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Concept
First Apocalypse of James
Summary
The First Apocalypse of James is a Gnostic apocalyptic writing. Its initially rediscovery was a Coptic translation as the third tractate of Codex V in the Nag Hammadi library. Additional copies were later found in Coptic as part of the Codex Tchacos and in Greek among the Oxyrhynchus Papyri. The text uses Valentinian theologoumena, leading to the belief that the original document was written in c. 200 AD. The content of the text is a dialogue between Jesus and James the Just. The text takes a docetic view of Jesus via his statements "you are not my brother materially" and "never have I suffered in any way, nor have I been distressed." The text prepares James for his death as a martyr by emphasizing spiritual redemption over material existence.
The text begins immediately with dialogue between James and Jesus. Jesus refers to himself as an image of God and explains that everything came from Him-who-is. He also speaks of femaleness and how it prepared for itself powers and gods, but it did not exist when he came forth. Jesus predicts that he will be seized the day after tomorrow, but his redemption will be near. He tells James to leave Jerusalem because it is a dwelling place of a great number of archons, and his redemption will be preserved from them. Jesus then explains the nature of the archons and the 72 heavens, which are their subordinates. He explains that Him-who-is has been given on account of them, and they are unnumbered. Jesus tells James that he will no longer be James but the One-who-is, and all those who are unnumbered will have been named when he casts away from his blind thought the bond of flesh that encircles him.
James asks Jesus how he can reach Him-who-is, given that the powers and hosts of the archons are armed against him. Jesus tells James that the powers are not armed against James specifically but against Jesus himself. Jesus expresses his concern for James, who has descended into great ignorance but has not been defiled by it, unlike those who have succumbed to it.
Official source
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