Nag Hammadi Library — Codex I, Text 3
The Gospel of Truth is a Valentinian meditation on the meaning of the Christian gospel, widely attributed to Valentinus himself (c. 100–160 CE) or to a close disciple. Rather than a narrative gospel, it is a lyrical, philosophical homily on the nature of error, the redemptive work of Christ, and the soul's return to the Father through knowledge (gnosis). It is one of the most beautiful and theologically significant texts in the Nag Hammadi Library.
This edition reproduces a modern English rendering available through the Gnostic Society Library (gnosis.org), based on the critical editions of the Coptic text.
The gospel of truth brings joy to those who have been given the grace of knowing the Father of truth, revealed through the power of the Word who came forth from the fullness of the Father, and who forever resides within the Father’s thought and mind. He is rightly called "Savior," for his purpose is the redemption of those who remain unaware of the Father. The very name "gospel" proclaims hope, as it reveals Him to those who seek. Indeed, all creation sought the One from whom it had come—this One who is boundless and beyond comprehension, surpassing every thought.
Yet ignorance of the Father gave birth to fear and dread. Terror thickened like a heavy fog, blinding all to truth. Error grew powerful in that darkness, laboring fruitlessly on empty forms because it did not recognize truth. In its pride, error crafted a false beauty, a counterfeit in place of truth itself.
Nevertheless, this did not diminish the boundless, inconceivable Father. For compared to His eternal truth—unshakable, undisturbed, and infinitely beautiful—terror, forgetfulness, and falsehood amount to nothing.
For this reason, do not take error too seriously.
Having no true root, error drifted lost in confusion concerning the Father. It busied itself with works of forgetfulness and fear, seeking to deceive and entrap those caught in-between. Forgetfulness, the child of error, never revealed itself openly, for it cannot shine beside the Father’s brilliance. Though it arose because the Father was unknown, forgetfulness itself never dwelt with Him. Within Him dwells knowledge alone, given to shatter forgetfulness and make the Father known. For as soon as one comes to know the Father, forgetfulness itself is erased forever.
This is the gospel of the One whom all seek, revealed through the Father’s merciful grace as a hidden mystery—Jesus, the Anointed One. Through Him, the Father shone a light upon those blinded by forgetfulness. Jesus illuminated them, giving them a clear path; and this path was truth itself. Because of this, error raged against Him, persecuted Him, and tried vainly to silence Him. He was nailed upon a cross and thus became the fruit of the knowledge of the Father. Yet this fruit did not bring destruction to those who tasted it; rather, it filled them with joy through its revelation.
He discovered them within Himself, and they in turn discovered Him within themselves. Thus they encountered that boundless, inconceivable, and perfect Father who created all, within whom all things reside, yet whom all things lacked. For the Father held back their perfection within Himself, not out of jealousy—for how could the Father envy His own children? Even had creation attained perfection in full, it could never match the infinite perfection of the Father. He kept this perfection within Himself, giving it as a pathway back to Him—a unique perfection in knowledge alone. He arranged everything, for within Him existed all creation; and creation, unknowingly, sought Him. What did they lack, except the true knowledge of the Father?
So Jesus became their quiet, gentle guide, calmly teaching in their midst. He stood within schools, proclaiming truth as a wise teacher. Those who considered themselves wise came, eager to test Him, but He revealed them as foolish. They hated Him, for He exposed their emptiness. But following them came the innocent, the childlike, who possessed true knowledge of the Father. And as these grew strong, He taught them clearly about the Father’s nature. They came to know, and in turn were known; they were glorified, and they returned glory in abundance.
In the hearts of the little ones, the living Book of Life appeared clearly. This book was first written in the thoughts and mind of the Father, eternally present in that inconceivable part of His own being from before all creation.
This is the Book which none could take hold of, set apart for the One destined to grasp it and be slain. Until that Book appeared, none of those hoping for salvation could be fully revealed. Because of this, Jesus, compassionate and faithful, patiently endured suffering until He took up this Book, knowing that His own death would bring life to countless others. Just as the wealth of a deceased householder remains hidden until the will is opened, all remained concealed as long as the Father, the source and root of all existence, remained invisible and unique unto Himself. For this very reason, Jesus appeared: He clothed Himself in the Book, was nailed to the cross, and there He proclaimed openly the decree of the Father.
Oh, how profound this teaching! He humbled Himself even unto death, though eternal life was His garment. Casting aside mortal garments, He clothed Himself with incorruptibility, an everlasting garment no power could ever take away. He passed courageously through the desolate realm of fear, appearing before those stripped bare by forgetfulness. As perfect knowledge, He taught clearly what lies hidden in the Father’s heart. Thus He became the wisdom of all who seek instruction. Yet those who truly learn—the living souls whose names are inscribed in the Book of Life—will learn directly from the Father Himself, continually turning back towards Him.
Because the Father holds the perfection of all, every being must ascend toward Him. Whoever has true knowledge claims what rightfully belongs to them, drawing it fully within themselves. One who remains ignorant suffers a profound deficiency, lacking what would make them complete. For the perfection of all exists solely within the Father; therefore, each being must ascend to Him and receive the portion meant specifically for them, prepared beforehand by the Father Himself.
Those whose names the Father knew first are often called last. The one possessing knowledge is precisely the one whose name the Father has clearly spoken aloud. Without the calling of one’s name, how could anyone truly hear? Indeed, anyone who remains ignorant until the end is bound by forgetfulness and perishes along with it. Otherwise, why do the ignorant remain nameless and voiceless? Therefore, the one with true knowledge is from above. Upon hearing the Father’s call, that person responds, turns fully toward the caller, and ascends to Him, recognizing clearly their true name. Having come into knowledge, they carry out the will of Him who called, longing to please Him, finding rest, and receiving their true identity. Those who thus gain knowledge understand clearly from where they came and where they must go, like one awakening from intoxication who recovers clarity and reclaims what belongs to them.
Such a one guides many away from error, leading them back to their original dwelling from which they strayed, lost in the immense depth of Him who surrounds all places, though He Himself cannot be surrounded. What a wondrous mystery: beings dwelling within the Father unknowingly, yet capable of wandering away due to their lack of comprehension. For His perfect will had not yet been revealed to them. Thus, He disclosed Himself in the form of knowledge that harmonizes with all His manifestations—the knowledge of the Living Book. At last, He unveiled it clearly to the eternal beings, as letters perfectly formed, letters unlike mere vowels or consonants devoid of meaning. Rather, each letter embodies perfect truth, like a complete book, written by the very hand of Unity. These letters were inscribed by the Father for all eternity, enabling all beings to truly know Him through the divine language He revealed.
His wisdom contemplates the Word,
His teaching expresses it clearly,
His knowledge fully reveals it,
His honor crowns it gloriously,
His joy harmonizes completely with it,
His glory exalts it openly,
His image manifests it purely,
His rest welcomes it fully,
His love embodies it entirely,
His trust embraces it securely.
Thus, the Word of the Father flows into all creation, the fruit of His heart and perfect expression of His will. It upholds and sustains all beings, chooses and assumes the form of all things, purifies them, and guides them gently back to the Father and to the Mother, Jesus, whose sweetness surpasses all understanding. The Father opens His bosom—His bosom is the Holy Spirit—and reveals the hidden mystery, His beloved Son, so that through the Father’s great compassion, the eternal beings may finally know Him, ending their exhausting search, and find true rest within Him. Once He had filled everything incomplete, He dissolved its previous form, which was the world serving incompleteness.
Wherever envy and strife reign, there is incompleteness. But where unity thrives, completeness abounds. This incompleteness arose because they did not know the Father; the moment they truly know Him, incompleteness vanishes entirely. Just as ignorance fades when knowledge arises, as darkness disappears before light, so incompleteness is replaced by completeness. From then onward, form no longer appears but merges seamlessly into unity itself. Though their works currently lie scattered, unity will eventually bring all spaces into wholeness. Through unity, every being will come to understand its own true self. Through divine knowledge, each soul purifies itself from multiplicity into unity, devouring materiality as fire devours matter, as light consumes darkness, as life triumphs completely over death.
Indeed, if such experiences have touched each of us, it is right that we carefully consider them, so that our house may become holy, serene, and unified. Just as when people move homes and come across broken or flawed dishes, they discard them without hesitation, the homeowner experiences no loss but rather joy, knowing that perfect dishes replace the defective ones. This symbolizes divine judgment descending from above, a two-edged sword cutting clearly through all, discerning what is worthy and what is not. When the Word appeared—no mere sound but embodied within those who speak it—there arose great turmoil among the dishes: some were emptied, others filled; some were restored, others cast away; some were purified, others shattered. All spaces trembled, losing their stability. Error herself was shaken, confused, filled with anguish and grief because she understood nothing. When Knowledge arrived, the dissolver of Error, Error vanished, left utterly empty. Truth appeared, recognized instantly by all its emanations. Together they greeted the Father in Truth, united completely to Him in perfect power.
Everyone loves Truth because Truth is the mouth of the Father; the Father's tongue is the Holy Spirit. Whoever touches Truth touches the Father's mouth through His Holy Spirit, and it is in this moment that one receives the Spirit.
This is how the Father reveals Himself openly to His eternal ones. He makes known what was hidden within Him, clearly explaining it. For who truly exists if not the Father alone? All things, all spaces, flow from Him as children spring from a perfect parent. They recognize that they have not yet received form or names—these are given only by the Father. Yet even if they receive knowledge of their forms, though existing within Him, they still do not fully know Him. But the Father knows all completely, and He can choose, at His own pleasure, to reveal and name whomever He wishes, calling them into existence. Those who do not yet exist do not know the One who will form them—but this does not mean they are nothing. They exist already in the Father’s mind, waiting until the moment He wills them into reality, like events destined to occur. The Father fully knows beforehand everything He will create. Yet what is not yet created knows nothing, nor is it anything. Every existence comes forth from the Father, who establishes each from the emptiness of nonexistence. Whoever has no root yields no fruit and eventually perishes, believing falsely, "I exist." Indeed, whatever truly never existed shall never come to be.
What then should those in ignorance think of themselves? "I am like a shadow, a phantom in the night." When morning arrives, they see clearly that their fear was unfounded.
They were unaware of the Father, whom they had not seen. During their confusion, fear, uncertainty, division, and anxiety, many illusions overwhelmed them—empty ignorance as in troubled sleep, filled with frightening dreams. Sometimes they ran without knowing why, unable to escape unseen pursuers. Other times they fought or were wounded without reason, or fell from great heights, or soared impossibly through the air. Some imagined being chased by enemies who did not exist, or believed they harmed others, their hands stained with imaginary blood. Yet when they finally awoke, realizing the illusions were nothing, they discarded ignorance like sleep and dreams, recognizing true knowledge of the Father as dawn itself. Those who were asleep in ignorance awaken joyfully, blessed indeed is the one who opens the eyes of the blind.
The Spirit swiftly came to each awakened soul, reaching out to lift up the fallen, standing them firmly on their feet for the first time. Through this awakening they discovered the Father's knowledge and the revelation of His Son. Seeing and hearing Him, they were allowed to taste, smell, and grasp the beloved Son Himself.
Then the Son appeared, clearly revealing the Father, the boundless One, illuminating hearts with divine inspiration, perfectly fulfilling His Father's will. Many saw the light and turned wholeheartedly to Him. But those immersed in worldly concerns did not recognize or welcome Him; He appeared among them disguised as flesh, yet nothing could block His path, because what is divine cannot be corrupted or resisted. Speaking new truths from the Father's heart, He proclaimed the flawless Word. Light flowed from His mouth, and His voice gave life itself. He brought wisdom, understanding, mercy, and salvation. His strength arose from the Father's boundless sweetness and infinity. He ended punishments and torments, destroying the chains that had led souls astray, conquering them through divine knowledge. He became the Way for the lost, the Wisdom for the ignorant, the Discovery for seekers, the Strength for the trembling, and the Purity for the defiled.
He is the Shepherd who left behind ninety-nine sheep who did not wander, searching carefully for the single lost one, rejoicing greatly when He found it. The ninety-nine represents a number held on the left hand—imperfect, incomplete. When the Shepherd finds the one lost sheep, the entire number moves to the right hand, completing it. The left hand gives up its deficiency, transferring all to the right, and thus the number becomes perfect—one hundred. This symbolizes completion, total restoration; it represents the Father Himself.
He even worked on the Sabbath, rescuing the sheep fallen into a pit, demonstrating the true meaning of Sabbath for all who possess wisdom in their hearts. The Sabbath must never hinder the work of salvation. It represents the heavenly day without darkness, the sun that never sets because it is eternally perfect. Realize in your heart that you yourself are that perfect day, and within you lives a light that will never fade.
Speak truth to those who sincerely seek it; share true knowledge with those who have erred and fallen into sin. Guide steadily those whose feet falter, and extend your hands to comfort the sick. Nourish those who hunger, calm those who suffer, and awaken those who slumber in ignorance. You embody the wisdom that embraces you; when the strong practice these teachings, they become even stronger.
Turn inward and examine yourselves carefully. Do not return your attention to things you have already cast away, the sins you've rejected—do not feed on them again. Do not allow yourselves to decay or become corrupted by old habits, for you've already left these behind. Give no dwelling place to evil, for you have already overcome it. Do not strengthen the obstacles you've nearly defeated—that would be shameful. The lawless one has no true power; he harms himself more than he harms the righteous. The lawless act according to their nature, but the righteous perform their deeds openly, among all people. So, always seek to do your Father's will, because from Him you have come forth.
For the Father is sweet, and His will is filled with kindness. He knows the gifts that belong to you and prepares rest for your souls in them. It is by these spiritual fruits that His children are recognized, and by their fragrance you know they come from His gracious presence. The Father delights in this fragrance, spreading it everywhere. Even when mixed with worldly matter, He returns its pure aroma toward the Light, drawing it upward into His peace in all its forms and sounds.
For ears do not perceive this holy fragrance—only the Spirit senses it. The Spirit draws the fragrance inward, immersing itself fully in the aroma of the Father. Thus, the Spirit preserves this fragrance, returning it to its original source. But the original fragrance grew cold through division, becoming like cool water absorbed by soft earth; outwardly appearing earthly, until a breeze lifts and warms it again. Cold fragrances represent division; faith came precisely to dissolve this separation, restoring the warm fullness of divine love. This unity of perfect thought ensures the coldness will never return.
This is the Gospel’s message of completeness, revealed to all who await salvation from above. When their patient hope comes to fulfillment—the hope of those made in the likeness of pure Light, untouched by shadow—then the Fullness will arrive. The emptiness in worldly matter does not arise from any limitation of the Father, who granted time and grace to heal deficiency. Indeed, the Incorruptible One does not descend through limitation, for the Father’s depth is profound, free from all error.
When people stumble, He quickly lifts them up, restoring them through repentance. Repentance itself is the path homeward. Thus, Incorruption breathed new life even upon sinners, granting them peace. Forgiveness becomes the remedy, the eternal Word shining forth to fill every emptiness. Just as a healer rushes willingly to the sick, knowing exactly what they need, the Father’s Fullness comes to those lacking grace. Before healing, they dwelled in darkness, lacking grace. But once filled by divine fullness, they reveal themselves as whole. Finding this unchanging Light of Truth means being restored to eternal grace.
This is why those who have suffered turn toward Christ, speaking openly of Him to receive healing and to be anointed with divine mercy. The Father’s compassion itself is this sacred ointment, reserved for those He makes perfect. Filled vessels are sealed to protect their fullness. If the seal cracks, their fullness leaks away and dissipates with the slightest wind. But an intact vessel remains sealed, never losing its treasure. Any deficiency is swiftly filled again by the perfect Father.
For the Father is good and recognizes His plantings—each soul planted lovingly in the Paradise He prepared. And His Paradise is true rest.
Paradise itself is perfection found within the Father’s thought; His plantings are the sacred words He has spoken. Each divine Word emerges purely from His own Will, revealed through the eternal Word. Existing deep within His mind, this Word was the first to appear, manifesting quietly through grace, becoming Thought itself before it took visible form. At the exact moment chosen by the Father’s perfect Will, the Word sprang forth. Everything depends on the Father’s Will, in which He finds eternal pleasure and rest.
Nothing occurs apart from the Father’s knowledge; nothing happens unless He desires it. Yet His Will remains beyond understanding, like footprints impossible to trace. But whatever He desires unfolds exactly as He intends—even if human judgment disagrees, His Will remains supreme. For the Father comprehends fully the beginning and the end of all things.
When the end arrives, He greets each one personally. The true “end” means fully recognizing the hidden Father—the One from whom all beginnings arise and to whom everything returns. All creation appears for the joy and glory of His name.
The Father’s own name is the Son. In the beginning, the Father named the One who came forth from Him, while remaining ever unchanged Himself, embracing Him in His thought as His Son. The Father gave Him the name that was His alone—for the Father holds all that exists. He has the name and He has the Son. The Son can be perceived, but the name is hidden, for it is the mystery of the invisible, made known to hearts prepared by the Father to receive it. The Father’s name is not spoken aloud by human tongues; it is made manifest by the Son. Thus this name is truly great.
Who, then, could voice such a wondrous name, save only the One who rightfully owns it and the children who find their rest in it? They, in turn, rest in the name of the Father, the One who has no beginning. He alone first brought forth the name for Himself, even before creating the eternal realms, so that this true name of the Father would reign over them all. This name is firmly established by His authority and His perfect power. It does not come from books or from any common naming process—this name is unseen and known only to the Father, who alone could bestow it upon the Son. For one who does not exist cannot receive a name—what name would there be for that which is not? But the One who truly exists also possesses His name, known only to Himself and granted by the Father. The Father is the One, the Son is His name. The Father did not hide that name; rather, He brought it forth, and the Son revealed it. The Son, then, is the Father’s name, just as the beloved Son is the name of the Father. Otherwise, how would the Son acquire a name, if not from the Father? Yet one might ask, “How can anyone be named by a being who existed before them?”—as if children do not indeed receive their names from their parents.
Reflect on this above all: what is this name? It is the true name, the name that came from the Father alone. Unlike others who bear merely borrowed or fabricated names, the Son bears His own rightful name—unique to Him alone. It remained unspoken and unuttered until the perfect One Himself pronounced it. He alone was able to speak it and behold it. When it pleased the Father for His Son to be declared by this name, and when the One who emerged from the hidden depth revealed it, He uncovered what had been concealed, knowing the Father’s boundless goodness. This is why the Father brought Him forth: so that He might proclaim the Kingdom, speak of the place of rest from which He came, and extol the Fullness, the greatness of the Father’s name, and His sweet compassion.
Every person will speak of the realm from which they have emerged, hastening to return there and receive what is rightfully theirs—the place where they once stood. From that place they will partake, be nourished, and grow, for their true rest is found in their own fullness. All that comes forth from the Father, then, is a realm of fullness, each emanation rooted in the One who caused every growth to sprout from Himself. He set each destiny, allowing each emanation to appear in its own completeness. Their root—where they fix their gaze—raises them on high, leading them back to the Father. There they reach His head, which becomes their resting place, and they remain near to it, as if they have embraced His very face. Yet they do not claim this openly, never exalting themselves nor reducing the Father’s majesty. They do not regard Him as small, nor bitter, nor wrathful, but unfailingly good, untroubled, gracious, knowing all things before they take shape, requiring no teacher.
Those who share in this immeasurable greatness direct their longing toward the unique, perfect One who abides for them above. They do not descend into Hades; they know neither envy nor mourning, and they are free of death. They rest in the One who rests, never weary or perplexed concerning the truth, for they themselves are truth. The Father is in them, and they dwell in the Father, perfect and indivisible from His unchanging goodness. They lack nothing at all, but find rest and refreshment in the Spirit. They listen to their root, tending to the things that lead them back to that root, so that they suffer no harm within their souls.
Such is the domain of the blessed—their rightful home. As for the others, let them understand, in their own place, that I shall say no more, having attained the place of rest. There, I devote myself continually to the Father of all and to His true friends—those on whom the Father lavishes His love, where nothing of Him is absent. These friends make themselves known in their authentic being, for they live in genuine and unending life and speak of the perfect Light, brimming with the Father’s seed, found within His heart and fullness. His Spirit rejoices in that fullness, offering praise to the Father, for He is wholly good. His children are made perfect, worthy of His name, for He is the Father, and He loves children such as these.
Colophon
This text is reproduced from translations made available through the Gnostic Society Library (gnosis.org), based on the critical editions of the Coptic Gnostic Library published by E. J. Brill (Leiden). The Nag Hammadi codices were discovered in Upper Egypt in 1945.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
🌲