Against Heresies: Book I

Here is a modern English version while preserving the original meanings as much as possible:

Additionally, regarding things outside of their Pleroma, here are some examples of how they try to align the Scriptures with their beliefs. They claim that the Lord came in the final times of the world to suffer, in order to signify the suffering that happened to the last of the Æons, and to announce the end of the disturbance among the Æons through His own death. Furthermore, they assert that the twelve-year-old girl, the daughter of the synagogue leader whom the Lord approached and raised from the dead, symbolized Achamoth. According to them, their Christ extended Himself to give her form and led her to rediscover the light that had abandoned her. They believe that Paul referred to this when he said in his Epistle to the Corinthians, “And last of all, He appeared to me also, as to one born out of due time.” Similarly, Paul's mention in the same Epistle of “a woman ought to have a veil upon her head, because of the angels” supposedly refers to the Saviour's visit to Achamoth, who modestly covered herself with a veil. Moses demonstrated this when he veiled his own face. Additionally, they argue that the Lord's words on the cross reflect her experiences. When He said, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” He supposedly indicated that Sophia was abandoned by the light and prevented by Horos from progressing forward. Her anguish is reflected in His words, “My soul is very sorrowful, even unto death;” her fear in, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me;” and her confusion in, “And what I shall say, I know not.”

And they teach that He identified the three types of people as follows: the material, when He responded to the one who asked Him, “Shall I follow You?” with, “The Son of man has no place to rest His head;" the animal, when He replied to the one who said, “I will follow You, but let me first say farewell to those at my home,” with, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of heaven.” They claim this man belongs to the intermediate class, just like the one who, despite claiming great righteousness, refused to follow Him and was held back by the love of riches, never reaching perfection—this person is placed in the animal class.

And the spiritual, when He said, “Let the dead bury their dead, but go and preach the kingdom of God,” and when He said to Zaccheus the tax collector, “Hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house”—these individuals they claim belong to the spiritual class. They also interpret the parable of the leaven that the woman hid in three measures of meal to signify these three classes. According to their teaching, the woman represents Sophia; the three measures of meal represent the three types of people—spiritual, animal, and material; and the leaven signifies the Saviour Himself.

Paul also clearly described the material, animal, and spiritual, stating in one place, “As is the earthly, such are those who are earthly,” and in another place, “But the animal man does not receive the things of the Spirit,” and also, “He who is spiritual judges all things.” They claim that “The animal man does not receive the things of the Spirit” refers to the Demiurge, who, being animal, knew neither his spiritual mother nor her offspring, nor the Æons in the Pleroma.

Paul also declared that the Saviour received first-fruits of those He was to save, when he said, “And if the first-fruits are holy, the lump is also holy,” teaching that “first-fruits” refers to the spiritual, and “the lump” means us, the animal Church, which they say He assumed and blended with Himself, as He is “the leaven.”

Additionally, they claim that Achamoth wandered beyond the Pleroma and received form from Christ, and was sought by the Savior when He said He had come after the sheep that was lost. They explain that the wandering sheep symbolizes their mother, who they believe gave rise to the Church. Her wandering signifies her existence outside the Pleroma in a state of varied emotion, from which they say matter originated. The woman who sweeps the house and finds the coin is said to represent the higher Sophia, who, after losing her desire, regained it when everything was purified by the Savior's arrival. They assert that this substance was also reinstated in the Pleroma.

They also mention that Simeon, who took Christ into his arms, thanked God, and said, "Lord, now you let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word," symbolizes the Demiurge. On the Savior's arrival, he realized his own change of place and thanked Bythus. Furthermore, they assert that Anna, described in the gospel as a prophetess, who after living with her husband for seven years, spent the rest of her life in widowhood until she saw and recognized the Savior and spoke of Him to everyone, clearly represents Achamoth. She, having briefly seen the Savior with His associates, dwelled in the intermediate place, awaiting His return to restore her to her rightful partner. The Savior indicated her name when He said, "Yet wisdom is justified by her children." Paul also referenced this when he stated, "But we speak wisdom among those who are mature." They claim that Paul referred to the unions within the Pleroma, illustrating them with one example: when discussing marital union in this life, he said, "This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church."

Further, they teach that John, the disciple of the Lord, identified the initial Ogdoad, expressing themselves in these words: John, the disciple of the Lord, wanting to explain the origin of everything, to show how the Father created all, establishes a certain principle—that is, what was first-born by God, which he called both the only-begotten Son and God, in whom the Father, in a seminal way, brought forth everything. Through him, the Word was produced, and in him the entire substance of the Æons, which the Word later gave form to.

Since he addresses the first origin of things, he rightly begins his teaching from the start, that is, from God and the Word. And he expresses himself like this: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; the same was in the beginning with God.” Having first distinguished these three—God, the Beginning, and the Word—he again unites them, to show the production of each, that is, of the Son and the Word, and at the same time show their union with one another, and with the Father.

For “the beginning” is in the Father and from the Father, while “the Word” is in the beginning and from the beginning. Very appropriately, then, did he say, “In the beginning was the Word,” for He was in the Son; “and the Word was with God,” for He was the beginning; “and the Word was God,” naturally, for what is begotten of God is God. “The same was in the beginning with God”—this clause reveals the order of production. “All things were made by Him, and without Him, nothing was made;” for the Word was the author of form and beginning to all the Æons that came into existence after Him.

But “what was made in Him,” says John, “is life.” Here, again, he indicated union; for all things, he said, were made by Him, but in Him was life. This, then, which is in Him, is more closely connected with Him than those things which were simply made by Him, for it exists along with Him and is developed by Him. When, again, he adds, “And the life was the light of men,” by mentioning Anthropos, he also indicated Ecclesia with that one expression, in order that, by using only one name, he could reveal their fellowship with each other, due to their union.

For Anthropos and Ecclesia originate from Logos and Zoe.

Moreover, he called life (Zoe) the light of men because they are enlightened by her, that is, formed and made manifest. This also Paul declares with these words: “For whatsoever makes manifest is light.” Since, therefore, Zoe manifested and gave birth to both Anthropos and Ecclesia, she is called their light.

Thus, then, did John, with these words, reveal other things and the second Tetrad, Logos and Zoe, Anthropos and Ecclesia.

And further, he also indicated the first Tetrad. For, when discussing the Savior and declaring that all things beyond the Pleroma received form from Him, he says that He is the fruit of the entire Pleroma. For he calls Him a “light which shines in darkness, and which was not comprehended” by it, because, when He gave form to everything that originated from passion, He was not recognized by it. He also calls Him Son, and Aletheia, and Zoe, and the “Word made flesh, whose glory,” he says, “we beheld; and His glory was as that of the Only-begotten (given to Him by the Father), full of grace and truth.” (But what John really says is this: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us; and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”) Thus, then, does he [according to them] clearly present the first Tetrad, when he speaks of the Father, and Charis, and Monogenes, and Aletheia.

In this way, too, does John tell of the first Ogdoad, and that which is the mother of all the Æons. For he mentions the Father, and Charis, and Monogenes, and Aletheia, and Logos, and Zoe, and Anthropos, and Ecclesia. These are the views of Ptolemæus.