All About Being Born Again (The Treatise on the Resurrection)

Some people, Rheginos, seem to want to learn all about everything. Anyhow, this is what they say they want when they’re busy with questions that are really hard to answer. If they come up with an answer to a tricky question, they usually think they’re hot stuff. But I think they haven’t really gotten into the Word of Truth. They’re only after self-satisfaction, which we’ve got though Christ our Saviour. We got it when we got gnosis and rested on that gnosis. Since you’ve asked so nicely what the rebirth is all about, I’m gonna tell you how much you need it. Lots of people think it’s hooey, but a few of them get it. So, let’s talk about it and maybe you’ll be one of them that gets it.

Now, didn’t the Lord talk about things while he was still inside a physical body, after he already told us he was God’s Son? He lived the same as us, under natural law, what I call “Death.” God’s Son, my son, was Humanity’s Son. He had both of them inside, was both divine and human, so on one hand he could overcome death because he was God’s Son, but on the other hand he could bring back the Pleroma since he was Humanity’s Son, and physically here with us. He came down from above, a seed of Truth, before any of this world came around, back when all kinds of dominions and divines also came along. I know this is a tricky answer, but there’s nothing that tricky about the Truth. The Ultimate Answer came around to uncover everything, so nothing gets left hidden, not the end of evil or the salvation of the Holy. This is how Truth and Spirit and Grace came around.

The Saviour ate up death– you already know this– because he threw away the dying world. He changed into an eternal Aeon and came back from the dead, the invisible swallowing up the visible, and taught us how to live forever. Just like Paul said, “We suffered with him, we came back to life with him, and we went to heaven with him.” Now then, if we show up in this world clothed in him, we come out of him, and we’re part of him until we die in this life. Then, we’re taken up by him, like sunbeams, without anything getting in our way. This is being born again in the Spirit, and that eats up the other kinds of rebirth.

If somebody really doesn’t get it, though, there’s no use trying to change his mind. It’s about faith, see, not about trying to change minds: The Dead Will Rise Again! If even one of the smart guys gets it, he’ll be born again. Of course, don’t let any of these smart guys think that they can come back on their own– we know this isn’t the case because of our faith. We’ve had gnosis of the Son of Humanity, and believed that he came back from being dead. He’s who we’re talking about when we say, “He killed death itself; we believe he’s the greatest.” Of course, anybody who believes is great.

We’re already destined to salvation and redemption because from the very beginning we weren’t gonna fall into the silliness of folks without gnosis. Instead we’re gonna be wise like those folks who know Truth. That’s right! Once you know the Truth, you can’t forget it or give it up.

Now, if you’re saved, your thoughts won’t die. If you’ve known the Saviour, your mind won’t fade out. You’ll maintain your individuality. “The Pleroma is Mighty, but the World of Forms is small. Everything is contained in the All. The All was existing from the get-go.” So don’t you doubt about being born again, because if you didn’t already have a body, you got one when you came into this World of Forms. Why wouldn’t you get a different kind of body when you fly into the Aeons? Even better than the body is the thing that causes life. If something was made for you, isn’t it yours to keep? If you own something, don’t you keep it with you? But while you’re in the World of Forms, what exactly are you missing? This is what you’re trying to figure out.

Old Age is the afterbirth of the body, and you exist in imperfection. You’re ahead because of what you don’t have. You’re not gonna give up something valuable if you leave. Something worse is less important, but there’s still grace for it.

Nothing “can save” us from this World; [b]we’re already saved because we’re part of the All[/b]. We’ve received salvation from the beginning to the end. Think about it! Let’s really try to get it!

Some people want to know and ask about whether sombody who dies will instantly be saved. This is pretty certain. The visible parts of the body wouldn’t need saving because they’re dead. Only the living parts of the body would come back to life.

So what does it mean to be resurrected? It’s always for those who are born again while they’re still alive. You remember reading about Jesus that Elijah and Moses showed their faces to him, but don’t think it was some kind of trick. It’s no trick; it’s TRUTH! Actually, it makes more sense to say that the World is a Trick, rather than being Born Again through our Saviour Christ Jesus! So what am I really telling you? The living are gonna die. How can they not know it’s a trick? The rich are poor, and the kings are tossed out. Everything changes. The World is a Trick! It’s worth repeating!

The resurrection, though, is no trick; it’s the solid truth. It’s learning all about what’s real, and how things change and become new. Something rotten becomes fresh, and the dark gets lightened, and the Pleroma fills up the World of Forms. These are all symboic ways to talk about being born again. Jesus Christ redeems.

Don’t take things out of context, Rheginos, and don’t give into the flesh just so you’ll get along with people, but run away from the strife and chains of day-to-day life and you’re already reborn. If you know you’re eventually gonna die, even if you live a long time, why not consider yourself already Born Again? If you have rebirth but live like you’re doomed to death, or like you’re already dead, then that’s how you’re gonna be treated. So find a practice! There are a bunch of different practices you can try that’ll help you get out of the World of Forms so you won’t go wrong, and you’ll find the beginning.

I know all this because of the grace of Jesus Christ. I’ve taught you and your brothers and sisters, and I haven’t left out a thing. Still, if any of this is too unclear, let me know and I’ll try to explain it. But don’t hesitate to ask any of your brothers and sisters for help, too, and see if they can answer.

To anybody else who reads this: Peace, and Grace. Hello to all of you and everybody who loves you.
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Based on The Treatise on the Resurrection from the Nag Hammadi Library
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