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Secret Book of John

Apocryphon of John

About this book

Barbelo

Chapter 4

This is because [we do] not [understand unspeakable things, and we] do not understand what [cannot be measured], apart from him who originated [from] him, that is, [the] Father, because he [alone] is the one who [explained] it to us, given that he is the one who studies him[self] inside his light that surrounds [him], that is, the spring [of] living water, and he is the one who supplies [every aeon], and in every direction (at once) he [observes] his image by gazing in the spring of the [Spirit].⁠ He is the one who places his desire inside his [water]-light, [which dwells in the] spring of the [pure light]-water [that] surrounds him, and [his (potential) thought became] actual, and she approached, [that is], she who had [appeared] in front of him inside [the glow of] his light. This is the first [power, which existed] before the All, and [which issued] forth from his mind. She [is the Providence of the All] — her light [glows like his] light — the [perfect] power who is [the] image of the perfect unseen, virginal Spirit. [The first power] (is) the glory of Barbelo, the perfect glory inside the aeons, the glory of the revelation. She extolled the virginal Spirit, and she is the one who praised him, because on account of him she had come forth. This is the first thought, his image.

Texts in conversation

Compare Secret Book of John 4:1 and Gospel of Thomas 83

Nag Hammadi

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Summary

In the Gospel of Thomas, the Father's image is hidden by his light. In the Secret Book of John, he sees himself in that light, suggesting how the image could be visible to him while hidden from others.

Passages

Secret Book of John 4:1

Nag Hammadi · Apocryphon of John
This is because [we do] not [understand unspeakable things, and we] do not understand what [cannot be measured], apart from him who originated [from] him, that is, [the] Father, because he [alone] is the one who [explained] it to us, given that he is the one who studies him[self] inside his light that surrounds [him], that is, the spring [of] living water, and he is the one who supplies [every aeon], and in every direction (at once) he [observes] his image by gazing in the spring of the [Spirit]. He is the one who places his desire inside his [water]-light, [which dwells in the] spring of the [pure light]-water [that] surrounds him, and [his (potential) thought became] actual, and she approached, [that is], she who had [appeared] in front of him inside [the glow of] his light.
120–180 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Secret Book of John

Gospel of Thomas 83

Nag Hammadi
82 Jesus said, “Whoever is near me is near the fire, and whoever is far from me is far from the kingdom.” 83 Jesus said, “Images are visible to mankind, but the light within them is hidden in the Father’s light. He will be revealed, but his image is hidden by his light.” 84 Jesus said, “When you see your likeness you are happy. But when you see your images that came into being before you and that neither die nor are revealed, how much you will have to bear!”
135–200 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Gospel of Thomas

References

“... 83.2 But his image is hidden by his light. The point here may be that the Father himself remains invisible, although this would contradict GTh 15, which refers to vision of the Father. More likely perhaps is that the Father is surrounded by light, and in this surrounding light the Father (alone) can see his own image: the image is contained within the light, rather than penetrating it and going outside. This idea may be seen in the Apocryphon of John: For it is he who contemplates him[self] in his light which surrounds [him], namely the spring [of] living water … And in every direction he [perceives] his image [...] by seeing it in the spring of the [Spirit]. Here, the Father sees himself in the light-water surrounding him; he perceives his image as the light reflects it back to him. This might make sense of the apparent paradox at the end of this saying in Thomas, where the Father has an image, but it is hidden by his light. ...”
Simon Gathercole, The Gospel of Thomas: Introduction and Commentary (Leiden: Brill, 2014), 512.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Secret Book of John 4:1 and Gospel of Thomas 83

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