The opening describes the soul as having a feminine nature, with a
womb, and initially being in an
androgynous form while alone with her father. However, when the soul fell into a body and entered this life, it was taken advantage of by various men and became a
whore. Despite attempting to leave these relationships, the soul found herself in a helpless and desolate state, with offspring from the adulterers being disturbed. The soul then called out to her father for help and was deemed worthy of his mercy due to her afflictions from abandoning her house. The text continues to address the issue of the prostitution of the soul, which is seen as a major issue. The holy spirit is said to prophesy about this in different places, such as in the prophets
Jeremiah,
Hosea, and
Ezekiel. The messengers of the savior command to guard against both the prostitution of the body and especially the soul, as
Paul wrote to the
Corinthians about avoiding association with whores. The greatest struggle is said to be the prostitution of the soul, which is not against flesh and blood but against the world rulers of darkness and evil spirits. Discussion of the prostitution of the soul continues with how it leads to the troubles and punishment of the soul. The text explains that when the soul perceives her troubles and repents, the father will cleanse her and turn her womb inward. This is her
baptism, which involves regaining her original nature and becoming pure again. The father then sends down the firstborn, who is the
bridegroom, to be with the
bride, who has cleansed herself in the bridal chamber. She no longer engages in promiscuous behavior, but instead waits for the true groom and dreams of him. The text then describes a spiritual marriage between the soul and her true love and master, who is sent down to her by the father. This marriage is different from carnal marriage and reunites the soul with her true love and master, bringing her back to her former happiness. The soul recognizes her true love and adorns herself so that he may be pleased to stay with her. She is told to turn away from her former people and the gang of adulterers, to devote herself to her king and remember her father in heaven. The soul is encouraged to leave her earthly ties and kin and to forget her father's house. The writing continues with a description of the soul's journey towards spiritual renewal and salvation. The soul is compared to a bride who must turn away from her past promiscuity and be cleansed, waiting for her true love (the divine). This true love then comes to her in the bridal chamber and they make love, producing the seed (life-giving spirit). This
union is the soul's rejuvenation and leads to her salvation, which is not dependent on human efforts or knowledge but rather a gift from a merciful God. The soul will eventually rise, praising the father and her brother, who rescued her, and be saved through rebirth. This is the soul's resurrection from the dead, ransom from captivity, and ascent to heaven and the father. Salvation only comes through the
grace of God, who draws people to the
savior, who will raise them on the last day. Prayer and repentance are important in achieving salvation. It is emphasized that prayer should be made from within, with the soul and not just with the
lips. Repentance, which is seen as the beginning of salvation, should come from distress and sorrow. The text mentions that the father is good and loves humankind and will hear the soul that calls him. It cites passages from scripture that emphasize the importance of returning to the father and sighing, so that one may be saved. The text mentions that the lord will have pity on those who lament and that those who deceive will not be able to harm those who have repented. The text encourages people to pray to God night and day, with sincerity and without hypocrisy, so that they can be worthy of salvation. God examines their inner selves and bottom of their hearts to see who is worthy. The soul needs to turn away from the deception and return to its perfect husband by sighing and repenting. The example of
Israel is given, which was
brought out of the
land of Egypt and house of bondage by sighing to God and weeping about its oppressive labors. If people repent, God will hear them and help them, because he is merciful. ==References==