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Post by rakovsky on Apr 20, 2019 9:12:25 GMT -5
The Thunder, Perfect Mind is a first-person poetic monologue. Wikipedia notes that the author probably A style of "statements alternating between first-person assertions of identity and direct address to the audience" reminds me of the Odes of Solomon, which sometimes switches the narrative voice. Birger A. Pearson writes, Here is George Macrae's translation of the text: archive.org/stream/ThunderPerfectMind/Thunder%20Perfect%20Mind_djvu.txt
(Question) How do you explain the two riddles that the narrator gives in the passages below that:
(1: Solved) she is "godless"/"without God", "the one whose God is great", and is "the one who alone exists", and
(2) she is sinless, but that the root of sin comes from her?Here are three translations of parts of a passage from the poem: Here are two translations of a later passage in the poem: The part saying "For I am the one who alone exists" is confusing. Certainly God and people exist. But there was a sense in some Christian writings that God is "All" and also above the "All". For example, Paul writes in Colossians 1:17 that christ "is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." And while writing about Christians in Colossians 3:11, Paul says, "Christ is all and is in all." Further, there is a sense in which Sophia/Wisdom is God when Sophia/Wisdom is equated with the Logos or the Holy Spirit. Wikipedia notes: "In the Eastern Orthodox and the Catholic churches, Holy Wisdom (Αγία Σοφία Hagía Sophía) is an expression for God the Son (Jesus) in the Trinity and, rarely, for the Holy Spirit." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_(wisdom)) Jaume de Marcos Andreu proposed this possible explanation: |
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Post by Dave on Apr 20, 2019 10:27:44 GMT -5
The part saying "For I am the one who alone exists" is confusing.
It is passages like these that I use to argue in formal Bible Studies. Trapped only within Roman Christendom this seems confusing on the surface because Roman Theology (Cosmology)is too small.
Sophia - Holy Spirit - Demiurge - Trinity -
This is how I see Gnostic Trinity - I am a multi-dimensionalist
10 D of Space and one of time - Sting Theory Physics / Big Bang
Use any Physics definition source you want - the 'jist of it' is always the same
1st Dimension - a singularity that contains all Power (omnipotent) that contains all knowledge (omniscience)
The E of E=mc2
Physics says that the fist thing that happen after the initial Big-Bang - expansion
2nd Dimension - (omnipresent) - the matrix - the ether - that forms space and time
3rd Dimension - Creation - the 1st expressed through the 2nd = our 3d reality
This is today's science and John 1:1
Jewish version - Gen 1:1 God bara (created) the heavens and the earth
This word bara does not mean something from nothing - it means to fatten what is already there. You bara a calf before you eat it - as in you 'fattened' the cow nefore market
Gen 1:1 God (fattened / enlarged / expanded) what was already there HIMself
The Gnostic story of Spiritual creation as found in the Nag Hammadi
First there was the Monad - then the Dyiad, and then the triad - which is the thrice-male child
(Father - Holy Spirit - Son, which is creation)
But then the Holy Spirit (which I think is the same as Sophia)- created something on her own - The Cheif Archon.
Therefore:
I, I am sinless, - The Father Creator
and the root of sin derives from me. - Holy Spirit /Sophia
I am lust in (outward) appearance, - Creation
and interior self-control exists within me. - the spark of the divine within us
...
For I am the one who alone exists, - He is the 'Singularity'
and I have no one who will judge me. - who can judge the Creator?
For many are the pleasant forms which exist in numerous sins,
and incontinencies,
and disgraceful passions,
and fleeting pleasures, - "And before anything came into being, it was the Father alone who existed, before the worlds that are in the heavens appeared, or the world that is on the earth, or principality, or authority, or the powers. [...] appear [...] and [...] And nothing came into being without his wish.
He, then, the Father, wishing to reveal his wealth and his glory, brought about this great contest in this world, wishing to make the contestants appear, and make all those who contend leave behind the things that had come into being, and despise them with a lofty, incomprehensible knowledge, and flee to the one who exists." (Authoritative Teaching)
which (men) embrace until they become sober - We are of this 3D physical world until we 'realizes who we are' - who are we? we are spirit that came from the Father and is now experiencing a physicial souljourn on our way back to the Father
and go up to their resting place.
And they will find me there, - Hebrews 9:27 - death and judgment
and they will live,
and they will not die again.
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Post by Dave on Apr 20, 2019 10:43:58 GMT -5
Sophia
Goddess of Wisdom - In NT Christianity it is the Holy Spirit that teaches us - She is the Comforter - She is the holder of Wisdom and Knowledge
Gen 1:27 (ASV) And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Roman Christendom wants to say that God the Father is Male - and Jesus is Male - and the Holy Spirit is androgynous (no sex - its a spirit) - this is a deception
Ancient man thought that the spirits of the gods were feminine
The Jews have the shekinah - which is the female aspect of God that visits the congregation as Spirit
Sophia and Issis/Istar are borrowed titles
The Gnoctic view (IMO - in my own opinion) Androgynous Creator - male (Christ) - Female (Holy Spirit / Sophia)
Wikipedia notes: "In the Eastern Orthodox and the Catholic churches, Holy Wisdom (Αγία Σοφία Hagía Sophía) is an expression for God the Son (Jesus) in the Trinity and, rarely, for the Holy Spirit." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_(wisdom))
ROME! - I didn't know wiki said this - it is ass backwards from my own conclusion and that itself validates me - because the role of Rome has always been to misrepresent the Gospel
If Rome didn't change the definition of words and concepts then 'other ideas might take root'
Example - I translate Greek and have since I was about 16 (Private school geek)
In every Greek Lexicon today - I can show you example after example of words being defined by using an older Roman text. The expression 'an anion and an anion' = forever. Why because a Roman Monk in 350 AD said it did
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Post by Dave on Apr 20, 2019 11:28:48 GMT -5
Ponder this:
The story of creation within the spirit realm goes something like this:
There is an androgynous Creator (Monad) -
who brings forth the mother spirit (Holy Ghost-Dyad)
who creates life on her own - the Chief Archon and creates a hidden realm to hide him/it (a transgression)
Then - 3D creation happened - the Christ (Triad)
(or this could have been a simultaneous event - I am so flexible when it comes to time - it is NOT LINEAR)
Now in the physical world - what happened according to Genesis
Adam was made - then Eve -
then Eve did something on her own (a transgression)
Out of the Garden and into darkness and reality of physician living - children / humanity
The battle ground of the Great Contest
Math 6 - God's will on Earth - as it is in Heaven
Jer 9 - what has happened has happened before
I find it really funny that when you ask any Roman Christian about heaven - they picture Paradise
Rev 12 says The Great dragon is in Heaven accusing the Bride to the point that a war breaks out
as in heaven as on Earth
I live in the American South West and the prophesy of the Hopi Indian is amazing
They think we are in the 3rd age of man entering the 4th
anion before Adam
Adam - Noah
Noah - today
next?
I am stuck in these trends of 2 and 3
There is always a duality of TOV and RA regardless of the level to study
and the Contest between the two always plays out in a Trinity of expression
Father + Mother = chaos
Adam + Eve = Chaos
Cain + Able = chaos
In history we have the first civilization (Sumar) it is know for science and language
+ The second civilization (Assyrian) = war and STORM gods
It is the FIRST coming of the Messiah + the SECOND coming = theological reset
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Post by Dave on Apr 20, 2019 12:32:52 GMT -5
And while writing about Christians in Colossians 3:11, Paul says, "Christ is all and is in all."
Gnostic ALL
Most people don't get it and its because most people are one dimensional
Reality is much more than what we can see
Before creation there was only the potential -
Just the E of E=mc2
That E - expanded / bara / fattened / expanded - into 10 Ds of space
10 levels of reality
Even if your not a physics major - the traditional Roman Christian already has 3 - 4 dimension to their reality
Here - heaven - hell (4 if you add purgatory) -- add a TRINITY to this and you up to 6 - 7
Enoch said 10, Paul said 10, Nachamadies said 10, The Book of Creation says, "...10 is the number, not 9, not 11..."
Modern science says 10
People that are only one dimensional can only see the 3rd dimension (this reality)
That is not the Gnostic ALL - it is only 1/10th of it
Additionally - it is just not the localities - but it is the sum total of ALL the experiences within each realm
The Creator / God the Father is the WORD
Creation happened when The Creator spoke the Word - verbalized the Word - set the Word into motion
As the energy / vibrations / electromagnetic radiation of that Word expanded omni-presencely the multi-verse was created
Jesus Christ is the Living Word - all thing were created by this Word - nothing wasn't created that wasn't created by Him
This still isn't the GNOSTIC ALL
Even the Roman Christian will tell you that their 'other dimensions' of heaven and hell are filled with people / beings
Ezek 1 - Ezekiel saw a vision of the cosmos - wheels spinning with wheels
IMO - orbits within orbits - layers upon layers - and all about each orbit/layer they are FILLED WITH EYES (populated by many beings)
Enoch and Paul both discuss traveling through the 10 heavens - in each heaven they saw a lot of activity by many beings
The sum total of each and every life form's experience add to the (for the lack of a better word choice) Akashic Record - it is the totality of all 10Ds experiences that form the Gnostic ALL
Jesus is the ALL - because He is the Living Word
When Jesus of Nazareth walked on Earth - the Living Word was also in the ALL
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Post by rakovsky on Jan 24, 2020 23:42:55 GMT -5
The statements that she is sinless, but that the root of sin comes from her could reflect an idea that Eve sinned, leading to Adam's sin and the Fall, by which sin entered the world, and it could also refer to the idea that Eve was pardoned due to Christ's Atoning, salvific work, which removed her sin, thereby making her sinless. At least, this seems to be one potential way to reconcile the statements.
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Post by Dave on Jan 25, 2020 13:06:56 GMT -5
The statements that she is sinless, but that the root of sin comes from her could reflect an idea that Eve sinned, leading to Adam's sin and the Fall, by which sin entered the world, and it could also refer to the idea that Eve was pardoned due to Christ's Atoning, salvific work, which removed her sin, thereby making her sinless. At least, this seems to be one potential way to reconcile the statements. Gnosticism is inclusive – layers of meaning upon meaning – different understanding as we mature in the word. So – you could build a sermon around your observation – it is a valid observation However – it is a one dimensional view (valid – but limited spiritually) As I read this text – to me – IMO (in My Own Opinion) – this text is of the Holy Spirit Two basic Gnostics premises emerge from the Nag Hammadi1- John, James, Peter, and Philip were TRINITY believersThe Creator Father androgynous and beyond our comprehension Yet humanity experiences God in two ways (the duality of nature – male and female) Male Christ is God because he is simple the Image of God man can understand Female Holy Spirit is God because she is the Spirit of God Jewish Kabbalah recognize this as the Right Hand of God and the Left hand of God The Apocryphon of John - The Nag Hammadi Library… 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.2- While God creation all corporeal reality through Christ directly - The Chief Archon was an indirect product of the Holy Spirit – The Jews would say one by the Right Hand and one by the Left Hand You original question (Question) How do you explain the two riddles that the narrator gives in the passages below that:
(1) she is "godless"/"without God", "the one whose God is great", and is "the one who alone exists", and
(2) she is sinless, but that the root of sin comes from her?Here are two translations of a passage from the poem: Here are two translations of a later passage in the poem:
I, I am without God and I am she whose God is magnificent.When discussing the Nag Hammadi Text – It is necessary to remember that it is not a totally clean copy. Books like the agl and ahl have 1000s or 100,000s of copies to compare to self-correct one another – thus all the marginal readings – AND- it is obvious that the translator and scribes of the Nag Hammadi group were not the most skilled translators – from the introduction of my copy it is pointed out that the translator of Plato’s Republic missed the deeper meaning of the text. In the Trinity – God the Creator always has the top position – the Father Christ calls God the Father – therefore – the HS would refer to God as the Father One God – two images – one male – one female (Gen 1:26) She is Godless – without God – there are no higher being than the Trinity Godhead She is the God who is Great and who exist alone (John 1:1-4) The Word (Christ) / Word with God (HS) / God = Word (2) she is sinless, but that the root of sin comes from herThe root of sin comes from her – this is easy – Nag Hammadi states that it was the HS that created the Great Archon (do you need the reference?) From the Great Archon came the first arrogant expression – the first God-is-not-absolute expression – which was the first expression of ra and sin But She – the HS – Sophia – The Goddess of Wisdom – the Shekhinah – remains sinless for doing so? What is sin? = chata = Strong's H2398 1 to miss 2 to sin, miss the goal or path of right and duty 3 to incur guilt, incur penalty by sin, forfeit The Nag Hammadi says the HS created the Chief Archon without the knowledge of the Father At the time – Gen 1:2 – it was not forbidden The creation of the Chief Archon was not the sin – his expression of arrogance was The root of sin comes from her – but she is sinless Because it was not against the will of the Father – it was the Will of the Father The Apocryphon of John - The Nag Hammadi LibraryAnd the Sophia of the Epinoia, being an aeon, conceived a thought from herself and the conception of the invisible Spirit and foreknowledge. She wanted to bring forth a likeness out of herself without the consent of the Spirit, - he had not approved - and without her consort, and without his consideration.The Hypostasis of the Archons - The Nag Hammadi Library… Now all these things came to pass by the will of the father of the entirety …
Within limitless realms dwells incorruptibility. Sophia, who is called Pistis, wanted to create something, alone without her consort; and her product was a celestial thing. A veil exists between the world above and the realms that are below; and shadow came into being beneath the veil; and that shadow became matter; and that shadow was projected apart. And what she had created became a product in the matter, like an aborted fetus. And it assumed a plastic form molded out of shadow, and became an arrogant beast resembling a lion. It was androgynous, as I have already said, because it was from matter that it derived.
Opening his eyes, he saw a vast quantity of matter without limit; and he became arrogant, saying, "It is I who am God, and there is none other apart from me". When he said this, he sinned against the entirety. And a voice came forth from above the realm of absolute power, saying, "You are mistaken, Samael" – which is, 'god of the blind'. …
But it was by the will of the father of the entirety that they all came into being – after the pattern of all the things above – so that the sum of chaos might be attained.Authoritative Teaching - The Nag Hammadi LibraryAnd before anything came into being, it was the Father alone who existed, before the worlds that are in the heavens appeared, or the world that is on the earth, or principality, or authority, or the powers. [...] appear [...] and [...] And nothing came into being without his wish.
He, then, the Father, wishing to reveal his wealth and his glory, brought about this great contest in this world, wishing to make the contestants appear, and make all those who contend leave behind the things that had come into being, and despise them with a lofty, incomprehensible knowledge, and flee to the one who exists.
And (as for) those who contend with us, being adversaries who contend against us, we are to be victorious over their ignorance through our knowledge, since we have already known the Inscrutable One from whom we have come forth. We have nothing in this world, lest the authority of the world that has come into being should detain us ... Further, there is a sense in which Sophia/Wisdom is God when Sophia/Wisdom is equated with the Logos or the Holy Spirit. Wikipedia notes: "In the Eastern Orthodox and the Catholic churches, Holy Wisdom (Αγία Σοφία Hagía Sophía) is an expression for God the Son (Jesus) in the Trinity and, rarely, for the Holy Spirit." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_(wisdom)) Totally agree |
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Post by Dave on Jan 26, 2020 22:40:47 GMT -5
Eugnostos the Blessed - The Nag Hammadi Library
This is not a text I usually refer to – it is a letter from a teacher to a disciple then it became rewritten as a commentary – also used as the base format to compose ‘The Sophia of Jesus Christ’ another text I do not usually refer to
However – in it is refers to The Perfect Mind – as the Trinity
The First who appeared before the universe in infinity is Self-grown, Self-constructed Father, and is full of shining, ineffable light. In the beginning, he decided to have his likeness become a great power. Immediately, the principle (or beginning) of that Light appeared as Immortal Androgynous Man. His male name is 'Begotten, Perfect Mind'. And his female name is 'All-wise Begettress Sophia'. It is also said that she resembles her brother and her consort. She is uncontested truth; for here below, error, which exists with truth, contests it.
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Post by rakovsky on Jan 28, 2020 15:50:46 GMT -5
This is kind of going along with what you said earlier, but one guess that I have is that the explanation of (1) she is "godless"/"without God", "the one whose God is great", and is "the one who alone exists", is that Eve or Sophia (whoever the Narrator is) is identified as God and thus she is without a higher god, thus being godless, but also her God is Great, since God is her God. The author must have recognized at some point that this was a riddle.
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Post by Dave on Jan 29, 2020 8:18:22 GMT -5
Or it is just a Gnostic view of the TRINITY
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Post by rakovsky on Feb 7, 2020 14:19:45 GMT -5
She is Godless – without God – there are no higher being than the Trinity Godhead
She is the God who is Great and who exist alone (John 1:1-4) The Word (Christ) / Word with God (HS) / God = Word
(2) she is sinless, but that the root of sin comes from herThe root of sin comes from her – this is easy – Nag Hammadi states that it was the HS that created the Great Archon (do you need the reference?) From the Great Archon came the first arrogant expression – the first God-is-not-absolute expression – which was the first expression of ra and sin But She – the HS – Sophia – The Goddess of Wisdom – the Shekhinah – remains sinless for doing so? What is sin? = chata = Strong's H2398 1 to miss 2 to sin, miss the goal or path of right and duty 3 to incur guilt, incur penalty by sin, forfeit The Nag Hammadi says the HS created the Chief Archon without the knowledge of the Father At the time – Gen 1:2 – it was not forbidden The creation of the Chief Archon was not the sin – his expression of arrogance was The root of sin comes from her – but she is sinless Because it was not against the will of the Father – it was the Will of the Father The Hypostasis of the Archons - The Nag Hammadi Library… Now all these things came to pass by the will of the father of the entirety …
Within limitless realms dwells incorruptibility. Sophia, who is called Pistis, wanted to create something, alone without her consort; and her product was a celestial thing. A veil exists between the world above and the realms that are below; and shadow came into being beneath the veil; and that shadow became matter; and that shadow was projected apart. And what she had created became a product in the matter, like an aborted fetus. And it assumed a plastic form molded out of shadow, and became an arrogant beast resembling a lion. It was androgynous, as I have already said, because it was from matter that it derived.
Opening his eyes, he saw a vast quantity of matter without limit; and he became arrogant, saying, "It is I who am God, and there is none other apart from me". When he said this, he sinned against the entirety. And a voice came forth from above the realm of absolute power, saying, "You are mistaken, Samael" – which is, 'god of the blind'. …
But it was by the will of the father of the entirety that they all came into being – after the pattern of all the things above – so that the sum of chaos might be attained. Your explanation of "She is godless" and "She is the god who is great" was also my reading of those lines. The root of sin coming from her in that she created the Great Archon makes sense, and her being sinless in that the sin was done by the Archon, rather than by her, also makes sense. You did a good job quoting a Gnostic reference for this explanation: the writing of "The Hypostasis of the Archons". The Authoritative Teaching goes into the Father existing and making contestants, but not into the idea of Sophia creating the contestants, so it's not as good a reference. |
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Post by rakovsky on Feb 7, 2020 14:27:55 GMT -5
Or it is just a Gnostic view of the TRINITY You asked about my theory "that Eve or Sophia (whoever the Narrator is) is identified as God and thus she is without a higher god, thus being godless, but also her God is Great, since God is her God."What I said can relate to a Gnostic version of the Christian idea of the Trinity, with the ideas of the "Father", the Holy Spirit being Sophia, and the Gnostic Savior figure being the Christian "Logos"/Christian Savior. My guess about Eve being Sophia in this Gnostic work seems more involved than just an idea of Trinity alone, since my guess identifies a created figure in the world, Eve, with Sophia, the divine feminine creatrix. In other words, my interpretation is not just Father + Sophia + Savior, but rather Father + Sophia/Eve + Savior. |
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Post by Dave on Feb 7, 2020 14:48:30 GMT -5
Dave,Your explanation of "She is godless" and "She is the god who is great" was also my reading of those lines. The root of sin coming from her in that she created the Great Archon makes sense, and her being sinless in that the sin was done by the Archon, rather than by her, also makes sense. You did a good job quoting a Gnostic reference for this explanation: the writing of "The Hypostasis of the Archons". The Authoritative Teaching goes into the Father existing and making contestants, but not into the idea of Sophia creating the contestants, so it's not as good a reference. 1- The Gnostic concept of the archon is NOT in conflict with Christian orthodoxy or Jewish Kabbalah For me – it fills gaps and helps defines our current struggle – or current place within the Contest For me – it brings light to Eph 6:12 – which is the heart of our walk as Christians 2- Autoreactive Teaching Authoritative Teaching - The Nag Hammadi Library (Wisse CGLP translation) [...] in heaven [...] within him [...] anyone appears [...] the hidden heavens [...] appear, and before the invisible, ineffable worlds appeared. From these the invisible soul of righteousness came, being a fellow member, and a fellow body, and a fellow spirit. Whether she is in the descent or is in the Pleroma, she is not separated from them, but they see her and she looks at them in the invisible world. Secretly her bridegroom fetched it. He presented it to her mouth to make her eat it like food, and he applied the word to her eyes as a medicine to make her see with her mind and perceive her kinsmen and learn about her root, in order that she might cling to her branch from which she had first come forth, in order that she might receive what is hers and renounce matter. [...] he [dwelt...] having [...] sons. The sons [...] truly, those who have come from his seed, call the sons of the woman "our brothers". In this very way, when the spiritual soul was cast into the body, it became a brother to lust and hatred and envy, and a material soul. So therefore the body came from lust, and lust came from material substance. For this reason the soul became a brother to them. She – female – womb of - ra |
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Post by Dave on Feb 7, 2020 15:16:11 GMT -5
My guess about Eve being Sophia in this Gnostic work seems more involved than just an idea of Trinity alone, since my guess identifies a created figure in the world, Eve, with Sophia, the divine feminine creatrix. In other words, my interpretation is not just Father + Sophia + Savior, but rather Father + Sophia/Eve + Savior. – The HS is the womb of all creation (female reference) Why multiple names? – The concept of Sophia comes from many different sources Some credible – some not so credible The problem with “Gnostic Literature” is that multiple sources are grouped together and called ‘Gnostic’ Even the whole of the Nag Hammadi LIBRARY– is not consistent in theology Why multiple names – because she becomes the composite of multiple beings As a Gnostic – I am addressing Barbelo – or the Demiurge – who are created beings assisting in the creation process Catholic view of creation – God said and Christ through the HS created everything – period Gnostic view is that God said – and many elohiym (heavenly spirit beings) beneath the Trinity helped Gen 1:26 – Let US – implies a collaboration Enoch – tells us that God assigned different angels (spiritual heavily beings) – to different tasks Some angels tend to stars – some tend to orbits – the heavens are a very full and busy place Demiurge – an artisan – a craftsman – helping in the creation process Barbelo – female(associated with creation – products of the womb) – an assistant Does this take way from God being a singular creator – NO! It means that in the endless expanse of the multiverse – different entities have different duties Usually Catholics cannot accept this analogy – yet in their war in heaven Rev 12:7 God defeated the beast – NO – Michael did I have listened to Christian sermons describe how God came to Mary – wrong Gabriel did Robert and I disagree about the Book of Job – is satan anti-God or anti-job Did God test Job – in the light of James 1:13 – NO – God used satan to do it Did God kill the Egyptians - NO - He sent the angel of death Point – God has a large active staff – female aspects of the creation process are ascribed female function and female names |
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Post by rakovsky on Feb 7, 2020 21:12:53 GMT -5
For Riddle 1 (about being godless but having a great God), the surrounding lines help suggest that the solution is that she (ie. Sophia) is God, yet also a worshiper of God: God is not a human celebrant of festivals, yet God's festivals are spectacular. God is "godless" in the sense that He does not have a higher God who is apart from Himself. For instance, Isaiah 45:5 says: "I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me." In Exodus 20, God says, "You shall have no other gods before/above/over Me." People think about God/Sophia, but there are people who detest God and Sophia/Wisdom. This goes back to an earlier stanza in Thunder of the Perfect Mind that runs: Also, Sophia, being God, has not "learned", but rather people learn from Her. H. Taussig writes in The Thunder: Perfect Mind: A New Translation and Introduction: So "I am he who alone exists" is the author's way of returning to the ideas earlier in the text about being and nonbeing, being godless and having a great God. I wasn't able to find more commentary on the "godless" phrase, but the interpretation that we gave makes sense. Macrae's translation has "For I am the one who alone exists and I have no one who will judge me", which Taussig's translation puts as "I am he who exists alone And no one will judge me". Taussig notes that the Coptic text literally says "he" in this verse, and they take this to be an example of the author's "gender-bending" (Notes for Chapter 5, link.springer.com/content/pdf/bbm%3A978-0-230-11477-7%2F1.pdf)The latter part brings to mind Psalm 75:7: "But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another." And James 4:12: "There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?" In The Oxford Handbook of New Testament, Gender, and Sexuality, Benjamin H. Dunning comments: I still think that the best way to understand this verse (I am the one who alone exists) in terms of Biblical ideology is the assertion that I quoted earlier by Paul that God is "All". All things came from God and God is everywhere. I think that we have answered Riddle #1. |
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