May 1, 2021 — The Second Treatise of the Great Seth

“I visited a bodily dwelling. I cast out the one who was in it first, and I went in. And the whole multitude of the archons became troubled. And all the matter of the archons, as well as all the begotten powers of the earth, were shaken when it saw the likeness of the Image, since it was mixed. And I am the one who was in it, not resembling him who was in it first. For he was an earthly man, but I, I am from above the heavens. I did not refuse them even to become a Christ, but I did not reveal myself to them in the love which was coming forth from me. I revealed that I am a stranger to the regions below.

There was a great disturbance in the whole earthly area, with confusion and flight, as well as (in) the plan of the archons. And some were persuaded, when they saw the wonders which were being accomplished by me. And all these, with the race, that came down, flee from him who had fled from the throne to the Sophia of hope, since she had earlier given the sign concerning us and all the ones with me – those of the race of Adonaios. Others also fled, as if from the Cosmocrator and those with them, since they have brought every (kind of) punishment upon me. And there was a flight of their mind about what they would counsel concerning me, thinking that she (Sophia) is the whole greatness, and speaking false witness, moreover, against the Man and the whole greatness of the assembly. It was not possible for them to know who the Father of Truth, the Man of the Greatness, is. But they who received the name because of contact with ignorance – which (is) a burning and a vessel – having created it to destroy Adam, whom they had made, in order to cover up those who are theirs in the same way. But they, the archons, those of the place of Yaldabaoth, reveal the realm of the angels, which humanity was seeking in order that they may not know the Man of Truth. For Adam, whom they had formed, appeared to them. And a fearful motion came about throughout their entire dwelling, lest the angels surrounding them rebel. For without those who were offering praise – I did not really die lest their archangel become empty.

This text is also a “Gnostic” text. Here Christ himself provides a first-hand account of how he descended into the man Jesus’ body, occupied it for the length of his ministry, and then died only in appearance. The author of this text believes that Simon of Cyrene, who bore the cross of Jesus, was mistakenly crucified in the place of Jesus, while Jesus looked on and laughed. Apart from the title of the document, the name “Seth” does not occur in the text. Perhaps Jesus Christ is meant to be identified with Seth.

Scholars believe this text is both Christian and Gnostic. Christian elements are woven into the body of the text – including an acceptance of the New Testament and the crucifixion of Jesus. But it also contains purely Gnostic elements including the conclusion that knowledge is the means of salvation. But this manuscript is purely a treatise against the “orthodox” church’s understanding of Jesus and his passion. The Gnostic believers expect to be the “true” believers who will join Jesus in the realm of “eternal life”.

The origins of Gnosticism remain a mystery. Some of its ideas can be found in Plato. Various scholars have attempted to trace Gnostic dualism to Zoroastrianism and other features of Gnosticism to Buddhism or Judaism. A treasure trove of Gnostic documents were found at Nag Hammadi in 1947. Some elements of Gnosticism existed before Christianity. Peter, Paul, John and the writer of Hebrews were probably addressing budding Gnostic ideas when they insisted that Jesus came in the flesh and was a man like us. However, the majority of Gnostic manuscripts found at Nag Hammadi as well as the Gospel of Judas and other such writings are clearly a reaction to and against orthodox Christianity.

Pastor Dave