"First of all, trust that God is one -- the one who created all things, and placed them in order, and brought all things from nothing into existence, the one who understands all things, the only one who cannot be contained.
Therefore, trust him and fear him, but be self-controlled in fear. Guard these things, and you will cast aside all evil from yourself, and will clothe yourself with every excellent and just thing, and will live for God -- if you guard this precept."
He said to me; "Have simplicity and become innocent, and you will be like little children, who don't know the evil that destroys human lives.
First of all, indeed, gossip about no one, and don't take pleasure in listening to a gossip. But if it is otherwise, you who listen will also be bound to the sin of the one who gossips, if you trust the gossip that you are listening to. For in trusting, you yourself will also have something against your brother. Then similarly, you will be bound to the sin of the one who gossips. Gossip is evil. It is a restless spirit being, never at peace but always having its home among factions. Therefore, keep away from it, and you will have success at all times with all people.
But clothe yourself in reverence, in which there is no evil stumbling-block, but in which all things are smooth and happy. Work what is good, and out of the labor that God gives you, give freely to all who are in need. Do not question to whom you will give and to whom you will not give. Give to all people; for God wants for it to be given from own abundance to all people.
Therefore, those who receive will give an account to God about why they received, and for what reason. For indeeed, those who receive in distress will not be judged, but those who receive with hypocrisy will pay justice.
Therefore, the one who gives is innocent, for since he received the service from the Lord to complete, so he completed it in sincerity, making no distinction to whom to give or not to give. Therefore, when this service has been sincerely completed, it becomes glorious by God. Therefore, the one who serves this way, sincerely, will live for God.
Therefore keep this precept as I have told you, so that your mental change and that of your household would be found to be in sincerity, [and innocent,]*** clean and undefiled."
***Sinaticus is absent, and the Greek text reads as above. Other translations read "and your heart to be."
Again he said to me; "Love truth, and let all truth exit your mouth, so that the spirit which God made to live in this flesh would would be found true by all people. And this way, that lord who lives in you will be glorified, because the Lord is true in every declaration, and with him there is no falsehood.
Therefore, those who lie are rejecting the Lord, and they become robbers of the Lord, for they do not give him the deposit which they received. For they received from him a spirit without lies. If they return a lying spirit to him, they have defiled the Lord's precept and have become robbers."
So when I heard these things, I cried a lot. Now when he saw me cry, he said,
"Why are you crying?"
I said, "Sir, because, I don't know if I am able to be saved."
"Why is this?" he said.
I said, "Sir, for I have never spoken a true declaration in my life; on the
contrary, I always spoke deceitfully with all people and disguised my lie as truth
for all people. And no one ever contradicted me, but trust was placed in
my statements." I said, "Therefore, sir, how am I able to live, after
practicing these things?"
He said, "Indeed, you are thinking well and true, for it was necessary for you as
God's slave to walk in truth, and no cooperation with evil can live together with
the spirit of truth, nor may you grieve the reverent and true spirit."
I said, "Sir, I have never heard clearly any declarations like these."
He said, "Then now you hear. Guard them, so that also those previous things that you spoke falsely during your business matters would become trustworthy, now that these are found to be true. For they are able to become trustworthy. If you keep these things, and from now on speak all truth, you will be able to save up life for yourself. And whoever hears this precept, and keeps away from evil falsehood will live for God."
He said, "I charge you to keep purity, and don't let a thought go up into your heart about another's wife, or about prostitution, or about any similar evil things. For in doing this you are working a great sin. On the contrary, always remember your wife, and you will never sin.
"For if this desire enters your heart, you will sin, and if another similar evil thing enters your heart, you are working sin. For this desire is a great sin for God's slave. Now if someone works this evil deed, he is working out death for himself. Therefore, you watch out. Keep away from this desire. For where reverence lives, lawlessness is bound not to go up into a just person's heart."
I said to him, "Sir, will you trust me to ask you a few more questions?"
He said, "Speak."
I said, "Sir, if someone who has a trustworthy wife, in the Lord, and he finds
her in a certain adultery, is the husband sinning by spending his life with her?"
He said, "While he is ignorant, he is not sinning, but if the husband
knows of her sin, and the wife does not change her mind but continues in her
sexual sin, and if the husband spends his life with her, he becomes bound to
her sin and a partner in her adultery."
I said, "Sir, then what should the husband do, if the wife continues with what
is going on?"
He said, "He should let her go, and the husband should continue alone. But
if he lets his wife go and marries another woman, he is committing
adultery similarly."
I said, "Sir, then if after the wife has separated, she changes her mind
and wants to return to her own husband, should she be accepted?"
He said, "Indeed. And if the husband doesn't accept her, he is sinning and
is bringing a great sin on himself. On the contrary, it is necessary to
accept the one who has sinned and who has
changed her mind, but this must not happen many times.
For there is only one mental change for God's slaves. Therefore, on account
of the mental change, the husband is bound not to marry.
This practice is laid on both husband and wife.
He said, "Not only is it adultery if someone defiles his flesh, but also whoever does things like the gentile does is committing adultery. And if someone continues in deeds like these, and does not change his mind, go away from him similarly, and don't live together with him. But otherwise, you too are a partaker in his sin. For this reason you were directed to remain by yourself, whether man or woman, or in such cases mental change is possible."
He said, "I am not giving an excuse, so that this action should be completed this way, but so that the sinner should sin no longer. Now concerning his previous sin, there is someone able to give healing, for this is the one who has authority over all things."
I asked him again, saying, "Since the Lord considered me worthy so that you would live with me always, allow me then a few declarations, since I understand nothing, and since my heart has been made stupid by my previous actions. Make me understand, because I am very unwise, and I am wholly mindful of nothing."
He answered, saying to me, "I am over mental change," he said, "and I give understanding to all who change their minds." He said, "Or don't you think that mental change itself is understanding?" He said, "To change your mind is great understanding. For the one who has sinned understands that he has done evil in the Lord's presence, and the action that he practiced goes up into his heart, and he changes his mind, and he no longer works the evil thing but does good a lot, and he humbles his own soul and torments it because it sinned. Therefore, you see that mental change is great understanding."
I said, "Therefore, sir, it is for these reasons that I am asking everything of you diligently. First indeed, because I am a sinner, so that I know what deeds I am bound to work so that I may live, for my sins are many and various."
He said, "You will live if you keep my precepts and walk in them, and whoever hears these precepts and keeps them will live for God."
Still I said, "I will run to question."
He said, "Speak."
I said, "Sir, I have heard from certain teachers that [there is
no other mental change except the one that happened when] we went down into the water
and received forgiveness for our previous sins."
He said to me, "You have heard well, for it is that way. For it is necessary that the one who has received forgiveness of sins should sin no longer, but should live in purity.
"But since you are asking all things diligently, I will declare this to you also -- to give no excuse to those who are about to trust or those who now trust in the Lord. For those who now trust or are about to trust do not have mental change for sins, but they have forgiveness of their previous sins.
"Therefore the Lord has placed a mental change for those who were called before these things. For the Lord, who is a knower of hearts and who knows all things in advance, knew the weaknesses of people and the various schemes of the accuser (that he does some badness to God's slaves and does evil to them).
Therefore the Lord, who is very merciful, had mercy on his work, and chose this time of mental change, and the authority over this mental change was given to me.
He said, "However, I am telling you that if, after this great and reverent calling, someone is tempted by the accuser and sins, he has one mental change. But if he sins off-hand and changes his mind, that mental change is not does not make sense for such a person; for he will live with difficulty."
I said to him, "I was made alive by hearing these things
from you in detail. For I know that I will be saved if I will add no more to my sins."
He said, "You will be saved -- and so will everyone -- as many as will do these things."
I asked him again, saying, "Sir, since you endured me once, still tell
me this explanation too."
He said, "Speak."
I said, "Sir, if a wife, or again a husband, falls asleep, and one of them marries,
is the one who marries sinning?"
He said, "He is not sinning, but if one remains by himself, he makes for himself
greater honor, and with great glory toward the Lord. But still, if
he marries he is not sinning.
"Therefore, take care of purity and reverence, and you will live for God. All of these things that I am speaking to you and am about to speak, guard them from now on -- from the day when you were handed over to me, and I will live in your house. Now there will be forgiveness for your previous wanderings if you keep my precepts. And forgiveness is for everyone if they keep these precepts of mine and walk in this purity."
He said, "Be long-suffering and understanding, and you will be lord over all evil deeds, and will do all of what is right.
"For if you are long-suffering, the holy spirit that lives in you will be clean. Since it is not darkened by another (evil) spirit, but since it lives in a large place, it will be happy and rejoice with the vessel in which it lives. And he perform religious service for God with much cheerfulness, having prosperity within himself.
"But if any rage approaches, the holy spirit, which is delicate, is immediately straightened by having no clean place, and it seeks to leave the place. For it is being strangled by the evil spirit and has no place to perform religious service the Lord (as it wants to), since it is defiled by the rage. For the Lord lives in long-suffering, but the accuser lives in rage.
"So then, if both spirits are in the same place, it is senseless and evil for that person in whom they live. For if you take a little wormwood and pour it into a jar of honey, isn't the whole of the honey spoiled? And all that honey is destroyed by a very small amount of wormwood. And it destroys the sweetness of the honey, and it no longer has the same favor to the sovereign, because it has become bitter, and its usefulness has been destroyed. But if wormwood is not put into the honey, the honey is found to be sweet and becomes useful to its sovereign.
"You see that long-suffering is sweeter than honey and is useful to the Lord, and he lives in it. But rage is bitter and useless. So, if rage is mixed with long-suffering, the long-suffering decays, and his intercession is no longer useful to God."
I said, "Sir, I want to know how rage works, so that
I may guard myself from it."
He said, "Yes indeed. If you don't guard yourself from it -- you and your
household -- you will have lost all your hope. But guard yourself from it,
for I am with you. But also, everyone should stay away from it, as many as have
changed their minds with their whole hearts. For I will be with them and will protect them,
for they all were justified by the reverent messenger.
He said, "Now hear the working of rage -- how evil it is, and how it overpowers my slaves by its own working, and how it leads them astray from what is right. But it does not lead astray those who are full in trust, nor is it able to work within them, because my power is with them. But it leads astray those who are empty and double-minded.
"Now when it sees such a person in prosperity, it interposes itself in that person's heart, and out of nothing the man or woman becomes bitter on account of life's practicalities: either about meats (or some small thing); or about a certain friend; or about giving or receiving; or about such foolish matters. For all of these things are foolish, and worthless, and unintelligent, and do not make sense for God's slaves.
"But long-suffering is great and strong, and has power and sturdiness. And it is beneficial in great abundance: happy; rejoicing; without worry; glorifying the Lord in every season; having no bitterness in itself; staying near through all gentleness and quietness. Therefore, this long-suffering lives with those who have whole trust.
"But rage indeed is first foolish -- lightweight and senseless. Then from foolishness, bitterness happens; from bitterness, anger; from anger, hatred; and from hatred, malice. Then since malice is made up of all these bad things, it becomes a great and incurable sin. For when these spirits live in one vessel (where the holy spirit also lives), that vessel does not contain them; on the contrary, it overflows.
"Therefore, since has no familiarity with living with an evil spirit, or with harshness, the delicate spirit goes away from that kind of person and seeks to live with gentleness and quietness. Then when it has gone away from that person in whom it was living, that person becomes emptied of the just spirit, and since he is filled with evil spirits, the rest of the time he is chaotic in all his actions. He is dragged around by the evil spirits, and is wholly blinded from any good attitude. Therefore, it comes to pass this way to all those in rage.
"Therefore, stay away from rage [-- the most evil of evil spirits. But clothe yourself in long-suffering, and resist rage] and bitterness, and you will be partakers with the reverence that is loved by the Lord. Therefore, to it that you never forget this precept. For if you are lord of this precept, you will also be able to keep the remaining precepts -- the ones that I am about to give you. Be strong in them and be empowered. And let everyone be empowered, as many as want to walk in them."
He said, "I charged you in the first precept, so that you would to guard trust, and fear,
and self-control."
I said, "Yes, sir."
He said, "But now I want to show you their powers too, so that you would
be mindful of what power and working they have. For their
workings are twofold. Therefore, these things are for the just and the unjust.
Therefore, you trust justification, but do not trust injustice. For the way of justification has straightness, but the way of injustice is crooked. But you walk on the straight and flat road, and ignore the crooked one.
For the crooked way has no trails, but has roadless places and many stumbling blocks, and it is rough and thorny. So therefore, it is harmful to those who walk in it. But those who walk on the straight way walk on a flat path and without stumbling. For it is neither rough nor thorny. Therefore, you see that it is makes sense to walk on this road."
I said, "Sir, I want to walk on this road."
He said, "You will walk, and whoever turns to the Lord with his whole heart will walk
on it."
He said: "Now hear about trust. There are two messengers with a person: one
of right and one of evil."
I said, "How then, sir, will I know what they are working -- because both messengers
live with me?"
He said, "Listen, and understand these messengers. Indeed, the messenger of right is delicate, and modest, and gentle, and quiet. So when this one goes up into your heart, it immediately speaks with you about what is right, about purity, about reverence, and about self-sufficiency -- about every just deed and about every glorious virtue. When all these things go up into your heart, know that the messenger of right is with you. So, these are the deeds of the messenger of right. Therefore, trust it and its deeds.
So, see also the deeds of the messenger of evil. First of all, it is enraged, and bitter, and stupid, and its deeds are evil, overthrowing the God's slaves. Therefore, if it goes up into your heart, know it by its deeds."
I replied, "Sir, how will I be mindful of it? I don't know how."
He said, "Listen. When rage or bitterness comes on you, know that it is in you.
Then the desire for many practicalities, and many wealthy delicacies, and alcoholic
beverages, and many intoxications, and various luxuries, and addictive things, and
the strong desire for women, and greed, and much high-mindedness, and bragging, and whatever
is a neighbor to and similar to these things. When then these things go up into your heart,
know that the messenger of evil is in you.
"Therefore, know its deeds and stay away from it. And trust it in nothing, for its deeds are evil and do not make sense for God's slaves. Therefore, you have the workings of both the messengers. Understand them, and trust the messenger of right. But stay away from the messenger of evil, because its teaching is evil in every matter. For even if someone trusts, if the desire of this messenger goes up into his heart, it is necessary for that man or that woman to sin.
"However, even if a man or a woman is very evil, and if the deeds of the messenger of right go up into that person's heart, it is necessary for him to do something good.
He said, "So you see that it is a nice thing to follow the messenger of right, and to say goodbye to the messenger of evil.
"Indeed, this precept shows the things about trust, so that you would trust the deeds of the messenger of right, and would work them and live for God. But trust that the deeds of the messenger of evil are hard. Therefore, if you do not work them you will live for God."
He said, "Fear the Lord and keep his precepts. So, in keeping God's precepts you will be powerful in every action, and your action will be incomparable. For while fearing the Lord you will work all things well. Now this is the fear that it is necessary for you to fear -- and you will be saved.
"But don't fear the accuser. For in fearing the Lord, you will be the accuser's lord -- because there is no power in him. In the one whom is no power, neither is there fear of him. But in the one whose power is glorious, there is also fear of him. For everyone who has power has fear, but the one who has no power is thought of negatively by everyone. But do fear the accuser's deeds, because they are evil. Therefore, while fearing the Lord, you will fear the accuser's deeds and will not do them. On the contrary, abstain from them.
Therefore, fear exists doubly. For if you want to work evil, fear the Lord and you will not work it. But again, if you want to work what is good, fear the Lord and you will work it. So, the fear of the Lord is strong, and great, and glorious. Therefore, fear the Lord, and you will live for him. And as many of those who fear him and guard his precepts will live for God."
I said, "Sir, why did you say about those who guard his precepts that
they will live for God?"
He said, "Because all creation fears the Lord, but his precepts they do not
all keep. Therefore, those who fear him and keep his precepts, their lives
are for God. But those who don't keep his precepts, neither do they keep life in them."
He said, "I told you that God's creatures are twofold, for self-control is also twofold. For it is necessary to be self-controlled in some things, but in other things it is not necessary."
I said, "Sir, make known to me in what things it is necessary to be self-controlled,
and in what things it is not necessary."
He said, "Listen. Be self-controlled about evil, and don't do it.
But don't be self-controlled about good; on the contrary, do it. For if you are
self-controlled and do not do what is good so that, you are working
a great sin. But if you are self-controlled and do not do what is evil,
you are working great justice. Therefore, be self-controlled in
staying away from every evil thing, working what is good."
I said, "Sir, what kinds are the evils in which it is necessary for
us to be self-controlled, and to stay away from?"
He said, "Listen: keep away from adultery and sexual sin, from the lawlessness
of drunkenness, from greed and evil, from eating many meats and accumulating
wealth, from high-mindedness and arrogance, and from falsehood
and evil speaking and hypocrisy, malice and all evil speech. For these
deeds are the most evil of all in human life.
"Therefore, it is necessary for God's slave to be self-controlled and to stay away from these deeds. For the one who isn't self-controlled to the point of staying away from these things is unable to live for God. Therefore, listen to what follow these things."
I said, "For are there still more evil deeds, sir?"
He said, "Indeed there are many from which it is necessary for God's slave
to be self-controlled and to stay away from: theft; lying; withholding payment;
false testimony; greed; evil strong desire; deceit; worthless
conceit; bragging; and whatever is like these things.
"Don't you think that these things are evil -- indeed I say, very evil -- for God's slaves? It is necessary for the one who is enslaved to God to be self-controlled in all these things. Therefore, be self-controlled and stay away from all these things, so that you would live for God and would be listed among those who have self-control within themselves. Therefore, these are the things in which it is necessary for you to be self-controlled."
He said, "Now hear about the things about which it is necessary for you to not be self-controlled; on the contrary, you should do them. Don't be self-controlled in what is good, but do it."
I said, "Sir, show me the power of good things also, so that I would walk in them
and be enslaved them -- so that in working them I would be able to be saved."
He said, "Hear also the deeds of goodness that it is necessary for you
to work and in which to not be self-controlled.
"First of all, there are: trust; fear of the Lord; love; unity; declarations of justification; truth; patience. Nothing in human life more good than these. If someone keeps these things, and is not self-controlled in them, it happens that he is blessed in his life.
"Hear now what follows from these things: to support widows; to visit orphans and the poor; to buy back God's slaves from afflictions; to be hospitable (for philanthropy is found in hospitality from time to time); to fight no one; to be in quietness; to become the most inferior of all people; to revere the elderly; to do what is right; to be familiar with brotherly affection; to withstand outrage; to be long-suffering; to have no grudge; to give comforting advice to those who are ill in their souls; to not discard those who have stumbled from trust, but to turn them back and to do kindness; to admonish sinners; not to oppress debtors or the poor; and if there are any things like these."
He said, "Do you think these things are good?"
I said, "Sir, for what could be more good than these things?"
He said, "So walk in them, and don't be self-controlled about them, and you will live for God.
"Therefore, keep this precept. If you do good and are not self-controlled about it, you will live for God. And everyone who does so will live for God. And again if you don't do evil, and you are self-controlled about it, you will live for God. And everyone will live for God if they keep these precepts and walk in them."
He said to me, "To ask something of God, remove double-mindedness from yourself, and indeed the whole of your double-mindedness. Are you saying within yourself, "How am I able to ask something from the Lord and receive it, since I have sinned so much against him? Do not reason these things. On the contrary, turn to the Lord with your whole heart, and ask him without doubting, and you will know his many deep feelings -- because he by no means will he abandon you, but will fulfill your soul's asking. For God is not like human beings (who carry a grudge), but he forgets bad things and has mercy on his handiwork.
Therefore, you cleanse your heart from all the worthless things of this age, and from the things mentioned to you previously in declarations. And ask the Lord, and you will receive all things, and you will not be needy of what you ask if you ask the Lord unwaveringly. But if you waver in your heart, you will by no means receive any of what you ask. For those who waver towards God, these are the double-minded, and they never succeed with any of what they ask for.
But those who are complete in trust ask everything while trusting in the Lord. And they receive because they ask unwaveringly, being double-minded in nothing. For every double-minded man will scarcely be saved, unless he changes his mind.
Therefore cleanse your heart from double-mindedness, put on trust, because it is strong, and trust God that you will receive all your requests that you ask. And then if after asking the Lord for something, you receive the request late, don't be double-minded because you didn't receive your soul's request immediately. For in all cases it is on account of some test or some wandering of which you are ignorant, that you are receiving your request late.
Therefore, don't cease to make your soul's request, and you will receive it. But if you are weary and double-minded when you ask, blame yourself and not the one who gives to you. Watch out for this double-mindedness, for it is evil and unintelligent, and it uproots many from trust; yes, even very trusting and strong people. For also this double-mindedness is the accuser's daughter, and it does much evil against God's slaves.
Therefore, think badly of double-mindedness and be lord over it in every action, clothing yourself with trust, which is strong and powerful. For trust promises all things, completes all things. But, since it has no trust in itself, double-mindedness fails in all the deeds that it practices.
He said, "So, you see that trust from above is from the Lord, and it has great power. But double-mindedness is an earthly spirit from the accuser, and has no power. Therefore, be enslaved to trust (that which has power), and stay away from double-mindedness (that which has no power), and you will live for God. And all those who have this attitude will live for God."
He said, "Put sorrow away from yourself, for it is the sister of double-mindedness and rage."
I said, "Sir, how is it the sister of these things? For rage seems to me
to be one thing, double-mindedness another, and sorrow another."
He said, "You are unintelligent. And aren't you mindful that sorrow is more evil
than all the spirits and makes things worse for God's slaves? And beyond all
the spirits it nullifies a person, and wipes out the holy breath; and again it saves
it."
I said, "Sir, I am unintelligent, and I don't understand these analogies.
For I don't know how it is able to wipe out and again to save."
He said, "Listen. Those who have never explored the truth,
nor sought out the Sovereign, but have only trusted while being mixed
up in business matters and wealth and gentile friendships, and many other matters
of this age (i.e., as many as bind themselves to these things) -- they
aren't mindful of the Divine One's analogies, for they are darkened by these actions,
and they decay and become barren.
"Just as the nice vineyards, when they are neglected by chance, are made barren by various thorns and weeds, so also the trusting people who also fall into these many actions that were mentioned previously, lose their attitude, and they are wholly mindful of nothing regarding justification. And on the contrary, when they hear about the Divine One and Truth, they are wholly mindful of their situations, and they don't notice anything at all.
"But those who have a fear of God, and who explore the Divine One and Truth, and have their hearts directed towards the Lord, they are quickly mindful of and understand quickly all the things that are said to them, because they have the fear of the Lord within them. For where the Lord lives, much understanding is there too. Therefore, cling to the Lord, and you will understand and be mindful of all things."
He said, "Therefore, listen, mindless person, how sorrow wipes out the holy Spirit, and again saves. When a a double-minded person practices a certain thing, and fails in it on account of his double nature, sorrow over this enters the person, and this grieves the holy Spirit, and wipes it out.
"Then again when rage about a certain action clings to a person, and he is very embittered, again sorrow enters that person's heart who was enraged, and he grieves at the action that he practiced, and he changes his mind because he has worked an evil thing.
"Therefore, this sorrow seems to have salvation, because he changed his mind about having practiced evil. Therefore, both practices grieve the Spirit. Indeed, the double mind grieves the Spirit because it was unsuccessful in its practice. But rage grieves the Spirit because it practiced the evil thing. Therefore, both the double mind and rage grieve the holy Spirit.
"Therefore, put sorrow away from yourself, and don't afflict the holy Spirit that lives in you. Otherwise, it may meet up with God and leave you. For that spirit of God that was given to this flesh endures neither sorrow nor hardship.
"Therefore clothe yourself in happiness (which always has favor with God and is acceptable to him), and rejoice in it. For every cheerful man works what is good, and is mindful of what is good, and thinks badly of sorrow. But the sorrowful man is always doing evil. First indeed, he is doing evil because he grieves the holy Spirit (that was given to the person as cheerful). Now secondly, he works lawlessness by grieving the holy Spirit, by not meeting up with or acknowledging the Lord. For the intercession of a sorrowful person does not have the power to rise up to the God's altar."
I said, "Why doesn't the intercession of the one who is sorrowful rise up
to the altar?"
He said, "Because sorrow is seated in his heart. Therefore, sorrow
mixed with intercession does not allow the intercession to rise up clean
to the altar. For just as as vinegar and wine, when mixed in the
same place, don't have the same pleasure, so it is also when
sorrow is mixed with the holy Spirit: it doesn't have the same intercession.
"Therefore, cleanse yourself from this evil sorrow, and you will live for God. And as many as cast away sorrow from themselves and who clothe themselves in all cheerfulness, they will live for God."
He showed me people who were sitting on a couch, and another person sitting
on a chair. And he said to me, "Do you see those who are sitting on the couch?"
I said, "I see, sir."
He said, "These people are trusting, and the one who is sitting on the chair
is a false prophet who destroys the minds of God's slaves but only
destroys those of the double-minded, not of the trusting.
"So, these double-minded ones come to him as to a diviner, and they ask him what will occur to them. And since the false prophet has no power of divine breath in himself, he speaks with them according to their questions and according to their evil strong desires, and he fills up their souls, just as they themselves plan it.
"For he is empty, and he answers the empty ones with emptiness. For whatever he answers, he answers according to the person's emptiness. But also, he speaks some true declarations, for the accuser fills him with his spirit. If it is possible he will be able to rend some of the just.
"Therefore, as many as are strong in the trust of the Lord, clothed with the truth, do not cling to such spirits but stay away from them. But as many as are double-minded and often change their minds, and who divine like the gentiles do, they also bring on themselves a greater sin through this idolatry. For the one who asks a false prophet about some action is an idolater, and is empty of the truth, and is unintelligent.
"For no breath given by God requires to be asked. On the contrary, since it has the power of the Divine One, it speaks all things of itself, because it is from above -- from the power of the divine Spirit.
"But the breath which is asked, and which speaks according to the strong desires of people, is earthly and lightweight, having no power. And it is wholly speechless unless it is asked."
I said, "Sir, so how will a person know which of them is a prophet, and who is
a false prophet?"
He said, "Hear about both the prophets, and (as I am about to tell you), in this way you will
test the prophet and the false prophet: test the person who has the divine
breath from the life.
"First indeed, the one who has the breath which is from above is gentle, and quiet, and humble, and he stays away from every evil thing and worthless strong desire of this age, and he makes himself lower than all people. And he answers no one when asked, nor does he speak privately. Neither does the holy Spirit speak when someone wants it to speak. On the contrary, the person then speaks when God wants him to speak.
"For when the person who has the divine breath enters a gathering of just men (those who have trust in a divine spirit), and intercession toward God happens by the gathering of those men, then the messenger of the prophetic breath (which has been laid down with him) fills the person. And the person who is filled with the holy breath speaks to the crowd, just as the Lord wants. Therefore, the breath of the Divine One will be clear this way. So, this is the power that concerns the divine spirit of the Lord."
He said, "Now hear about the breath that is earthly and worthless, and which has no
power but is foolish.
"First indeed, that person who seems to have the breath elevates himself,
and wants to have a front seat. And immediately he is hasty, and
shameless, and talkative, and familiar with many luxuries and with many other deceits,
and he receives money for his prophesying. Now if he doesn't receive he doesn't
prophesy. Therefore, is a divine breath able to receive money and prophesy? It is impossible
for a prophet of God to do this, but the breath of prophets like this is earthly.
"Next, it does not wholly near a gathering of just people. On the contrary, it flees from them but clings to the double-minded and empty people -- and it prophesies to them in corners. And it deceives them, speaking all things in emptiness according to their strong desires. For also it is answering to empty people. For when the empty vessel is placed together with an empty one, it is not broken, but they harmonize with one another.
"But when he enters a gathering full of just men who have a breath from the Divine One, and intercession is made from them, that person is emptied, and the earthly breath flees from him in fear, and that person is muted and is wholly broken into pieces, unable to speak.
"For, if you pack wine or oil into a cupboard, and place an empty vessel among them, and again you want to unpack the cupboard, the same vessel is there that you placed there empty. In the same way also, the empty prophets, whenever they enter the spirits of just people, are just as they were when they entered.
"You have the lives of both kinds of prophets. Therefore, test the person who says that he is moved by the breath, by the deeds and life.
"Now trust the breath that comes from God, and has power; but put no trust in the earthly and empty breath, because there is no power in it, for it comes from the accuser.
"Therefore, listen to the analogy that I am about to tell you. Take a stone, and throw it up to the sky. See if you are able to reach it. Or again, take a spout of water, and siphon it up to the sky -- see if you are able to make a hole in the sky."
I said, "Sir, how are these things able to be, for both of these things that you have
said are beyond power."
He said, "Just as these things are beyond power, in
the same way also the earthly breaths are powerless and weak.
"So, receive the power that comes from above. The hail is a small grain, and when it falls on a person's head, how much pain it brings! Or again, take a drop that falls on the ground from the tile, and makes a hole in the stone.
"Then you see that the smallest things from above that fall on the ground have great power. In the same way also the divine breath that comes from above is powerful. Therefore trust this breath, but stay away from the other one."
He said to me, "Remove from yourself all evil strong desire, and clothe yourself in the strong desire that is good and reverent. For, when clothed in this strong desire, you will hate the evil strong desire and will lead it along as you want.
"For the evil strong desire is wild, and is only tamed with difficulty. For it is frightening, and its much wildness is very costly to people -- but greatly if a slave of God gets entangled in it, and has no understanding. He is used up by it fearfully. Now it uses up such people who do not have the good strong desire but who are mixed up with this age. So it hands these people over to death."
I said, "Sir, "What are the works of the evil strong desire, those that hand people over
to death? Make them known to me, so that I may stay away from them."
He said, "Listen by what deeds the evil strong desire brings death to God's slaves.
"Coming first of all things is the strong desire for another person's wife or husband, and for abundance of wealth, and for many useless foods, and for alcoholic beverages and other delicacies that are many and foolish. For every indulgence is foolish and worthless for God's slaves. Therefore, these strong desires are evil, bringing death to God's slaves. For this evil strong desire is the accuser's daughter. Therefore, it is necessary for you to abstain from the evil desires, so that in abtaining, you would live for God.
"But as many as are lorded by them, and don't resist them, are slain by them, for these strong desires are deadly.
"But you clothe yourself in the strong desire for what is right, and arm yourself with the fear of the Lord, and resist them. For the fear of God lives in the good strong desire. If the evil strong desire sees you armed with the fear of God and resisting it, it will flee far away from you and will be seen by you no longer, since it fears your weapons.
Therefore, when you are victorious over it and are crowned, come to the strong desire for what is right, and hand over to it the victor's prize which you have received, and serve it, just as it plans. If you are enslaved to the good strong desire, and submit to it, you will have power to be lord over the evil strong desire, and to subject it just as you plan to."
I said, "Sir, I want to know in what ways it is necessary for me to be enslaved
to the good strong desire."
He said, "Listen: work out right and virtue, truth and the fear of
the Lord, trust and gentleness, and as many good things as are like these. In working out
these you will be well-pleasing as God's slave, and you will live
for him. And everyone, whoever is enslaved to the good strong desire, will live for
God."
So he completed the twelve precepts, and he said to me: "You have these precepts. Walk in them, and advise those who hear you, so that their mental change would become clean for the rest of the days of their lives. May this service that I am giving you make you complete in a manageable way, and you will accomplish much. For you will find favor among those who are about to change their minds, and they will be persuaded by your declarations. For I will be with you, and I will direct them to be persuaded by you."
I said to him, "Sir, these precepts are great, and nice, and glorious, and are able to gladden the heart of the person who is able to keep them. But I don't know whether these precepts are able to be kept by a human being, since they are very hard."
He answered, saying to me, "If you place it ahead of yourself that are able to be kept, you will easily keep them, and they will not be hard. But if it already goes up into your heart that they are not able to be kept by a human being, you will not keep them.
"But now I am telling you: if you don't keep them but neglect them, you will have no salvation -- nor will your children or your household, since you have already judged for yourself that these precepts are unable to be kept by a human being."
And he spoke these things to me very angrily, and so I was confused and feared him a lot. For his form had changed, and so no human being was able to endure his anger.
Now when he noticed that I was wholly disturbed and confused, he began to speak more gently to me, and he said, "Unwise person without understanding, and double-minded one, aren't you mindful of God's glory -- how great and strong and wonderful it is? Because he created the universe for humanity's sake, and subjected all his creation to humanity, and gave all authority to him, that he should be lord over all things under the sky?
I said, "So, if humanity is lord of all God's creatures and is lord over all things, isn't he also able to be lord of these precepts? He said, "The one who has the Lord in his heart can be lord of all things and all these precepts.
"But those who have the Lord on their lips, but whose hearts are hard and are far away from the Lord, these precepts are hard and inaccessible for them.
"Therefore, you who are empty and lightweight in trust, hold your Lord in your hearts, and you will know that nothing is easier than these precepts, nor sweeter, nor gentler.
"Turn back, those of you who walk after the accuser's precepts -- the ones that are difficult and bitter and wild and chaotic, and don't fear the accuser, because there is no power in him against you.
"For I will be with you, I, the messenger of mental change, who is lord over him. The accuser has fear, but his fear has no intensity. Therefore, don't fear him, and he will flee from you."
I said to him, "Sir, listen to a few declarations from me."
He said, "Say what you plan to."
I said, "Sir, humanity is eager to keep God's precepts, and there
is no one who doesn't ask the Lord, so that he would be strengthened in his precepts
and would submit to them, but the accuser is hard and is lord over them."
He said, "He is unable to be lord over God's slaves, who put their hope
in him with their whole hearts. The accuser can fight them, but he is
unable to overthrow them. So, if you resist him, he will be conquered
and will flee from you with shame."
He said, "But those who have been emptied out
fear the accuser as if he had power.
"When a person has filled enough bottles with nice wine (and few of these bottles are empty) he comes to the bottles, and does not examine the full ones, for he knows that they are full. But he examines the empty ones fearing that otherwise they may have soured. For empty jars sour quickly, and the wine's taste is destroyed.
"In the same way also the accuser comes to all of God's slaves, testing them. So, those who are full of trust oppose him strongly, and he goes away from them, since he has no place where he may enter. So then he goes to the empty ones, and since he has a place, he enters them. Now also, he works what he plans in them, and they become his low slaves.
"But I, the messenger of mental change, am telling you: Don't fear the accuser," he said, "for I was sent to be with you who change your minds out of your whole hearts, and to strengthen you in trust.
"Therefore, trust God, you who are desperate about your lives on account of your sins, and are adding to the sins, and weighing down your lives. Because if you turn to the Lord out of your whole hearts, and do what is right for the remaining days of your life, and are enslaved to him rightly according to what he wants, he will make healing for your previous sins, and you will have power to be lord over the accuser's deeds. But be wholly unafraid of the accuser's threats, for he has no intensity, like a corpse's muscles.
"Therefore, listen to me, and fear the one who is able to do all things, to save and to destroy, and keep these precepts, and you will live for God."
I said to him, "Sir, now am I empowered in all the Lord's tenets, because you are with me. And I know that you will crush all the accuser's power, and that we will be lords over him, and will be stronger than all his deeds. And, sir, I hope that I am able to keep these precepts which you have given, since the Lord is empowering me."
He said, "You will keep them if your heart becomes clean toward the Lord. And everyone will keep them, whoever cleanses their hearts from the worthless strong desires of this age -- and they will live for God."