John continueth his questioning.
And when the Saviour had said this, John continued again and said:
"My Lord, bear with me, if I question thee, and be not wroth with me, for I question concerning all things with surety and certainty for knowledge of the manner, how we are to herald it to the men (of the world)."
And the Saviour answered and said unto John:
"Question concerning all things on which thou questionest, and I will reveal them unto thee, face to face in openness without similitude, or with surety."
2. Of pretenders who receive the mysteries.
And John answered and said:
"My Lord, if we go forth and herald it and come into a city or a village, and if the men (of that city) come forth to meet us without our knowing who they are, and if they receive us unto themselves in great deceit and great play-acting and bring us into their house, desiring to make trial of the mysteries of the Light-Kingdom, and if they play-act with us in submission and we suppose that they long after God, and we give them the mysteries (of the Light-Kingdom), and if we thereafter know that they have not done what is worthy of the mystery, and we know that they have play-acted with us, and have been deceitful against us and that they have also made a show of the mysteries region by region, making trial of us and also of our mysteries,--what is then the thing which will befall such?"
And the Saviour answered and said unto John:
"If ye come into a city or a village, where ye enter into the house and they receive you unto themselves, give them a mystery. If they are worthy, ye will win their souls and they will inherit the Light-Kingdom; but if they are not worthy but are deceitful against you, and if they also make a show of the mysteries, making trial of you and also of the mysteries, then invoke the first mystery (of the First Mystery) which hath mercy on every one, and say:
Thou Mystery, which we have given unto these impious and iniquitous souls who have not done what is worthy of thy mystery but have made a show of us, turn back {then} the mystery unto us and make them for ever strangers to the mystery (of thy Kingdom). And shake ye off the dust of your feet [as] a witness against them1, saying:
May your souls be [as] the dust of your house.
And
amēn,
I say unto you: In that hour all the mysteries which ye have given unto them, will return unto you, and all the words and all the mysteries (of the region) up to which they have received figures, will be taken from them2.
3. A former saying explained.
"Concerning such men, therefore, have I aforetime spoken unto you in similitude, saying: 'Where ye enter into a house and are received, say unto them: Peace be with you. And if they are worthy, let your peace come upon them; and if they are not worthy, let your peace return unto you,2'--that is: If those men do what is worthy of the mysteries and in truth long after God, give them the mysteries of the Light-Kingdom; but if they play-act with you and are deceitful against you, without your having known it, and if ye give them the mysteries (of the Light-Kingdom) and again thereafter they make a show of the mysteries and they make also trial of you and also of the mysteries, then perform the first mystery (of the First Mystery) and it will turn back unto you all the mysteries which ye have given unto them, and it will make them strangers to the mysteries (of the Light) for ever.
"And such men will not be led back to the world from this moment onwards; but
amēn,
I say unto you: Their dwelling is in the midst of the jaws (of the dragon of the outer darkness). And if they still at a time of penitence renounce the whole world and the whole matter therein and all the sins (of the world) and they are in entire submission to the mysteries (of the Light) no mystery can hearken unto them nor forgive their sins, save this same mystery (of the Ineffable) which hath mercy on every one and forgiveth every one his sins."
Read: Matthew 10:14
Read: Matthew 10:13