Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (11 page)

fect, the light, the Holy Spirit, have

united the angels also with us, with the

images.”

1John 6:54.

42

NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS

52
An ass which turns a millstone in a

now found food because the person has

circle went one hundred miles. When he

worked the ground.

was turned loose he found he was still at

59
If anyone goes down into the water

the same place. There are people who

and comes up having received nothing

make many trips and get nowhere. When

and says, “I am a Christian,” he has borevening came upon them, they saw no rowed the name at interest. But if he

city or town, no creation or nature, no

receives the Holy Spirit, he has taken the

power or angel. The poor fellows labored

name as a gift. If someone has received

in vain.

a gift, it is not taken back. But he who

53
The Eucharist is Jesus. For they call

has borrowed something at interest has

him in Syriac
pharisatha
, which is, “the

to meet the payment.

one who is spread out.” For Jesus came

60
It is this way . . . if anyone should

and he crucified the world.

be in a mystery. . . .

54
The Lord went into the dye shop of

Levi. He took seventy-two colors and

62
Do not be afraid of the flesh nor

threw them into the kettle. He took them

love it. If you fear it, then it will be your

all out white, and he said, “Thus the Son

master. If you love it, it will swallow and

of man came, a dyer.”

strangle you.

55
Wisdom (
sophia
), whom they call

63
Either one is in this world, or in the

barren, is the mother of the angels, and

resurrection, or in the places in the midthe consort of Christ is Mary Magdalene.

dle. God forbid that I be found in them.

The [Lord loved Mary] more than all the

In this world there is good and evil. Its

disciples, and he kissed her on the [mouth

good is not good, and its evil is not evil.

many times]. The other [women/disciples

But there is evil after this world, true evil,

saw] . . . him. They said to him, “Why do

which they call “the middle.” It is death.

you [love her] more than all of us?” The

As long as we are in this world, it is

Savior answered and said to them, “Why

fitting to us to acquire the resurrection,

do not I love you as I do her?”

so that when we peel off the flesh we will

56
If a blind person and one who can

be found in repose, not making our way

see are in the dark, there is no difference

in “the middle.” For many wander astray

between them. When the light comes,

off the path. For it is good to come out

then the one who sees will see the light,

of the world before one sins. . . .

and the one who is blind will stay in the

darkness.

67
The truth did not come naked into

57
The Lord said, “Blessed is the one

the world, but came in types and images.

who exists before he came into being.

One will not receive the truth in any other

For he who exists was and will be.”

way. There is a being-born-again, and an

58
The greatness of the human being

image of being-born-again. It is truly

is not revealed, but it is hidden. Because

necessary that they become born again

of this he is lord of the animals that are

through the image. What else is the resstronger than he and are great according urrection? It is necessary that the image

to that which is clear as well as hidden.

arise through the image. The Bridal

And this mastery gives to them their sta

Chamber and the image necessarily enbility. But if a person leaves them alone, ters into the truth through the image; this

they kill one another (and) bite one anis the recapitulation. It is necessary not other. And they ate one another because

only that those who have it received the

they could find no food. But they have

name of the Father and the Son and the

THE GOSPEL OF PHILIP

43

Holy Spirit, but that they took it themis not imperishable and neither is he who selves. If someone does not take it himcreated the world. For there is no imperself, the name also will be taken away ishability, of things, but there is of sons.

from him. But one receives them in the

And no thing can attain imperishability

anointing of the power of [the cross] . . .

if it does not become a son. But if somethe apostles call it “the right” and “the one cannot receive, how much more will

left.” For this reason one is no longer a

he not be able to give?

Christian, but a Christ.

100
The Cup of Prayer holds wine and

68
The Lord [did?] all in a Mystery, a

it holds water. It serves as a type of the

Baptism, an Anointing, a Eucharist, a

blood for which they give thanks. And it

Salvation, and a Bridal Chamber. . . .

is full of the Holy Spirit and belongs to

the completely perfect Man. When we

82
Is it all right to speak a mystery?

drink this, we will take to ourselves the

The Father of all joined himself with the

perfect Man.

virgin who came down, and a fire[?] was

101
The living water is a body. It is

burned for him that day. He appeared in

right that we clothe ourselves with the

the great Bridal Chamber. Therefore, his

living Man. Therefore, when he comes to

body came into being that day. He came

go down to the water, he disrobes in order

out of the Bridal Chamber as one who

that he may put this one on. . . .

came into being from the bridegroom and

the bride. Thus, Jesus established all

125
As long as it is hidden, wickedness

through these. And it is fitting for each

is really brought to nothing, but it is still

of the disciples to enter his repose.

not removed from the midst of the seed

83
Adam came into being from two

of the Holy Spirit. They are slaves of

virgins: from the Spirit and from the virevil. When it is revealed, then the perfect gin earth. Therefore, the Christ was born

light will pour over everyone, all those

from a virgin so that he could bring order

in it will receive the [anointing]. Then

to the stumbling which occurred in the

the slaves will become free, and the prisbeginning.

oners will be redeemed.

84
There are two trees in paradise. The

126
[Every] plant my Father in Heaven

one engenders a[nimals]; the other endoes not plant [will be] rooted out. Those genders people. Adam [ate] from the tree

who are alienated will be united. They

which brought forth animals; [he

will be filled. Everyone who [will go in]

be]came a beast and he begot beasts. Beto the Bridal Chamber will [light the cause of this they worship . . . of Adam.

light]. For [it shines] as in the marriages

The tree . . . fruit is . . . engenders people

which [are seen, although they] are in the

. . . the (person) . . . God created the

night. The fire [burns] in the night, then

p[erson . . . the perso]n created God.

it is extinguished. But the mysteries of

85
It is like this in the world: people

this marriage are fulfilled in the day and

create Gods and they worship those

the light. That day and its light do not

whom they have created. It would be

set.

proper if the Gods worshipped people. . . .

127
If anyone becomes a child of the

Bridal Chamber, he will receive the light.

99
The world came into being through

If anyone does not receive it while he is

an error. For he who created it intended

in these places (i.e., this world), he will

to create it imperishable and immortal.

not be able to receive it in the other place.

He failed to attain his hope. For the world

The one who has received light cannot

44

NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS

be seen nor can he be held. And no one

the aeon, for the aeon has become for

can torment him, even while he lives in

him the fullness. It is thus; it is revealed

the world. And further, when he goes out

only to him. It is not hidden in the darkof the world, already he has received the ness and the night, but it is hidden in a

truth in images. The world has become

perfect day and a holy light.

The Gospel of Truth

A moving expression of Gnostic joy in experiencing enlightenment, the

“Gospel of Truth” is one of the real treasures of the Nag Hammadi Library (see p. 19). The book is not a Gospel in the traditional sense—there is no account of the life or teachings of Jesus here. It is called a Gospel because it presents the “good news” of God’s gracious revelation of saving knowledge, gnosis, which comes through Jesus Christ. Some scholars believe that it was originally a sermon preached to a Gnostic, or possibly a more broadly Christian, congregation; many are convinced that it was authored by the most famous Gnostic Christian of the second century, Valentinus himself.

The Gospel of Truth presupposes important aspects of Gnostic myth, but it does not explicate them; there are only scattered hints about how the divine realm, the material world, and human beings came into existence.

Instead, the book focuses on the truth that brings redemption to an anguished humanity languishing in darkness and ignorance, and especially on the one who brought this revealed truth, Jesus Christ, the Word who comes forth from the Father as his Son. Through Christ’s revelation, the fog of error has been dissipated and the illusions of falsehood have been exposed, opening those who receive the truth to understand who they are, allowing them to be reunited with the incomprehensible and inconceivable Father of all.

Whether or not the work actually came from the pen of Valentinus, it was known to the church father and heresy-hunter Irenaeus, and so must have been written sometime before 180 ce.

The gospel of truth is joy for those who

pleroma, the one who is in the thought

have received from the Father of truth the

and the mind of the Father, that is, the

grace of knowing him, through the power

one who is addressed as the Savior, (that)

of the Word that came forth from the

being the name of the work he is to

Translation by Harold W. Attridge and George W. MacRae, in Harold W. Attridge,
Nag
Hammadi
Codex
1
(The
Jung
Codex)
(Nag Hammadi Studies, 22) (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1985) 82–117; used with permission.

45

46

NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS

perform for the redemption of those who

the mercies of the Father; the hidden

were ignorant of the Father, while in the

mystery, Jesus, the Christ, enlightened

name [of] the gospel is the proclamation

those who were in darkness through

of hope, being discovery for those who

oblivion. He enlightened them; he

search for him.

showed (them) a way; and the way is the

When the totality went about searching

truth which he taught them.

for the one from whom they had come

For this reason error grew angry at

forth—and the totality was inside of him,

him, persecuted him, was distressed at

the incomprehensible, inconceivable one

him (and) was brought to naught. He was

who is superior to every thought—igno-

nailed to a tree (and) he became a fruit

rance of the Father brought about anguish

of the knowledge of the Father. It did not,

and terror; and the anguish grew solid

however, cause destruction because it

like a fog, so that no one was able to see.

was eaten, but to those who ate it it gave

For this reason error became powerful; it

(cause) to become glad in the discovery,

worked on its own matter foolishly, not

and he discovered them in himself, and

having known the truth. It set about with

they discovered him in themselves.

a creation, preparing with power and

As for the incomprehensible, inconbeauty the substitute for the truth.

ceivable one, the Father, the perfect one,

This was not, then, a humiliation for

the one who made the totality, within him

him, the incomprehensible, inconceivis the totality and of him the totality has able one, for they were nothing, the anneed. Although he retained their perfecguish and the oblivion and the creature tion within himself which he did not give