Just as, s long as a Testament has not
been opened, the fortune of the deceased master of the house remains hidden, so
too the All remained hidden, so long as the Father of All was invisible, unique
being existing through himself, from whom came forth all Spaces. This is why
Jesus appeared and took that Book. He was nailed to a Tree; He was fastened to
the Cross the ordinance of the Father. Oh! great, sublime teaching ([The Gospel
of Truth, c. 140-180] 20:15-25)
This constitutes a most important exegesis
of Col. 2:14. The χειρογραφον
is the ordinance of the father, that is the Book itself, and this ordinance is promulgated
on the Cross, for it is then that Christ wins the right to unfold it. Its
content is the revelation of the father, which until then had remained hidden. (Jean
Daniélou, The Theology of Jewish Christianity: The Development of Christian
Doctrine Before the Council of Nicaea [trans. John A. Baker; London:
Darton, Longman and Todd, 1964], 203)