''The Book of the Secret Supper'' (''Cena Secreta''), also known as ''Interrogatio Iohannis'' (''The Questions of John''), ''The Book of John the Evangelist'' and ''The Gospel of the Secret Supper'' was a Bogomil apocryphal text from Bulgaria, possibly based on a now lost

Paulician Paulicianism ( Classical Armenian: Պաւղիկեաններ, ; grc, Παυλικιανοί, "The followers of Paul"; Arab sources: ''Baylakānī'', ''al Bayāliqa'' )Nersessian, Vrej (1998). The Tondrakian Movement: Religious Movements in the ...

treatise, which also became an important Cathar scripture. The book was translated into Latin and introduced to Italy in the late 12th century, then taken to Provence before the

Albigensian Crusade The Albigensian Crusade or the Cathar Crusade (; 1209–1229) was a military and ideological campaign initiated by Pope Innocent III to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc, southern France. The Crusade was prosecuted primarily by the French crown ...

by the Cathar bishop Nazarials or Nazario. Two manuscripts survive; one was found in the archives of the Inquisition in the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

town of Carcassonne in Languedoc, a Cathar stronghold, and the other was kept in the National Library of Vienna, Austria. There are significant differences between the two texts indicating independent manuscript traditions. A postscript added to the Carcassonne manuscript by the Inquisitors states, "This is the Secret of the heretics of Concorrezzo, brought from Bulgaria by Nazarials, their bishop. It is full of errors."

''The Book of the Secret Supper'' is a first-person narrative beginning "I, John…" in which John the Evangelist poses a series of questions to Jesus at a secret supper in the

kingdom of heaven Kingdom of Heaven may refer to: Religious * Kingdom of Heaven (Gospel of Matthew) **Kingship and kingdom of God, or simply Kingdom of God, the phrase used in the other gospels * Kingdom of Heaven (Daviesite), a schismatic sect, founded by Will ...

Creation

The book begins with the story of the opposing forces of God, the Invisible Father and creator of good, and

Satan Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...

, the creator of evil. The book exhibits a mitigated dualism by stating that Satan was a former angel of God before falling, shining white before his fall and burning red after. Jesus tells John how Satan took over the semi-created world, descending from the third heaven and recruiting angels to join him “according to the plan of the Governor Most High.” Satan brought forth all living things, plants, animals, fish and birds, then created man and woman from clay in order to serve him, animating the man with an angel from the

second heaven ''Second Heaven'' is a novel written by Judith Guest Judith Guest (born March 29, 1936) is an American novelist and screenwriter. She was born in Detroit, Michigan and is the great-niece of Poet Laureate Edgar Guest (1881–1959).

and the woman with an angel from the first heaven. The angels were distressed at having to inhabit material forms. Satan encouraged them to sin, but they did not know how, so Satan filled the woman with a longing for sin, then created a serpent from his spittle, inhabited it and seduced her with its tail. He then filled Adam with lust for debauchery with the result that all their children were offspring of the devil and of the serpent.

Nativity

Jesus then describes his own birth, telling John that the Father sent an angel, in the form of Mary, to receive Him in the

Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...

. Jesus descended from the seventh heaven and came forth from her ear. Satan then sent Elijah in the form of John the Baptist to give a false baptism by water, but John is warned that only baptism in spirit by Jesus can bring about the remission of sin: ''"Can man be saved through the baptism f John?" He replied:"Without my baptism, with which I baptize unto the remission of sins, I affirm that no one can receive salvation in God"''. Those baptized with water marry, but those baptized in the spirit remain celibate: ''"The followers of John marry and are given in marriage, whereas my disciples marry not at all but remain as the angels of God in the heavenly kingdom."''

Last Judgement

The final part of the book is a description of the Last Judgement when those who have followed an angelic life shall be honored, while those who lived a life of iniquity shall find wrath, fury and distress in everlasting fire. Satan, after waging war upon the just, will be bound with unbreakable bonds and cast into a pool of fire. Then the Son of God will sit on the right hand of his Father, the righteous will be set among the choirs of angels, God shall be in the midst of them and wipe away their tears, and of His kingdom there shall be no end for ever and ever.

References

Sources

*Benoist, I., "Histoire et des Vaudois ou des Albigeois Barbets" (1691) *Thilo, J. K., "Codex apocryphus Novi Testaments" (1832) * Reitzenstein, R. "Die Vorgeschichte der christlichen Taufe" (1929) * James, M. R. "The Apocryphal New Testament" Oxford: Clarendon Press (1924) *Wakefield, Walter L. & Evans, Austin P. "Heresies of the High Middle Ages" New York: Columbia Univiversity Press (1991)

External links

The Gnostic Society Library - Cathar Texts and Rituals - ''Interrogatio Johannis''
{{Authority control Bogomilism Catharism Gnostic texts