Copyright 1996 Phillip Medhurst. All rights reserved
PROLOGUE
One day I, John the brother of James - both the sons of Zebedee - went up to the Temple. A Pharisee named Arimanias approached me and said, "Where is your Master, the one you used to follow?"
I replied, "He has gone back to where he came from."
The Pharisee said to me, "This Nazarene has greatly deceived you. He has told you a pack of lies, closed your minds and turned you away from the traditions of your ancestors."
When I, John, heard these things, I turned away from the Temple to a rugged waste. And I grieved greatly in my heart, saying, "How was the Saviour appointed? And why was he sent into the world by his Father? And who is his Father who sent him? And what is the nature of that aeon to which we shall go? What did he mean when he said to us, 'That aeon to which you shall go shares the nature of the imperishable aeon,' but did not teach us about its nature?" Straightway, while I was contemplating these things, behold, the heavens opened, and the whole creation below shone with light, and the entire world was shaken, and I was afraid. I looked, and behold, I saw in the light a child standing there. As I looked, it changed its appearance into that of an old man. Then its appearance changed again - returnong to that of a child. As I gazed upon it, I did not comprehend this marvellous thing. There was a plurality before me, but within the light there was a multiform image: the semblances appeared through each other, and the likeness had three forms, and it spoke to me.