Gnostic Myth and Thought Pt. 9: Intro to The Apocrypha of John
There is a difference between exoteric and esoteric texts, the former for the sheeple. This is for those who align with the true, hidden meanings of the Bible.
“…compared to the vitality of the soul, the body is a “corpse”. The realm of matter, to which the body belongs and to which it will return, is “shadow,” a “cave,” a realm of “sleep.” (Layton, 19)
Orthodox Christianity claims anything going against the canonical gospels, the Word of God, the written truth. Irenaeus, the Bishop of Lugdunum, wrote Against Heresies (in Latin: Adversus Haereses), attacking sects of Christianity that deviated from the initial doctrine, the Gnostics being the main opponents. In fact, much of Gnosticism is understood today due to this guy saying what it was not, calling it out for blasphemy, and outright being a good Christian, a contender for the faith like the good book tells you to be.
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
- Jude 1:3, KJV
The Secret Book According to John, also known as Apocryphon of John, is a highly suggested text worth reading to those interested in Gnosticism. However, Irenaeus included this gospel, in the plethora of Gnostic texts he deemed “an indescribable number of secret and illegitimate writings, which they themselves have forged, to bewilder the minds of foolish people, who are ignorant of the true scriptures.”
Gnostics were strong believers in “do it yourself”, needing no intercessory intervention for salvation one could attain themselves. Your inherent connection to the Divine, excludes the need for the priest, the Church, and even the Bible. This, and more, we will explore in The Secret Book According to John. Today, we shall introduce what this text means, before scriptural analysis, and how this text relates to the Gnostic mythology, philosophy, and way of thinking as a whole.