LITERATURE OF GNOSTIC WISDOM 487
moist matter of generation; fire is the impulse and desire for generation: "You
are mine, do not fear." And again, "If a mother forgets to pity her children or
to suckle them, I too will forget you," Adamas tells those who belong to him,
"but if a woman forgets these things, I will not forget you. I have painted you
on my hands."^30
And concerning his ascent, which is the regeneration by which he becomes
spiritual and not carnal, scripture says,
Let your rulers lift up the gates,
and be lifted up, eternal gates,
and the king of glory will enter.^31This is the wonder of wonders, for "who is this king of glory?"^32 "A worm
and no man, the reproach of a man and the one rejected by the people."^33
"This is the king of glory, the one mighty in war."^34 "War" means the war in
the body, for the creature was formed out of conflicting elements. As it is writ-
ten, "Remember the war"—which takes place in the body.^35 Jacob saw this en-
trance and this gate when he went into Mesopotamia, when he passed from
childhood to youth and manhood. Mesopotamia is the course of the great
ocean, flowing from the midst of the perfect human. And he marveled at the
heavenly gate, saying, "How fearful is this place. It is no other than the house
of god, and this is the gate of heaven."^36 For this reason Jesus says," I am the
true gate."^37 He who speaks in this way is the perfect being, imprinted from
above from the unimprinted one. The perfect being cannot be saved unless he
is regenerated and enters through this gate.
PAPAS
The same human is also called Papas by the Phrygians because he stopped every-
thing^38 that was in a disorderly and confused motion before his appearance.- Isaiah 49:15.
- Psalm 24:7, 9.
- Psalm 24:10.
- Psalm 22:7.
- Psalm 24:10, 8.
- Job 41:8.
- Genesis 28:17.
- John 10:9.
- Greek epausen panta.