Silvanus was an early Christian teacher associated with the Nag Hammadi texts. The Teachings of Silvanus is a wisdom text that emphasizes moral instruction and the pursuit of divine knowledge.
This text, discovered among the Nag Hammadi library in Egypt in 1945, represents a form of early Christian wisdom literature that combines Jewish, Greek, and Christian elements. It teaches that those who know themselves will know God, and knowing God, will become like God.
The Teachings of Silvanus encourages readers to become the image of God, bearing nothing earthly, so that they may consort with God and become gods. This emphasis on human transformation and divine potential aligns with broader early Christian themes of theosis and has resonances with Latter-day Saint teachings on becoming like Heavenly Parents.