Authoritative Discourse, also known as Authoritative Teaching or Authentikos Logos (Sahidic Coptic: ⲁⲩⲑⲉⲛⲧⲓⲕⲟⲥ ⲗⲟⲅⲟⲥ) is a text about the journey of the soul. It is the third of eight treatises in Codex VI of the Nag Hammadi library texts, taking up pages 22–35 of the codex's 78 pages. The text uses metaphors extensively to describe the origin, condition, and ultimate destiny of the soul, calling the soul a prostitute, a seed of wheat, a contestant, an invalid, a fish, and a bride. Researchers have debated whether the text should be classified as Gnostic, Christian, or both.
History The text was discovered in Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945 as one of the 51 total treatises transcribed into the 13 codices that make up the Nag Hammadi library. The codices had been buried around 400 AD. The writing is likely a Coptic translation of a Greek original, but there is no direct evidence in the Authoritative Discourse text because the Coptic is so fluent. Scholars disagree on the date of the original text, with a range of c. 180–400 AD.
Some of the papyrus on which the text is written has been damaged. The most significant damage is the loss of the opening lines on pages 22–28. There are gaps at the top of pages 29–30. The remaining pages are mostly intact, and the scribe's writing is easy to read.
The first scholarly translation of the text was a German translation by Martin Krause and Pahor Labib in 1971. Wolf-Peter Funk published a second German translation in 1973. Jacques Ménard published a French translation in 1977. Along with the rest of the works in the Nag Hammadi library, the text was translated into English and published in The Nag Hammadi Library in English in 1977. The publication was part of the work of the Coptic Gnostic Library Project, which began in 1966 at Claremont Graduate University. George W. MacRae translated the text to English. Marvin Meyer published a second English translation in 2007.
Summary The invisible worlds appeared, and the righteous soul came from these worlds.MacRae 1981, p. 278. 22:11–15. "...the invisible, ineffable worlds appeared. From these the invisible soul of righteousness came" She could be found in either the descent or the Pleroma.MacRae 1981, p. 278. 22:18–19. "Whether she is in the descent or is in the Pleroma" Her bridegroom secretly fed the soul and rubbed her eyes with the word (logos) to open her mind.MacRae 1981, p. 278. 22:23–28. "Secretly her bridegroom fetched it. He presented it to her mouth to make her eat it like food, and he applied the word to her eyes as a medicine to make her see with her mind" She could recognize her family and where she came from, letting go of worldly desires.MacRae 1981, p. 278. 22:29–34. "...and perceive her kinsmen and learn about her root ... in order that she might receive what is hers to renounce [matter]." In the body, the soul joined with lust, hatred, envy, and materialism.MacRae 1981, p. 279. 23:12–17. "...when the spiritual soul was cast into the body, it became a brother to lust, and hatred, and envy, and a material soul." The soul chose indulgence, losing touch with her family.MacRae 1981, p. 279. 24:17–20. "Therefore she does not remember her brothers and her father, for pleasure and sweet profits deceive her." Her ignorance led to animal-like behavior.MacRae 1981, p. 279. 24:20–22. "Having left knowledge behind, she fell into bestiality."
Before anything came into being, the Father alone existed, preceding the heavenly and earthly worlds, principality, authority, and powers.MacRae 1981, p. 279. 25:27–34. "And before anything came into being, it was the Father alone who existed, before the worlds that are in the heavens appeared, or the world that is on the earth, or principality, or authority, or the powers." He desired to reveal his wealth and glory, creating a contest to make contestants appear and leave behind worldly things.MacRae 1981, p. 280. 26:8–16. "He, then, the Father, wishing to reveal his [wealth] and his glory, brought about this great contest in this world, wishing to make the contestants appear, and make all those who contend leave behind the things that had come into being" Those who oppose us are adversaries to be overcome through our knowledge of the Inscrutable One.MacRae 1981, p. 280. 26:20–25. "And (as for) those who contend with us, being adversaries who contend against us, we are to be victorious over their ignorance through our knowledge, since we have already known the Inscrutable One" Despite hunger, thirst, illness, and pain, we hold onto the strength hidden within us.MacRae 1981, p. 280. 27:14–25. "...we go about in hunger (and) in thirst ... we are ill (and) feeble (and) in pain. But there is a great strength hidden within us."
Our soul, living in a poor house, faces challenges from the material world that try to blind her.MacRae 1981, p. 280. 27:25–29. "Our soul indeed is ill, because she dwells in a house of poverty, while matter strikes blows at her eyes, wishing to make her blind." To counter these challenges, she uses the word (logos) as a medicine to open her eyes and conceal her enemies.MacRae 1981, p. 280. 28:11–14. "...apply it to her eyes as a medicine in order that she may see, and her light may conceal the hostile forces" She finds refuge in her secure treasure-house, unaffected by worldly matters.MacRae 1981, p. 280. 28:23–25. "...she runs upward into her treasure-house—the one in which her mind is" Many adversaries born within her constantly fight her day and night.MacRae 1981, p. 280–281. 28:31–33. "For many are her home-born ones who fight against her by day and by night"
We must remain vigilant, aware of hidden nets waiting to catch us.MacRae 1981, p. 281. 29:3–7. "...we do not sleep, nor do we forget [the] nets that are spread out in hiding, lying in wait for us to catch us." If caught, we would be submerged in water, unable to escape.MacRae 1981, p. 281. 29:7–10. "For if we are caught in a single net, it will suck us down into its mouth, while the water flows over us" Those who prey on us rejoice, like a fisherman using bait.MacRae 1981, p. 281. 29:18–21. "For man-eaters will seize us and swallow us, rejoicing like a fisherman casting a hook into the water." In this world, we are like fish, watched by the adversary who desires to swallow us.MacRae 1981, p. 281. 30:4–10. "The adversary spies on us, lying in wait for us like a fisherman, wishing to seize us, rejoicing that he might swallow us." The devil presents worldly temptations to capture us,MacRae 1981, p. 281. 30:26–27. "Now these are the foods with which the devil lies in wait for us." starting with small pains and desires for material things,MacRae 1981, p. 281. 30:28–33. "First he injects a pain into your heart until you have heartache on account of a small thing of this life, and he seizes (you) with his poisons." leading to love of ignorance and ease.MacRae 1981, p. 281. 31:6–7. "The greatest of all these are ignorance and ease." The adversary entices the body with pleasures, aiming to deceive the soul and draw her into ignorance.MacRae 1981, p. 281. 31:15–17. "...drawing her by force in ignorance, deceiving her"
However, the soul realizes the fleeting nature of these passions and rejects them.MacRae 1981, p. 282. 31:24–27. "But the soul—she who has tasted these things—realized that sweet passions are transitory." The soul seeks a new way of life, despising the transitory world.MacRae 1981, p. 282. 31:31–33. "Afterwards she despises this life, because it is transitory." She embraces her true light, shedding worldly attachments, and adorning herself with a beautiful mind.MacRae 1981, p. 282. 32:2–8. "And she learns about her light, as she goes about stripping off this world, while her true garment clothes her within, (and) her bridal clothing is placed upon her in beauty of mind" She learns about her inner depth and finds solace in her shepherd's presence.MacRae 1981, p. 282. 32:9–11. "And she learns about her depth and runs into her fold, while her shepherd stands at the door." Despite the scorn she faced, she receives abundant grace and glory.MacRae 1981, p. 282. 32:12–16. "In return for all the shame and scorn, then, that she received in this world, she receives ten thousand times the grace and glory." Those who sought to exploit her body are ashamed, unaware of her invisible spiritual nature.MacRae 1981, p. 282. 32:28–32. "They were therefore ashamed of their work; they suffered the loss of the one for whom they had endured labors. They did not realize that she has an invisible spiritual body" Her true shepherd has taught her hidden knowledge.MacRae 1981, p. 282. 33:1–3. "This her true shepherd taught her in knowledge."
The ignorant ones do not seek God nor inquire about their resting place.MacRae 1981, p. 282. 33:4–8. "But these—the ones who are ignorant—do not seek after God. Nor do they inquire about their dwelling place, which exists in rest" They act in a cruel manner, worse than pagans.MacRae 1981, p. 282. 33:9–11. "They are more wicked than the pagans" Pagans know and worship their idols, but they have not heard God's word.MacRae 1981, p. 282. 33:28–32; 34:1. "...they know that God who is in the heavens exists, the Father of the universe, exalted over their idols, which they worship. But they have not heard the word" The senseless man is worse than a pagan since he has been told to seek and ask, but his hardness of heart and ignorance prevent him.MacRae 1981, p. 283. 34:24–28. "...the substance of hardness of heart strikes a blow upon his mind, along with the force of ignorance and the demon of error." However, the rational soul perseveres and learns about God.MacRae 1981, p. 283. 34:32; 35:1–2. "But the rational soul who (also) wearied herself in seeking—she learned about God." She finds what she sought and receives rest.MacRae 1981, p. 283. 35:15–16. "She found what she had sought after. She received rest from her labors" She enjoys eternal glory and power.MacRae 1981, p. 283. 35:19–22. "To it belongs the glory and the power and the revelation for ever and ever."
Analysis Researcher Ulla Tervahauta states that although Authoritative Discourse was found among the Nag Hammadi texts, which are closely connected with Gnosticism, the writing is not easily classified as Gnostic. The text does not present a lower Creator separate from the true divinity, nor is the soul presented as disconnected from the spiritual realm. Translator George W. MacRae agrees that the text lacks a typical Gnostic cosmogony. But MacRae believes that the text is Gnostic because of its emphasis on the evil of the material world, the divine origin of the soul, and the idea of salvation through revealed knowledge. MacRae concedes, however, that the text lacks the self-assurance of unquestionably Gnostic treatises.
Tervahauta believes that the text should be classified as Platonic Early Christianity. Her methodology compares Authoritative Discourse with a wide variety of ancient texts rather than limiting comparisons to other Nag Hammadi texts. This broader approach reveals that the author was familiar with both New Testament and Gnostic literature and chose to produce a Christian homily.
French translator Jacques Ménard considers the text Gnostic, but this view was criticized by Egyptology professor Jan Zandee in 1978 and by religious scholar Roel van den Broek in 1979. Zandee provides counterexamples to argue that it is a work of Greek Christianity. Van den Broek argues that it is a work of Platonic Christianity from Alexandria by analyzing the Platonic terminology used to describe the soul. In particular, van den Broek argues that the text closely parallels the teachings of Porphyry and was likely written contemporaneously in the mid-third century. Tervahauta considers it Egyptian but not necessarily Alexandrian.