Editing Demiurge (section)

===Valentinus===
It is in the [[Valentinianism|system of Valentinus]] that the name ''Dēmiurgos'' is used, which occurs nowhere in Irenaeus except in connection with the Valentinian system. When it is employed by other Gnostics either it is not used in a technical sense, or its use has been borrowed from Valentinus. But it is only the name that can be said to be specially Valentinian; the personage intended by it corresponds more or less closely with the Yaldabaoth of the Ophites, the [[Abraxas|great Archon]] of Basilides, the Elohim of [[Justin (gnostic)|Justinus]], etc.

The Valentinian theory elaborates that from Achamoth (''he kátō sophía'' or lower wisdom) three kinds of substance take their origin, the spiritual (''pneumatikoí''), the animal (''psychikoí'') and the material (''hylikoí''). The Demiurge belongs to the second kind, as he was the offspring of a union of Achamoth with matter.<ref name="Catholic"/><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103105.htm| title = Irenaeus, ''Adversus Haereses'', i. 5.}}</ref> And as Achamoth herself was only the daughter of ''[[Sophia (Gnosticism)|Sophía]]'' the last of the thirty Aeons, the Demiurge was distant by many emanations from the Propatôr, or Supreme God.<ref name="Catholic"/>

In creating this world out of Chaos the Demiurge was unconsciously influenced for good; and the universe, to the surprise even of its Maker, became almost perfect. The Demiurge regretted even its slight imperfection, and as he thought himself the Supreme God, he attempted to remedy this by sending a Messiah. To this Messiah, however, was actually united with Jesus the Saviour, Who redeemed men. These are either ''hylikoí'' or ''pneumatikoí''.<ref name="Catholic"/>

The first, or material men, will return to the grossness of matter and finally be consumed by fire; the second, or animal men, together with the Demiurge, will enter a middle state, neither Pleroma nor ''hyle''; the purely spiritual men will be completely freed from the influence of the Demiurge and together with the Saviour and Achamoth, his spouse, will enter the Pleroma divested of body (''hyle'') and soul (''psyché'').<ref name="Catholic"/><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103106.htm| title = Irenaeus, ''Adversus Haereses'', i. 6.}}</ref> In this most common form of Gnosticism the Demiurge had an inferior though not intrinsically evil function in the universe as the head of the animal, or psychic world.<ref name="Catholic"/>