What were some of the messages that the Ancient Coptic Gospel of Mary (GMary) taught?
A New Interpretation (of the Extant pages 7-11)
The Eternal Perspective and Contentment
Page 7
(And like Buddhism – whose teachings and practice, especially meditation, Mani accepted him as a “Light Apostle” and a part of Manichaean Christianity under his (Mani’s) and under the Most High Light Apostle the Savior [Jesus Christ or HaMaschiach Yeshua] – Mary goes on to teach what the Savior taught her in the GMary (see page 8 below) which almost seems like a quote from the Buddha when the Savior says, ‘Life Is Suffering’)
1 Peter asks the Savior. 2 ‘Lord, will this, this world of matter (its materialism and flesh), be destroyed or not?’ 3 But the Savior said, 4 ‘Peter, “every object, all entities are intertwined one with the other. Humans to each other 5 and the All in All to the Universe. 6 Earth, wind, fire, and water are linked. So Breath is yoked to Life, Life to Death, Good to Evil – in and throughout nature and the Cosmos. 7 Ultimately, things disintegrate, dissolving into their constituent parts, 8 returning 9to their Root. 10Those who have ears to hear, let them hear! 11 Peter then asked, ‘Lord, you’ve illuminated everything 12 prophesying how things will go into the Age. Please, then, tell us one more thing 13: what is the greatest sin of this ‘materialistic and fallen world preoccupied with sin?’ Mary pointedly asked, ‘Lord, are you Master over this deficiency or not?’ 14 Then the Anointed said to Peter and Mary, ‘You are both right to ask these questions.’ For ‘amēn, amēn, I say,’ 15 ‘Sin does not exist!‘ There is no Sin!’
16 You create Sin when you commit immoral deeds. And do so despite the consequences. 17 Lo, you justify them by your deceitful practice and 18 adulterous, unfaithful ways. And you say ‘a false and counterfeit spirit’ 19 is the cause of your lawless acts…
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Page 8
1 ‘For, so the Truth is, and, I say it to you now,’ ‘In Life, there is always trouble and suffering.’ 2 To relieve this, you search out flesh and blood, carnal and material pleasure. 3 ‘This Intoxicates you’ and impels uncontrollable passion with agony throughout the body; conversely escape by alignment with the Blissful One!’ 4 ‘This is why I told you, 5 let your heart be satisfied, even content.’ 6 ‘For, when disappointed or discouraged, 7 take comfort and serenity in 8 observing the myriads of living things, and the beauty in nature, and all the different forms of creation. For, in spite of it all, life is astonishing, even beautiful! 9 Anyone who has ears to hear 10 should hear! 11 And after this, He said, 12 May My peace be with you and fulfill you and, 13 He who gives us His peace, 14 be with you all, Amen.
The Good News of The Gospel
“15 ‘Yet, beware. Do not be misled by anyone who says, 16 ’Lo, here it is, or 17Lo, there He is 18 the Savior! 19 ‘Rather, The Kingdom of the Blissful One, 20 the Son of Man (ⲡ·ϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲙ·ⲡ·ⲣⲱⲙⲉ)^ is within; and there thee shall find the peace that passeth all understanding in and, all about you! 21 trust ‘the Way’ and seek the Good! 22 And you will find Him! 23 Then, hold tight, and proclaim with zeal 24 the Kingdom of the ‘Most High’ has begun!”
The ‘Lord of Spirits‘ was a term for “God” used in 1 Enoch. One must remember that in the GMary, no common word for ‘God’ was used. Not even the most favorite of all (or the) Gnostic term for God: the Father! Yet, “Father” quickly became one of the most favorite titles for God in proto-Canonical Christianity (as Jesus used to say, “Our Father, who art in Heaven…”). So in the GMary, the “Good” is used to mean God (see in text). But it was not a favorite term (for God) in proto-Canonical ecclesia or circles. I chose to add it because there is little use of any word for God in the GMary. But at least “lord, or Lord” and “spirit” were used repetitively in the Coptic. By the way, in the Coptic Gospel of Mary, “spirit” was never used to denote “God” (alone) as ‘Spirit.’ Yet, (‘Spirit’ – meaning “God”) is used on a vast scale by Jehanne de Quillian in her “The Complete Gospel of Mary Magdalene” (2011).
The Nature of Good, The ‘Imageless, Deficient Spirit’ and Contentment
20 Yet, this is why the Good (the ‘Lord of Spirits’ ) came among you. 21 So that through His teaching and instruction, you will seek a ‘better path and the road home to enlightenment.’ 22 For though you are far from the Light, with a corporeal body and a garment of flesh, if you seek it you can find it; ‘thy Way’ too ‘the One, the Good Who Is…’
Mary Magdalene and Jesus
Page 10
“4 Peter said, ‘please, Mary, tell us the hidden words that the Savior spoke to you and that you alone heard. 5 Tell us that which we have not heard so we too can learn all the Savior’s Words and Wisdom. 6 And, even what you heard ‘in secret.’ 7 In response, Mary said, 8 ‘If you wish, I will tell you what I heard Him say 9 that, otherwise, would not be known.’ Here are the ‘Savior’s Words’ that you have never before heard. 10 So Mary related her Vision of the Savior.
The Vision of the Christ
11 She said this, 12 ‘I saw the Lord today.’ 13 I saw Him in a Vision,’ and said to Him, ‘Lord, I see you!’ 14 In response, He said, 15 ’blissful art you my beloved, for you did not falter, nor tremble, nor were you overcome!’ Then the Lord continued speaking, ‘For many who see me are disturbed, shake and tremble and, faint away (…as “one who hunts us now” will do). Even more so, you did not fall on your face nor run away!” 16 ‘For, where your heart and mind is, ‘your nous,’ there lies your treasure!”
17 Then I said to him, 18 ‘Lord, how does one who sees You, 19 in a Vision, perceive You?’ 20 She further asked, 21 ‘is it by the Soul or, is it by the Spirit?’ 22 In response, the Savior said, 23 ‘You do not see it by the Spirit nor by the Soul.’ 24 ’But in that place…
Overcoming the Powers and Understanding the Vision of Mary
(From the Extant pages 15-18)
Page 15
1 Later, the ‘False, Dark and Demonic Spirit,’ the Spirit of Craving said to Mary, 2 ’I did not see your ‘soul’ descend. 3 But, I saw ‘it’ rising! 4 Liar! Deceiver! ‘Daughter,’ you belong to me!’ Who do you think you are, Mary? For, before me, you were ‘nothing!’ A hopeless, no account liar, and used up garment to throw out with the trash! 5 In response, and in the Spirit, Mary saith ‘Dark, Spirit.’ 6 ‘Lo I saw you, O Evil One, 7 yet you do not know me, nor see the real me, and the Truth! 8 For He gave me, ‘Mary of Magdala, true, Sacred, Salvational Knowledge!’ 9 After her spirit communicated this, it flew upward, rejoicing.
The Archon of Ignorance
“1 When her spirit and soul had overcome that realm 2 it ascended even higher and faced the fourth Power. 3 This Power expresses itself by seven manifestations of (ignorant and deadly) sins or evil and wickedness (things she had previously expelled). For Mary, this brought back terrible fear, great anxiety, and suffering. And (as could happen to anyone) she momentarily lapsed and let her defenses down… (and Error’s counterfeit spirit, plans, methods, and schemes) re-entered her…
4 The first form was Darkness;
5 The second form, Desire and Craving
6 The third form, Ignorance (and);
7 The fourth form, a Zeal for Death ( …even as before, a desire to harm herself);
8 The fifth form said, ‘only in the Kingdom of Flesh and blood ‘can be found through carnal pleasures and the sensations you crave true ecstasy!
…
“17 In the Spirit she said, ‘He released me from your oppression (on this world). 18 And my incarcerators have fallen away in this same, but new world… I am free! 19 Lo, no longer does uncontrollable desire and ignorance shackle me. Released, I have entered a higher, pneumatic life!
Copyright ⓒ 2023 James Brantingham PhD (September 1, 2021)
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Full References for “The Gospel According to Mary of Magdala in: “Holy Wisdom and the Logos of God.”
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See (and buy) the” “Holy Wisdom and The Logos of God” at Amazon.com for full references by James Brantingham (2021)
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