Philip questions Jesus

Philip sat and wrote all the words that Jesus spake.

Philip then came forward, fell down and adored the feet of Jesus, saying:

Philip

Grant me authority to discourse before you and ask you before you speak concerning the regions whither thou didst go because of thy ministry.

Jesus

Authority is given thee to bring forward the word which thou willest.

Philip

On account of what mystery hast thou changed the binding of the rulers and their æons and their Fate and their sphere and all their regions, and made them confounded in confusion on their path and deluded in their course? Hast thou then done this unto them for the salvation of the world or hast thou not?

Chapter 23: Why the path of the æons was changed

Jesus

I have changed their path for the salvation of all souls. If I had not changed their path, a host of souls would have been destroyed. They would have spent a long time, if the rulers of the æons and the rulers of the Fate and of the sphere and of all their regions and all their heavens and all their æons had not been brought to naught.

The souls would have continued a long time here outside, and the completion of the number of perfect souls would have been delayed, which [souls] shall be counted in the Inheritance of the Height through the mysteries and shall be in the Treasury of the Light.

For this cause then I have changed their path, that they might be deluded and fall into agitation and yield up the power which is in the matter of their world and which they fashion into souls, in order that those who shall be saved, might be quickly purified and raised on high, they and the whole power, and that those who shall not be saved, might be quickly destroyed.

CHAPTER 24

Mary, the fair in her discourse and the blessed one, came forward, fell at the feet of Jesus and said:

Mary

In what way will the souls have delayed themselves here outside, and in what type will they be quickly purified?

CHAPTER 25: Melchizedek

Before I made proclamation to all the rulers of the æons [star systems] and to all the rulers of the Fate and Of the sphere [planet], they were all bound in their bonds and in their spheres [planet] and in their seals, as Yew, the Overseer of the Light, had bound them from the beginning.

Every one of them remained in his order, and every one journeyed according to his course, as Yew, the Overseer of the Light, had established them.

When the time of the number of

Melchizedek was the great Receiver of the Light.

When Melchizedek came, he was wont to come into the midst of the æons [star systems] and of all the rulers who are bound in the sphere [planet] and in the Fate.

He carried away the purification of the light from all the rulers of the æons and from all the rulers of the Fate and from those of the sphere.

He carried away that which brings them into agitation. He set in motion the hastener who is over them, and made them turn their circles swiftly, and he [the hastener] carried away their power which was in them and the breath of their mouth and the tears [lit. waters] of their eyes and the sweat of their bodies.

Melchizedek, the Receiver of the Light, purified those powers and carried their light into the Treasury of the Light while:

• the servitors of all the rulers gather together all matter from them all
• the servitors of all the rulers of the Fate and the servitors of the sphere which is below the æons, take it and fashion it into souls of men and cattle and reptiles and wild-beasts and birds, and send them down into the world of mankind.

The receivers of the sun and the receivers of the moon, if they look above and see the configurations of the paths of the æons and the configurations of the Fate and those of the sphere, then they take from them the light-power.

The receivers of the sun get it ready and deposit it, until they hand it over to the receivers of Melchizedek, the Light-purifier.

Their material refuse they bring to the sphere [planet] which is below the æons [star systems], and fashion it into:

• [the souls of] men
• the souls of reptiles and of cattle and of wild-beasts and of birds

This is according to the circle of the rulers of that sphere and according to all the configurations of its revolution, and they cast them into this world of mankind, and they become souls in this region.