devote themselves to those things that they’ll find in their root and not suffer loss to their soul. This is the place of the blessed; this is their place.
As for the others, then, may they know, where they’re at, that it’s not right for me, having come to the place of rest, to say anything else, but I’ll come to be in it, and will devote myself continually to the Father of all and the true brothers (and sisters), those upon whom the Father’s love is emptied and in whose midst there is no need. They’re the ones who are revealed in Truth; they exist in the true eternal life, and they speak of the light that’s complete and that’s filled with the Father’s seed, and that’s in his heart and in the fullness. His Spirit rejoices in it, and glorifies the one in whom it existed, because he’s good. And his children are complete, and worthy of his name, because he’s the Father. It’s children like this that he loves.
But Jesus said, “No, but I’ll return to the place from which I came. If you want to come with me, come on!”
They all replied and said, “We’ll come if you tell us to.”
Woe to those who’ve found relief from their sickness, because they’ll relapse into sickness. Blessed are those who haven’t been sick and have found relief before getting sick. Yours is the kingdom of God! So I tell you, be full and leave no space within you empty, because the one who is coming will be able to mock you.”
In response the Lord said, “What good is it to you if you do the will of the Father, and he doesn’t give it to you as a gift when you’re tempted by Satan? But if you’re oppressed by Satan and persecuted and do (God’s) will, I [say] that he’ll love you, make you my equal, and regard [you] as having become beloved through his forethought by your own choice. So won’t you stop loving the flesh and being afraid of sufferings? Or don’t you know that you haven’t yet been abused, unjustly accused, locked up in prison, illegally condemned, crucified by reason, nor buried in the sand as I myself was by the evil one? Do you dare to spare the flesh, you for whom the Spirit is a surrounding wall? If you consider how long the world existed <before> you, and how long it will exist after you, you’ll find that your life is a single day and your sufferings a single hour. For the good won’t come into the world. So scorn death and take thought for life! Remember my cross and my death, and you’ll live!”
In response the Lord said, “What good is it to you if you do the will of the Father, and he doesn’t give it to you as a gift when you’re tempted by Satan? But if you’re oppressed by Satan and persecuted and do (God’s) will, I [say] that he’ll love you, make you my equal, and regard [you] as having become beloved through his forethought by your own choice. So won’t you stop loving the flesh and being afraid of sufferings? Or don’t you know that you haven’t yet been abused, unjustly accused, locked up in prison, illegally condemned, crucified by reason, nor buried in the sand as I myself was by the evil one? Do you dare to spare the flesh, you for whom the Spirit is a surrounding wall? If you consider how long the world existed <before> you, and how long it will exist after you, you’ll find that your life is a single day and your sufferings a single hour. For the good won’t come into the world. So scorn death and take thought for life! Remember my cross and my death, and you’ll live!”
In response the Lord said, “What good is it to you if you do the will of the Father, and he doesn’t give it to you as a gift when you’re tempted by Satan? But if you’re oppressed by Satan and persecuted and do (God’s) will, I [say] that he’ll love you, make you my equal, and regard [you] as having become beloved through his forethought by your own choice. So won’t you stop loving the flesh and being afraid of sufferings? Or don’t you know that you haven’t yet been abused, unjustly accused, locked up in prison, illegally condemned, crucified by reason, nor buried in the sand as I myself was by the evil one? Do you dare to spare the flesh, you for whom the Spirit is a surrounding wall? If you consider how long the world existed <before> you, and how long it will exist after you, you’ll find that your life is a single day and your sufferings a single hour. For the good won’t come into the world. So scorn death and take thought for life! Remember my cross and my death, and you’ll live!”
“See that I’ve come down, spoken, been torn, and taken my crown when I saved you, because I came down to dwell with you so that you’ll dwell with me. And when I found your houses without ceilings, I lived in the houses that could receive me at the time I came down.
“Look, I’ll leave you and go away. I don’t want to continue with you anymore, just as you yourselves don’t want that. Now, then, follow me eagerly. That’s why I tell you that I came down for you. You’re beloved; you’ll bring life for many. Call on the Father. Pray to God often, and (God) will be generous with you.
“Look, I’ll leave you and go away. I don’t want to continue with you anymore, just as you yourselves don’t want that. Now, then, follow me eagerly. That’s why I tell you that I came down for you. You’re beloved; you’ll bring life for many. Call on the Father. Pray to God often, and (God) will be generous with you.
“Be like foreigners. How are they viewed in your city? Why are you disturbed when you cast yourselves out on your own and separate yourselves from your city? Why do you leave your dwelling on your own and make it available for those who want to live in it? You outcasts and runaways! Woe to you, because you’ll be caught!
“This is all I’m going to tell you up to this point, but now I’ll go up to the place from which I came. But when I was eager to go, you cast me out, and instead of accompanying me, you’ve chased me away. But be attentive to the glory that awaits me, and when you’ve opened your hearts, listen to the hymns that await me up in heaven, because today I need to sit at the right hand of the Father.
“Now I’ve spoken (my) last word to you, and I’ll leave you, because a chariot of the Spirit has taken me up, and from now on I’ll strip myself so that I may clothe myself. But pay attention: Blessed are those who’ve proclaimed the Son before his coming down so that when I’ve come, I might go up. Blessed three times over are those who [were] proclaimed by the Son before they came to be, so that you may have a portion with them.”
“Now I’ve spoken (my) last word to you, and I’ll leave you, because a chariot of the Spirit has taken me up, and from now on I’ll strip myself so that I may clothe myself. But pay attention: Blessed are those who’ve proclaimed the Son before his coming down so that when I’ve come, I might go up. Blessed three times over are those who [were] proclaimed by the Son before they came to be, so that you may have a portion with them.”
And I pray that the beginning may come from you, because this is how I can be saved, since they’ll be enlightened through me, by my faith – and through another (faith) that’s even better than mine, because I want mine to be the lesser.
The Jerusalem Talmud
MISHNAH: One who contracts with another for a field, did not want to weed, and told him, what do you care since I am paying you rent? One does not listen to him since he may tell him, tomorrow you leave it and I’ll have it overgrown with grasses. One who contracts with another for a field and it did not produce. If it is enough to make a pile, he has to work on it. Rebbi Jehudah said, what is the definition of a pile? But if it is enough for spreading.
The Babylonian Talmud
It was a favourite saying of Rab : Not like this world is the world to come. In the world to come there is neither eating nor drinking; no procreation of children or business transactions; no envy or hatred or rivalry ; but the righteous sit enthroned, their crowns on their heads, and enjoy the lustre of the Shekinah; as it is said, "And they beheld God, and did eat and drink" (Exod. xxiv. ll).