The true face of Gnosticism must remain for the time being a mystery. However, we are quite happy to leave this for others to discover.

According to the Church tradition, the originator of the Gnostic movement was Simon of Gitta, the ’sorcerer’ whom Peter and John encountered at Samaria. There is no reason to doubt that Samaria, with its mixed population, was an early centre of Gnosticism, or that Simon was a historical personage who was prominently connected with som important phase in its development. But the movement as a whole cannot be traced back to the activity of any individual teacher. It manifested itself under so many forms and in localities so widely separate that we can regard it only as the outcome of ideas and tendencies which were involved in the general life of the time. This is acknowledged by the Fathers themselves, who derive the heresies of Simon and his successors from Greek philosophical speculation; and the hypothesis has been accepted, in a modified form, by not a few modern scholars.

She, Barbelo, asked the virgin Spirit for Incorruptibility
The Spirit agreed.
Incorruptibility came forth and stood by Thought and Foreknowledge.

Incorruptibility gave glory to the Invisible Virgin Spirit
And to Barbelo,
For She was the reason that it had come into being.

She asked for everlasting Life.
The Spirit agreed
Everlasting life came forth and they all stood together.
They gave glory to the invisible Spirit

Because of the importance of Jewish and Christian elements in Gnosticism, such early Church Fathers as Irenaeus, Clement, Tertullian and Hippolytus regarded it as a supremely dangerous enemy to Christian faith, and they took great pains to describe it as exactly as possible in order to refute its tenets. Their writings remain the most important sources for early Gnostic thought which we possess.

In keeping with the Gnostic view of the world and humanity, Gnostic ethics is marked by hostility to the body and striving to escape from the world. In patristic attacks the Gnostics are constantly accused of libertinism and especially of sexual excess and dissipation. This criticism finds no support in the original texts, which point rather to a strongly ascetic lifestyle and which contain sharp attacks on the legalistic morality of the fathers.

The Father is surrounded by light.

She, Barbelo, asked the virgin Spirit for foreknowledge prognosis.
The Spirit agreed.
Foreknowledge came forth and stood by Providence
[This one came through the Invisible Virgin Spirit’s Thought.]
Foreknowledge gave glory to the Spirit
And to Barbelo, the Spirit’s perfect power,
For She was the reason that it had come into being.

Jesus said, "If they say to you, 'Where have you come from?' say to them, 'We have come from the light, from the place where the light came into being by itself, established [itself], and appeared in their image.'

If they say to you, 'Is it you?' say, 'We are its children, and we are the chosen of the living Father.'

If they ask you, 'What is the evidence of your Father in you?' say to them, 'It is motion and rest.'"

The history of the early Church was profoundly influenced, between the second and third centuries, by the struggle against the Gnostics

It happened that the realm aeon Wisdom Sophia
Of conceptual thought Epinoia,
Began to think for herself,
She used the thinking enthymesis
And the foreknowledge prognosis
Of the Invisible Spirit.

The study of Gnosticism is about to enter upon a new phase. Of this we are confidently assured by those who have had opportunity to examine the documents discovered some thirteen years ago at Nag Hammadi, and to say the least the publication not of one or two only but of no less than forty-three hitherto unknown texts cannot but bring a considerable accession to our knowledge.

Because she had unconquerable Power
Her thought was not unproductive.
Something imperfect came out of her
Different in appearance from her.

Look then at his words
and all the writings which have been completed.
Give heed then, you hearers
and you also, the angels and those who have been sent,
and you spirits who have arisen from the dead.
For I am the one who alone exists,
and I have no one who will judge me.
For many are the pleasant forms which exist in numerous sins,
and incontinencies,
and disgraceful passions,
and fleeting pleasures,
which men embrace until they become sober
and go up to their resting place.
And they will find me there,
and they will live,
and they will not die again.

His self-aware thought ennoia came into being.
Appearing to him in the effulgence of his light.
She stood before him.
She is from His image in His light
Perfect in power
Image of the invisible perfect Virgin Spirit.

I am one who is honored, praised, and scornfully despised.
I am peace, and war has come because of me.
I am alien and citizen.
I am the substance and one without substance.
Those unconnected to me are unfamiliar with me,
and those in my substance know me.
Those close to me are ignorant of me,
and those far away have known me.
On the day I am close to you, you are far,
and on the day I am far, I am close to you.