Greco-Christian stream·Pistis Sophia·Third Book — Mysteries of the Light·Chapter 122
Jesus trieth Peter
He had baptized her three times, and yet she had not done what was worthy of the baptisms · Saviour had said this, he tried [Peter] to see whether he was compassionate and forgiving
Source context
- Theme
- mysteries of light as revealed knowledge within Gnostic Christian cosmology
- Soul-faculty
- Consciousness Soul
Steiner
- GA 69c, 1912-11-16Steiner identifies the Gnostic impulse — represented by Basilides, Marcion, and Valentinus — as treating the Christ-impulse as absolutely necessary for the entire development of humanity on earth, locating salvation in revealed knowledge rather than in external rite.
- GA 87, 1902-04-19Steiner notes that the Gnostics synthesised ancient religious systems of the whole world with a foundational view still widespread among spiritually initiated communities, placing Gnostic Christianity within the broader stream of mystery-knowledge.
- GA 228, 1923-07-28Steiner observes that the writings of the Gnostics were systematically destroyed, meaning European culture knows the Gnostics only through the counter-writings of their opponents — a fact that shapes how their light-mysteries must be reconstructed.
- GA 8, chapter 9Steiner's treatment of the Apocalypse of John addresses the motif that the city of the new creation requires no sun or moon because the revelation of God lights it and its light is the Lamb — a direct structural parallel to the mysteries of light as the inner content of Gnostic Christian eschatology.
Cross-tradition
- Neoplatonism (Plotinus)Cross-tradition congruence appears in Plotinus's treatment of the One as the source of intelligible light (nous-light) from which souls descend and to which they return through contemplative gnosis — structurally parallel to the Gnostic Christian framing of light-mysteries as the path of ascent.
- Zoroastrian light-cosmologyCross-tradition congruence is present in Zoroastrian dualism between Ahura Mazda as the lord of light and the powers of darkness, which shares with Gnostic Christian light-mysteries the cosmological premise that light is the substance of divine reality opposed by a counter-principle.
- Hermetic tradition (Corpus Hermeticum)The Hermetic Poimandres describes the nous-light descending into matter and the soul's reascent through knowledge of its luminous origin — a cross-tradition congruence with the Gnostic Christian mysteries of light as salvific illumination.
Chapter 122
CHAPTER 122
Jesus trieth Peter.Thereafter Jesus saw a woman who came to make repentance. |312. He had baptized her three times, and yet she had not done what was worthy of the baptisms. And the Saviour desired to try Peter, to see if he was compassionate and forgiving, as he had commanded them. He said unto Peter: "Lo, three times have I baptized this soul, and yet at this third time she hath not done what is worthy of the mysteries of the Light. Wherefor then cloth she make her body good for nothing? Now, therefore, Peter, perform the mystery which cutteth off the souls from the inheritances of the Light; perform that mystery in order that it may cut off the soul of this woman from the Inheritance of the Light."
When then the Saviour had said this, he tried [Peter] to see whether he was compassionate and forgiving.
When then the Saviour had said this, Peter
said: "My Lord, let her yet this time, that we may give her the higher mysteries; and if she is fit, then hast thou let her inherit the Light-kingdom, but if she is not fit, then hast thou [to] cut her off from the Light-kingdom."
When then Peter had said this, the Saviour knew that Peter was compassionate as he and forgiving.
When then all this was said, the Saviour said unto his disciples: "Have ye understood all these words and the type |313. of this woman?"
Mary interpreteth the incident from a former saying.Mary answered and said: "My Lord, I have understood the mysteries of the things which have fallen to this woman's lot. Concerning the things then which have fallen to her lot, thou hast spoken unto us aforetime in similitude, saying: 'A man owned a fig-tree in his vineyard; and he came to look for its fruit, and he found not a single one on it. He said to the vine-dresser: Lo, three years do I come to look for fruit on this fig-tree, and I have not any produce at all from it. Cut it down then; why doth it make the ground also good for nothing? But he answered and said unto him: My lord, have patience with it still this year, until I dig round it and give it dung; and if it beareth in another year, thou hast let it, but if thou dost not find any [fruit] at all, then hast thou [to] cut it down.' Lo, my Lord, this is the solution of the word."
The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "Well said, spiritual [one]. This is [the solution of] the word."