Gnostic Gospel, Pt 5 – Self-Awareness Overreaches and Falls

Notice: There is now a separate blog dedicated to the New Gnostic Gospel. You can get there by clicking here.

Prior to the Fall, the aeons of the Fullness sat in perfect equilibrium in their hierarchy of ranks, stations, and names. They were a congress of one accord, meaning they agreed on everything and they cooperated together to bring about a single dream of Paradise. 

The Fullness Dreams of Paradise in Perfect Harmony

You could note one difference between the ALL and the Fullness as the ALL singing their songs in blissful unison, while the Fullness sings their songs in perfectly tuned, multi-toned harmony.

The ALL Sings in Perfect Unison

Over the course of illuminating the Gnostic Gospel, the Simple Explanation has designed a series of visual metaphors representing facets of Gnostic and Christian belief. For the fullest understanding of this article, you may wish to read the entire Gnostic Gospel Illuminated series from the beginning.  If you would prefer to first read the "Simple Gnostic Gospel, Part One: The Father, The Son, and the Birth of The ALL," click here.

The aeons of the Fullness were all given wisdom, which is the ability to reason with logic and prudence. They were given a thirst to seek after the originating consciousness of their Creator and a desire to align themselves with the Father’s Will through the process of giving glory. And they were all creative geniuses, able to dream up a fully functioning mental Paradise where whatever they willed in the Father’s name happily happened. Reminiscent of popular culture's depiction of heaven, where you can fly around amongst the clouds, and the buildings are all made of precious jewels and the streets are paved with gold.

"The Prologue and the Promise" mural by Robert McCall. Disney's Epcot, 1983.
A pretty sweet depiction of Paradise--even the dog is invited!

In their desire to give glory to the Father, that is, to align themselves with the Will of the Creator, aeons of the Fullness were required to follow these rules:

1. Give glory to the Father, not to the Fullness. Aeons were to remain aligned with the Son and not shift their focus to the Fullness as a whole.

2. Give glory to the Father, not to individual aeons. Aeons were to remain always mindful of the Father and not to give glory to themselves and their talented neighbors as individuals.

3. Give glory to the Father to the best of your own ability. An aeon was to give glory from its own location in the hierarchy. They were not to sidle up next to an aeon who appeared closer to the Father in order to borrow that aeon’s station to give better glory. Rather, the individual was to develop its own voice and talents through the process of giving glory to the Father. [The Tripartite Tractate, v. 74]

It is said that although the Father put an unquenchable thirst to align themselves with the One into the minds of the Fullness, he did not reveal to them the Father's ineffable nature and the impossibility of reuniting with him and surviving to tell the tale. This was doubtless to keep alive the hope of reunification with the Father as a motive for giving glory. [The Tripartite Tractate, v. 75]

And then, a cosmic tragedy occurred. This is how it happened.

The last aeon made by the will of the Father was placed at the very top of the hierarchy of the Fullness, like a star sitting atop the Christmas tree. 

As a star sits atop a Christmas tree, so did Logos sit atop the Fullness.

The reason  this final aeon was given such a position of honor in the hierarchy was because it carried within its singular consciousness all of the traits of all the other aeons. This was one talented, capable aeon! In fact, this particular aeon was called a “perfect single one,” produced by the Father “who had desired him and was pleased with him.” [The Tripartite Tractate, v. 77]  

Logos Crowned the Fullness

Now, here is what happened. It turned out that "this aeon was one of those who had been given wisdom, with ideas first existing independently in his mind so as to be brought forth whenever he wanted it." He had also "received a natural wisdom enabling him to inquire into the hidden order.” [The Tripartite Tractate, v. 76] 

Indeed, this aeon’s name was the very personification of wisdom: “Logos.”

And this was the cause of the Fall: Logos mistook his singular self for the entirety of the Fullness. He then broke the rules by acting unilaterally and without authority. Because the Father had withheld the impossibility of singletons reaching the “realm of perfect glory,” Logos launched himself upward toward the Father and he stumbled and fell as he reached for it.

Logos Mistakes Himself for the Fullness

“Thus, the free will with which the members of the ALL had been born caused this one to rush forward to give glory to the Father” on its own.  “And before he had yet produced anything to the glory of the Will and in the union of the members of the ALL, he acted presumptuously, out of an overflowing love, and rushed forward toward that which surrounds the realm of perfect glory.” [The Tripartite Tractate, v. 76]

Logos Attempts to Reach the Father and Falls

Do we blame the Fall on young, reckless Logos? No. The Tripartite Tractate points out that the Fall of Logos was not due to bad motives on his part. On the contrary, Logos was attempting to give glory and reunite with the Father out of love when he fell. 

“Now, the intention of this Logos was good, because he rushed forward to give glory to the Father, even though he undertook a task beyond his power, having desired to produce something perfect from a union in which he did not share and without having received orders." [The Tripartite Tractate, v. 76]

Furthermore, “It was not without the Will of the Father that this Logos had been brought forth, nor that he should rush forward; rather, the Father had brought him forth for the things that he knew must take place.” [The Tripartite Tractate, v. 76] “For this reason, then, it is wrong to condemn the movement that is Logos. Rather, we should speak about the movement of Logos as the cause that made an ordained economy come to pass.” [The Tripartite Tractate, v. 77]

************

Proceed to the Simple Gnostic Gospel, Part Six -- The Deficiency Gives Rise to the Imitation.