Analogue 16: The Celestial Human

Transcendent Humanity has far more sons and daughters than earthly humanity. If the sons and daughters of Adam are a multitude even though they continually die, how many more are the offspring of the Completed Human who do not die but are continuously being born? 

The Father is the source of the Son, but it is impossible for the son to be the origin of the other sons. The one who is begotten, then, is not the source of the other children; rather he assists in bringing his own siblings into being.

SYNOPSIS

• A complex traditional sacred anthropology acts as a background for this and the following analogues as well as for the text as a whole. 
• Some of its teaching is implicit while a portion of it is made explicit in this Gospel. 
• This sacred anthropology is part of the larger apocalyptic vision of mystical Judaism but was shared by other wisdom and mystical traditions of the ancient world. 
• The full template of a human being is understood to have its origins in the the divine Mind, its first manifestation in Paradise, and then its appearance in temporal and physical form on earth. Later that form will change as it returns to its paradisiacal homeland and joins the great company of spiritual humanity. 
• There are many links in this chain of being: From the Transcendent, the archetypal template in the Consciousness of the Divine Mind, to the collective manifestation of what the Jewish tradition calls the Adam Kadmon in Paradise, to the appearance of the material form of the individual person in time and space, and then back to the Adam Kadmon which later tradition calls the Bar Enash. 
• In order for the archetypal template to be fully realized it must appear and be manifest in the duality of time/space where humanity gains characteristics, values and inner substance. 
• The human individual is born into time/space as the beginning of human realization or realized humanity. This new form is eventually called the Bar Enash once it has been realized or come to completion and full fruition as a result of having lived in space and time. 
• When an individual human being is fully realized, then collective humanity will be realized and the template and the Angel will meet and unite (as Yeshua proclaims in Analogue 14: Come bind our Angel archetype to the Icon/Image). 
• The population density of transcendent humanity is vast, far greater than that of temporal race of humankind living presently on earth. 
• Humanity has a divine father from which humanity originates outside of temporality (as well as a spiritual mother, who we will hear more about soon.) 
• The great template or manifestation of the collective form of humankind is transcendent and it begets children in far greater numbers than anything produced by temporal humans (whose physical and material source is Adam). 
• We do not fully understand this ratio, but the offspring of Completed Human are continuously being born, which could be a reference to an understanding of potential reincarnation. 
• The "Son" as a manifestation is not the Source of that manifestation, but is an assistant, acting more like a spiritual midwife perhaps. For Philip, this may be a corrected Christology challenging that which was being articulated in the West.

COMMENTARY 

This analogue begins an outline of a very complex anthropological teaching that is a characteristic feature of sacred tradition in all of the Abrahamic traditions. Human beings are not simple nor are they only terrestrial and temporal. Their lineage is vast, extending out of Eternity into time and returning back into Eternity. Each individual comes into physical manifestation out of a deep history and a long journey that has preceded temporal and material existence. This understanding has also been familiar in many other streams of Perennial Wisdom though details may differ in each narrative. The main component in Philip’s telling is that human beings have a history prior to coming into physical existence which is followed by a continuation after leaving the dimensions of space and time. This history is sometimes described as the experiences of pre-eternity (prior to coming to Earth) and post-eternity (once one has left this domain and returned back into Eternity).

This analogue describes the total population of that Body which is called “Transcendent Humanity” (also known as Adam Kadmon, or the “original human” in various of the Jewish traditions, which could easily be translated as the Celestial Human or the Heavenly Adam). This cosmic being which emanates from the Source existing before space and time is said to be immense. It is in fact a collective of beings whose population is vast in comparison to the “few” who actually reside at any given time as part of the the population on earth. The goal and trajectory of Transcendent Humanity is to move toward what this text describes as the Completed Human (or bar Enash) which has passed through temporality on its way to a destiny which we cannot now fully know but which is described in greater detail in the rest of the Gospel. The Source of the entire spiritual Body of Humanity is the divine Paternity, the Fatherhood (and we shall also soon hear of the complementarity of its maternal source as well). In this analogue we also come to learn something of the role of the figure of the sibling. In Jewish tradition (though not here) this sibling is called “the first born” among humans or the "first-begotten One”.

The beings who make up the Completed Human and who are its progeny become immortal, though they are described here as being continuously born. Philip apparently perceives the divine life experienced beyond this world not as a static state but as dynamic in nature—always being birthed into new forms which continue to evolve. This may be related to a later Christian doctrine associated with the teaching of the Cappadocian father, Gregory of Nyssa called epektasis or infinite growth, the idea that a soul continuously evolves through a birthing process. So perhaps what is being described here is the very foundation of what shall become a later doctrine in Patristic theology.

Yeshua is clearly viewed here as the template of both the becoming in this world and the later evolution beyond it. In addition, his role is understood to be as an assistant in support of what earlier Jewish writings refer to as the first-born beings who follow him into the same completion or perfection. Yeshua himself does not “birth” sons and daughters but acts as a kind of mid-wife or assistant. He can be contemplated as the foreshadowing on earth of the Completed Human (the son of Humanity) means or looks like so that we can understand it.

This analogue appears to make the case that Yeshua was a spiritual Master and catalyst for the awakening of other human beings like himself but was not different from other humans by being fully God. This distinction means that as someone born or begotten like us, Yeshua is both a template or paradigmatic for the human becoming of us all and therefore can assist us. He was not absolutely unique and distinct from other humans, as western theology will insist, perfect and sinless in every way. Philip’s point of view, so different from what developed in the West, was held by the early Jewish community who followed Yeshua, but later, after the christological formulations in the West, it was considered by Western theology to be inadequate and heretical. It appears, however, to be the point of view that the Gospel of Philip shares with the early Jewish community who were also called Ebionites.

Though in this particular early Jewish theological perspective Yeshua is not divine, he nevertheless serves both as a powerful model for all humans as well as a spiritual Master. Later he is also seen to ascend into a more cosmic and powerful role, sending his own spirit to accompany all who will follow him, assisting them in their own becoming. Thus a community of “first-born beings” who are like Yeshua in this way is called into a special cosmic role of assisting other human being who will become later-born at just the right moment as the cosmological processes unfold.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION 

1. This is a complex spiritual anthropology which has not been fully articulated in the West. It is not unlike various Hindu doctrines of Brahman and Atman where there are transcendent gradations and descriptions of human being. If you know about these teachings or others, in what ways are they similar? Different? 
2. Do you have a sense of yourself as a member of both an ancient and transcendent spiritual Body or community as well as a member of the human race on earth? 
3. If you were to imagine yourself in spiritual evolution and growth both here in space-time and after it when you pass into eternity, what might that evolution look like? How are you experiencing that evolution now? 
4. Have you ever thought of Yeshua as your “elder brother” who is now helping you to evolve by assisting you into the full realization of yourself? 
5. Do you understand that Transcendent Humanity is your origin and Completed Humanity is your destiny? What is the difference between these two forms of the Cosmic or Celestial Body of Humanity? Why is experience on earth so necessary for the transformation?

Notes for Reference and Study

A. The origin of the concept and doctrine of the Adam Kadmon is ancient. One can see its roots back in the days of the Prophets and their writings. The term the Son of Man or the Human One, used also by Yeshua to describe himself, points directly back to these Prophetic writings. The figure of the Human One is seen to sit at God’s right hand in the Celestial Temple and the Courtroom of the Heavens and appears to be the child of the divine, a princely being with great authority. We imagine, of course, that this being is a single soul, but later teachings describe this One as the original Adam in whom all souls, including you already exist. At the beginning it is the full Adamic being but is not completely differentiated. This great collectivity of which each soul is a part was brought into existence at the beginning of Creation and has a vital role to play in that created order and exists for its ultimate evolution and destiny. (See: Daniel 7:13-14, 18-27, 10:13, 21, 12:1, Ezekiel 2:1-10, Psalm 8:5-6. This term is used elsewhere, in the Books of Enoch and is of course in the early Christian scriptures).

 

B. The anthropomorphic name Adam Kadmon (ben Adam) denotes that it contains an ultimate divine purpose not just for itself but for the whole creation. Because of its origins in and from the divine, this Adam Kadmon, the primordial Adam, can be seen as both human and divine—made up out of both the divine breath and also from the elements of the earth. Later in the teaching of mystical Judaism, especially in Kabbalistic thought, this figure embodies all of the divine attributes of the Sefirot, the emanating Tree of Life which holds the whole of creation together. 

C. The term bar Enash (Enosh) is also used to name a later expression of this same figure, referring to the completed form of the Adam Kadmon once it has come through the experience of living in space and time. This original figure is both “in God” and in creation, having passed from the divine Realm into creation and re-emerged back to its origins in God. When it returns it manifests as a being described as the Completed Human, perfected by the trials of space and time and bearing the values and virtues that have emerged in it as a result of those experiences. This commentary is using these two terms (Adam Kadmon and bar Enash) in just these ways to suggest the difference that the journey through time makes for the full figure standing in the Eternal Court and Temple of Heaven having been perfected by the trials of earthly experience. 

D. In Hebrew culture and tradition the birth of the first-born (especially that of a son) is significant for many reasons having to do with what is held sacred. The first-born bears responsibility for the latter-born siblings and is assigned a double portion of the inheritance in order to fulfill that duty. If, for example, any of the latter-born siblings fall into trouble, it is the responsibility of the first-born to seek for a solution and in particular to work for the redemption of anyone lost or sold into slavery. The first-born male child is often made a priest in order to help the larger community. Something similar is understood to be true of pastoral flocks and of agricultural harvests. There are two seasons of harvest in the eastern Mediterranean world due to the early and later rains that water the fields. Fruits and harvest from the early rains are considered sacred and brought to the Temple as offerings and given to God. These first fruits and harvests belong to God and are used to feed those in need. In the writings of early Christianity, Yeshua was called the “first-born” of God out of the whole creation (and those who follow him are also named the same), bearing responsibility for all latter-born beings. Likewise, Yeshua and his followers were named as his first-fruits of the harvest and offered to God. These Jewish customs and metaphors were seen as spiritually significant for the redemption of the whole cosmos and all beings in it in order to bring about a full restoration (See: Romans 8:29, Colossians 1:15-17, Revelation 1:5). 

E. Ebionites (Greek: Ἐβιωναῖοι Ebionaioi, derived from Hebrew אביונים ebyonim, ebionim, meaning "the poor" or "poor ones") is a patristic term referring to an early Jewish Christian movement that existed during the early centuries of the Christian Era. They regarded Yeshua as the Messiah while rejecting his divinity as it was being formulated in Greco- Roman Christianity. They did not accept his virgin birth, and insisted on the necessity of being Torah-observant. They used only one of the Jewish–Christian gospels, the Hebrew text of Matthew’s Gospel starting at chapter 3. Ya’akov, brother of Yeshua (also called James the Just), was their leader and later saw Paul the Apostle as straying from the Torah. The term, “the Poor Ones” suggests that they placed a special value on voluntary poverty. Ebionim was also a term used by the Jewish sect at Qumran who sought to separate themselves from the corruption of the Temple. Many believe that they were Essenes. Scholars such as Pierre-Antoine Bernheim, Robert Eisenman, Will Durant, Michael Goulder, Gerd Ludemann, John Painter, and James Tabor argue for some form of continuity from the Jewish Jerusalem church into the 2nd and 3rd centuries, believing that the Ebionites regarded Ya’akov and the latter brothers of Yeshua as carrying on his tradition 

F. Epektasis, as expressed in the writing of the patristic teacher, Gregory of Nyssa, is derived from a Greek word found in verses such as Philippians 3:13 where it is translated as “straining toward.” The term implies something that is in the process of becoming, striving to become, or growing into something new. It has alternately been understood to signify spiritual evolution and maturation. In the context of Christian theology, epektasis implies that joy is found in the process of maturation and spiritual evolution itself and not just in the final outcome. It is the transformational experience itself that produces a sense of wellbeing, not the achievement of any particular goal as a settled state. Specifically, epektasis emphasizes the need for “spiritual metamorphosis,” suggesting this process will continue throughout eternity.

Notes on the Translation 

1. “Transcendent humanity” is “the Man of Heaven” and “earthly humanity” is “the Man of Earth”. 
2. “Continuously being birthed” could also be translated as “continually reborn”. 
3. In the second paragraph the word “source" translates a colloquialism in Greek which means “storehouse”.