The Secret Gospel of Mark

Salutation

From the epistles of the most holy Clement, of the Stromateis (Miscellanies). To Theodore.

The Doctrines of the Carpocratians

You did well, silencing the unmentionable doctrines of the Carpocratians. For these are the prophesied stars straying from the narrow path of the commandments into a bottomless abyss of fleshly and bodily transgressions. For being inflated as to “knowledge,” as they say, “of the deep things of Satan,” they overlook that they cast themselves into the deepest gloom of falsehood, and bragging they are free, they have become slaves of servile lusts. These, therefore, must be opposed in each and every way. For, even if they say something true, nevertheless, one who loves truth must not agree with them. For not everything actual is the truth, nor is what appears to be true according to human opinion to be preferred over the real truth according to the faith.

A More Spiritual Gospel

So of the chatter about the divinely inspired Gospel according to Mark, some things are completely false, and even if others contain some true things, they nevertheless have not been transmitted truly. For true things when commingled with concoctions become counterfeits, so that, according to the saying, “Even salt loses its taste.” Then regarding Mark, during Peter’s sojourn in Rome, he wrote a narrative of the Lord’s deeds, but not recording everything, nor especially indicating what is mystical, but selecting what he thought most useful for the increase of the catechumens’ faith.

When, however, Peter was martyred, Mark fled to Alexandria, bringing both his own and Peter’s drafts, from which he copied into his first book the things fitting for advancement in knowledge, preparing a more spiritual gospel for the use of the mature. Similarly, not once did he publish the secret things, nor write the hierophantic doctrine of the Lord, but arranged the previously mentioned deeds as well as others. Furthermore, he introduced certain sayings, the exegesis of which he had knowledge, to initiate the hearers into the holy of holies of the truth veiled seven times. Therefore, in this way he prepared in advance, not grudgingly or carelessly, as it seems to me, and when he died he left behind his writing to the church in Alexandria, where it is even now kept exceedingly well guarded, being recited solely to those who those initiated into the greater mysteries.

Blasphemous Interpretation

However, as the blood-stained demons are ever scheming the damnation of the human race, Carpocrates, instructed by them and employing deceitful skills, enslaved in this manner a certain presbyter of the church in Alexandria so that from him he obtained a copy of the mystical gospel, and which he interpreted according to his blasphemous and fleshly opinion. What is more, he polluted the undefiled and sacred sayings by commingling them with the most revolting lies. From this commingling is derived the doctrine of the Carpocratians. To these, then, even as I have reported earlier, one must never yield nor admit when they make false allegations, that the mystical gospel is by Mark, but should even deny it on oath. For not to everyone should everything that is true be told.

On account of this, the wisdom of God through Solomon commands, “Answer the fool from his foolishness,” teaching us that it is necessary that from darkened minds the light of truth be hidden. For example, it says, “From the one who has not, it will be taken away,” and, “Let the fool walk in darkness.” We, however, are sons of light, having been illuminated from above by the dawn of the spirit of the Lord. “But where the spirit of the Lord is,” it says, “there is freedom.” “For to the pure, all things are pure.”

The Secret Gospel

⟦ The letter breaks off here, mid-sentence; the source marks the end of the surviving text with a bracketed gap. ⟧

So I will not refrain from answering the things you asked, exposing the false reports with the same sayings of the gospel. Naturally, after the (words) “they were on the way, going up to Jerusalem,” and the following things until, “After three days he will rise again,” thus it reads word for word:

And they entered into Bethany and there was a woman there whose brother had died. And she came and prostrated to Jesus, and said to him, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me.’ The disciples, however, rebuked her.

And growing angry, Jesus went away with her into the garden where the tomb was, and suddenly there was heard a loud sound from the tomb, and Jesus drew near and rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb, and entering immediately where the youth was, he stretched out his hand and raised him up and grabbed hold of his hand, but seeing him, the youth loved him, and started to implore him that he could be with him.

And coming out of the tomb, he entered the house of the youth, for he was wealthy. And after six days, Jesus ordered him, and when evening came, the youth approached him naked, being covered with only a robe. And he stayed with him that night. For Jesus taught him the mystery of the kingdom of God. From there, he rose and returned to the other side of the Jordan.

And although these (words) follow the (words), “and James and John approached him,” and the whole pericope, by contrast, the (words), “naked on naked,” and the other things you wrote about are not found. After, however, the (words), “he entered into Jericho,” it introduces only, “and there were the sister of the youth whom Jesus loved, and his mother and Salome, and Jesus did not receive them.”

The many other things you wrote, however, appear to be, and are, false reports. Certainly indeed, the true exegesis, in accord with the true philosophy [. . .]