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The Gospel of Truth

The original text of the Gospel of Truth was composed in Greek sometime between A.D. 140 and A.D. 180. The Coptic translation of that gospel was one of two copies found at Nag Hammadi. Labeled Codex I, 3, it survived in better shape than the second copy, Codex XII, 2, which was fragmentary. Not a gospel in the classic sense, the work does provide glimpses of Gnostic mystical doctrine interspersed with paraenesis, or an exhortation against impending evil. The text offers a Gnostic interpretation of the salvation work of Jesus.

Could Valentinus Have Written This Text?

The Gospel of Truth does not reveal its author, although scholars say it seems to have an affinity with the Valentinian school of Gnosticism. Whether or not Valentinus, himself, wrote it, remains a point of scholarly debate. In Against Heresies, Irenaeus mentioned a Gospel of Truth. Irenaeus complained that the followers of Valentinus claimed that they had more gospels than really existed, among them the Gospel of Truth. Irenaeus found the Gnostic content of the Gospel of Truth objectionable. He branded it heresy and declared that a disciple of Valentinus composed it. Many modern scholars are inclined to agree because of the similarity of the gospel with other writings of the Valentinians; some even suggest that Valentinus may have written the piece, which has been described as being written in an intricate and bombastic, though at times poetic, style.

Valentinus was born in circa A.D. 100 in Phrebonis, Egypt and died in circa A.D. 175. After having a vision of the Christ child, Valentinus established a school in Alexandria. His most notable follower in Egypt was Theodotus. Later, in Rome, his students included Ptolemy and Secundus. In A.D. 143, Valentinus was a candidate for the ecclesiastical position of bishop of Rome.

Valentinus had the benefit of an excellent Greek education in Alexandria, Egypt. Possibly he had been influenced by a Christian philosopher named Balisides. He definitely had knowledge of Plato, though it's been suggested that he picked that up through a study of the Jewish method of interpretation of the scriptures. He began a teaching career in circa A.D. 117 in Alexandria. Valentinus claimed having received Christian religious teachings from Theudas, a disciple of the Apostle Paul. The Gnostics had an affinity for the Apostle Paul and claimed, in some cases, that their secret wisdom came from Paul. Valentinus, too, inferred a kind of apostolic connection by claiming that he had studied under the tutelage of Theudas.

Irenaeus mentions the Gnostic claim upon apostolic sanction for their teachings in his Against Heresies book three, chapter two, verse one. Gnostic Christians most likely participated in the growing Christian community in Rome and served in various ecclesiastical capacities within the church at Rome, at least initially. Only later, under attack by the literalist Christians, did the Valentinian Gnostic Christians separate.

Valentinus, the Teacher

Valentinus was a powerful thinker who started a movement with his mystical ideas and esoteric teachings. Valentinus found a receptive audience among his followers in Egypt. When he left Alexandria and moved to Rome, he became involved in the Christian church and also taught privately. No doubt, there were many who felt that studying with Valentinus would deepen their inner spiritual lives. In was not uncommon around the Mediterranean region during that period in history for a community of faithful followers to group around a charismatic teacher, just as they once did around Jesus, the Apostles, and disciples of the Apostles. Hippolytus asserted that Valentinus had many followers in both the Oriental and Italian branch of his school.

Other Writings of Valentinus

He wrote homilies and letters (some of which Clement of Alexandria possessed) as well as sermons, treatises, and myths. His cosmic myth, Summer Harvest, told in a linear story, garnered for Valentinus the reputation of a mystical poet. Valentinus espoused a doctrine of early Christianity that differed from that held by the traditional church leaders. At one point (presumably before fully developing a Gnostic doctrine), Valentinus had been considered as a candidate for the office of bishop of Rome; however, he was not elected. The Early Christian Writings site on the Internet states that the Roman church adopted doctrines more in keeping with those of Justin Martyr, who may have even played a role in Valentinus never becoming a bishop. For more information, see www.earlychristianwritings.com/valentinus.html . Also, Tertullian, writing in Against Valentinians IV, noted that Valentinus had indeed been considered for bishop but that another, a “confessor for the faith,” was chosen instead.

Audience for the Gospel of Truth

The Valentinians were intellectuals, although they came from mostly middle and lower classes. They were Christians who understood the various mystical theologies of their teacher Valentinus as being allegorical interpretations of Christian and Hebrew scriptures. The Gnostic worldview claimed that rebellious angels created the “evil” world in which to trap Ennoia (Perception).Ennoia was originally paired with Nous (Mind), but they divided into two separate entities. The Valentinians revered Jesus as the Word or Logos incarnate. Because humankind had forgotten the truth of the Father, the truth of themselves as sparks of the Divine, and the true path of the return home, Christ came as a savior through the dark powers of an imperfect world to lead the way back to the Divine.

But to the traditional Christians, the Father created all things, including this universe. He sent Jesus into the world of humanity to bring redemption and salvation. He sacrificed his only begotten Son on the cross so that believers could have everlasting life.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. — John 3:16–17

The Gospel of Truth has been called a homily or sermon, deftly crafted, to communicate a spiritual message for those who were receptive. Perhaps the gospel's author intended to bridge the growing gap between traditional Christians and the Gnostic Valentinians. Whoever wrote it may have had in mind an audience that included the spiritual ones, who by their very nature were the Gnostics or Pneumatics and the “psychics,” or those with free will to become spiritually-aware humans.

Central Ideas and Concepts of the Gospel of Truth

The main theme of the Gospel of Truth reveals that knowledge of the Father breaks down ignorance and makes possible revelation so that the return to the divine realm becomes possible. The gospel discusses how Error came into the world, and stresses that fear is a fog suffered by ignorant beings. In that fog, Error takes hold and grows in power. Jesus came from the Father to erase ignorance, prompting Error (now personified) to become inflamed with hostility and anger and to nail Jesus to the cross.

Does the figure of Error in the Gospel of Truth signify Sophia or the Demiurge of Gnostic myth?

Some have theorized that a mythological figure underlies the gospel's “creation story” but others assert that Error is tied to Jesus' crucifixion and linked with destruction, putting the gospel at variance with known myths about Sophia. Still others say that Error is simply a synonym for the Valentinian idea of “lack” or “deficiency.”

The Gospel of Truth holds that ignorance of the Divine is what brings about fear and terror. The gospel reveals that the way of coming to know the Father is through mystical experience (gnosis), for the lamp of divine knowledge dispels the darkness of ignorance. Another idea, not as easily understood so that it remains a bit of Gnostic mystery, is that error and ignorance are found in the Pleroma; since the Pleroma or heavenly realm resides in the Father, those things (error and ignorance) come forth from the Father — but they are neither created by him nor take away from his power. The gospel's description of Error (which appears in the first section) probably is underscored by the myth of Sophia's fall. The mythological references to her error can be found in such Gnostic texts as the Hypostasis of the Archons and On the Origin of the World.

Hypostasis of the Archons is an anonymous text found in the Nag Hammadi discovery. It features two characters, a questioner and an angel, whose discourse about Genesis provides a purely esoteric interpretation. The text has been classified as a Gnostic Christian work. On the Origin of the World is a fourth-century Gnostic text written in a scholarly fashion. It was also found at Nag Hammadi and bore no title or author's name. It deals with the cosmology of the universe and the end-time.

The Valentinians believed that error of thought, perception, and understanding represented humanity's downfall but salvation was available through interior mystical knowledge. Because of forgetfulness, many humans fall into darkness, fear, and terror. The Gospel of Truth declares that Jesus revealed aspects of the face of the Father to those who appeared like children and became spiritually strong. The gospel states that for those living in the fog of ignorance, Jesus embodied perfection and knowledge and revealed to them that which remains hidden in the Father's heart. The Gospel touches upon troubling nightmares and how a spiritual aspirant achieves clear vision and awakens to gnosis. It offers a parable of the good shepherd and another about anointing before concluding with a discussion about the relationship between the Father and Son.

Admonitions to Share Knowledge of Salvation

The Gospel of Truth interprets the death of Jesus as the supreme act of revelation. Jesus reveals the truth to humanity, the truth not only of its own origin and divine destiny but also of the very essence of the Father. Those who remain trapped in ignorance or deficiency, the gospel warns, are doomed to perish. Through narrative exposition the gospel advocates and extols the benefits of knowing the truth. For example, Christians experience joy, a personal discovery of the Pleroma, and unity with the Father. The process of returning to the Father is described as a sweet and joyful process that leads to ultimate repose within the primordial source of all things. The Father is perfection itself and when individuals ascend to the Father, they then can claim their divine birthright and the things that are theirs. The text says that blessings belong to those who share the knowledge of the truth, who do the work of the Father, and who do work among others.

Meanings Hidden and Revealed

The writer of the Gospel of Truth made frequent use of analogies. For example, those who return to sobriety from drunkness is a reference to returning to knowledge from a state of ignorance. Likewise, the gospel states that the person who has awakened is happy, meaning that the individual who is cognizant of the Father or who has a clear vision of the Divine is happy, as opposed to the one who is asleep in ignorance. For the one in ignorance, like one asleep, is susceptible to troubled dreams. The gospel goes on to describe various types of nightmares that disappear upon awakening.

Envy and strife sprout in an environment of incompleteness, the text states, but where there is no strife, unity prevails, completeness is restored. Completeness means “no lack” or “no deficiency,” terms often used in Valentinian Gnostic rhetoric. Those who believe that they are not separate from the Father are incorruptible. All that exists does so within the Father, hence all physical space and things are emanations of Him. There is nothing that is not the Father. Those people who know they are of the Father will have eternal life. Such individuals are not “lacking” nor are they in any way “deficient.” They are complete. But those who do not know the Father and think that they exist apart from him will perish. This particular section of the Valentinian homily seems to be saying that just as the dream world is not real, neither is the material world once you awaken. Separation from God is not possible once you know the truth — that you and God are one and that the separation exists only in the mind.

A Parable Used to Reveal Truth

The Gnostics were adepts at syncretizing existing sacred stories of other traditions and putting them upon a Christian framework. They also could reinterpret those stories spoken by Jesus to fit their own meanings. The Parable of the Good Shepherd, from the canonical Gospel of John, also appears in the Gospel of Truth. In the Gospel of John, the parable reveals how the good shepherd guards the sheep with his life, lest they fall prey to wolves.

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. — John 10:11–13

Jesus articulates the parable in John. He explains that he is the good shepherd. He knows his sheep and will lay down his life for them. He knows the Father and the Father knows him. He reiterates that he will lay down his life that he might take it again and that no man takes his life from him but that he lays it down of his own accord.

In the Gospel of Truth, the Son is the shepherd who left behind ninetynine sheep to seek out the lost one. The text details how ninety-nine could be expressed on the left hand but add one more number and the counting shifts to the right hand. The ancients had a way of counting up to ninetynine on one hand before shifting to the other hand, so this was simply a real-world connection that the author of the Gospel of Truth used to express his meaning. Basically he was trying to convey the idea that the incompleteness represented by the lost sheep was restored to completion once the lost sheep was found. The Gnostic Bible states that the Valentinians believed that the right represented people who were psychical (or with free will, so could choose to know the Father) while the left represented the hylics (or people of the physical/material world).

Ptolemy's Letter to Flora

This is another document, not part of the Gospel of Truth, but illustrative of the Valentianin effort to convert others. Ptolemy was a student of Valentinus and Flora was presumably a traditional Christian. In his letter to Flora, Ptolemy makes a case for the necessity of reading and understanding the Hebrew scriptures. He explains to Flora that the God of the Hebrew scriptures and creator of the Law of Moses is just, but imperfect.

According to Ptolemy, people have neither understood the Law nor him who ordained it. Ptolemy considers whether Mosaic Law is from God, the Father (who some believe to have created the universe), or the Devil (set upon destruction) and surmises that it is neither. He draws upon the gospels of Matthew and John to make a case for a just God who stands against evil. Having made the point, he explains that it is his job to reveal to her the truth and he can do that because of his understanding of the Hebrew scriptures as well as the words of the Savior. He explained that the teachings of the Hebrew scriptures necessarily had a threefold division of contributions — those from God, those from Moses, and the rest from Jewish elders.

The Law of Moses consisted of three parts or codes: the Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17), the Ordinances (a Christology and a doctrine of salvation; this section contained the spiritual code), and the Judgments (a social code that had revelance to daily life). Issues involving purity laws, taxation, divorce, and slavery were covered in the Judgments.

He credits the Savior's teachings for his understanding of the imperfection within the Hebrew scriptures. In the case of divorce, Ptolemy noted that scriptures prohibited the divorce, but a law of Moses permitted it in a case of hard-heartedness. So the Law of Moses created legislation contrary to the law of God. Ptolemy imparts to Flora a belief that the God of the Hebrews and the God that the Savior revealed were not the same. He then embarks upon an esoteric explanation of how the Savior completed the incompleteness and weakness in the law, which was misunderstood and misinterpreted.

Ptolemy offers to send Flora another letter in which he would delve into the topics more deeply. He tells Flora that he has purposefully kept his statements brief but also assures her that he has given her sufficient information so that the seeds may bear fruit (an allusion to the Parable of the Sower). He may have intended to send her a series of letters that explained the Valentinian Gnostic doctrine.

Ptolemy's letter shows his straightforward approach to the subject and the clear and linear flow of logic to his conclusions. The letter is preserved in its entirety by fourth-century church father Epiphanius of Salamis, who quoted it word for word. Epiphanius, who was born a Jew but later converted to Christianity, earned a reputation as a heresiologist who tracked down deviant teachings (teachings at variance with the orthodox doctrine). He spent a period of time in Egypt as a monk and there became aware of popular Valentinian ideas. He founded a monastery in Judea in A.D. 333 and served as the superior for thirty years before becoming the Bishop of Salamis. Ptolemy's Letter to Flora is preserved in his work Panarion (also known as Adversus Haereses ).