320 LITERATURE OF GNOSTIC WISDOM
look after it, hoeing and weeding. The latter, who enter a prepared harvest,
reap the harvests with happiness.
(37) John 4:39
And many Samaritans from the city believed in him,
because of what the woman said when she testified.Out of that town or city, meaning out of the world. Through the woman's re-
port, that is, through the spiritual church. "Many" because there are many psy-
chical people, but the imperishable nature of the election is one and uniform
and unique.
(38) John 4:42
He stayed there two days.He stayed with them and not in them, and for two days, either to signify the
present aeon and the future one in marriage, or the time before his passion
and that after the passion, which he spent with them. After converting many
more to faith through his own word, he left them.
(39) John 4:42
It is no longer because of your talk that we believe.This passage should say, "It is no longer only because of your talk."
John 4:42
We ourselves have heard and we know that he is truly
the savior of the world.
At first people are led by others to believe in the savior, but when they read his
words, they no longer believe because of human testimony alone but because
of the truth.
(40) John 4:46-47
There was a certain prince whose son was sick in
Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come from
Judea into Galilee, he went to him and asked him to
come down and heal his son, for he was near death.The prince or royal officer is the demiurge, since he reigned over those under
him. But because his dominion is small and temporary, he is called a prince,
like some petty king set over a small kingdom by a universal king. His son in