Chapter XXVII.—Valentinus’ Explanation of the Existence of Jesus; Power of Jesus Over Humanity.

After, then, there ensued some one (treaty of) peace and harmony between all the Æons within the Pleroma, it appeared expedient to them not only by a conjugal union to have magnified the Son, but also that by an offering of ripe fruits they should glorify the Father. Then all the thirty Æons consented to project one Æon, joint fruit of the Pleroma, that he might be (an earnest) of their union,667    ἐνότητος: Miller has νεότητος, i.e., youth. The former is the emendation of Bernays. and unanimity, and peace. And he alone was projected by all the Æons in honour of the Father.  This (one) is styled among them “Joint Fruit of the Pleroma.” These (matters), then, took place within the Pleroma in this way. And the “Joint Fruit of the Pleroma” was projected, (that is,) Jesus,—for this is his name,—the great High Priest. Sophia, however, who was outside the Pleroma in search of Christ, who had given her form, and of the Holy Spirit, became involved in great terror that she would perish, if he should separate from her, who had given her form and consistency. And she was seized with grief, and fell into a state of considerable perplexity, (while) reflecting who was he who had given her form, what the Holy Spirit was, whither he had departed, who it was that had hindered them from being present, who it was that had been envious of that glorious and blessed spectacle. While involved in sufferings such as these, she turns herself to prayer and supplication of him who had deserted her. During the utterance of her entreaties, Christ, who is within the Pleroma, had mercy upon (her), and all the rest of the Æons (were similarly affected); and they send forth beyond the Pleroma “the Joint Fruit of the Pleroma” as a spouse for Sophia, who was outside, and as a rectifier of those sufferings which she underwent in searching after Christ.

“The Fruit,” then, arriving outside the Pleroma, and discovering (Sophia) in the midst of those four primary passions, both fear and sorrow, and perplexity and entreaty, he rectified her affections. While, however, correcting them, he observed that it would not be proper to destroy these, inasmuch as they are (in their nature) eternal, and peculiar to Sophia; and yet that neither was it seemly that Sophia should exist in the midst of such passions, in fear and sorrow, supplication (and) perplexity. He therefore, as an Æon so great, and (as) offspring of the entire Pleroma, caused the passions to depart from her, and he made these substantially-existent essences.668    This is Bunsen’s text, ὑποστάτους.  Duncker reads ὑποστατικὰς, hypostatic. He altered fear into animal desire,669    Some read οὐσίαν (see Theodoret, Hær., c. vii.). and (made) grief material, and (rendered) perplexity (the passion) of demons. But conversion,670    ἐπιστροφὴν; or it may be rendered “solicitude.” Literally, it means a turning towards, as in this instance, for the purpose of prayer (see Irenæus, i. 5). and entreaty, and supplication, he constituted as a path to repentance and power over the animal essence, which is denominated right.671    Valentinus denominates what is psychical (natural) right, and what is material or pathematic left (see Irenæus, i. 5). The Creator672    Cruice renders the passage thus: “which is denominated right, or Demiurge, while fear it is that accomplishes this transformation.” The Demiurge is of course called “right,” as being the power of the psychical essence (see Clemens Alexandrinus, Hypot. excerpta e Theod., c. 43). (acted) from fear; (and) that is what, he says, Scripture affirms: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”673    Ps. cxi. 10; Prov. i. 7; ix. 10. For this is the beginning of the affections of Sophia, for she was seized with fear, next with grief, then with perplexity, and so she sought refuge in entreaty and supplication. And the animal essence is, he says, of a fiery nature, and is also termed by them the super-celestial Topos, and Hebdomad,674    Schneidewin fills up the hiatus thus: “Place of Mediation.” The above translation adopts the emendation of Cruice (see Irenæus, i. 5). and “Ancient of Days.”675    Dan. vii. 9, 13, 22. And whatever other such statements they advance respecting this (Æon), these they allege to hold good of the animalish (one), whom they assert to be creator of the world. Now he is of the appearance of fire. Moses also, he says, expresses himself thus: “The Lord thy God is a burning and consuming fire.”676    Deut. ix. 3; Ps. l. 3; Heb. xii. 29. For he, likewise, wishes (to think) that it has been so written. There is, however, he says, a twofold power of the fire; for fire is all-consuming, (and) cannot be quenched. According, therefore, to this division, there exists, subject to death, a certain soul which is a sort of mediator, for it is a Hebdomad and Cessation.677    Gen. ii. 2. For underneath the Ogdoad, where Sophia is, but above Matter, which is the Creator, a day has been formed,678    See Epistle of Barnabas, chap. xv. vol. i. p. 146, and Ignatius’ Letter to the Magnesians, chap. ix. p. 63, this series. and the “Joint Fruit of the Pleroma.” If the soul has been fashioned in the image of those above, that is, the Ogdoad, it became immortal and repaired to the Ogdoad, which is, he says, heavenly Jerusalem. If, however, it has been fashioned in the image of Matter, that is, the corporeal passions, the soul is of a perishable nature, and is (accordingly) destroyed.

[32] Ἐπεὶ οὖν μία τις ἦν εἰρή(ν)η καὶ συμφωνία πάντων τῶν ἐντὸς πλ(η)ρώματος αἰώνων, ἔδοξ(εν) αὐτοῖς μὴ [ἀρκεῖν] μόνον κατὰ συζυγίαν δεδοξακέναι τὸν [Β]υ[θ]όν, δοξάσαι [δὲ] καὶ διὰ προσφορᾶς καρπῶν πρεπόντων τῷ Πατρί. πάντες οὖν ηὐδόκησαν οἱ τριάκοντα αἰῶνες ἕνα προβαλεῖν αἰῶνα, κοινὸν τοῦ πληρώματος καρπόν, ἵν' ᾖ [σύμβολον] τῆς ἑνότητος αὐτῶν καὶ τῆς ὁμοφροσύνης καὶ εἰρήνης. καὶ μόνος ὑπὸ πάντων [τῶν] αἰώνων προβεβλημένος τῷ Πατρί, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ καλούμενος παρ' αὐτοῖς κοινὸς τοῦ πληρώματος Καρπός. τὰ μὲν οὖν ἐντὸς πληρώματος ἦν οὕτως, καὶ προβέβλητο ὁ κοινὸς τοῦ πληρώματος Καρπός, ὁ Ἰησοῦς_τοῦτο γὰρ ὄνομα αὐτῷ_, «ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ὁ μέγας». Ἡ δὲ ἔξω τοῦ πληρώματος Σοφία, ἐπιζητοῦσα τὸν Χριστὸν τὸν μεμορφωκότα [αὐτὴν] καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, ἐν φόβῳ μεγάλῳ κατέστη ὅτι ἀπολεῖται κεχωρισμένη τοῦ μορφώσαντος αὐτὴν καὶ στηρίσαντος. καὶ ἐλυπήθη καὶ ἐν ἀπορίᾳ ἐγένετο πολλῇ, λογιζομένη τίς ἧν ὁ μορφώσας, τί τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, ποῦ ἀπῆλθε, τίς ὁ κωλύσας αὐτοὺς συμπαρεῖναι, τίς ἐφθόνησε τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ μακαρίου θεάματος ἐκείνου: [καὶ] ἐπὶ τούτοις καθεστῶσα τοῖς πάθεσι τρέπεται ἐπὶ δέησιν καὶ ἱκετείαν τοῦ ἀπολιπόντος αὐτήν. δεομένης οὖ(ν αὐ)τῆς κατηλέησεν ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ ἐντὸς πληρώματος ὢν κα(ὶ οἱ ἄ)λλοι πάντες αἰῶνες, καὶ ἐκπέμπουσιν ἔξω τοῦ πληρώματος τὸν κοινὸν τοῦ πληρώματος Καρ(π)ὸν σύζυγον τῆς ἔξω Σοφίας καὶ διορθωτὴν παθῶν ὧν ἔπαθεν ἐπιζητοῦσα τὸν Χριστόν. Γενόμενος οὖν ἔξω τοῦ πληρώματος [ὁ κοινὸς τοῦ πληρώματος] Καρπὸς καὶ εὑρὼν αὐτὴν ἐν πάθεσι τοῖς πρώτοις τέτρασι_[καὶ] φόβῳ καὶ λύπῃ καὶ ἀπορίᾳ καὶ δεήσει_, διωρθώσατο τὰ πάθη αὐτῆς, διορθούμενος δὲ ἑώρα ὅτι ἀπολέσθαι αὐτά, αἰώνια (ὄ)ντα καὶ τῆς Σοφίας ἴδια, οὐ καλόν, οὐδ' [αὖ] ἐν πάθεσιν εἶνα(ι) τὴν Σοφίαν τοιούτοις_ἐν φόβῳ καὶ λύπῃ [καὶ] ἀπορίᾳ [καὶ] ἱκετείᾳ. _ἐποίησεν οὖν, ὡς τηλικοῦτος αἰὼν καὶ παντὸς τοῦ πληρώματος ἔκγονος, ἐκστῆναι τὰ πάθη ἀπ' αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὰ ὑποστατὰς οὐσίας. καὶ τὸν μὲν φόβον ψυχικὴν ἐποίησεν [οὐσίαν] [ἐπιθυμίαν], τὴν δὲ λύπην ὑλικήν, τὴν δὲ ἀπορίαν δαιμόνων: τὴν δὲ ἐπιστροφῆς [ἐπιθυμίαν] καὶ δέησιν καὶ ἱκετείαν [καὶ] [ἐπάν]οδον καὶ μετάνοιαν [καὶ] δύναμιν ψυχικῆς οὐσίας [ἐποίησεν], ἥτις καλεῖται δεξιά. [Ἀρχὴν δὲ ἔχουσιν ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ] ὁ δημιουργὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου. τοῦτ' ἔστιν ὃ λέγει, φησίν, ἡ γραφή: «ἀρχὴ σοφίας φόβος κυρίου». αὕτη γάρ [ἐστιν ἡ] ἀρχὴ τῶν τῆς Σοφίας παθῶν: ἐφοβήθη γάρ, εἶτα ἐλυπήθη, εἶτα ἠπόρησε, καὶ οὕτως ἐπὶ δέησιν καὶ ἱκετείαν κατέφυγεν. ἔστι δὲ πυρώδης, φησίν, ἡ ψυχικὴ οὐσία: καλεῖται δὲ καὶ Τόπος ὑπ' αὐτῶν, καὶ Ἑβδομάς, καὶ «παλαιὸς τῶν ἡμερῶν». καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα [αἱ γραφαὶ] λέγουσι περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ, ταῦτα [θέλει] εἶναι τοῦ ψ[υχ]ικοῦ, ὅν φησιν εἶναι τοῦ κόσμου δημιουργόν. [καὶ ὅτι] ἐστὶ δὴ πυρώδης, λέγει, φησί, καὶ Μωϋσῆς: «κύριος ὁ θεός σου πῦρ ἐστι φλέγον καὶ καταναλίσκον»: καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο οὕτως γεγράφθαι θέλει. διπλῆ δέ τίς ἐστι, φησίν, ἡ δύναμις τοῦ πυρός: ἔστι γὰρ πῦρ παμφάγον, κατ(ασ)βεσθῆναι μὴ δυνάμενον κατὰ τοῦτο τοίνυν τὸ μέρος θνητή [τίς] ἐστιν ἡ ψυχή, μεσότης τις οὖσα: [ἔστι γὰρ ἑβδομὰς καὶ κατάπαυσις:] ὑποκάτω γάρ ἐστι τῆς Ὀγδοάδος, ὅπου ἐστὶν ἡ Σοφία ἡ μεμορφωμένη καὶ ὁ κοινὸς τοῦ πληρώματος Καρπός, ὑπεράνω δὲ τῆς ὕλης, ἧ[ς] ἐστι δημιουργός. ἐὰν [οὖν] ἐξομοιωθῇ τοῖς ἄνω, τῇ Ὀγδοάδι, ἀ(θ)άνατος ἐγένετο καὶ [ἀν]ῆλθεν εἰς τὴν Ὀγδοάδα, ἥτις ἐστί, φησίν, «Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐπουράνιος»: ἐὰν δὲ ἐξομοιωθῇ τῇ ὕλῃ, τουτέστι τοῖς πάθεσι τοῖς ὑλικοῖς, φθαρτὴ ἔσται καὶ ἀπώλετο.