 20. Baptism (of Spirit) |
Nevertheless, he yet did not divulge the things not to be uttered, nor did he write down the hierophantic teaching of the Lord, but to the stories already written he added yet others and, moreover, brought in certain sayings of which he knew the interpretation would, as a mystagogue, lead the hearers into the innermost sanctuary of that truth hidden by seven [veils]. Thus, in turn, he prearranged matters, neither grudgingly nor incautiously, in my opinion, and, dying, he left his composition to the church in Alexandria, where it even yet is most carefully guarded, being read only to those who are being initiated into the great mysteries.
But since the foul demons are always devising destruction for the race of men, Carpocrates, instructed by them and using deceitful arts, so enslaved a certain presbyter of the church in Alexandria that he got from him a copy of the secret Gospel, which he both interpreted according to his blasphemous and carnal doctrine and, moreover, polluted, mixing with the spotless and holy words utterly shameless lies. From this mixture is drawn off the teaching of the Carpocratians.
To them, therefore, as I said ahove, one must never give way, nor, when they put forward their falsifications, should one concede that the secret Gospel is by Mark, but should even deny it on oath. For, "Not all true [things] are to be said to all men." For this [reason] the Wisdom of God, through Solomon, advises, "Answer the fool from his folly," teaching that the light of the truth should be hidden from those who are mentally blind. Again it says, "From him who has not shall be taken away, " and, "Let the fool walk in darkness. "But we are "children of light," having been illuminated by "the dayspring" of the Spirit of the Lord "from on high," and "Where the Spirit of the Lord is," it says, "there is liberty," for ''All things are pure to the pure."
To you, therefore, I shall not hesitate to answer the [questions] you have asked, refuting the falsifications by the very words of the Gospel. For example, after "And they were in the road going up to Jerusalem," and what follows, until "After three days he shall arise," [the secret Gospel] brings the following [material] word for word:
He is quoting here from the secret Gospel he refers to. This particular quote relates to the secret, spiritual baptism. This is the quote from the secret Gospel of Mark:
"And they come into Bethany, and a certain woman, whose brother had died, was there. And, coming, she prostrated herself before Jesus and says to him, 'Son of David, have mercy on me' But the disciples rebuked her. And Jesus, being angered, went off with her into the garden where the tomb was, and straightway a great cry was heard from the tomb. And going near Jesus rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb. And straightway, going in where the youth was, he stretched forth his hand and raised him, seizing his hand. But the youth, looking upon him, loved him and began to beseech him that he might be with him. And going out of the tomb they came into the house of the youth, for he was rich. And after six days Jesus told him what to do and— in the evening the youth comes to him, wearing a linen cloth over [his] naked [body]. And he remained with him that night tor Jesus taught him the mystery of the kingdom of God. And thence, arising, he returned to the other side of the Jordan".
After these words follows the text" And James and John come to him " and all that section. But naked [man] with naked [man] and the other things ahout which you wrote are not found.
And after the [words], "And he comes into Jericho'' [the secret Gospel] adds only "And the sister of the youth whom Jesus loved and his mother and Salome were there and Jesus did not receive them".
But the many other [things about] which you both wrote both seem to be and are falsifications.
Now the true explanation and that which accords with the true philosophy . . .
Here the text broke off in the middle of the page.
This letter documents the fact that in the first century or so, the Christian community was made up of many sects all with different points of view and that there was at that time an esoteric teaching. As Clement writes, not everything was said to everybody. A Gospel was written by somebody called Mark—perhaps the same person who wrote the Gospel that appears in the New Testament. This was perhaps an original form of the New Testament. That Gospel about which Clement writes was a secret Gospel. In other words, it contained certain elements of the secret teaching that were communicated only to a few.
