Pearl of Great Price & Pistis Sophia - theofficialurban/public-notes GitHub Wiki

What fundamental doctrines about God, humanity, and salvation are presented across these scriptural texts?

Drawing upon the provided sources, here are some fundamental doctrines about God, humanity, and salvation:

Doctrines about God:

In the Pistis Sophia, the ultimate source appears to be the "first mystery" which is also described as the "last mystery" or the 24th mystery. Jesus states that he came forth from this mystery, which his disciples initially believed to be the head of the universe and the completion of all existence. Within this first mystery, the Father exists in the form of a dove. The text also mentions the "great invisible" and its emanations, including various powers, invisibles, rulers, authorities, lords, archangels, and angels. The "treasury of the light" with its 12 saviors is another significant aspect of the divine realm.
In the Pearl of Great Price, the Godhead consists of God, the Eternal Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. God reveals Himself to Moses and declares that His "work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man". He created worlds without number by the power of His word, which is His Only Begotten Son. God is described as being of greater intelligence than all, and His wisdom excels in all things. He is also presented as being omniscient and omnipotent.

Doctrines about Humanity:

According to the Pistis Sophia, humans in the world receive their souls from the power of the rulers of the eons. However, Jesus' disciples have a different origin; they possess power from Jesus, and their souls belong to the height. Jesus brought 12 Powers from the 12 saviors of the treasury of light and placed them in the wombs of their mothers. Humanity in general is part of the "mixture," which is a blend with all the Invisibles, rulers, eons, and the "world of Destruction".
The Pearl of Great Price teaches that humans are created in the image and likeness of God. They existed as spirits before their mortal birth, and God is the Father of their spirits. Humans were granted agency in the Garden of Eden, the ability to choose between good and evil. The Fall of Adam brought mortality and spiritual death into the world. Humanity is subject to temptation by Satan.

Doctrines about Salvation:

The Pistis Sophia states that Jesus came to "reveal unto them all from the beginning of the truth to its completion" and to instruct humanity from the deepest spiritual realms to the outermost material realms. The world will be saved through Jesus' disciples. Jesus received all authority through the first mystery and will reveal the "mystery of the universe" and other profound truths. His "vesture," left behind in the 24th mystery and containing five significant words, appears to play a role in this process. The ultimate goal seems to involve a return to or reunion with the "first mystery".
In the Pearl of Great Price, salvation is made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, through which all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. The foundational principles and ordinances include faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. God has revealed a plan of salvation. The purpose of earthly life is to be tested to see if individuals will obey God's commands. Those who keep their "first estate" (premortal existence) and "second estate" (mortality) will receive added glory. The Gospel was proclaimed from the beginning by holy angels and God Himself. Concepts like immortality, eternal life, and the gathering of Israel are integral to God's plan.

What roles are ascribed to the "first mystery"?

Drawing upon the Pistis Sophia excerpts, several roles are ascribed to the "first mystery". Here are the key functions and significance associated with it:

Ultimate Source and Origin: Jesus states that he came forth out of that "first mystery," which he also identifies as the "last mystery" or the "24th mystery". This suggests that the first mystery is the ultimate origin point from which Jesus emanated. It is also presented as the source out of which the universe has risen.
Abode of the Divine: Within the "first mystery," the Father exists in the form of a dove. This positions the first mystery as a central dwelling place of the ultimate divine being.
Perceived Completion and Head of Existence: Jesus' disciples initially believed the "first mystery" to be the head of the universe and the head of all existence. They considered it the completion of all completions and the total fullness. This perception arose because Jesus had previously taught them that this mystery surrounded the first commandment and various other significant divine elements.
Source of Authority for Jesus: All authority has been given to Jesus through the first mystery. This indicates that the first mystery is the ultimate source of Jesus' power and mandate.
Orchestrator of Jesus' Ministry and Revelation: The "first mystery" plays a crucial role in directing Jesus' mission. Jesus states that he thought on the order of his ministry, which was completed at the "last mystery," but the "first mystery" had not yet sent his vesture. It was through the command of that mystery that Jesus' light vesture was sent to him. Furthermore, the completion of the time for Jesus to discourse openly with his disciples about the truth, from beginning to end and from the innermost to the outermost realms, is tied to a command through the first mystery.
Source of Divine Powers: When Jesus set out for the world, he brought 12 Powers taken from the 12 saviors of the treasury of light according to the command of the first mystery. These powers were then placed in the wombs of the mothers of his disciples. Jesus also states that he chose his disciples from the beginning through the first mystery.
Guiding Principle of Cosmic Order: By the command of the first commandment and by command of the first mystery, the overseer of the light had set the rulers of the fate and sphere facing the left at every time to accomplish their influences. This suggests that the first mystery is involved in the fundamental ordering of cosmic forces.
Provider of Divine Vestures and Glory: The "first mystery" is the location where Jesus left behind his light vesture until the appointed time. The first mystery itself gives two vestures to clothe Jesus, in addition to the one sent to him. These vestures contain the glory of the names of all mysteries and emanations within different orders and spaces of the divine realm. The first mystery sends Jesus the mystery of all his Glory consisting of these two vestures.

In essence, the "first mystery" in the Pistis Sophia appears to be the supreme, ineffable source of all being, authority, and divine manifestation, including the Father, Jesus Christ, and the powers necessary for salvation and the ordering of the cosmos. It is the ultimate origin and the ultimate goal, holding the secrets and the fullness of the divine realm.

Describe the disciples' initial understanding of the first mystery.

Drawing upon the Pistis Sophia transcript, the disciples' initial understanding of the "first mystery" was that it was the head of the universe and the head of all existence. They also believed it to be the completion of all completions and the total fullness.

This understanding arose because Jesus had previously taught them that the "first mystery" surrounded significant divine elements such as the first commandment, the five Impressions, the great light, the five helpers, and the whole treasury of the light.

Furthermore, Jesus had not yet revealed to his disciples the "total expansion of all the regions of the great invisible and of the three triple powers and of the four and 20 Invisibles and all their regions and their eons and their orders". He had only discoursed with them generally about these existing. Because he had not told them about the other regions within that mystery, they "have not known that there were also other regions within that mystery".

Jesus had also not explicitly told them "I have gone forth out of such and such regions until I entered into that mystery and until I went forth out of it," but instead generally stated, "I am come forth from that mystery". This contributed to their belief that the "first mystery" was the "completion of completions" and the "total fullness". They believed "there is nothing within that mystery" beyond what they already understood. They thought this mystery surrounded the entire universe that Jesus had spoken to them about up until that point.

Describe Jesus' teaching limitations before his resurrection.

Before his resurrection, according to the Pistis Sophia transcript, Jesus' teaching to his disciples had specific limitations. For eleven years after he had risen from the dead, he only instructed them up to the regions of the first commandment and up to the regions of the first mystery. This suggests that prior to this period (which could be interpreted as encompassing his pre-resurrection ministry as well), his teachings were similarly constrained.

Specifically, source details many aspects of the divine realm that Jesus had not yet revealed to his disciples during this time:

The total expansion of all the regions of the great invisible.
The three triple powers.
The four and 20 Invisibles and all their regions, their eons, and their orders, including how they are extended and the nature of their emanations (ungenerated, self-generated, generated, lightgivers, unpaired, rulers, authorities, lords, archangels, angels, deacons, ctors, all the houses of their spheres, and all the orders of every one of them).
The total expansion of the emanation of the treasury and their orders.
Their saviors according to the order of everyone.
What guard is at every gate of the treasury of the light.
The region of the twin savior who is the child of the child.
The regions of the three amens and in what regions they are expanded.
Into what region the five trees are expanded.
As to the seven amens, that is the seven voices, what is their region and how they are expanded.
Of what type are the five helpers, nor into what region they are brought.
How the great light hath expanded itself, nor into what region it hath been brought.
Of the five Impressions, nor as to the first commandment into what region they had been brought. While he taught generally that they exist, he had not told them their expansion and the order of their regions.

Source emphasizes that for this cause (because he had not revealed the expansion and order of these regions), the disciples have not known that there were also other regions within that mystery. Furthermore, he had not told them explicitly, "I have gone forth out of such and such regions until I entered into that mystery and until I went forth out of it," but instead generally stated, "I am come forth from that mystery". This led them to believe that the first mystery was the "completion of completions," the "head of the universe," and the "total fullness".

In contrast, after the significant event described in chapters 2-4 involving a great light and Jesus' ascension and return, Jesus states in source that "from this day on then will I discourse with you in openness from the beginning of the truth unto its completion and I will discourse with you face to face without similitude from this hour on I will not hide anything from you of the mystery of the height and of that of the region of Truth for Authority hath been given me through the ineffable and through the first mystery of all Mysteries to speak with you from the beginning right up to the fullness both from within without and from without within". Similarly, source indicates that "now the time of its completion is the time when I shall be commanded through the the first mystery to discourse with you from the beginning of the truth to the completion thereof and from the Interiors of the Interiors to the exteriors of the exteriors".

Therefore, before his resurrection (or in the initial post-resurrection period), Jesus' teachings were confined to the lower spiritual realms of the first commandment and the first mystery, withholding detailed knowledge about the higher eons, powers, emanations, and the full scope of the divine structure. It was after a specific event of divine empowerment and command that he began to teach with complete openness about the deeper mysteries.

Briefly outline Pistis Sophia's initial transgression.

Pistis Sophia's initial transgression, as outlined in the sources, began when she was in the 13th Eon in the region of her brethren, the 24 emanations of the great invisible. By command of the first mystery, Pista Sophia gazed into the height and saw the light of the veil of the treasury of the light. She desired to reach that region but could not. As a result, she ceased to perform the mystery of the 13th Eon and stopped singing praises to the rulers in the 12 eons below, instead focusing on the higher light she had seen. This caused the rulers in the 12 eons to hate her for ceasing their mysteries and desiring to be above them. Subsequently, by command of the first commandment, the great triple-powered self-willed pursued Sophia in the 13th Eon, wanting her to look below at his lion-faced light power. Sophia then looked below and saw his light power, mistaking it for the true light from the height. Thinking she could go to that region without her pair to take the light and create light eons to reach the highest light, she went forth from her own region, the 13th Eon, and went down towards the 12 eons.