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The Gospel of Truth
Mark M. Mattison, public-domain web translation · Translated text
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The Parable of the Nightmares
What, then, did he want them to think of themselves? He wanted to them to think, “I’ve come into being like the shadows and phantoms of the night.” When the light shines on the terror which they received, they know that it’s nothing. In this way, they were ignorant of the Father, whom 29 they didn’t see. Since it was terror and disturbance and instability and doubt and division, many illusions were at work among them, and vain ignorance, like they were deep in sleep and found themselves in nightmares.
Either they’re running somewhere, or unable to run away from someone; or they’re fighting, or being beaten; or they’ve fallen from heights, or fly through the air without wings. Sometimes, too, it’s like someone is killing them, even though no one’s chasing them; or they themselves are killing those around them, covered in their blood. Until those who are going through all these nightmares can wake up, they see nothing, because these things are nothing.
That’s the way it is with those who’ve cast off ignorance like sleep. They don’t regard it as anything, nor do they regard its 30 other works as real, but they abandon them like a dream in the night. They value the knowledge of the Father like they value the light. The ignorant have acted like they’re asleep; those who’ve come to knowledge have acted like they’ve awakened. Good for the one who returns and awakens! Blessed is the one who’s opened the eyes of those who can’t see! The Holy Spirit hurried after them to revive them.
Having given a hand to the one who lay on the ground, it set them up on their feet, because they hadn’t yet arisen. It gave them the knowledge of the Father and the revelation of the Son, because when they saw him and heard him, he granted them to taste him and to grasp the beloved Son.