Apocryphon of John 18

11. I also asked the Savior, “Lord, will all souls then be conducted safely into the pure light?”

22. He answered me, “Great things have arisen in your mind, because it is difficult to explain them to others, except to those who are from the unmoving race.

33. Those upon whom the Spirit of life will alight, and whom he will empower, will be saved and become perfect. They will be worthy of the Greatness, and there they will be made clean of all evil, as well as participation in evil.

44. Therefore, because they have no concern other than indestructibility alone, on which they will concentrate from this time on, without wrath, envy, jealousy, lust, or greed for anything, nothing will trouble them except the condition of fleshly existence, which they will cope with while waiting expectantly for the time when they will be greeted «26» by the receivers.

55. Such people, then, are worthy of the indestructible, eternal life and the election, because they withstand all and endure all, so that they may complete the contest and inherit eternal life.”

66. I asked him, “Lord, will the souls of those who will not have performed these works, upon whom the power ‹and› Spirit of life had descended, be [rejected]?”

77. He answered me, “If the Spirit descended upon them, they will nevertheless be saved, and they will reform, because the power will descend upon all people, because apart from it no one can endure.

88. However, after being born, as the Spirit of life increases and the power arrives and strengthens that soul, no one will be able to lead it astray with evil deeds.

99. However, those upon whom the false spirit descends are dragged by him and led astray.”

1010. I asked, “Lord, when their souls have departed from their flesh, where will they go?”

1111. He grinned and said to me, “The soul in which the power will grow stronger than the vile spirit—because it is strong and runs away from evil—even by the intervention of the indestructible one, will be saved and brought up to the repose of the aeons.”

1212. I asked, “Lord, where will the souls of those who were unaware of the one to whom they belong dwell?”

1313. He said to me, “In those, when the vile spirit «27» increased in strength, they went astray; and it weighs down the soul and drags it to evil deeds, and he throws it down into oblivion, and after it departs, it is delivered over to the authorities who originated through the archon, and they fetter it with chains, throw it into prison, and accompany it until it rouses from oblivion and obtains knowledge. If in this way it is perfected, it will be saved.”

1414. I asked, “Lord, how can the soul grow smaller and return into the natural state of its mother or into the man?”

1515. He rejoiced when I asked him this and said to me, “Truly, you are blessed, because you have come to understand that such a soul will be made to succeed another, in whom the Spirit of life dwells.

1616. It will be saved through him.

1717. It will not be thrown again into another flesh.”

1818. I also asked, “Lord, where will the souls of those who did know, but who have turned away, go?”

1919. He said to me, “They will be brought to that place where the angels of destitution go, the place with no repentance, and they will be detained for the day when those who have blasphemed the Spirit will be tormented, and they will be punished with an age-long punishment.”