Gospel of Philip

Genre

Sayings and reflections, including 17 sayings of Jesus.^{11 22}

Written

Late second or early third century, in Emily Laflèche's account.¹¹

Language

Preserved in Coptic; Laflèche reports a presumed Greek original.^{1010 1111 11}

Author

Unidentified; Philip is quoted once, which does not establish him as author.¹²¹²

Found in

Nag Hammadi Codex II, pages 51–86, with local gaps.^{1010 1111}

Readers looking for a story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene encounter sayings and reflections on Christian rituals and spiritual union instead. Alongside the damaged kiss passage, Philip discusses baptism, anointing, Eucharist, redemption and the bridal chamber. Emily Laflèche associates it with the school of Valentinus, a second-century Christian teacher. She describes the bridal chamber as a ritual theme of human and divine union; its precise practice, including a possible sexual element, is uncertain. Philip's references to Mary do not establish a marriage.^{9 sources9 sources}9 sources×5. Mattison)6. Mattison)7. Ehrman1. Laflèche2. Ehrman3. Mattison)4. Mattison)8. Laflèche9. Ehrman

1. A disputed account of conception

   Codex page 55

   The book rejects conception by the Holy Spirit, asking how one woman could conceive by another, while also affirming Mary's undefiled virginity.^{1313 1414 1515}

2. Mary as companion

   Pages 59 and 63–64

   Mary Magdalene is called Jesus' companion. A damaged passage is commonly reconstructed as describing his special love for her and repeated kisses; the disciples ask why he loves her more.^{5 sources5 sources}5 sources×16. Mattison)17. Isenberg)5. Mattison)6. Mattison)7. Ehrman

3. Rituals and reunion

   Pages 67–70

   The book names five mysteries, or sacred rites. It links baptism, redemption and the bridal chamber with the temple's holy places, and describes death and reunion through the separation of male and female.^{33 11 44}

4. The cross and the anointing

   Pages 73–74

   Philip is quoted telling how Joseph planted the trees used for Jesus' cross. The collection also places anointing above baptism and connects the Christian name with that anointing.^{1212 1818}

• A kiss with missing words

  Page 63, lines 33–36

  The familiar reading about love and repeated kissing involves restoration of damaged text. Mouth is itself a proposed restoration of a gap; critical historian Bart Ehrman regards the missing body part as unknowable.^{5 sources5 sources}5 sources×5. Mattison)6. Mattison)7. Ehrman19. Isenberg)11. Hixson

• Joseph's trees

  Page 73

  The saying attributed to Philip connects Joseph's carpentry with Jesus' cross by making Joseph the planter of its trees.¹²¹²

Philip's title does not authenticate apostolic authorship: the author is unidentified, and Philip appears once as someone quoted. Laflèche's account places its composition in the late second or early third century and associates it with Valentinian Christianity. For the broader canon process, early Latin church writer Augustine weighed reception among churches, while evangelical scholar Roger Nicole stresses apostolic origin. Those general criteria help frame the question; they are not records of a decision about this particular work.^{4 sources4 sources}4 sources×12. Mattison)1. Laflèche23. Shaw) 188724. Nicole 1997

• Myth Philip says Jesus married Mary Magdalene.

  Actually: Ehrman argues that companion does not by itself mean spouse and reads the kiss as transmission of revelation. Evangelical scholar Elijah Hixson stresses that mouth fills a hole in the manuscript.^{5 sources5 sources}5 sources×7. Ehrman16. Mattison)25. King19. Isenberg)11. Hixson

• Gospel of Mary →
• Gospel of Thomas →
• Gospel of Judas →

• The Gospel of Philip · Emily Laflèche¹¹
• Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Sexual Innuendos · Bart D. Ehrman⁷⁷
• In Depth: Dr Elijah Hixson · Elijah Hixson¹¹¹¹