76. Ibid., 70, translation by Professor George MacRae, offered in class. As stated in note 6, the NHL translation of this difficult saying differs, and I find it less lucid.
77. Ibid., 6, in NHL 118.
78. Matthew 6:3–4.
79. Matthew 6:17.
80. Matthew 7:9–13.
81. Gospel of Thomas 6, in NHL 118.
82. Ibid., 91, in NHL 128.
83. Plotinus, Ennead 5, Against the Gnostics.
84. Gospel of Thomas 3, in NHL 118.
85. Ibid., 19, in NHL 120.
86. See, for example, On the Origin of the World 108.7–9, in NHL 177; Eugnostos 76.14–81.12, in NHL 228–232; Apocryphon (Secret Book) of John II, 14.13–15.13, in NHL 113; for a more complete edition, comparing the available manuscripts, see Frederick Wisse and Michael Waldstein, eds., The Apocryphon of John: A Synopsis of Nag Hammadi Codices II, 1; III, 1; and IV, 1 with BG 8502, 2 (Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies 33, Leiden, 1995), 82–89.
87. Irenaeus, AH 1.30.1. For references, see Pagels, “Exegesis of Genesis 1,” 202–205; and for a masterful discussion, see Hans-Martin Schenke, Der Gott “Mensch” in der Gnosis: Ein religionsgeschichtlicher Beitrag zur Diskussion über die paulinische Anschauung von der Kirche als Leib Christi (Göttingen, 1962); and the fascinating articles by Gilles Quispel, “Der Gnostiche Anthropos und die jüdische Tradition,” Eranos Jahrbuch 22 (1953), 195–234, and “Ezekiel 1:26 in Jewish Mysticism and Gnosis,” Vigiliae Christianae 34 (1980), 1–13.
88. For a classic discussion see Gershom Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism (New York, 1965); see also Ithamar Gruenwald, Apocalyptic and Merkavah Mysticism (Leiden, 1980), and From Apocalypticism to Gnosticism: Studies in Apocalypticism, Merkavah Mysticism and Gnosticism (Frankfurt, Bern, New York, and Paris, 1988); Moshe Idel, Kabbalah: New Perspectives (New Haven, 1988); Elliot Wolfson, Through a Speculum That Shines: Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism (Princeton, 1994); and Peter Schäfer, The Hidden and Manifest God: Some Major Themes in Early Jewish Mysticism (Albany, 1992).
89. Gospel of Thomas 50, in NHL 123.
90. Ibid., 24, in NHL 121.
91. Ibid., 84, in NHL 127.
92. I am grateful to Stephen Mitchell for his insight and his translation; for this poem, see Meetings with the Archangel (San Francisco, 1998), 137.
93. Gospel of Thomas 2, in NHL 118.
94. Ibid., 108, in NHL 129.
95. Book of Thomas the Contender 138.7–19, in NHL 189.
96. John 11:16; for discussion, see Riley, Resurrection Reconsidered.
97. For a discussion of the composition of this gospel, see, for example, Raymond E. Brown, S.J., The Gospel According to John: Introduction, Translation, and Notes (Garden City, N.Y., 1966).
98. John 21:20–24. Most scholars regard this chapter as an addition to the original text; see, for example, Brown’s discussion of chapter 21 in Gospel According to John.
99. Matthew 1:18.
100. Matthew 16:17.
101. This disciple appears, for example, in John 13:23.
102. John 13:24–25.
103. John 19:35.
104. John 20:3–8.
105. John 21:7.
106. John 21:17.
107. For discussion, see the forthcoming edition of the Gospel of Mary by Karen King; see also the excellent article by Risto Uro, “ ‘Who will be our leader?’ Authority and Autonomy in the Gospel of Thomas,” in Fair Play: Diversity and Conflicts in Early Christianity: Essays in Honour of Heikki Räisänen (Leiden and Boston, 2002), 457–485. See also the very interesting work of Richard Valantasis, Spiritual Guides of the Third Century: A Semiotic Study of the Guide-Disciple Relationship in Christianity, Neoplatonism, Hermetism, and Gnosticism (Minneapolis, 1991).
108. John 20:30–31.
109. John 20:28.
110. Louis Martyn’s groundbreaking work, History and Theology in the Fourth Gospel (Nashville, 1979), suggests that the story told in John 9 is, in effect, that of John’s community. Martyn’s influential thesis has been modified by the critique of other scholars who question especially his assumptions about the formation and use of the so-called birkat ha mininm; see Asher Finkel, “Yavneh’s Liturgy and Early Christianity,” Journal of Ecumenical Studies 18:2 (1981), 231–250; William Horbury, “The Benediction of the Minim and Early Jewish-Christian Controversy,” Journal of Theological Studies 33 (1982); Alan F. Segal, “Ruler of This World: Attitudes About Mediator Figures and the Importance of Sociology for Self-Definition,” in E. P. Sanders, ed., Jewish and Christian Self-Definition, volume II (Philadelphia, 1980), 245–268; and the very intriguing recently published article by Daniel Boyarin, “The Gospel of the Memra: Jewish Binitarianism and the Prologue to John,” Harvard Theological Review 94:3 (2001), 243 ff.
111. John 1:1–41.
112. John 9:7.
113. John 9:22.
114. John 9:38.
115. John 9:39.
116. John 10:8–9.
117. John 8:58.
118. Exodus 3:14.
119. John 19:2.
120. John 3:18.
121. Galatians 3:4.
122. John 1:1–4.
123. John 1:5.
124. John 1:10.
125. John 1:11.
126. John 1:14.
127. Ibid.
128. 1 John 1:1.
129. I am grateful to my colleague Alexander Nehamas for pointing out that this Greek term strongly connotes singularity, a usage that goes back as far as Parmenides’ description of what he called being (t¯o ¯on).
130. John 14:1.
131. John 15:12.
132. John 15:12–24.
133. Gospel of Thomas 22, in NHL 121.
134. John 8:12.
135. John 8:23.
136. John 8:24.
137. John 1:29.
138. John 3:5.
139. John 6:53–55.
140. In his remarkable monograph Resurrection Reconsidered.
141. John 11:16; see Riley’s discussion in Resurrection Reconsidered, 100–180.
142. John 14:3–4.
143. John 14:6.
144. Luke 24:33–36.
145. Matthew 28:10.
146. John 20:24.
147. John 20:19–23.
148. John 20:28.
149. John 20:29.
150. John 21:24–25.
151. Irenaeus, AH 3.11.1–3.
152. C. H. Dodd, in his commentary on the Johannine gospel, notes that this is what separates John’s message from “gnostics”; for Dodd, this secures John’s place as an authentically Christian teacher; see Interpretation of the Fourth Gospel, 97–114, 250–285.
CHAPTER THREE: GOD'S WORD OR HUMAN WORDS?
For the technical discussion of the research summarized in this chapter, see Elaine Pagels, “Irenaeus, the ‘Canon of Truth’ and the Gospel of John: ‘Making a Difference’ Through Hermeneutics and Ritual,” Vigiliae Christianae 56.4 (2002), 339–371.
1. Theodor Gaster’s comment occurred in a conversation; Buber’s phrase serves as the title of his book I and Thou (translated by W. Kaufmann from Ich und du and published in New York, 1970).
2. Raymond E. Brown, S.J.; this paraphrases the end of his review of The Gnostic Gospels, New York Times, November 1979.
3. Tertullian, Apology 1.
4. Ibid., 2.
5. Martyrdom of St. Polycarp 3 f.
6. Pliny, Letter 10.96.3.
7. Martyrdom of St. Justin and His Companions, Recension A, 3.2. The place name has been corrupted in the manuscripts; I follow the reading of Herbert Musurillo, The Acts of the Christian Martyrs (Oxford, 1972), 45.
8. Origen, Contra Celsum 3.54.
9. Tertullian, Apology 50.
10. Martyrdom of St. Polycarp 12.
11. So, at least, the author of his Martyrdom represents him; see chapter 8.
12. Irenaeus, AH 3.3.4.
13. Ibid.
14. Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians 6.3.
1
5. Irenaeus, AH 3.3.4.
16. For discussion and references concerning Tatian’s Diatessaron, see Koester, Ancient Christian Gospels, 403–430.
17. Irenaeus, AH 3.11.8.
18. Markus Bockmuehl, “ ‘To Be or Not to Be': The Possible Futures of New Testament Scholarship,” Scottish Journal of Theology 51:3 (1998), 271–306.
19. Martyrdom of St. Polycarp 6–15.
20. W.H.C. Frend, Martyrdom and Persecution in the Early Church (Oxford, 1965; New York, 1967), 5–6.
21. The Letters of the Churches of Lyons and Vienne, I.10.
22. Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiae, quoting Apollinarius, in 5.16.5.
23. Ibid., 5.17.12; for a careful account of the controversy, see Christine Trevett, Montanism: Gender, Authority, and the New Prophecy (Cambridge, 1996); among ancient authors, a primary source is Eusebius’s account in 5.16.1–19.2. For an edition of the sayings attributed to the prophets, see Kurt Aland, “Der Montanismus und die Kleinasiatische Theologie,” Zeitschrift für Neue Testamenten Wissenschaft 46 (1955), 109–116.
24. Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiae 5.16.17; Aland, Montanismus, saying 16.
25. John 16:4. See the intriguing and provocative article by M. E. Boring, “The Influence of Christian Prophecy on the Johannine Portrayal of the Paraclete and Jesus,” New Testament Studies 25 (1978), 113–122; see also Sayings of the Risen Christ: Christian Prophecy in the Synoptic Tradition (Cambridge, 1982); R. E. Heine, “The Role of the Gospel of John in the Montanist Controversy,” Second Century 6 (1987), 1–18; see also his article “The Gospel of John and the Montanist Debate at Rome,” Studia Patristica 21 (1989), 95–100; and Dennis E. Groh, “Utterance and Exegesis: Biblical Interpretation in the Montanist Crisis,” in D. E. Groh and R. Jewett, eds., The Living Text (New York, 1985), 73–95.
26. Irenaeus, AH 3.11.9; Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiae 3.28.1; see Dionysios bar Salibi, Commentary on the Apocalypse 1.
27. On Modesty, 21. On Tertullian, see Timothy D. Barnes, Tertullian: A Historical and Literary Study (Oxford, 1971).
28. On the media of revelation, see David E. Aune, Prophecy in Early Christianity and the Ancient Mediterranean World (Grand Rapids, 1983); on Valentinus, see the definitive study by Christoph Markschies, Valentinus Gnosticus? Untersuchungen zur valentinianischen Gnosis mit einem Kommentar zu den Fragmenten Valentins (Tübingen, 1992).
29. Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiae 5.20.4.
30. Mark 1:10–11.
31. Luke 2:8–13.
32. Luke 24:34.
33. Acts 2:17–21; Joel 2:28–32.
34. I Corinthians 1:1; 15:3–11.
35. II Corinthians 12:4.
36. John 16:13.
37. Revelation 1:10–19.
38. Acts 2:1–4.
39. Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas 1.
40. So indicates the Muratorian Fragment, a source taken by Harnack and others to be from the late second century but recently dated more persuasively by A. C. Sundberg to the fourth century; see “Towards a Revised History of the New Testament Canon,” Studia Evangelica 4 (1968), 452–461; and see the fuller study by Geoffrey M. Hahneman, The Muratorian Fragment and the Development of the Canon (Oxford Theological Monographs, Oxford, 1992).
41. Acts 1:9–11.
42. Martyrdom of St. Polycarp 5.
43. Irenaeus, AH 5.6.1.
44. Ibid., 2.32.4.
45. Ibid.
46. Ibid., 3.11.9.
47. Ibid., 2.13.8.
48. Ibid., 1.13.1. This discussion paraphrases, to some extent, what is described in Pagels, Gnostic Gospels, 59–61.
49. Ibid. Marcus’s prayer alludes to Matthew 18:10.
50. Irenaeus, AH 1.13.3.
51. Ibid., 1.13.4; see Acts 1:17–26.
52. Irenaeus, AH 1.14.1.
53. Ibid., 1.14.4.
54. See, for more recent discussion, Moshe Idel, Kabbalah: New Perspectives (New Haven, 1988). Idel, following previous scholars, including Moses Gaster, sees Marcus’s teaching drawing upon Jewish theological speculations and practice. For a major recent contribution, see Niclas Förster’s important monograph, Marcus Magus: Kult, Lehre, und Gemeindeleben einer valentinianischen Gnostikergruppe: Sammlung der Quellen und Kommentar (Tübingen, 1999).
55. Cf. Genesis 1:3.
56. Irenaeus, AH 1.14.8.
57. Ibid., 1.14.1.
58. Here Irenaeus’s polemic echoes that of an admired predecessor whom he calls “the holy elder” (presbyter: the term is sometimes translated “priest,” but this may be a later connotation); ibid., 1.15.6.
59. Ibid., 1.18.1.
60. Ibid., 1.20.1.
61. For discussion of the Secret Book of John and the Gospel of Truth and how such writings interpret “the Scriptures,” see Chapter 4; for some recent articles on gnostic exegesis, see, for example, Pheme Perkins, “Spirit and Letter: Poking Holes in the Canon,” Journal of Religion (1996), 307–327; Harold W. Attridge, “The Gospel of Truth as an Exoteric Text,” in Nag Hammadi, Gnosticism, and Early Christianity C. W. Hedrick and R. Hodgson, eds., (Peabody, Mass., 1986), 239–255; Patricia Cox Miller, “ ‘Words with an Alien Voice': Gnostics, Scripture, and Canon,” Journal of the American Academy of Religion 57 (1989), 459–483; Robert M. Grant, Heresy and Criticism: The Search for Authenticity in Early Christian Literature (Louisville, Ky., 1993); and Louis Painchaud, “The Use of Scripture in Gnostic Literature,” Journal of Early Christian Studies 4:2 (1996), 129–146.
62. For discussion, see Chapter 5; of the many scholarly discussions, see, among recent articles, David Brakke, “Canon Formation and Social Conflict in Fourth Century Egypt,” Harvard Theological Review 87:4 (1994), 395–419, as well as his illuminating book Athanasius and the Politics of Asceticism (Baltimore and London, 1995).
63. Acts 1:9.
64. Apocryphon of James 2:9–15, in NHL 30.
65. Ibid., 2:19–25, in NHL 30.
66. Ibid., 3:35–4:27, especially 4:19, in NHL 31.
67. Ibid., 5:19–20.
68. Ibid., 15:6–28. In her recent book, April De Conick evaluates this as a vision that both resembles and qualifies those she says were sought in certain circles of Jewish visionaries. See Seek to See Him.
69. II Corinthians 12:1–4. April De Conick and Jarl Fossum, “Stripped Before God: A New Interpretation of Logion 37 of the Gospel of Thomas,” Vigiliae Christianae 45 (1991), 123–150; see also Alan F. Segal, “Heavenly Ascent in Hellenistic Judaism, Early Christianity, and Their Environment,” Aufstieg und Niedergang der Romischen Welt 2:23:2 (1980), 1333–94; Paul the Convert: The Apostolate and Apostasy of Saul the Pharisee (New Haven and London, 1990); and C.R.A. Morray-Jones, “Paradise Revisited (2 Cor. 12:1–12): The Jewish Mystical Background of Paul’s Apostolate, Part 2: Paul’s Heavenly Ascent and Its Significance,” Harvard Theological Review 86:3 (1993), 265–292. For a major critical perspective, see Martha Himmelfarb, Ascent to Heaven in Jewish and Christian Apocalypses (New York, 1993); “The Practice of Ascent in the Ancient Mediterranean World,” in John J. Collins and M. Fishbane, eds., Death, Ecstasy, and Other Worldly Journeys (Albany, 1995); “Revelation and Rapture: The Transformation of the Visionary in the Ascent Apocalypses,” in John J. Collins and James H. Charlesworth, eds., Mysteries and Revelation: Apocalyptic Studies Since the Uppsala Colloquium, JSP Supplements 9 (Sheffield, 1991); and Peter Schäfer, ed., Synpose zur Hekhalot-Literatur (Texte und Studien zum Antiken Judentum 2, Tübingen, 1981); Mystik und Theologie des rabbinischen Judentums (ed., with M. Schlüter, New York, 1992); and especially The Hidden and Manifest God: Some Major Themes in Early Jewish Mysticism (Albany, 1992).
70. Prayer of the Apostle Paul 1:6–9, in NHL 27.
71. Ibid., 1:26–34, in NHL 28; cf. I Corinthians 2:9–10.
72. Carol Newsom, Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice: A Critical Edition (Atlanta, 1985).
73. See note 69 for references.
74. 2 Corinthians 12:3.
75. See references in note 69.
76. Isaiah 6:1–5.
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77. This, at any rate, is what many took Genesis 5:24 to mean.
78. See, for example, the Books of Enoch.
79. David J. Halperin, The Faces of the Chariot: Early Jewish Responses to Ezekiel’s Vision (Tübingen, 1988); Wolfson, Through a Speculum That Shines.
80. Apocalypse of Peter 71:15–25, in NHL 341.
81. Ibid., 81.10–82.15, in NHL 344.
82. Gospel of Mary 8.14–20, in NHL 472. For a new translation and discussion, see the forthcoming edition of the Gospel of Mary by Karen King.
83. Gospel of Mary, 10.1–6, in NHL 472.
84. Ibid., 10.10–25, in NHL 472.
85. Ibid., 17.7–15, in NHL 473.
86. Ibid., 17.19–18.19, in NHL 473.
87. Jeremiah 23:25–32.
88. Zechariah 9:9.
89. Matthew 21:6–7.
90. Justin, Dialogue with Trypho 7.
91. Ibid., 8.
92. Ibid., 9.
93. Isaiah 7:14.
94. Justin, Dialogue with Trypho 43.
95. Irenaeus, AH 1.11.9.
96. Ibid., 1.10.1.
97. Ibid., 1.11.8.
CHAPTER FOUR: THE CANON OF TRUTH AND THE TRIUMPH OF JOHN
For fuller and more technical discussions of the research summarized in this chapter, see Elaine Pagels, “Irenaeus, the ‘Canon of Truth’ and the Gospel of John: ‘Making a Difference’ Through Hermeneutics and Ritual,” in Vigiliae Christianae 56.4 (2002), 339–371; also Pagels, “Ritual in the Gospel of Philip,” in Turner and McGuire, Nag Hammadi Library After Fifty Years, 280–294; “The Mystery of Marriage in the Gospel of Philip,” in Pearson, Future of Early Christianity, 442–452; and Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis.
1. T. S. Eliot, “Ash Wednesday.”
2. Irenaeus, AH 1, Praefatio.
3. For these fragments, with translation, along with a careful and important recent study, see Christoph Markschies, Valentinus Gnosticus? Untersuchungen zur valentinianischen Gnosis mit einem Kommentar zu den Fragmenten Valentins (Tübingen, 1992).
4. The title of this poem, Theros, can be translated “harvest” or “summer fruit.” The translation I present here is my own; for other translations and for the Greek text, see Christoph Markschies, Valentinus Gnosticus? 218–259; see also the incisive response by Andrew McGowan, “Valentinus Poeta: Notes on Theros,” Vigiliae Christianae 51.2 (1997), 158–178.
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