Interpretation of Knowledge

The Interpretation of Knowledge is an gnostic document of the Nag Hammadi Library placed in Codex XI.[1][2][3] The tractate text gives an insight of Christian congregations of both gnostic and non-gnostics living together. However, strong enmity between these groups grow because of division and authoritative possession of spiritual gifts such as prophecy and high authority over congregational groups.[4]

Overview

The author coinciding with the gnostics, in fear of division, addressed a group who feel they are separated or discriminated. The author preaches to them of envy. Particularly referring to the New Testament, the author mentions familiarities with the Pauline epistles about the body of Christ as a unity. The author points out that each and everyone is just as important as the other person.[4]

Manuscripts

Only two tractates were copied by the first scribal hand of Codex XI. One of the documents has the full title of the document appearing at the end of the text that appears on the back of a partially preserved flyleaf. The condition of the text is poor, making it difficult to actually determine the correlation of the title and the incipit. The title does not appear anywhere else other than the text itself.[5]

References

  1. Gregory, Andrew (2003). The Reception of Luke and Acts in the Period Before Irenaeus: Looking for Luke in the Second Century, Volume 169 of Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament. Mohr Siebeck Publishers. p. 383. ISBN 9783161480867.
  2. Dunderberg, Ismo (2013). Beyond Gnosticism: Myth, Lifestyle, and Society in the School of Valentinus. Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231512596.
  3. Layton, Bentley (1980). The Rediscovery of Gnosticism, Volume 41 of Studies in the history of religions. BRILL. ISBN 9789004061767.
  4. 1 2 Van Den Broek, R. (2013). Gnostic Religion in Antiquity. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. pp. 106–107. ISBN 9781107031371.
  5. McConkey Robinson, James (2000). The Coptic Gnostic Library: A Complete Edition of the Nag Hammadi Codices, Volume 3, Biblical Studies and Religious Studies. BRILL. pp. 21–30. ISBN 9789004117020.
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