LITERATURE OF GNOSTIC WISDOM 265
Unless you are first resurrected, you will not die.
As god lives, you would already be dead.^14PENNY AND SOUL
No one would hide a beautiful and valuable object
under a lovely cover, but often vast monies are held
in a bag worth only a penny.
Consider the soul. It is a precious spirit and it came
in a contemptible body.^15SOME ARE AFRAID
Some are afraid that they will ascend from death naked,
and they want to climb back to life in their flesh.^16
They are unaware that those who wear their flesh are naked,
and those who strip are not naked.
"Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of god."^17
What will we not inherit? The flesh we wear on us.
But what then will we inherit as our own?
The body of Jesus and his blood. And Jesus said,
"Whoever will not eat my flesh and drink my blood
has no life within him."^18 What does he mean?
His flesh is the word and blood the holy spirit.
Who has received these has food and drink and clothing.
I condemn those who say the flesh won't rise.
Then both are wrong. You say the flesh won't ascend.
Tell me, what will rise so I can honor you?
You say spirit in the flesh and light in the flesh.
What is the flesh?
You say there is nothing outside the flesh.
Then rise in the flesh, since everything exists in it.- Resurrection is fully discussed in the Valentinian Treatise on Resurrection.
- A similar contrast between soul or spirit and body occurs in Gospel of Thomas 29.
- The question of whether the dead are naked or clothed is also discussed in 2 Corinthians
5:1-10.
17.1 Corinthians 15:50. - John 6:53.