Chapter XLVI.—Marcus’ Account of the Birth and Life of Our Lord.

But concerning the creation of this (Jesus), he expresses himself thus: That powers emanating from the second tetrad fashioned Jesus, who appeared on earth, and that the angel Gabriel⁷⁷⁵⁷⁷⁵    Luke i. 26–38. filled the place of the Logos, and the Holy Spirit that of Zoe, and the “Power of the Highest”⁷⁷⁶⁷⁷⁶    Or, “of the Son,” an obvious mistake. that of Anthropos, and the Virgin that of Ecclesia.⁷⁷⁷⁷⁷⁷    Irenæus has, “And the Virgin exhibited the place of Ecclesia.” And so it was, in Marcus’ system, that the man (who appeared) in accordance with the dispensation was born through Mary.⁷⁷⁸⁷⁷⁸    Irenæus adds, “whom the Father of the universe selected, for passage through the womb, by means of the Logos, for recognition of Himself.” And when He came to the water, (he says) that He descended like a dove upon him who had ascended above and filled the twelfth number. And in Him resides the seed of these, that is, such as are sown along with Him, and that descend with (Him), and ascend with (Him). And that this power which descended upon Him, he says, is the seed of the Pleroma, which contains in itself both the Father and the Son, and the unnameable power of Sige, which is recognised through these and all the Æons. And that this (seed) is the spirit which is in Him and spoke in Him through the mouth of the Son, the confession of Himself as Son of man, and of His being one who would manifest the Father; (and that) when this spirit came down upon Jesus, He was united with Him. The Saviour, who was of the dispensation, he says, destroyed death, whereas He made known (as) the Father Christ (Jesus). He says that Jesus, therefore, is the name of the man of the dispensation, and that it has been set forth for the assimilation and formation of Anthropos, who was about to descend upon Him; and that when He had received Him unto Himself, He retained possession of Him. And (he says) that He was Anthropos, (that) He (was) Logos, (that) He (was) Pater, and Arrhetus, and Sige, and Aletheia, and Ecclesia, and Zoe.