The Symbolic Meaning of the Sacraments

[Jesus had to] descend into the [water, in order for] him to redeem himself. [...], namely those who have [been baptized] in his name, because he said: “[This is the way] we will perform all righteousness.”⁠a Those who say they will die first, and they will rise, are mistaken. If they do not first obtain the resurrection while they are alive, they will not obtain anything after they die. This is also how they talk about baptism, saying that baptism is something great, because if they obtain it, they will live. Philip the apostle said: “Joseph the carpenter planted a garden because he needed wood to carry out his trade. He was the one who made the cross from the trees he had planted, and his seed hung on what he had planted. His seed was Jesus, and the plant was the cross.” However, the Tree of Life dwells in the midst of the garden, and from the olive tree came the chrism, and from it came the resurrection.⁠b This world is a corpse-eater.⁠c All that are eaten in it will die as well. Truth is a life-eater. Consequently, not one of those who feed on [truth] will die. From that place came Jesus, and from there he brought food, and those who desired, he let them [eat, in order that] they would not die.⁠d [God planted a] garden, [man ...] garden. Some there are [...] dwell with [...] of God in [...] those in [it ...]. I wish that [garden is the place where it] will be said to me: [“... eat] this,” or, “do not eat [that,” as you] desire. This is the place where I will eat everything, where the Tree of Knowledge dwells, the one that killed Adam. However, the Tree of Knowledge here has restored life to man. The Law was the tree.⁠e It was able to bestow knowledge of good and evil. It neither took away from him evil, nor did it establish him in what is good. Instead, it produced death for those who ate of it, because when he said, “eat this,” “do not eat that,” it was the origin of death. The chrism surpasses baptism, because from the chrism we were called “Christian,” not on account of baptism, and it was owing to the chrism that “Christ” was named, because the Father anointed the Son, and the Son anointed the apostles, and the apostles anointed us. He who has been anointed possesses all things. He possesses the resurrection, the light, the cross, the holy Spirit. The Father granted him this in the bridal chamber. He obtained it, and the Father came to dwell inside the Son, and the Son inside the Father.⁠f This is [the kingdom] of Heaven. The Lord said [it] well: “Some entered into the kingdom of Heaven laughing, and they went out [laughing].” [...] a Christian [...] and instantly [... descended] into the water, and he rose [up as lord of] everything, because [redemption] is [no] game, [but one laughs] this [way] into the kingdom of [Heaven ...] [...] if he hates [...] and if he despises it as a game, [he will come out] laughing. This is also the way it is with the bread, and the cup, and the oil, despite there being one that surpasses these. The world was brought about by a lapse, because he who caused it desired to make himself indestructible and deathless. He perished, and he failed to attain what he hoped for, because the world was not indestructible, and the one who brought about the world was not indestructible, because things are not indestructible, but children are, and there is no thing that can obtain indestructibility apart from being a child. However, he who cannot accept, how much more will it be the case that he cannot give? The cup of prayer contains wine, and it contains water, because it has been established as the type of the blood for which thanksgiving is offered, and it fills with the holy Spirit, and it belongs to the completely Perfect Man.⁠g Whenever we drink this, we obtain the Perfect Man. The living water is a body. We must don the living man. Consequently, descending to the water, he strips himself naked, in order that he can don that one.⁠h A horse begets a horse, a man begets a man, a god begets a god. This is the way it is with [the] bride[groom] and brides [as well]. They [come to be] from the [bridegroom and bride]. No Jew [comes to be] from [Greeks], and [no Greek comes to be] from the Jews, [but from the Jews] the Christians [came forth], and these bl[essed ones] were called the elect spir[itual] race, and the True Man, and the Son of Man, and the Seed of the Son of Man. This true race is distinguished in the world, being the places where the sons of the bridal chamber reside. In this world, union is that of male and female, the dwelling of power and weakness. In the age (to come), the likeness of union differs, yet we label them with these (same) names. However, there exist others, being above any name that is named, and they surpass the strong, because where strength is found, there dwell those who are even stronger, who are not both same and different, but who are both one, single. This is what cannot descend on the fleshly heart.⁠i Is it not required that all those who possess all things know themselves thoroughly? Some who know not themselves will not derive any good from what they possess. Those, however, who have come to know themselves will derive good from them. Not only will they be incapable of holding back the Perfect Man, but they will even be incapable of seeing him, because if they were to see him, they would hold him back. No one could obtain for himself this gift in any way [other than by] donning the perfect light, [and] himself becoming perfect [light]. [He who has donned it on] himself will enter [the place of rest]. This is the perfect [light, and] we [must] become [the perfect light] before we depart from [the world]. He who obtains all things, [...] these places, he will be [in]capable of [reaching] that place, but he will [enter the] middle in an imperfect state. Jesus is the only one who knows the destiny of this one. The priest is entirely holy, even his body, because if he holds the bread he will render it holy, or the cup, or anything else that he holds and purifies, and how could he not purify the body as well? Jesus perfected the water of baptism. This is how he emptied out death. Consequently, we descend into the water, but we do not descend into death, to prevent us from being emptied out in the spirit of the world.⁠j Whenever it blows, winter starts. Whenever the holy Spirit blows, summer starts.