§29Ὄντων γὰρ εὐχρήστων καὶ ἀναγκαίων εἰς σωτηρίαν, οἷον πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας ψυχῆς. δεῖ πάντως καὶ τὸν περὶ αὐτῶν λόγον, ὅς ἐστι γνωστικός, εὔχρηστον ὁμοῦ καὶ ἀναγκαῖον τυγχάνειν.
For since there are things useful and necessary for salvation, such as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and also our soul, it is absolutely necessary that the discourse concerning them, which is gnostic, should also be at once useful and necessary.
τοῖς δὲ καὶ τὴν προστασίαν ἐπανῃρημένοις τοῦ ὠφελεῖν εὔχρηστος ἡ πολυπειρία πρὸς τὸ μὴ διαλαθεῖν τι τῶν δοκούντων παρ᾿ ἄλλοις ἀναγκαίως καὶ πολυμαθῶς ἐπεγνῶσθαι.
And for those who have undertaken the leadership of benefiting others, wide experience is useful in order that nothing may escape them of the things that are deemed to have been recognized necessarily and learnedly by others.
φέρει δὲ καὶ ἄλλως συγγυμνασίαν ψυχῆς ζητητικῆς ἡ τῆς ἑτεροδόξου διδασκαλίας ἔκθεσις. καὶ ἀνεξαπάτητον τῆς ἀληθοῦς τηρεῖ τὸν μαθητήν, περισαλπίζεσθαι πάντοθεν ἤδη προμεμελετηκότα τοῖς πολεμικοῖς ὀργάνοις.
And the exposition of heterodox teaching also in another way brings joint training to an inquiring soul, and keeps the disciple undeceived in regard to the truth, having already practiced to be blown around on every side by the instruments of war.
§30Τοῦ γνωστικοῦ μόνου, καθάπερ λέγουσι τὴν Κρήτην ἄγονον εἶναι θηρίων ὀλεθρίων, ὁ βίος καθαρὸς ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ ἔργου τε καὶ νοήματος καὶ λόγου, οὐδὲ ἐχθρὸν ἔχοντος τὸ παράπαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ φθόνου καὶ μίσους καὶ βλασφημίας πάσης καὶ διαβολῆς ἐκτὸς ὄντος.
Of the Gnostic alone, just as they say that Crete is free of deadly beasts, is the life pure from every evil deed and thought and word, neither having an enemy at all, but being outside of envy and hatred and all blasphemy and slander.
§31Ἐν πολλῷ δὲ τῷ βίῳ μακαριστὸς οὐ διὰ τὸ μακρὸν [γενόμενος] ζῆν, ᾧ γε καὶ διὰ τὸ ζῆσαι εὖ ὑπῆρξεν ἀξίῳ τοῦ ζῆν ἀεὶ γενέσθαι.
And in a long life he is blessed, not because of living long, to whom indeed by living well it was granted to become worthy of living always.
οὐδένα λελύπηκεν. ὅτι μὴ τῷ λόγῳ παιδεύων τοὺς ἡλκωμένους τὴν καρδίαν. καθάπερ μέλιτι σωτηρίῳ, γλυκεῖ τε ὄντι καὶ δηκτικῷ.
He has grieved no one, except when by the word he disciplines those whose hearts are ulcerated, like with saving honey, which is both sweet and biting.
ὥστε παντὸς μᾶλλον ὁ γνωστικὸς τὸ πρέπον ἂν μετὰ τοῦ κατὰ λόγον φυλάσσοι.
Therefore, the Gnostic would preserve what is fitting together with what is according to reason above all else.
τοῦ γὰρ ἐμπαθοῦς παντὸς περιτμηθέντος καὶ περιαιρεθέντος ἁπάσης τῆς ψυχῆς τῷ κρατίστῳ, καθαρῷ γενομένῳ καὶ ἠλευθερωμένῳ εἰς υἱοθεσίαν, τοῦ λοιποῦ σύνεστίν τε καὶ βιοῖ.
For when all that is passionate is cut off and removed, he henceforth lives and is together with the best part of the whole soul, which has become pure and liberated unto adoption.
§32Πυθαγόρας ἠξίου μὴ μόνον λογιώτατον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρεσβύτατον ἡγεῖσθαι τῶν σοφῶν τὸν θέμενον τὰ ὀνόματα τοῖς πράγμασι.
Pythagoras deemed it right to consider the one who gave names to things not only as the most learned, but also as the oldest of the wise.
δεῖ τοίνυν τὰς γραφὰς ἀκριβῶς διερευνωμένους, ἐπειδὴ ἐν παραβολαῖς εἰρῆσθαι ἀνωμολόγηνται. ἀπὸ τῶν ὀνομάτων θηρᾶσθαι τὰς δόξας, ἃς τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ἔχον. εἰς τὰς λέξεις ὡς εἰπεῖν τὴν αὑτοῦ διάνοιαν ἐκτυπωσάμενον, διδάσκει. ἵνα ἡμῖν ἀκριβῶς ἐξεταζόμενα διαπτύσσηται μὲν τὰ ὀνόματα πολυσήμως εἰρημένα, τὸ δ᾿ ἐγκεκρυμμένον ἐν πολλοῖς τοῖς σκέπουσι ψηλαφώμενον καὶ καταμανθανόμενον ἐκφαίνηται καὶ ἀναλάμψῃ.
It is necessary, therefore, as we search the Scriptures precisely, since they are acknowledged to have been spoken in parables, to hunt from the names the opinions which the Holy Spirit, having them concerning things, teaches, having as it were printed His own mind into the words; so that when precisely examined by us, the names spoken with many meanings may unfold, while that which is hidden under many coverings, being felt and thoroughly learned, may appear and shine forth.
[οὕτ]ὡς γὰρ καὶ ὁ μόλιβδος τοῖς τρίβουσιν ἐξανθεῖ λευκὸν ἐκ μέλανος, τὸ ψιμύθιον. οὕτως καὶ ἡ γνῶσις, φέγγος καὶ λαμπρότητα καταχέουσα τῶν πραγμάτων, ἡ τῷ ὄντι θεία σοφία εἴη ἄν, τὸ φῶς τὸ εἰλικρινές, τὸ φωτίζον τοὺς καθαροὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὡς κόρην ὀφθαλμοῦ εἰς ὄψιν καὶ κατάληψιν τῆς ἀληθείας βεβαίαν.
For just as lead also to those who rub it produces white from black, namely white lead, so also knowledge, pouring light and brightness upon things, would be the truly divine wisdom, the unmixed light, which illuminates the pure among men like the pupil of the eye unto vision and firm comprehension of the truth.
§33Ἀναψάμενοι τοίνυν τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ φωτὸς ἐκείνου ἐκ τοῦ πόθου τοῦ περὶ αὐτὸ αὐτῷ ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα ἐξομοιοῦσθαι πειρώμενοι, φωτὸς ἔμπλεοι, φῶτες Ἰσραηλῖται τῷ ὄντι γινόμεθα.
Having therefore kindled from the source of that light, trying as much as possible to assimilate ourselves to it out of desire for it, full of light, we become truly light-Israelites.
φίλους γὰρ εἶπεν καὶ ἀδελφοὺς τοὺς ἐχομένους τῆς πρὸς τὸ θεῖον ἀφομοιώσεως κατὰ ἐπιθυμίαν καὶ δίωξιν.
For he called friends and brothers those who hold fast to assimilation to the divine according to desire and pursuit.
§34* * ἣν τόποι μὲν καθαροὶ καὶ λειμῶνες ἐδέξαντο, φωνὰς καί τινας ὄψεις ἁγίων φασμάτων ἔχοντες, ἄνθρωπος δὲ ὁ ἀκριβῶς κεκαθαρμένος ἅπας διδασκαλίας καὶ δυνάμεως θεϊκῆς καταξιωθήσεται.
* * which clean places and meadows received, having voices and certain visions of holy apparitions, but the man who is precisely purified in all respects will be deemed worthy of divine teaching and power.
§35Οἶδα δὲ ἐγὼ ὅτι τὰ τῆς γνώσεως μυστήρια τοῖς μὲν πολλοῖς χλεύην φέρει καὶ μάλιστα μὴ κεκαττυμένα σοφιστικῇ τροπολογίᾳ.
But I know that the mysteries of knowledge bring mockery to the many, especially when they are not patched with sophistical trope.
τοὺς δὲ ὀλίγους καθάπερ φῶς ἐπεισενεχθὲν ἐξαίφνης συμποσίῳ τινὶ συνηρεφεῖ ἐκπλήξει τὰ πρῶτα, ἔπειτα ἐθίσαντες καὶ συντραφέντες καὶ ἐγγυμνα σάμενοι τῷ λογισμῷ ὡς ὑφ᾿ ἡδονῆς εὐφραινόμενοι καὶ ἀγαλλιώμενοι * * τὸν κύριον.
But to the few, just as light suddenly brought into a covered banquet first strikes with amazement, then having become accustomed and nurtured and having trained in reasoning, as if gladdened by pleasure and rejoicing, they * * the Lord.
ὡς γὰρ ἡ ἡδονὴ τὴν τῆς ἀλγηδόνος ἀπαλλαγὴν οὐσίαν ἔχει, οὕτως ἡ γνῶσις τῆς ἀγνοίας τὴν ὑπεξαίρεσιν.
For as pleasure has its essence in the riddance of pain, so knowledge has its essence in the removal of ignorance.
ὡς γὰρ οἱ μάλιστα καθεύδοντες οἴονται μάλιστα ἐγρηγορέναι, ἐναργεστέραις ὑποπίπτοντες καὶ ἀπερισπάστοις ταῖς ὄναρ φαντασίαις, οὕτως οἱ μάλιστα ἀγνοοῦντες μάλιστα εἰδέναι νομίζουσι.
For as those who sleep most deeply think they are most awake, falling under dream-visions that are most vivid and undistracted, so those who are most ignorant think they know most.
μακάριοι δὲ οἱ ἐξ ύπνου τοῦδε καὶ τῆς παραφροσύνης ἀνεγειρόμενοι καὶ ἀναβλέψαντες τὸ φῶς καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν.
But blessed are those who are awakened from this sleep and madness and have looked up to the light and the truth.