Pistis SophiaGnostic / Alternative Early ChristianAlternative Early ChristianCoptic, likely drawing on Greek source traditionsSharePistis Sophia 66G. R. S. Mead 1921 - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableG. R. S. Mead 1921LanguageEnglishEspañol‹Pistis Sophia 1Pistis Sophia 2Pistis Sophia 3Pistis Sophia 4Pistis Sophia 5Pistis Sophia 6Pistis Sophia 7Pistis Sophia 8Pistis Sophia 9Pistis Sophia 10Pistis Sophia 11Pistis Sophia 12Pistis Sophia 13Pistis Sophia 14Pistis Sophia 15Pistis Sophia 16Pistis Sophia 17Pistis Sophia 18Pistis Sophia 19Pistis Sophia 20Pistis Sophia 21Pistis Sophia 22Pistis Sophia 23Pistis Sophia 24Pistis Sophia 25Pistis Sophia 26Pistis Sophia 27Pistis Sophia 28Pistis Sophia 29Pistis Sophia 30Pistis Sophia 31Pistis Sophia 32Pistis Sophia 33Pistis Sophia 34Pistis Sophia 35Pistis Sophia 36Pistis Sophia 37Pistis Sophia 38Pistis Sophia 39Pistis Sophia 40Pistis Sophia 41Pistis Sophia 42Pistis Sophia 43Pistis Sophia 44Pistis Sophia 45Pistis Sophia 46Pistis Sophia 47Pistis Sophia 48Pistis Sophia 49Pistis Sophia 50Pistis Sophia 51Pistis Sophia 52Pistis Sophia 53Pistis Sophia 54Pistis Sophia 55Pistis Sophia 56Pistis Sophia 57Pistis Sophia 58Pistis Sophia 59Pistis Sophia 60Pistis Sophia 61Pistis Sophia 62Pistis Sophia 63Pistis Sophia 64Pistis Sophia 65Pistis Sophia 66Pistis Sophia 67Pistis Sophia 68Pistis Sophia 69Pistis Sophia 70Pistis Sophia 71Pistis Sophia 72Pistis Sophia 73Pistis Sophia 74Pistis Sophia 75Pistis Sophia 76Pistis Sophia 77Pistis Sophia 78Pistis Sophia 79Pistis Sophia 80Pistis Sophia 81Pistis Sophia 82Pistis Sophia 83Pistis Sophia 84Pistis Sophia 85Pistis Sophia 86Pistis Sophia 87Pistis Sophia 88Pistis Sophia 89Pistis Sophia 90Pistis Sophia 91Pistis Sophia 92Pistis Sophia 93Pistis Sophia 94Pistis Sophia 95Pistis Sophia 96Pistis Sophia 97Pistis Sophia 98Pistis Sophia 99Pistis Sophia 100Pistis Sophia 101Pistis Sophia 102Pistis Sophia 103Pistis Sophia 104Pistis Sophia 105Pistis Sophia 106Pistis Sophia 107Pistis Sophia 108Pistis Sophia 109Pistis Sophia 110Pistis Sophia 111Pistis Sophia 112Pistis Sophia 113Pistis Sophia 114Pistis Sophia 115Pistis Sophia 116Pistis Sophia 117Pistis Sophia 118Pistis Sophia 119Pistis Sophia 120Pistis Sophia 121Pistis Sophia 122Pistis Sophia 123Pistis Sophia 124Pistis Sophia 125Pistis Sophia 126Pistis Sophia 127Pistis Sophia 128Pistis Sophia 129Pistis Sophia 130Pistis Sophia 131Pistis Sophia 132Pistis Sophia 133Pistis Sophia 134Pistis Sophia 135Pistis Sophia 136Pistis Sophia 137Pistis Sophia 138Pistis Sophia 139Pistis Sophia 140Pistis Sophia 141Pistis Sophia 142Pistis Sophia 143Pistis Sophia 145Pistis Sophia 146Pistis Sophia 147Pistis Sophia 148Pistis Sophia 149›Pistis Sophia: Chapter 66Pistis Sophia 66ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1And the First Mystery continued again in the discourse and said: "It came to pass then, before I had led forth Pistis Sophia out of the chaos, because it was not yet commanded me through my Father, the First Mystery which looketh within,--at that time then, after the emanations of Self-willed had perceived that my light-stream had taken from them the light-powers which they had taken from Pistis Sophia, and had poured them into Pistis Sophia, and when they again had seen Pistis Sophia, that she shone as she had done from the beginning, that they were enraged against Pistis Sophia and cried out again to their Self-willed, that he should come and help them, so that they might take away the powers in Pistis Sophia anew. 2"And Self-willed sent out of the height, out of the thirteenth aeon, and sent another great light-power. It came down into the chaos as a flying arrow, that he might help his emanations, so that they might take away the lights from Pistis Sophia anew. And when that light-power had come down, the emanations of Self-willed which were in the chaos and oppressed Pistis Sophia, took great courage and again pursued Pistis Sophia with great terror and great alarm. And some of the emanations of Self-willed oppressed her. One of them changed itself into the form of a great serpent; another again changed itself also into the form of a seven-headed basilisk; another again changed itself into the form of a dragon. And moreover the first power of Self-willed, the lion-faced, and all his other very numerous emanations, they came together and oppressed Pistis Sophia and led her again into the lower regions of the chaos and alarmed her again exceedingly. 3"It came to pass then that there looked down out of the twelve aeons, Adamas, the Tyrant, who also was wroth with Pistis Sophia, because she desired to go to the Light of lights, which was above them all; therefore was he wroth with her. It came to pass then, when Adamas, the Tyrant, had looked down out of the twelve aeons, that he saw the emanations of Self-willed oppressing Pistis Sophia, until they should take from her all her lights. It came to pass then, when the power of Adamas had come down into the chaos unto all the emanations of Self-willed,--it came to pass then, when that demon came down into the chaos, that it dashed down Pistis Sophia. And the lion-faced power and the serpent-form and the basilisk-form and the dragon-form and all the other very numerous emanations of Self-willed surrounded Pistis Sophia all together, desiring to take from her anew her powers in her, and they oppressed Pistis Sophia exceedingly and threatened her. It came to pass then, when they oppressed her and alarmed her exceedingly, that she cried again to the Light and sang praises, saying: 4"'1. O Light, it is thou who hast helped me; let thy light come over me. "'2. For thou art my protector, and I come hence unto thee, O Light, having faith in thee, O Light. 5"'3. For thou art my saviour from the emanations of Self-willed and of Adamas, the Tyrant, and thou shalt save me from all his violent threats.' 6"And when Pistis Sophia had said this, then at the commandment of my Father, the First Mystery which looketh within, I sent again Gabriel and Michael and the great light-stream, that they should help Pistis Sophia. And I gave commandment unto Gabriel and Michael to bear Pistis Sophia in their hands, so that her feet should not touch the darkness below; and I gave them commandment moreover to guide her in the regions of the chaos, out of which she was to be led. 7"It came to pass then, when the angels had come down into the chaos, they and the light-stream, and moreover [when] all the emanations of Self-willed and the emanations of Adamas had seen the light-stream, how it shone very exceedingly and there was no measure for the light about it, that they became terror-stricken and quitted Pistis Sophia. And the great light-stream surrounded Pistis Sophia on all sides of her, on her left and on her right and on all her sides, and it became a light-wreath round her head. 8"It came to pass then, when the light-stream had surrounded Pistis Sophia, that she took great courage, and it ceased not to surround her on all her sides; and she was no longer in fear of the emanations of Self-willed which are in the chaos, nor was she any more in fear of the other new power of Self-willed which he had cast down into the chaos as a flying arrow, nor did she any more tremble at the demon power of Adamas which had come out of the aeons. 9"And moreover by commandment of myself, the First Mystery which looketh without, the light-stream which surrounded Pistis Sophia on all her sides, shone most exceedingly, and Pistis Sophia abode in the midst of the light, a great light being on her left and on her right, and on all her sides, forming a wreath round her head. And all the emanations of Self-willed [could] not change their face again, nor could they bear the shock of the great light of the stream, which was a wreath round her head. And all the emanations of Self-willed,--many of them fell at her right, because she shone most exceedingly, and many others fell at her left, and were not able at all to draw nigh unto Pistis Sophia because of the great light; but they fell all one on another, or they all came near one another, and they could not inflict any ill on Pistis Sophia, because she had trusted in the Light. 10"And at the commandment of my Father, the First Mystery which looketh within, I myself went down into the chaos, shining most exceedingly, and approached the lion-faced power, which shone exceedingly, and took its whole light in it and held fast all the emanations of Self-willed, so that from now on they went not into their region, that is the thirteenth aeon. And I took away the power of all the emanations of Self-willed, and they all fell down in the chaos powerless. And I led forth Pistis Sophia, she being on the right of Gabriel and Michael. And the great light-stream entered again into her. And Pistis Sophia beheld with her eyes her foes, that I had taken their light-power from them. And I led Pistis Sophia forth from the chaos, she treading under foot the serpent-faced emanation of Self-willed, and moreover treading under foot the seven-faced-basilisk emanation, and treading under foot the lion- and dragon-faced power. I made Pistis Sophia continue to stand upon the seven-headed-basilisk emanation of Self-willed; and it was more mighty than them all in its evil doings. And I, the First Mystery, stood by it and took all the powers in it, and made to perish its whole matter, so that no seed should arise from it from now on." ‹Previous chapterPistis Sophia 65Next chapterPistis Sophia 67›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public domain in the United States