Marvin W. Meyer > Quotes

“Focus your attention upon yourselves. Do not focus your attention upon other things—that is, what you have cast away from yourselves. Do not return to eat what you have vomited. Do not be moth-eaten, do not be worm-eaten, for you have already gotten rid of that. Do not be a place for the devil, for you have already destroyed him. Do not strengthen what stands in your way, what is collapsing, to support it. One who is lawless is nothing. Treat the lawless one more harshly than the just one, for the lawless does what he does because he is lawless, but the just does what he does with people because he is righteous. Do the Father’s will, then, for you are from him.”
― Marvin Meyer, The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: An Enlightening Compilation of Gnostic Manuscripts Revealing New Perspectives on Early Christianity, Ancient Judaism, and Greco-Roman Religions

“receiving knowledge means truly to come into being, to be manifested, whereas those who remain in error do not really exist at all”
― Marvin Meyer, The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: An Enlightening Compilation of Gnostic Manuscripts Revealing New Perspectives on Early Christianity, Ancient Judaism, and Greco-Roman Religions

“Steady the feet of those who stumble and extend your hands to the sick. Feed the hungry and give rest to the weary. Awaken those who wish to arise and rouse those who sleep, for you embody vigorous understanding. If what is strong acts like this, it becomes even stronger.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: An Enlightening Compilation of Gnostic Manuscripts Revealing New Perspectives on Early Christianity, Ancient Judaism, and Greco-Roman Religions

“Know what is in front of your face, and what is hidden from you will be disclosed to you. For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: An Enlightening Compilation of Gnostic Manuscripts Revealing New Perspectives on Early Christianity, Ancient Judaism, and Greco-Roman Religions

“What did Jesus say to you? Thomas said to them: If I tell you one of the words which he said to me, you will take up stones (and) throw them at me; and a fire will come out of the stones (and) burn you up.
[Gospel of Thomas - 13]”
― Marvin Meyer, The Nag Hammadi Scriptures

“The One is the invisible spirit. We should not think of it as a god or like a god. For it is greater than a god, because it has nothing over it and no [3] lord above it. It does not [exist] within anything inferior [to it, since everything] exists within it, [for it established] itself.9”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“Speak of truth with those who seek it and of knowledge with those who have sinned in their error. [33]”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“People cannot see anything that really is without becoming like it.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“When you know yourselves,7 then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you dwell in poverty and you are poverty.”
― Marvin Meyer, The Gnostic Bible

“The Secret Book of James1 The Letter of James (1, 1–8) [James]2 writes to….3 Peace be [with you from] peace, [love] from love, [grace] from grace, [faith] from faith, life from holy life. Secret Books (1, 8–2, 7) You have asked me to send you a secret book revealed to me and Peter by the master,4 and I could not turn you”
― Marvin Meyer, The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: An Enlightening Compilation of Gnostic Manuscripts Revealing New Perspectives on Early Christianity, Ancient Judaism, and Greco-Roman Religions

“Such unity and completeness of humankind was lost, the Gospel of Philip declares, in the separation of Adam and Eve. Originally Adam was androgynous, but the fall from primordial oneness allowed humankind to slip into mortality and death. The Gospel of Philip states, “If the female had not separated from the male, the female and the male would not have died. The separation of male and female was the beginning of death.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“Being male forms, since they have not originated from the sickness, which is femaleness,36 but from one who has already left the sickness behind, possess the name “church.” For”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: An Enlightening Compilation of Gnostic Manuscripts Revealing New Perspectives on Early Christianity, Ancient Judaism, and Greco-Roman Religions

“The publication of the Gospel of Judas within Codex Tchacos represents a significant moment for the study of religion and culture. It is a rare occurrence that a previously unknown gospel manuscript is discovered, particularly one that was mentioned in early Christian sources, and that is precisely what is the case with the Gospel of Judas. The Gospel of Judas can be dated, with some certainty, to around the middle of the second century, or perhaps even a bit before, and the materials included within it are even older. The gospel is thus an early source for our knowledge of an important mystical movement within early Christianity and Judaism, namely the Sethian gnostic school of religious thought. Further, the text provides the opportunity to evaluate, and perhaps reevaluate, the historical role of a figure—Judas Iscariot—who has been much maligned within Christianity and has been a prominent figure in the development of anti-Semitism. All in all, the Gospel of Judas sheds important light on the character of developing Christianity, and reminds us again of the rich diversity of the early church.”
― Marvin Meyer, The Gospel of Judas

“Deficiency of matter is not from the infinity of the father, who came to give time to deficiency. In fact, it is not right to say that the incorruptible would actually come in this manner. The father’s depth is profound, and the thought of error is not with him. It is something that has fallen, and something that can readily be set upright through the discovery of the one who has come to what he would restore.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“One who does not understand how the body that a person wears came to be will perish with it. “How will someone who does not know the son know the [father]? “All things are hidden from one who does not know the root of all things.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“If they ask you, ‘What is the evidence of your father in you?’ say to them, ‘It is motion and rest.’”93”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“But ignorance of the father brought terror and fear, and terror grew dense like a fog, so that no one could see.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“Yeshua said, Whoever has come to know the world has discovered a carcass, and whoever has discovered a carcass, of that person the world is not worthy.”
― Marvin Meyer, The Gnostic Bible

“For whatever has no root has no fruit, and although thinking, “I have come into being,” it will perish by itself. So whatever does not exist will never exist.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“On the one hand, he knows, before anything appears, what he will produce. On the other hand, the fruit that has not yet appeared knows nothing and does nothing.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“In this world there is good and evil, but the good of the world is not really good and the evil of the world is not really evil. After this world there is evil that is really evil: this is called the middle. The middle is death.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“Other gnostic texts, particularly Valentinian texts, incorporate significant references to the crucifixion of Jesus and reiterate more familiar Christological and soteriological formulations, but they often interpret the crucifixion in a more symbolic fashion. In these texts the emphasis is not upon a doctrine of atonement through the death of Jesus on the cross, and there is no sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the world.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“This is what is truly worthy and mighty, and we shall enter through symbols that are weak and insignificant. They are weak compared to perfect glory.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“If what is visible to you is obscure to you, how can you comprehend what is invisible? If deeds of truth visible in the world are difficult for you to accomplish, how will you accomplish things of the exalted majesty and fullness, which are invisible?5 How will you be called workers? You are beginners and have not attained the greatness of perfection.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“As [in paradise] God created people [that people] [72] might create God,91 so also in this world people make gods and worship what they have created. It would be more fitting for gods to worship people.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“If the word comes from the father’s body, among people, and they do not receive it, it will return back to its place.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“In truth, fear is the power [of darkness]. So if you are afraid of what is about to come upon you, it will overwhelm you, and not one among them will spare you or show you mercy.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“On that day he came forth from the bridal chamber as one born of a bridegroom and a bride.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“Matter gave birth to passion that is without form, because it comes from what is contrary to nature, and then confusion arose in the whole body. That is why I told you, Be of good courage.7 And if you are discouraged, be encouraged in the presence of the diversity of forms of nature.8”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus

“Things are not incorruptible, but offspring104 are. Nothing can receive incorruptibility unless it is an offspring.105 And whatever cannot receive certainly cannot give.”
― Marvin W. Meyer, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus