The Interpretation of Knowledge is an gnostic tractate of the Nag Hammadi library placed in Codex XI.
Contents
Content overview
The text gives an insight of Christian congregations of both gnostic and non-gnostics living together. However, strong enmity between these groups grow because of division and authoritative possession of spiritual gifts such as prophecy and high authority over congregational groups.
The author coinciding with the gnostics, in fear of division, addressed a group who feel they are separated or discriminated. The author preaches to them of envy. Particularly referring to the New Testament, the author mentions familiarities with the Pauline epistles about the body of Christ as a unity. The author points out that each and everyone is just as important as the other person.
Manuscripts
Only two tractates were copied by the first scribal hand of Codex XI. Only the one tractate (21, 35) has the full title displayed at the end of the text on the back of a partially preserved flyleaf. The condition of the text is poor, making it difficult to actually determine the correlation of the title and the incipit.