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52 An ass which turns a millstone in a circle went one hundred miles. When he was turned loose he found he was still at the same place. There are people who make many trips and get nowhere. When evening came upon them, they saw no city or town, no creation or nature, no power or angel. The poor fellows labored in vain. 53 The Eucharist is Jesus. For they call him in Syriac pharisatha, which is, “the one who is spread out.” For Jesus came and he crucified the world. 54 The Lord went into the dye shop of Levi. He took seventy-two colors and threw them into the kettle. He took them all out white, and he said, “Thus the Son of man came, a dyer.” 55 Wisdom (sophia), whom they call barren, is the mother of the angels, and the consort of Christ is Mary Magdalene. The [Lord loved Mary] more than all the disciples, and he kissed her on the [mouth many times]. The other [women/disciples saw] . . . him. They said to him, “Why do you [love her] more than all of us?” The Savior answered and said to them, “Why do not I love you as I do her?” 56 If a blind person and one who can see are in the dark, there is no difference between them. When the light comes, then the one who sees will see the light, and the one who is blind will stay in the darkness. 57 The Lord said, “Blessed is the one who exists before he came into being. For he who exists was and will be.” 58 The greatness of the human being is not revealed, but it is hidden. Because of this he is lord of the animals that are stronger than he and are great according to that which is clear as well as hidden. And this mastery gives to them their sta bility. But if a person leaves them alone, they kill one another (and) bite one an other. And they ate one another because they could find no food. But they have
NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS
now found food because the person has worked the ground. 59 If anyone goes down into the water and comes up having received nothing and says, “I am a Christian,” he has bor rowed the name at interest. But if he receives the Holy Spirit, he has taken the name as a gift. If someone has received a gift, it is not taken back. But he who has borrowed something at interest has to meet the payment. 60 It is this way . . . if anyone should be in a mystery. . . . 62 Do not be afraid of the flesh nor love it. If you fear it, then it will be your master. If you love it, it will swallow and strangle you. 63 Either one is in this world, or in the resurrection, or in the places in the mid dle. God forbid that I be found in them. In this world there is good and evil. Its good is not good, and its evil is not evil. But there is evil after this world, true evil, which they call “the middle.” It is death. As long as we are in this world, it is fitting to us to acquire the resurrection, so that when we peel off the flesh we will be found in repose, not making our way in “the middle.” For many wander astray off the path. For it is good to come out of the world before one sins. . . . 67 The truth did not come naked into the world, but came in types and images. One will not receive the truth in any other way. There is a being-born-again, and an image of being-born-again. It is truly necessary that they become born again through the image. What else is the res urrection? It is necessary that the image arise through the image. The Bridal Chamber and the image necessarily en ters into the truth through the image; this is the recapitulation. It is necessary not only that those who have it received the name of the Father and the Son and the