The Treatise on the Resurrection

The Treatise on the Resurrection was a valued document among some ancient Gnostics, but it was completely unknown in modern times until discovered among the writings of the Nag Hammadi Library (see p. 19). It is a provocative philosophical discourse addressed by an unknown Gnostic teacher to an inquirer, possibly a non-Gnostic Christian, named Rheginos.1 Because it is in the form of a letter, the book is sometimes called “The Letter to Rheginos.” In response to Rheginos’s questions, it provides basic instruction about the nature of death and resurrection—both of Jesus and, more important, of humans. The questions Rheginos had raised concerned the character of existence in the afterlife. If, as Gnostics had maintained, salvation comes from the body rather than in the body—what kind of existence will a person have after death? The author replies by assuring Rheginos that the resurrection is by no means an illusion: it will certainly take place. But it will not involve a crass reviviﬁcation of the material body—a body, the author claims, that is itself more illusory than real. After death, even though the body passes away, a person’s spirit will ascend to the heavenly realm, drawn up by Jesus himself. The ﬂesh, in other words, is completely transitory, but the spirit is eternal: just as people were not in the ﬂesh before they came into the world, so too they will not be in the ﬂesh once they leave this world. The spiritual nature of the resurrection has clear ethical implications for this author. Those who deny their ﬂesh in this life have begun to escape bodily existence and have started along the path to their heavenly home. And so ﬂeshly pleasures are to be overcome for the sake of life to come. This teaching of a spiritual resurrection stands in sharp contrast with proto-orthodox notions of the future bodily resurrection (cf. 2 Tim 2:18).

For further discussion, see Ehrman, Lost Christianities, 131–32.

Translation by Malcom L. Peel, in Harold W. Attridge, Nag Hammadi Codex 1 (The Jung Codex) (Nag Hammadi Studies, 22) (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1985) 148–57; used with permission.

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Although it is impossible to say exactly when this intriguing treatise was written, many scholars date it to the late second century.

Some there are, my son Rheginos, who want to learn many things. They have this goal when they are occupied with questions whose answer is lacking. If they succeed with these, they usually think very highly of themselves. But I do not think that they have stood within the Word of Truth. They seek rather their own rest, which we have received through our Savior, our Lord Christ. We received it (i.e., Rest) when we came to know the truth and rested ourselves upon it. But since you ask us pleasantly what is proper concerning the resurrection, I am writing you (to say) that it is necessary. To be sure, many are lacking faith in it, but there a few who ﬁnd it. So then, let us discuss the matter. How did the Lord proclaim things while he existed in ﬂesh and after he had revealed himself as Son of God? He lived in this place where you remain, speaking about the Law of Nature—but I call it “Death!” Now the Son of God, Rheginos, was Son of Man. He embraced them both, possessing the humanity and the divinity, so that on the one hand he might vanquish death through his being Son of God, and that on the other through the Son of Man the restoration to the Pleroma might occur; because he was originally from above, a seed of the Truth, before this structure (of the cosmos) had come into being. In this (structure) many dominions and divinities came into existence. I know that I am presenting the solution in difﬁcult terms, but there is nothing difﬁcult in the Word of Truth. But since the Solution appeared so as not to leave anything hidden, but to reveal all things

openly concerning existence—the destruction of evil on the one hand, the revelation of the elect on the other. This (Solution) is the emanation of Truth and Spirit, Grace is of the Truth. The Savior swallowed up death—(of this) you are not reckoned as being ignorant—for he put aside the world which is perishing. He transformed [himself] into an imperishable Aeon and raised himself up, having swallowed the visible by the invisible, and he gave us the way of our immortality. Then, indeed, as the Apostle said, “We suffered with him, and we arose with him, and we went to heaven with him.”2 Now if we are manifest in this world wearing him, we are that one’s beams, and we are embraced by him until our setting, that is to say, our death in this life. We are drawn to heaven by him, like beams by the sun, not being restrained by anything. This is the spiritual resurrection which swallows up the psychic in the same way as the ﬂeshly. But if there is one who does not believe, he does not have the (capacity to be) persuaded. For it is the domain of faith, my son, and not that which belongs to persuasion: the dead shall arise! There is one who believes among the philosophers who are in this world. At least he will arise. And let not the philosopher who is in this world have cause to believe that he is one who returns himself by himself—and (that) because of our faith! For we have known the Son of Man,

cf. 1 Tim 2:10–11.

THE TREATISE ON THE RESURRECTION

and we have believed that he rose from among the dead. This is he of whom we say, “He became the destruction of death, as he is a great one in whom they believe.” ⬍Great⬎ are those who believe it. The thought of those who are saved shall not perish. The mind of those who have known him shall not perish. Therefore, we are elected to salvation and redemption since we are predestined from the beginning not to fall into the foolishness of those who are without knowledge, but we shall enter into the wisdom of those who have known the Truth. Indeed, the Truth which is kept cannot be abandoned, nor has it been. “Strong is the system of the Pleroma; small is that which broke loose (and) became (the) world. But the All is what is encompassed. It has not come into being; it was existing.” So, never doubt concerning the resurrection, my son Rheginos! For if you were not existing in ﬂesh, you received ﬂesh when you entered this world. Why will you not receive ﬂesh when you ascend into the Aeon? That which is better than the ﬂesh is that which is for it (the) cause of life. That which came into being on your account, is it not yours? Does not that which is yours exist with you? Yet, while you are in this world, what is it that you lack? This is what you have been making every effort to learn. The afterbirth of the body is old age, and you exist in corruption. You have absence as a gain. For you will not give up what is better if you depart. That which is worse has diminution, but there is grace for it. Nothing, then, redeems us from this world. But the All which we are, we are saved. We have received salvation from end to end. Let us think in this way! Let us comprehend in this way! But there are some (who) wish to un-

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derstand, in the enquiry about those things they are looking into, whether he who is saved, if he leaves his body behind, will be saved immediately. Let no one doubt concerning this. . . . indeed, the visible members which are dead shall not be saved, for (only) the living [members] which exist within them would arise. What, then, is the resurrection? It is always the disclosure of those who have risen. For if you remember reading in the Gospel that Elijah appeared and Moses with him,3 do not think the resurrection is an illusion. It is no illusion, but it is truth! Indeed, it is more ﬁtting to say that the world is an illusion, rather than the resurrection which has come into being through our Lord the Savior, Jesus Christ. But what am I telling you now? Those who are living shall die. How do they live in an illusion? The rich have become poor, and the kings have been overthrown. Everything is prone to change. The world is an illusion!—lest, indeed, I rail at things to excess! But the resurrection does not have this aforesaid character, for it is the truth which stands ﬁrm. It is the revelation of what is, and the transformation of things, and a transition into newness. For imperishability [descends] upon the perishable; the light ﬂows down upon the darkness, swallowing it up; and the Pleroma ﬁlls up the deﬁciency. These are the symbols and the images of the resurrection. He (Christ) it is who makes the good. Therefore, do not think in part, O Rheginos, nor live in conformity with this ﬂesh for the sake of unanimity, but ﬂee from the divisions and the fetters, and already you have the resurrection. For if he who will die knows about himself that

Mark 9:4.

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he will die—even if he spends many years in this life, he is brought to this— why not consider yourself as risen and (already) brought to this? If you have the resurrection but continue as if you are to die—and yet that one knows that he has died—why, then, do I ignore your lack of exercise? It is ﬁtting for each one to practice in a number of ways, and he shall be released from this Element that he may not fall into error but shall himself receive again what at ﬁrst was. These things I have received from the generosity of my Lord, Jesus Christ. [I

have] taught you and your [brethren], my sons, concerning them, while I have not omitted any of the things suitable for strengthening you (pl.). But if there is one thing written which is obscure in my exposition of the Word, I shall interpret it for you (pl.) when you (pl.) ask. But now, do not be jealous of anyone who is in your number when he is able to help. Many are looking into this which I have written to you. To these I say: peace (be) among them and grace. I greet you and those who love you (pl.) in brotherly love.