Chapters 24 and 25
“He gave a name to himself alone, because he alone saw him and because he alone was capable of giving himself a name.” [24:1-2]
The Father alone is the only One with the ability to name himself. As the Ultimate Consciousness, the Father is self-aware, and that awareness is the beginning of all things.
“For he who does not exist has no name. For what name would one give him who did not exist? Nevertheless, he who exists also with his name and he alone knows it, and to him alone the Father gave a name. The Father is the Son is his name.” [24:3-5a]
Paradoxes inverted and turned inside out defy comprehension. There is no name for one who does not exist, so the One who exists has a name that is only known by the One who knows it. The One who is given the name by the One who knows the Name is both the namer and the named.
The name of the Father is “The Father is the Son” which is the name given to the Son by the Father who alone knows the name.
Are we meant to understand this? Are we expected to connect these dots and nod in agreement at the simplicity of this wisdom? Or does this conundrum underscore the mystery of consciousness, which encompasses all things?
Better yet, does our understanding of these mysteries take place in some ineffable place beyond our sense of reason and resolve within us as wisdom that escapes our ability to fully explain or express?
“He did not, therefore, keep [the name] secretly hidden, but the son came into existence. He himself gave a name to him. The name, then, is that of the Father, just as the name of the Father is the Son. For otherwise, where would compassion find a name outside of the Father? But someone will probably say to his companion, “Who would give a name to someone who existed before himself, as if, indeed, children did not receive their name from one of those who gave them birth?” [24:5b-9]
The name of the Son was not kept a secret, even though the Father was the only one who knew the name because when the Son came into being, the name came alive for all to see and hear, taste and touch. The eternal connection between the Name of the Father and the Son is unbroken.
“Above all, it is fitting for us to think this point over: What is the name? It is the real name. It is, indeed, the name which came from the Father, for it is he who owns the name. He did not, you see, get the name on loan, as in the case of others because of the form in which each one of them is going to be created. This, then, is the decisive name. There is no one else to whom it has been given. But it remained unnamed, unuttered until the moment when he, who is perfect, pronounced it himself.” [24:10-14]
The Name is the true name; the real name. It came from the Father and it belongs to the Father. As Jesus said, “All I have is yours, and all you have is mine.” [John 17:10] So, the Name that belongs to the Father, and that existed before the Father and was with the Father in the beginning is this: The Father is the Son, and that Name is true. It is reality itself. It is both the Logos and the essence of the being to whom the idea of Logos belongs.
These ideas transcend language, and yet they point us to the ultimate reality of the relationship between the Father and the Son, and between all of us who are made in the image of the Father, and who are created in the likeness of the Son.
“He is the one who has the power to speak his name and to see him. It pleased him, then, that his beloved name should be his Son, and when he gave this name to him, he who has come from the depth spoke of his secrets. He told this secret because he knew that the Father was absolute goodness. For this reason, indeed, the Father sent the Son in order that he might speak concerning the place and his place of rest from which he had come forth, and that he might glorify the fullness [Pleroma], the greatness of his name, and the sweetness of his Father.” [25: 1-4]
As we meditate on these concepts, our analytical minds are exhausted as our inner self awakens to the mystery of the Father in the Son and the Son in the Father, and in all things.
The Father gives his name to the Son because it pleases him. The Son speaks the secret of the Father because he delights in the Father’s goodness.
The Father speaks the name out loud in the form of the Son who embodies the Father’s secret name. The Son speaks of the place of rest from which he was born and testifies to the miracle of the fullness of God, the greatness of God’s name, and the Father’s infinite sweetness.
And we who bear witness to these things fall to our knees in wonder and awe to proclaim the Father’s goodness and receive the Son’s testimony which resonates with the frequency of a Universe attuned to the glory of God.
**
The newest book from Keith Giles, “The Quantum Sayings of Jesus: Decoding the Lost Gospel of Thomas” is available now on Amazon. Order HERE>
Keith Giles is the best-selling author of the Jesus Un series. He has appeared on CNN, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and John Fugelsang’s “Tell Me Everything.”
He co-hosts The God Squad podcast, and the Heretic Happy Hour Podcast.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In