THE COPTIC APOCALYPSE OF PETER
how they do not know what they are saying. For the son of their glory, instead of my servant, they have put to shame.” And I saw someone about to approach us who looked like him, even him who was laughing above the cross, and he was �filled� with a pure spirit, and he (was) the Savior. And there was a great ineffa ble light around them and the multitude of ineffable and invisible angels blessing them. And it was I who saw him when this one who glorifies was revealed. And he said to me, “Be strong! For you are the one to whom these mysteries have been given, to know through revelation that he whom they crucified is the first born, and the home of demons, and the clay vessel in which they dwell, belong ing to Elohim, and belonging to the cross that is under the law. But he who stands near him is the living Savior, the primal part in him whom they seized. And he has been released. He stands joyfully looking at those who persecuted him. They are divided among themselves. Therefore he laughs at their lack of per ception, and he knows that they are born blind. Indeed, therefore, the suffering one must remain, since the body is the sub stitute. But that which was released was my incorporeal body. But I am the intel lectual spirit filled with radiant light. He
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whom you saw coming to me was our intellectual pleroma, which unites the perfect light with my pure spirit. These things, therefore, which you saw, you shall present to those of another race, who are not of this age. For there will be no grace in any one who is not immortal, but (grace will) only (be in) those who were chosen from an immortal essence that has shown that it is able to accept him who gives his abundance. “Therefore I said, ‘To every one who has, it will be given, and that one will have plenty.1 But the one who does not have’—that is, the one of this place, be ing completely dead and changed by the planting of creation and begetting, who, if one of the immortal essence appears, think�s� that he (i.e. the one of immor tal essence) is being seized—‘it will be taken from him.’ And it will be added to the one who is. You, therefore, be cou rageous and do not fear anything. For I will be with you so that none of your enemies will prevail over you. Peace be to you! Be strong!” When he (the Savior) had said these things, he (Peter) came to his senses.
1
Matt 25:29.