Sermon 11 – Philip 9 Verses 81-101
This week we will review a large section of Philip that concerns itself with the Baptism, Anointing, and the Resurrection in the Bridal Chamber, with some background that looks into primordial first causes. We will discuss the many appearances and interpretations of the word “body”, and we will look at the expression “blissful calm”.
Verse 81 exposes the subject with a reflection on Jesus’s impact on John the Baptist’s ministry on the River Jordan:
“81. On the bank of Jordan, Jesus revealed (to John the Baptist) the Primordial Consciousness of theKingdom of Heaven, Which was before the beginning of everything. Later He appeared (to John) again. Then He manifested Himself as a Son (of the Heavenly Father). Then He was
blessed (by God-the-Father to serve people). Then He was taken by the Father (from this world). Then He began to take (to God-the-Father).”
As usual there is a slightly higher level of clarity in the Isenburg translation:
“81. Jesus appeared [in his glory in the baptism in the] Jordan - the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven. He who was begotten before everything, was begotten anew. He who was once anointed, was anointed anew. He who was redeemed, in turn redeemed (others).”
The theme of the proselyte and the Son is once more reprised in these two simple sentences: “He who was once anointed, was anointed anew. He who was redeemed, in turn redeemed (others).” With the image of the River Jordan in mind, it is not difficult to interpret the Baptism of Jesus, by John, as a “new begetting”. The expression “begotten anew” seems to point to the ceaseless cyclical repetition of events in the material AND heavenly realms, as events unfold in the mind and memory of God. Thus, a unity of everything (the pleroma) is catalyzed, as an ACT, in the Bridal Chamber. By this I mean that the connection between Earth and Heaven is forged by a physical action—virtuous activity creates a link between the terrestrial man and the Divine Man. Below we will encounter the expressions, “the act of meditation and the object of meditation merge into oneness”, and “, from THE ACT OF ANOINTING COMES THE RESURRECTION.” As we have expected from the outset of our review of Philip, there is a great deal here about the ceremonial aspects of an acquired enlightenment—enlightenment acquired through the performance of ceremonial acts.
Going on, we discover a meditation on the transformation of the physical body, into a spiritual body, in the Bridal Chamber:
“82. Since it is allowed to me to reveal this mystery, I
say: the Father of everything united (in the Bridal Chamber) with the Bride Who afterwards came down (to crucified Jesus), and the Light illuminated Him then. And He (leaving that place) came to the Great Bridal Chamber.
Therefore, His body, which appeared in the next days, came out from the Bridal Chamber. This body was similar to a body born from a unity of husband and wife (i.e. similar to a usually born body). Jesus made in it (in His
new body) everything similar to the image (of a usual body). It is necessary that each disciple enter the Chamber of the Father.”
We have discussed several times the different ways the word “body” can be interpreted. As usual, with Philip, the existence of a higher and a lower body, or an old body and a new body, is suggested.
Going on, we return to the old gag of the feminine Holy Spirit begetting in the womb a feminine virgin. This is just a joke, to be sure, but, as Antonov has suggested, these humorous jibes are purposeful, in that they make the reader think a bit about first causes.
“83. Adam came into being from two virgins: from the (Holy) Spirit and from the uninhabited Earth. Therefore, Christ was born from (only) one virgin to rectify the mistake which occurred in the beginning.”
The two-virgin problem makes me wonder about this sentence: “Christ was born from (only) one virgin to rectify the mistake which occurred in the beginning.” I wonder Who is referred to as the ONE virgin: Mary or the Holy Spirit?
Antonov’s Commentary suggests that the idea of Adam coming from two virgins is merely another of Philip’s humorous ironies, but Isenburg’s Translation develops the virgin concept a little more allegorically, a little more meaningfully:
“82. Indeed, one must utter a mystery. The Father of everything united with the virgin who came down, and a fire shone for him on that day. He appeared in the great bridal chamber.
Therefore his body came into being on that very day. It left the bridal chamber as one who came into being from the bridegroom and the bride. So Jesus established everything in it through these. It is fitting for each of the disciples to enter into his rest.
83 Adam came into being from two virgins, from the Spirit and from the virgin earth. Christ therefore, was born from a virgin to rectify the Fall which occurred in the beginning.”
What follows is another parable. This section reprises the idea Philip has proposed, many times, that life in the original Garden of Eden was an animal-like existence. Adam ate from the tree and vine just like animals, thus producing animal offspring; the last line of the verse mentions that God created Men –this without actually naming the OTHER tree –the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil:
“84. There are two trees in the midst of paradise. From one of them originate animals, from another — men. Adam ate of the tree which originates animals. He became an animal and then brought forth animals. Therefore at present, animals like Adam are held in respect.
So, the tree of which Adam ate a fruit is the tree of animals. This is why his children became so numerous. And all of them also ate the fruits of the tree of animals. As a result, the fruits of the tree of animals begot numerous people-animals who now honor only man-animal.
But God creates Men. (And these) Men create God.”
Of extreme interest is the line, “But God creates Men. (And these) Men create God.” We have often heard the cynical remark that “God was created in Man’s image”, meaning that God is an imaginary invention of Human Beings unable to handle the big philosophical questions of life, like morality and death. That is certainly not the case here. In this case, it is the flow back and forth from the Mundane to the Divine that is referred to, and Men creating God is the action of Men BECOMING God, RETURNING to God.
Antonov’s Commentary:
“The most part of this fragment is irony, this time — bitter. Such a mood of Phillip is especially understandable because of the recent killing of Man-Christ by people-animals.
But the last paragraph in the end of the parable deserved to be analyzed seriously. From God-the-Father Men-Christs come. They hasten the
evolution of individual consciousnesses on the Earth, and by this They contribute to fast arrival of the high quality “Food” into God-the-Father.”
The next verse is clearly another slam against the Roman polytheistic culture—and, again, the author(s) does it through the use of sarcasm.
“85. Worldly people also create “gods” and worship their creations. So let these “gods” worship these people— it will be just!”
The irony of this passage is somewhat obscured by Antonov’s language. Isenburg translates the last sentence as simply: “It would be fitting for the gods to worship men!”
Antonov’s Commentary:
“This is irony about pagans inventing gods for themselves. So let the invented “gods” look after these people!”
Going on with Philip, the author(s) ponder once again the qualitative distinction between the activity of Earthly Men and Divine Men:
“86. The deeds of man result from man’s power. Therefore, they are regarded as efforts. But man also begets children, which are conceived in calm. The power of man is manifested in deeds, and calm —in children.
You may find that man is similar to God in this respect. Because God also performs His deeds (in the Creation) thanks to His Power, but it is in Calm that He begets His Children.”
Antonov’s Commentary:
“The sexual function can be realized fully only in the deep calm of both partners. Therefore, Philip speaks about children as about the result of the calm of people. The state of God-the-Father in the Bridal Chamber is the deepest tender Calm. His Sons and Daughters come from It.”
I have put off commenting on the use of the word “calm”, even though it has been used, significantly, in a previous section. Verse 63 includes this statement:
“While we live in this world, it is necessary for us to acquire the Resurrection, so that when we strip off the flesh, we may be found in Calm, but not walk outside.”
Verse 87 goes on to state:
“87. In this world, the slaves serve the free, but in the other world, the free will serve these slaves. However, the Sons of the Bridal Chamber will serve the sons of earthly marriages.
The Sons of the Bridal Chamber have one and the same name. Calm is Their common estate. And They are in need of nothing.”
Antonov’s Commentary expands:
“In this fragment there are three profound themes connected together by the common literal “pattern”. In the first part, there is a theme about the predetermination of the future destiny according to our present behavior. Thus, haughtiness, arrogance, violent attitude, cruelty — disgusting manifestations of the hypertrophied “I” in some people— will be destroyed in them by God through placing these people in the situation of slaves subjected to power of similar to them people-animals. If such vicious people do not want to struggle with their vices voluntarily, God will have to destroy these vices in them using other disgusting people.
But the Holy Spirits gladly bring Their Love to people, serving them. All Who have settled in the eon of God-the-Father and merged with Him are the Father. They have attained everything possible to attain in the universe. And They exist in the
blissful highest Calm.”
From Quotations on: Shamatha - Calm Abiding we read:
“Calm abiding is a powerful tool to be used in the service of enhancing the force of the wisdom realizing the emptiness of inherent existence so that it can overcome intellectually acquired and innate conceptions of inherent existence. The aim is to undo the ideational process behind afflictive emotions and then to remove even the appearance of inherent existence that prevents the attainment of the Christ Consciousness.
The details of the process of achieving calm abiding yield a picture of how the human condition is viewed in these traditions. Humans are trapped in a situation of repeated suffering not just by false assent to the seeming solidity of objects but also by a mind that is so mired in the extremes of either being too loose or too tight that attempts at correction push the mind between these two extremes.
Also, the very structure of the ordinary mind prevents manifestation of certain chronic psychic problems, such that when this structure is disturbed by attempting to focus it and develop powers of concentration, deeply seated problems appear with greater force and others newly manifest.
Also, the mere fact that mindfulness and introspection need to be developed means that even though at present we have small versions of these, we have little idea of their potential--we are in a state of deprivation, sometimes arrogantly convinced of our wholeness and sometimes disparagingly reluctant to take cognizance of our potential.”
From Ask-Angels.com we read:
“As you let your mind become calm and you shift your awareness within, you are able to tune into your oneness and interconnectedness with everything, with God, Source, the Universe, All That Is.
Recognize that you are not separate, you are one.
Separation is illusion.
Oneness is truth.
Love is the foundation.
And thereby, returning to the perspective and awareness of love, you transcend illusion, you release the layers, the clouds and the chaos created by remaining solely in illusion. And you witness the underlying strength, beauty and peace of being in alignment with your oneness with God, with love, with the universe, with everything.
The illusion of the physical is persistent. The duality created by the mind is strong. The events and hardships and challenges of life pull you back into the illusion which feels real, which looks real, but is not the highest truth from which you are able to view your experience.
The highest truth is oneness with God, with Creative Source, with Love. And you are able to always experience this, and it changes everything. It changes your perception, it changes how you feel. It changes how you view yourself, how you relate to others, and it changes what manifests and unfolds in your life.”
From Wikipedia we read:
“Samadhi (Sanskrit: समाधि, Hindi pronunciation: [səˈmaːd̪ʱi]), also called samāpatti, in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools refers to a state of meditative consciousness. It is a meditative absorption or trance, attained by the practice of dhyāna. In samādhi the mind becomes still. It is a state of being totally aware of the present moment; a one-pointedness of mind.
In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ashtanga Yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
Various interpretations for the term's etymology are possible:
sam, "together"; a, "toward"; stem of dadhati, "puts, places": "a putting or joining together;"
sam, "together" or "integrated"; ā, "towards"; dhā, "to get, to hold": "to acquire integration or wholeness, or truth" (samāpatti);
sam, "uniformly" or "fully"; adhi, "to get established: : a state wherein one establishes himself to the fullest extent in the Supreme consciousness;
samā, "even"; dhi, "intellect": a state of total equilibrium of a detached intellect.
sam, "perfect," "complete." dhi, "consciousness": a state of being where "all distinctions between the person who is the subjective meditator, the act of meditation and the object of meditation merge into oneness."
Clearly Cosmic Calm is a vast subject, and deserves its own sermon. For now we will hold that thought in reserve and go back to Philip who returns to the subject of death and resurrection:
“90. Those who say that they will die first and then rise are in error. If they do not receive the Resurrection while being incarnate, they will receive nothing after leaving their bodies. It is the same with baptism: it is significant only if it is received by the incarnate.”
Antonov’s Commentary:
“For changing oneself, one needs to have a material body, which is a “transformer” of energies. Without a material body, a non-incarnate soul exists in the state in which it was at the end of its last incarnation. It cannot move to another eon on its will, and no one can do this for it.”
The next verse is the only one in this gospel in which the author identifies himself as Philip:
“91. It is I, Apostle Philip, saying: Joseph the carpenter planted a garden because he needed wood for his handicraft. It was he who made a cross from the trees, which he himself planted. And the Child of his semen was hung to that which he had planted. The Child of his semen was Jesus, and the planted —the cross.
“92. The true tree of life is in the middle of paradise. It is an olive tree, from which blessings come. It is from this tree that the Resurrection is.”
Isenburg’s translation substitutes for the word “blessings”, the word “chrism”:
“However, it is from the olive tree that we got the chrism, and from the chrism, the resurrection.”
From a previous sermon we learned that: “It is not crystal clear what is meant by, “There is water in water, there is fire in chrism,” but I think we can safely say that the sense in which the “chrism” is used here refers to the “ACT of anointing”, not the actual mixture of oil and balsam; thus, “there is fire in the ACT of anointing.” From this verse we read that from the chrism comes the resurrection—thus, from THE ACT OF ANOINTING COMES THE RESURRECTION. This is a powerful statement, as it definitely states that the resurrection is the end product of AN ACT.
Antonov’s Commentary:
“The idea of the previous fragment continues: it was necessary for Joseph to look after not the material trees (or not only after them) but after the paradisiacal tree of life, growing beyond this world. Then he could gain the Resurrection.”
The next verse of Philip includes one of the most startling expressions in the book: the expression : “corpse-eater”.
“93. This world is a corpse-eater. And all that is eaten (by humans) is contemptible as well. But the Truth is a life-eater. Therefore, no one who is nourished by the Truth can die. Jesus came from that place, and He brought food
from there. And to those who desired, He gave thus the (True) Life, and they did not die.”
Isenburg’s translation is almost identical, but it is a little clearer.
“93. This world is a corpse-eater. All the things eaten in it themselves die also. Truth is a life-eater. Therefore no one nourished by truth will die. It was from that place that Jesus came and brought food. To those who so desired, he gave life, that they might not die.”
This striking expression “corpse-eater” is explicated in several places, and appears in variant forms in several other gospels.
In the Gospel of Thomas we read:
“Jesus said, "Whoever has become acquainted with the world has found a corpse, and the world is not worthy of the one who has found the corpse.””
In the Manichaean Kephalaia (the book of ancient Iranian religious discourses) we read:
“The worlds that are [above] are of soul and of spirit, but [the worlds that are] below are of body and [of] carcass [. . .]. For this reason, then, he . . . the powers of heaven; he has sealed them upon their bodies and their carcasses that are in the lands. . . .”
In Luke 17:37 we read:
“And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.”
In Mattew 24:28 we read:
“For wheresoever the carcas is, there will the eagles be gathered together.”
Robert M. Grant and David Noel Freedman commenting on The Gospel of Thomas write:
"Knowing the world is equivalent to finding a corpse (or, in the parallel Saying, a body); this knowledge and this discovery are evidently regarded as good, for the world is not worthy of the discoverer. Knowing the world, then, must be truly knowing it for what it is. But we must also consider one more saying. The world is not worthy of the one 'who will find himself.'
We conclude that Saying 57, like these variants we have cited, is based on the verse which in Matthew 10:39
("He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.);
and the verses in Mark 8:34-35
(34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.)
These verses follow the verses cited in Saying 56.
'He who finds his soul [life] will lose it, and he who loses his soul for my sake will find it.'
Either Thomas simply mystifies his readers by speaking of a corpse or he uses 'corpse' as the equivalent for 'body' and hence for 'self.' The Naassenes (a Christian Gnostic sect from around 100 AD known only through the writings of Hippolytus of Rome) used 'corpse' of the spiritual man."
The beginning of the next fragment is damaged, so Antonov does not attempt a translation. Isenburg offers us this version:
“94. God [plants the] garden. Man [tends the] garden.
This garden is the place where they will say to me, "[...] eat this or do not eat that, just as you wish." In the place where I will eat all things is the Tree of Knowledge. That one killed Adam, but here the Tree of Knowledge made men alive.
The law was the tree. It has power to give the knowledge of good and evil. It neither removed him from evil, nor did it set him in the good, but it created death for those who ate of it. For when he said, "Eat this, do not eat that", it became the beginning of death.”
As I have mentioned, the Gnostic writers are always seeking after first causes. This digression back to the Garden of Eden is just such a deeply meaningful digression.
Antonov Comments:
“Philip plays in this parable with the biblical story about paradise. God-Teacher shows people both what is good and what is bad. Moreover, having explained to people the principles of advancement towards the Highest Goal, He provides them with the freedom of will — the freedom of choice of where and how
to go. People have to go by themselves, finding the correct Path, developing themselves through this. God only suggests the Path— secretly or obviously, sometimes jokingly. And the choices are made usually by people. This provides people with the experience, maturity, and wisdom. Having obtained wisdom, one can overcome all difficulties and through such a struggle become Perfect. Only for such a person God-the-Father will open the door to His Bridal
Chamber.”
For the remainder of this presentation, I will use the Isenburg translation, exclusively, but I will continue to interject the Antonov commentary.
“95. The chrism is superior to baptism, for it is from the word "Chrism" that we have been called "Christians," certainly not because of the word "baptism".
And it is because of the chrism that "the Christ" has his name. For the Father anointed the Son, and the Son anointed the apostles, and the apostles anointed us.
He who has been anointed possesses everything. He possesses the resurrection, the light, the cross, the Holy Spirit.
The Father gave him this in the bridal chamber; he merely accepted the gift.
96. The Father was in the Son and the Son in the Father. This is the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Lord said it well: "Some have entered the Kingdom of Heaven laughing, and they have come out [...] because [...] a Christian, [...]. And as soon as [...] went down into the water, he came [...] everything (of this world), [...] because he [...] a trifle, but [...] full of contempt for this [...] the Kingdom of Heaven [...] If he despises [...], and scorns it as a trifle, [...] out laughing. So it is also with the bread and the cup and the oil, even though there is another one superior to these.
99. The world came about through a mistake. For he who created it wanted to create it imperishable and immortal. He fell short of attaining his desire. For the world never was imperishable, nor, for that matter, was he who made the world.
For things are not imperishable, but sons are. Nothing will be able to receive imperishability if it does not first become a son. But he who has not the ability to receive, how much more will he be unable to give?”
Antonov’s Commentary:
The first part of the fragment is just a joke, which serves as an artistic beginning of the parable. Then there is a point that the only valuable fruits of all the
activity in the entire Creation are Those Who have gained absolute Imperishability and Eternity — the Sons and Daughters of the Heavenly Father, i.e. Those Who have entered His Bridal Chamber.
In the end of the fragment, there is an idea that the one
who strives to help others must first help oneself through efforts on self-development: the one who can do nothing — how can such one help others?”
“100. The cup of prayer contains wine and water, since it is appointed as the type of the blood for which thanks is given. And it is full of the Holy Spirit, and it belongs to the wholly perfect man.
When we drink this, we shall receive for ourselves the perfect man. The living water is a body. It is necessary that we put on the living man.”
Antonov’s Commentary:
“To drink the Cup of Christ does not mean to take communion in a church, even if one does it a hundred times. To drink the Cup of Christ means to walk His entire Path up to the Bridal Chamber, and go through His Calvary.”
“101. Therefore, when he is about to go down into the water, he unclothes himself, in order that he may put on the living man.”
Antonov’s Commentary:
“The Body of the Holy Spirit is an image that helps meditative perception of the integrity of the Holy Spirit. He is indeed Living, Perceiving, Loving, Guiding, Speaking.”
In order to experience the Body of the Holy Spirit, one has to become “naked”, to get rid of all shells and layers which are coarser than the Holy Spirit. Thus we find ourselves in the same eon where He is and receive the baptism, birth, and blessing in this eon.”
To summarize this section of Philip, we heard remarks on
1.the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, climaxing in the statement, “THE ACT OF ANOINTING COMES THE RESURRECTION,”
2.we discussed different interpretations of the word, “body”,
3. the issue of the mundane Man and the Divine Man was reviewed beginning with Adam the Animal-Man,
4.we had a long discussion of the subject of Cosmic Calm that attends the creation of God’s children,
5.and, finally, we witnessed some subtleties surrounding the ceremony of baptism.
In all these discussions we discover the central issue of Mundane versus Divine Consciousness. If we were as clear about these things as Philip is, how blessed we would be. Let us pray:
Jesus continue to lead our puny brains down the path to enlightened knowledge of Heaven which resides in all places where our eyes are open. Amen.
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Monday, July 31, 2017
Sermon 11 – Philip 9
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Sermon 10 –Philip 8
Sermon 10 –Philip 8
Last week we ended our presentation with these inspiring words:
“67. The Truth is not given to this world in clear form,
but in symbols and images. It is not possible to give It in
other forms. So, there are a birth (in the highest eons) and its symbolic image (an earthly birth). One has to reconstruct the Truth through this image. Or: what is the Resurrection in reality? In that way, image after image, man rises.
The same is with the Bridal Chamber: image after image,
comes the Truth, which is Mergence. I say this to those who are not just interested in the words “the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”, but who gain Them truly for themselves. But those who do not gain Them thus — then even these words will be taken from them.
Verily, one can gain Them by the blessing of God in
the realization of all the fullness of the power of the
Cross, which was called by the Apostles the Right-and-
Left. The One Who has cognized this is no longer a Christian but a Christ.
68. The Lord has everything important in the form
hidden from this world: the baptism, the blessing, the
transfiguration, the purification, and the Bridal Chamber.”
In particular we have made note of the expression, “The Lord has everything important in the form hidden from this world.” Today’s presentation, The Gospel of Philip Verses 69-94, begins with further distinctions between Worldly things and Heavenly things, and, moreover, the UNITY of Worldly things and Heavenly things:
“69. The Lord said, “I came to bring the lowest to the Highest and the outer — to the inner, and to unite them THERE.” He spoke about THAT place in symbols and images. Those who say that God is above are wrong. It is so because about Him, Who is in That place, one may say that He extends below. Yet, at the same time, He — to Whom also belongs everything hidden from this world — is above everything! In fact, it is just nattering: “the inner and the outer, the outer from the inner”… The Lord called the place of destruction the outer darkness. And the entire world is surrounded by it… He also said, “My Father Who is in the hidden.” He also said, “Go into your chamber, close the door, and address your Father Who is in the hidden”, that is, the One Who is in the depth under everything. But the One Who is in the depth under everything is the Primordial Consciousness. Beyond It, there is no one residing deeper. Yet, at the same time, it is said about It: “The One Who is above everything.”
The difficulty with this whole concept is that it is hard for us humans to see two things at once. To believe in a Father who is hidden and yet in everything, who is both above and below, is a difficult row to hoe. Still, spiritual experience gives slight inklings of how this is possible. My puny intelligence responds positively to the idea that “Who is in That place, one may say that He extends below”. To think of an omniscient omnipresent Being Who is capable of limiting His infinite scope for the sake of lil’ ol’ me is a blessing, a comfort, and an inspiration. In Antonov’s commentary, below, an important semantic distinction is made, he says: don’t think of God as a Being on high (up), but rather as a Being Whose evidence is inward, in the depth beneath everything.
Antonov’s Commentary:
“God-the-Father is the Primordial Consciousness existing throughout the whole universe. He is above and below, and in all sides, and beneath each object of the material world, including our bodies. He is in the depth beneath everything, in the deepest, primordial eon.
So, He can be cognized not above, to which direction people usually raise their hands and eyes, but in the depth of the developed spiritual heart, grown up to the galactic size.
Having cognized the entrance to His eon, one becomes
able to come through it to any point of space, including the points beneath one’s own body.
In the last two paragraphs of this fragment, there is a
“play on words”, which is typical of this Gospel. Its meaning is the following: the One Who is beneath everything rules everything.”
I have been thinking about the point Philip makes, repeatedly, about the ability of citizens of the Higher Eon to travel down into the lower Eons and back up again. This is certainly the case with the Saints, who shower down blessings on, and answer the prayers of, Earthly supplicants. One wonders who else may travel down the up staircase from Heaven to Earth. I think we have no reason to doubt that all ascended Beings, that is to say, DEAD PEOPLE, are able to go up and down Jacob’s Ladder, and bestow blessings commensurate with their level of soul evolution. I am sure that the prayers sent to our ascended ancestors are heard, and answered. I am also sure that, as Claudius says in Hamlet, “Words without thoughts never to Heaven go.”
Going on with Philip and his assurance that Jesus has made this soul travel possible:
“70. Before Christ’s coming, many people came out
(from this world). They could not return (immediately) to
the place from which they came out. And they could not
come out (immediately) from the place to which they
came.
But Christ came. And now those who came in can
come out, and those who came out can return.”
The fluidity of soul travel from one dimension to another has become a more central component in my spiritual devotions; as I ascend higher on the spiritual ladder, I find myself often in a kind of cloudy milk shake of shades of individual consciousnesses and corporate consciousnesses. I often find myself lost to my focused consciousness and afloat on a current of spiritual movement which acts on me without my volition. I find that I am in touch with conscious intelligence which is beyond me and above me. Most of my life I have been very focused on the literal consciousness of mind and have not freely relinquished the ego control that fixes me in one dimension. Lately I have allowed myself to drift more freely from one level to another, and I have thus experienced an intensity of spirit consciousness that is new and exciting—not to mention that this new consciousness is actively preparing the way to my death.
Antonov’s Commentary:
“Christ helped His disciples to become closer to Perfection. And now they can, during meditations, leave the world of matter, visit the highest eons, and return again to the world of matter.
Moreover, some of them, being stoned to death for their sermons, afterwards came back to their bodies and continued working in them. Jesus and the Apostles also raised the “dead” to their earthly bodies.”
Moving on, we encounter a typically Jewish historical reference. Adam and Eve are mentioned here in The Gospel of Philip as they often are in other Gnostic Gospels, such as the Gospel of Thomas. This is because the Gnostics are always searching for First Causes, such that the Creation is often used as a starting point for some logical extension of a thought. Thus, this discussion of the relationship of Worldly to Heavenly things quite naturally includes a reference to Adam and Eve and the Original Sin:
“71. When Eve was in Adam, there was no death. When
she was separated from him, death appeared. If she enters
in him again and he accepts her, there will be no
death anymore again.”
Antonov’s Commentary:
“This is again a witty “play on words” with a great meaning. The point is that Adam and Eve are not the names of the first two humans, as it is said in the contradictory ancient Jewish fairy tale included in the Bible. Adam means just man, in the aggregate sense of this word. Eve means life. When life, i.e. soul, leaves the body, clinical death happens. But the soul can return to the body.”
Antonov’s irreverent mention, of the “Jewish Fairy Tale” of Adam and Eve, seems slightly disrespectful, especially to people who take the stories in the Old Testament as historical fact. Nevertheless, attributing metaphorical rather than historical significance to Adam and Eve is not without its merits. I don’t in the least mind reading, “Adam means just man, in the aggregate sense of this word. Eve means life.”
Back to Philip:
“72. “My God, My God, why, O Lord, have You forsaken
Me?” He said these words on the cross. Then He separated from that place That Which was Divine. The Lord rose again (in a body) from the dead. He came as He was before. But now His body was perfect, though it was flesh. But this flesh was from the Primordial. Our flesh is not from the Primordial; we possess only a likeness of it.”
One of the most misunderstood sayings of Jesus are these words spoken from the cross: “My God, My God, why, O Lord, have You forsaken Me?” From this we are to assume that Jesus felt abandoned by the Father in His agony. Actually, the words are a reference to Psalm 22; Jesus, in His extremity, was only able to get out the first sentence, expressing despair and hopelessness, but a few more lines of the psalm reveal it as a message of hope, hope that Jesus wanted to share with His disciples present at the crucifixion:
Psalm 22
22 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
2 O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
As you can see, Jesus’ quotation of the beginning of this psalm contains a message of deliverance—that Jesus’ friends should not lament His passing, but trust in the Lord to deliver Him from His enemies, and return Him to them who inappropriately mourned.
Antonov’s Commentary focusses on this part of the scripture:
“The Lord rose again (in a body) from the dead. He came as He was before. But now His body was perfect, though it was flesh. But this flesh was from the Primordial.”
Antonov’s Commentary:
“Jesus materialized for Himself a new body, which was a concentrated product of the pure Divine Energy, in contrast to His former body born by Mary.”
As we have seen, the Antonov translation often leaves out portions of the text which are damaged by age, with missing words and phrases. Isenburg includes these omissions with reasonable guesses as to what is being left out. Hence, his translation of this portion of the text includes concepts missing from the Antonov version:
72 "My God, my God, why, O Lord, have you forsaken me?" (Mk 15:34). It was on the cross that he said these words, for he had departed from that place. [...Jesus was the man] who has been begotten through him who [...came] from God. The [...Christ rose] from the dead. [...Jesus came] to be, but now [...is made] perfect. [...Christ rose in the] flesh, but this [...spirit] is true flesh. [...The earthly image] is not true, but [...the body] only possess an image of the true.”
Notice that the Antonov version says, “. Our flesh is not from the Primordial; we possess only a likeness of it,” while the Isenburg translation uses a different kind of jargon: “[...Christ rose in the] flesh, but this [...spirit] is true flesh. [...The earthly image] is not true, but [...the body] only possesses an image of the true.”
The new wrinkle here is that Isenburg equates Antonov’s “primordial” with “true flesh”. The idea of the “true flesh” has been a topic of discussion in previous Philip presentations, specifically Philip 3 where I said:
“I had always thought of the carnal life and the afterlife as separate things—first one then the other; but if we think of the carnal life as an appendage of the spiritual life, a permanent imprint on the face of the Cosmic host, then a transcendental relationship between death and life may be perceived. As such, we can see that the experiences in the body do not simply disappear when we pass on to the higher planes, but they continue to resonate in the mind and memory of God.”
Thus, as in every other aspect of The Gospel of Philip we see TWO aspects of something—a lower and a higher aspect; in the case of the word “flesh”, we have one, the carnal flesh, of earthly origin, and, two, the “true flesh” of primordial origin—flesh that lives forever in the mind and memory of God. I have often poo-pooed the idea of people living on the Earth in a new paradise, after the second coming, but the idea of a “true flesh” makes it much more believable. In my current state of mind it is not difficult to imagine a new Earth peopled by spiritual beings clothed in new flesh.
Pursuing the subject of “flesh”, Philip returns to the distinction between animal consciousness and human consciousness:
“73. The Bridal Chamber is neither for animals, nor for
men-slaves (of passions), nor for women driven by passion.
It is for pure women and men who gained Freedom.”
Antonov’s Commentary:
“One’s birth in the eon of God-the-Father, maturing in it, and Mergence with God-the-Father constitutes the completion of the individual evolution of the soul. Only those who are highly developed intellectually, ethically, and psychoenergetically can attain this. They must also liberate themselves from worldly passions and attachments and achieve the purity and Divine subtlety of the consciousnesses.”
Philip continues:
“74. Thanks to the Holy Spirit we are begotten on the
Earth. But we were born again thanks to Christ.
We are baptized in the Holy Spirit.
And after our birth in Him, we united with Him.”
Isenburg’s translation is simpler:
“74. Through the Holy Spirit we are indeed begotten again, but we are begotten through Christ in the two. We are anointed through the Spirit. When we were begotten, we were united.”
Antonov’s Commentary:
“The Holy Spirit, Who controls destinies of people, also controls their birth in earthly bodies.
Then the Author speaks about the stages of cognition of the Divine.
The first stage is baptism, when during the appropriate
meditation a spiritual warrior enters (or is led in) the appropriate eon and for the first time feels the Consciousness Which dwells there.
Then one has to learn to enter this eon by one’s own efforts and to stay in it. It is called the birth in it.
And after the birth and the following maturing in this eon— again thanks to mastering special meditative techniques —one comes to Mergence with the Consciousness dwelling in it.”
In the next section, Philip discusses the higher spirituality as seen from the lower earthy perspective. Notice the reference to mirrors. We can’t read the word “mirror” without thinking of Paul’s “through a glass darkly”. Thus the image of “seeing” is again divided into carnal seeing and spiritual seeing:
“75. No one can see himself or herself in a flow or in a
mirror without light.
And vice versa: you cannot see yourself in the Light
without the Flow and without a mirror.
For this reason, it is necessary to be baptized in both:
in the Light and in the Flow.
In the Light we receive the blessing.”
This last line, “In the Light we receive the blessing,” implies a declension: to be sure, we need the physicalization of baptism through the flow of water, a prop, a symbol to accommodate the limitations of our weak human minds—but we must also remember the purpose of this physicalization, which is to lead us to enlightenment in the Light.
Antonov’s Commentary:
“In this fragment, two points need to be commented.
The first point is the allegorical meaning of the word mirror.
This is self-examination (looking at oneself) for the sake of discovering vices (with the purpose of getting rid of them) and defects in the development of good qualities (with the purpose of further development of them).
The second point is the word blessing. It has two meanings:
a) blessing for doing something (analogue — “to give consent”) and
b) transmission of good energy to another person. The full blessing of a Teacher is when both components are merged together. Practically, in the Light we can receive the highest bliss and the blessing with the instructions on providing spiritual help to incarnate people and blessing with particular pieces of advice about entering the eon of God-the-Father.”
Continuing with the subject of baptism, Philip discusses the structure of the temple in which sacrifices are made. At first he seems to be describing the actual physical architecture of the temple, but by the end of the paragraph we perceive that his discussion was allegorical.
“76. There were three buildings in Jerusalem for making
sacrifices. The one, opened to the west, was called
the holy. Another, opened to the south, was called the
holy of the holy. The third, opened to the east, was
called the Holy of the Holiest, the place where a priest
enters alone.
The baptism is the holy.
The redemption of others (through one’s own sacrificial
service) is the holy of the holy.
But the Holy of the Holiest is the Bridal Chamber.”
Clearly, the Bridal Chamber must not be thought of as a physical chamber in the temple; therefore, the two lower chambers, the holy chamber of baptism, and the higher chamber of redemption must also be understood in their symbolic rather than literal sense. The next section confirms this conclusion:
“… What is a bridal chamber if not a symbolic image of
the Bridal Chamber? The latter is above all evil.
Its veil is rent from the top to the bottom, as an invitation
for the chosen to enter.”
Antonov’s Commentary:
“In the last paragraph, Philip speaks about the symbolic meaning of the fact that the veil (curtain) in the Jerusalem temple was rent from the top to the bottom at the moment of the cross death of Jesus.
The most important stage preceding one’s entering the
Bridal Chamber is sacrificial service to God through spiritual service to people.”
The Isenburg translation offers a few more complications:
“76. There were three buildings specifically for sacrifice in Jerusalem. The one facing the west was called "The Holy". Another, facing south, was called "The Holy of the Holy". The third, facing east, was called "The Holy of the Holies", the place where only the high priest enters.
Baptism is "the Holy" building. Redemption is the "Holy of the Holy". "The Holy of the Holies" is the bridal chamber. Baptism includes the resurrection and the redemption; the redemption (takes place) in the bridal chamber. But the bridal chamber is in that which is superior to [...] you will not find [...] are those who pray [...] Jerusalem who [...] Jerusalem, [...] those called the "Holy of the Holies"
[...] the veil was rent, [...] bridal chamber except the image [...] above. Because of this, its veil was rent from top to bottom. For it was fitting for some from below to go upward.”
This translation suggests the idea that the levels of spirit consciousness are cumulative, that is to say that sage two includes stage one and stage three includes stages one and two:
“Baptism includes the resurrection and the redemption; the redemption (takes place) in the bridal chamber.”
This only makes sense because we have repeatedly been told that the Pleroma includes EVERYTHING. Still, our rational minds perceive things not as a unity, but in parts. It is up to the Cloud of Unknowing to consolidate the parts into an indivisible whole.
The veil separating all but the high priest from the Holy of Holies is of interest. Here is a concise commentary on this subject from Gotquestions?.org.:
“During the lifetime of Jesus, the holy temple in Jerusalem was the center of Jewish religious life. The temple was the place where animal sacrifices were carried out and worship according to the Law of Moses was followed faithfully. Hebrews 9:1-9 tells us that in the temple a veil separated the Holy of Holies—the earthly dwelling place of God’s presence—from the rest of the temple where men dwelt. This signified that man was separated from God by sin (Isaiah 59:1-2). Only the high priest was permitted to pass beyond this veil once each year (Exodus 30:10; Hebrews 9:7) to enter into God's presence for all of Israel and make atonement for their sins (Leviticus 16).
Solomon's temple was 30 cubits high (1 Kings 6:2), but Herod had increased the height to 40 cubits, according to the writings of Josephus, a first century Jewish historian. There is uncertainty as to the exact measurement of a cubit, but it is safe to assume that this veil was somewhere near 60 feet high. An early Jewish tradition says that the veil was about four inches thick, but the Bible does not confirm that measurement. The book of Exodus teaches that this thick veil was fashioned from blue, purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.
The size and thickness of the veil makes the events occurring at the moment of Jesus’ death on the cross so much more momentous. “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:50-53).
“50And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.”
So, what do we make of this? What significance does this torn veil have for us today? Above all, the tearing of the veil at the moment of Jesus' death dramatically symbolized that His sacrifice, the shedding of His own blood, was a sufficient atonement for sins. It signified that now the way into the Holy of Holies was open for all people, for all time, both Jew and Gentile.
When Jesus died, the veil was torn, and God moved out of that place never again to dwell in a temple made with hands (Acts 17:24).
God was through with that temple and its religious system, and the temple and Jerusalem were left “desolate” (destroyed by the Romans) in A.D. 70, just as Jesus prophesied in Luke. As long as the temple stood, it signified the continuation of the Old Covenant-- the age that was passing away as the new covenant was being established (Hebrews 8:13).
In a sense, the veil was symbolic of Christ Himself as the only way to the Father (John 14:6). This is indicated by the fact that the high priest had to enter the Holy of Holies through the veil. Now Christ is our superior High Priest, and as believers in His finished work, we partake of His better priesthood. We can now enter the Holy of Holies through Him. The faithful enter into the sanctuary by the “blood of Jesus, by the new and living way which he opened for us through the veil, that is, through his flesh.” Here we see the image of Jesus’ flesh being torn for us just as He was tearing the veil for us.
The veil being torn from top to bottom is a fact of history. The profound significance of this event is explained in glorious detail in Hebrews. The things of the temple were shadows of things to come, and they all ultimately point us to Jesus Christ. He was the veil to the Holy of Holies, and through His death the faithful now have free access to God.”
In the next verse, Philip reminds us that the lower mind (evil spirits, in this case) cannot perceive the higher levels of consciousness.
“77. Evil spirits do not see and cannot seize Those Who
dressed Themselves with the Perfect Light.
Let such dressing with the Light be secret Mergence.”
The reference to “secret mergence” is significant to me because it reminds me that you can’t make a horse drink. If people you know are not attuned to the spiritual, no amount of proselytizing will have any good effect. To Jesus is granted the ability to reveal Himself to people in degrees commensurate with their perceptive capacities; to us lower beings, not so much. We may hope for this talent to emerge in our developing psyches, over time, but, for most of us, spiritual enlightenment is something to be cherished in secret. I have written on my wall:
“The only truth you can know is your own truth, and the only one you can tell it to is yourself.”
As long as I languish in this physical dimension, I must stand by this statement.
Antonov’s Commentary recalls the term “spiritual warrior”:
“According to these recommendations, the first task of spiritual warriors is to arise in the eon of Light.
The second is to become mature in it, to become a sufficiently large, active, and able consciousness.
The third is to merge with the Consciousness of this eon.
Evil spirits do not see Those Who dressed Themselves with the Light, but only when They stay in the eon of the Light.”
The Isenburg translation substitutes the term “powers” for “evil spirits”, and the expression “sacramental union” for “secret mergence”:
“77. The powers do not see those who are clothed in the perfect light, and consequently are not able to detain them. One will clothe himself in this light sacramentally in the union.”
The next section makes another sideways reference to Adam and Eve. First let us recall Verse 71:
“71. When Eve was in Adam, there was no death. When
she was separated from him, death appeared. If she enters
in him again and he accepts her, there will be no
death anymore again.”
Now let us go on with Verse 78:
“78. If the woman had not separated from the man,
she would not have died along with the man. The separation from him was the beginning of death.
Therefore, Christ came to correct the separation, to
unite them, and to give the True Life to those who died in
separation, uniting them.”
Also let us remember the commentary from above:
Antonov’s irreverent mention, of the “Jewish Fairy Tale” of Adam and Eve, seems slightly disrespectful, especially to people who take the stories in the Old Testament as historical fact. Nevertheless, attributing metaphorical rather than historical significance to Adam and Eve is not without its merits. I don’t in the least mind reading, “Adam means just man, in the aggregate sense of this word. Eve means life.”
Antonov’s Commentary:
“Philip again jokingly refers to the biblical fairy tale about Adam and Eve. The explanation will be given in the next fragment.”
Whether Philip refers to Adam and Eve “jokingly” or not, it is clear that that mention of woman uniting with her husband is meant to be taken both literally and symbolically.
“79. So, let a woman unite with her husband in the
Bridal Chamber, because Those Who have united in the
Bridal Chamber will no longer be separated.
Eve separated from Adam because she united with
him not in the Bridal Chamber.”
Antonov’s Commentary:
“The true and eternal mergence of the Perfect happens in the Bridal Chamber of God-the-Father.”
In conclusion, let us review the main topics of this section of Philip:
“68. The Lord has everything important in the form
hidden from this world: the baptism, the blessing, the transfiguration, the purification, and the Bridal Chamber.”
“69. The Lord said, “I came to bring the lowest to the Highest and the outer — to the inner, and to unite them THERE.” He spoke about THAT place in symbols and images.”
Don’t think of God as a Being on high (up), but rather as a Being Whose evidence is inward, in the depth beneath everything.
I think we have no reason to doubt that all ascended Beings, that is to say, DEAD PEOPLE, are able to go up and down Jacob’s Ladder, and bestow blessings commensurate with their level of soul evolution. I am sure that the prayers sent to our ascended ancestors are heard, and answered.
The fluidity of soul travel from one dimension to another has become a more central component in my spiritual devotions; as I ascend higher on the spiritual ladder, I find myself often in a kind of cloudy milk shake of shades of individual consciousnesses and corporate consciousnesses. I often find myself lost to my focused consciousness and afloat on a current of spiritual movement which acts on me without my volition. I find that I am in touch with conscious intelligence which is beyond me and above me. Most of my life I have been very focused on the literal consciousness of mind and have not freely relinquished the ego control that fixes me in one dimension. Lately I have allowed myself to drift more freely from one level to another, and I have thus experienced an intensity of spirit consciousness that is new and exciting—not to mention that this new consciousness is actively preparing the way to my death.
Thus, as in every other aspect of The Gospel of Philip we see TWO aspects of something—a lower and a higher aspect; in the case of the word “flesh”, we have one, the carnal flesh, of earthly origin, and, two, the “true flesh” of primordial origin—flesh that lives forever in the mind and memory of God.
“75. No one can see himself or herself in a flow or in a
mirror without light.
And vice versa: you cannot see yourself in the Light
without the Flow and without a mirror.
For this reason, it is necessary to be baptized in both:
in the Light and in the Flow.
In the Light we receive the blessing.”
As throughout The Gospel of Philip, the verses we have pondered today concern themselves with graduated levels of spirit consciousness. Today we have focused more on the idea of hidden or secret knowledge, knowledge revealed through a baptism of light.
Let us pray: Jesus thank you for these words of guidance. Let us approach ever closer to the Bridal Chamber, the Holiest of Holies and meet you there in blessed unity. Amen.
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