Tripartite Tractate 24

1Out of an inclination toward mercy, our Savior became the same as those for whose sake he appeared had become through an instinctive passion—namely, flesh and soul, which constantly rule over them, so that they are destroyed and die. Yet those who [came into being] [] [as] invisible and invisibly, he taught about himself invisibly. He not only took on <himself> the death of those he intended to save, but also embraced the smallness into which they had fallen when they were <born> with body and soul, because he chose to be born as a child with body and soul. He shared in all the other conditions shared by those who had fallen, even though they possessed the light and he was exalted above them, because he chose to be conceived without sin, impurity, or corruption. He was begotten into physical life while dwelling in life, because it had been determined that both would equally become body and soul on account of the passion and shifting inclination from the Word, who had stirred himself in conversion.

2But according to the plan of salvation, it was he <who> took upon himself the results of the things we mentioned before—namely, what came into being from the illuminating vision and the firm thought of the Word after his self-conversion, after he stirred himself. This is how those who, like him, assumed body and soul, as well as establishment, stability, and wisdom. It had been determined beforehand that they would come together with the coming of the Savior, which had also been determined beforehand. Only when the Savior had made the decision did they also come. Thus they came, far surpassing in their fleshly emanation those who had been produced from the deficiency, [] because this was how they too underwent bodily emanation, as did the Savior, through the revelation of their union with him.

3These are those of a single substance, namely, the spiritual substance. The plan of salvation, however, is diverse: this is one thing, and that is another. Some emerge from passion and division and need healing. Others issue from the prayer that heals the sick and are appointed to treat the fallen. These are the apostles and the preachers of the message. They are the students of the Savior and the instructors of those who need teaching.

4Why, then, do they also share in the same passions as those who were produced from passion, if, according to the plan of salvation, they were produced in one body with <the> Savior, who did not share in such passions? The Savior was an image of a single entity, being the Totality in bodily form. Consequently, he preserved the pattern of inseparability, from which impassability comes. But they are images of each one who was revealed. This is why they embrace separation from their pattern, since they took on form for the planting that exists beneath heaven and that also [] shares in the evil prevailing in the places they have reached. For the will held the Totality captive under sin, so that by will he could show mercy to the Totality and they could be saved, since the one who is singular is chosen to give life, while all the rest need salvation.

5Because of this, he was the first among those to receive the grace of bestowing the gifts proclaimed by those whom he considered worthy of preaching to others. For <the> seed of the promise of Jesus Christ was put in place, whose revelation and union we have served. The promise made teaching possible, including the return to what they had been in the beginning. They possess a drop inclining them to return to it. This is what they call “redemption,” which is release from captivity and the attainment of freedom.

6The captivity is that of those who were enslaved to ignorance. In contrast, freedom is knowledge of the truth that existed before ignorance and prevails eternally, without beginning and without end. It is what is good, a cure for everything, and a release from the enslaving nature that caused suffering to those who had been produced in a lowly thought of emptiness—the nature of the evil inclination, [] through the thought that degrades them into lust for control. From the wealth of grace that looked upon the children, they received the treasure of freedom. Freedom casts down passion and destroys those things that it had earlier cast away from itself when the Word separated them from himself. He destined them for destruction until <the> the plan of salvation ends, and he allowed them to continue to exist because they too were useful for the things that had been predetermined.