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The Gospel of Mary
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is a wisdom gospel written in the name of Mary of Magdala, or Mary Magdalene, a beloved disciple and student of Jesus. According to the Gospel of Mary, Mary is the one closest to Jesus among the students, and she is the one who understands his mind and message. She encourages the other students when they are in despair. Jesus will be with us, Mary proclaims to them, for he has humanized us by making us truly human within. Peter and Andrew question the authority of Mary as a female teacher of revelatory wisdom, but their protests do not carry the day in the Gospel of Mary.
The Gospel of Mary is poorly preserved, and several pages of text are missing at the beginning and in the middle of the document. The original forms of the Semitic and Greek names of characters are used, and Miryam is given for Mary, Shimon Kefa for Simon Peter, and Andreas for Andrew.
Students Speaking with the Savior
“Shall
matter be destroyed or not?
”
The savior replied,
“Each nature and shaped thing and every creature
lives in and with each other, and will dissolve
into distinctive roots, and the nature of matter
will dissolve into the root of nature.
Whoever has ears to hear should hear.”
Kefa said to him,
“You have revealed all things to us. Tell us
more. Tell us what is sin in the world?”
The savior answered,
“There is no sin, but you create sin
when you commingle as in adultery,
and this is called sin. And so the good
came to be with you, to those of every nature,
to restore each nature down to its root.”
He went on:
“That’s why you fall into sickness and die.
You love something and what you love tricks you.
Whoever has a mind should understand.
“Matter gave birth to passion without form
because it comes from what is against nature
and so confusion rose throughout your body.
That is why I told you, ‘Be courageous.’
If you despair, stand up and gaze ahead
before nature’s diversity of forms.
Whoever has ears to hear should hear.”
After telling his tale, the blessed one
welcomed all of them and said,
“Peace be with you, receive my peace
.
Take care that no one sends you into wrong,
saying, ‘Look here, look there.’
The human child is in you. Follow
the child. If you look you will find it.
Go preach the message of good news
about the kingdom. Don’t make any rules
other than what I have given you. Establish
no law as lawgivers have done, or by
those laws each one of you will be bound.”
After saying these words he went away.
Miryam Consoles the Students, and Kefa Challenges Miryam
The students broke down in despair and cried deeply, saying,
“How can we go out to the gentiles and preach
the message of good news about the kingdom
of the human child? If they didn’t
spare him, how possibly can we be spared?”
Miryam stood up and greeted each of them,
responding to her brothers,
“Don’t cry or break down in despair or doubt.
His grace will go with you and protect you.
Rather, let us praise the greatness of his work,
for he prepared us, made us truly human.”
When Miryam said this, she turned their hearts to the good,
and so they began to look into the savior’s words.
Then Kefa said to Miryam,
“Sister, we know the savior loved you mor
e
than any other woman. Tell us what
the savior told you, his words as you
remember them. Only you know them,
but we do not because we never heard them.”
Miryam answered,
“What is hidden from you I shall reveal
to you.”
She began to tell his words, saying,
“I saw the master
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in a vision. I said,
‘Master, today I saw you in a vision.’
He answered and told me, ‘Blessings on you
since you didn’t tremble when you saw me.
Where mind is the treasure is.’” I asked him,
‘Master, how does one contemplate a vision?
With soul or spirit?’ He answered me, saying,
‘One sees neither with soul nor with the spirit.
The mind, which is between the two, sees a vision.’”
Miryam Recounts Her Vision of the Soul’s Ascent
...............................................................
‘I didn’t see you coming down, but now
I see you rising. Tell me why you’re lying,
since you belong to me.’
“The soul responded,
‘I saw you but you didn’t see me or know
me and for you I was nothing more than
a garment.
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You couldn’t know who I was.
’
“After the soul said this, she left, intensely happy.
The soul approached the third power, called ignorance.
The power questioned the soul, saying,
‘Where are you going? You are bound by evil,
you are bound, so do not judge.’
“The soul said,
‘Why do you judge me? I haven’t judged you.
I was roped up, but I have not bound ropes
on others. Though I wasn’t recognized,
I’ve understood that all will be dissolved,
both what is earthly and what is heavenly.’
“When the soul overcame the third power,
she rose and saw the fourth power. It took seven forms:
The first form is darkness,
the second, desire,
the third, ignorance,
the fourth, death wish,
the fifth, a kingdom of flesh,
the sixth, foolish wisdom of flesh,
the seventh, a hothead’s wisdom.
“These are the seven powers of wrath.
“The powers asked the soul, ‘Where are you coming
from, you who murder mortals, and where
are you going, you who destroy realms?’
“The soul answered, saying,
‘What binds me is slain and what surrounds me
destroyed. My desire is gone. Ignorance is dead
.
In a world I was freed through
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another world.
In an image I was freed through a heavenly image.
The fetter of oblivion is temporary.
From now on I’ll rest through the time of the age
in silence.’”
Kefa and Andreas Doubt Miryam’s Word
When Miryam had said this, she grew silent,
for the savior had told her this much.
Andreas answered, saying to the brothers,
“Say what you will about what she said.
I still don’t think the savior said this.
These teachings are very strange ideas.”
Kefa expressed similar concerns.
He asked the others about the savior:
“Did he actually speak with a woman in private,
without our knowledge? Should we all now turn
and listen to her? Did he prefer her to us?”
Levi Speaks on Behalf of Miryam
Then Miryam cried and said to Kefa,
“My brother, Kefa, tell me what you think.
Do you think that I made this up myself
or that I am telling lies about the savior?”
Levi answered and said to Kefa,
“Kefa, you are always a hothead. Now I see you
arguing against this woman like an enemy.
If the savior made her worthy, who are yo
u
to turn her away? Certainly the savior
knows her well. That is why he’s loved her more
than we are loved. We should be all ashamed
and don perfect humanity and assume it
as he commanded us, and preach good news,
and never to invent a rule or law other
than what the savior has spelled out.”
When Levi said this, they began to leave
to teach and preach.