Date of composition

• Late 100s, when Heracleon, a Valentinian gnostic, lived.

Type of Apocrypha (heretical or in error (made up))

• Heretical, since the author is a Valentinian gnostic.

Length

• Unknown. All we have are quotes from Heracleon found in Origen and Clement of Alexandria. (The quotes found in Origen run to approximately seven double-spaced pages.)

Summary

• This writing appears to be a commentary on John. Origen wrote a commentary on the Gospel of John, where we find these quotes from Heracleon. That must mean that Heracleon also wrote a commentary on the Gospel of John, some of which Origen refutes in his commentary.

Noteworthy from the book

1. Includes many gnostic teachings.
2. In typical gnostic fashion, Heracleon frequently uses allegory. For example, Jesus started his ministry in Capernaum, far from Jerusalem. Heracleon pointed out that Capernaum represented, for Jesus, the material world, which is far from the spiritual world from which he came.