LITERATURE OF GNOSTIC WISDOM 323
The devil has no will. He has desires. These things were spoken not to those
who are by nature children of the devil, the people of the earth, but to the psy-
chical people, who are children of the devil by adoption. Some of them who
are this way by nature can become children of god by adoption. From having
loved the desires of the devil and carrying them out these people become chil-
dren of the devil, though they are not so by nature. The name "children" must
be understood in three ways. First, by nature, second by inclination, third by
merit. "By nature" means what is generated by some generator, which may be
called a child; "by inclination," when one does someone else's will by one's
own inclination and is called the child of the one whose will one does; and "by
merit," in the way that some are called children of Gehenna and of darkness
and of lawlessness,^41 and offspring of snakes and vipers,^42 for those parents
generate nothing by their own nature. They are ruinous and consume those
who are cast into them. Jesus calls them children of the devil, not because the
devil generates offspring, but because by doing the works of the devil they be-
came like him.
(47) John 8:44
From the beginning he was a murderer,
and he does not stand in the truth,
because there is no truth in him.
When he lies he speaks from himself,
since he is a liar and the father of lies.
His nature is not of the truth but of its opposite, which is error and ignorance.
Therefore one cannot stand in truth nor have truth in oneself. One has lies as
one's own nature, being by nature unable ever to speak truth. Not only is that
person a liar, but so too his father, which is also his nature, since he originated
from error and lies.(48) John 8:50
There is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.
The one who seeks and judges is the one who avenges me, the servant com-
missioned for this, the one who does not bear the sword in vain.^43 The judge- See Matthew 23:15,33.
- See Matthew 3:7.
43- See Romans 13:4.