Lost Books of the Bible (188 page)

               Exact wording was secondary to the conveyance of the overall meaning as understood by the contemporary reader.

               When the wording of a verse held two possible meanings or needed expanded definitions, optional translations were placed in parentheses.

The Gospel of Philip

1
. A Hebrew makes a Hebrew convert, and they call him a proselyte (novice). A novice does not make another novice.

Some are just as they are, and they make others like themselves to receive. It is enough for them that they simply are as they are.

2. The slave seeks only to be set free. He does not hope to attain the estate of his master. The son acts as a son (heir), but the father gives the inheritance to him.

3. Those who inherit the dead are dead, and they inherit the dead. Those who inherit the living are alive. They inherit both the living and the dead.

The dead cannot inherit anything. How can the dead inherit anything? When the dead inherits the living one, he shall not die but the dead shall live instead.

4. The Gentile (unbeliever) who does not believe does not die, because he has never been alive, so he could not die. He who has trusted the Truth has found life and is in danger of dying, because he is now alive.

5. Since the day that the Christ came, the cosmos was created, the cities are built (adorned), and the dead carried out (disposed of).

6. In the days when we were Hebrews we were made orphans, having only our Mother. Yet when we believed in the Messiah (and became the ones of Christ), the Mother and Father both came to us.

7. Those who sow in the winter reap in the summer. The winter is this world system. The summer is the other age or dispensation (to come). Let us sow in the world (cosmos) so that we will reap in the summer. Because of this, it is right for us not to pray in the winter. What comes from (follows) the winter is the summer. If anyone reaps in the winter he will not harvest but rather pull it up by the roots and will not produce fruit. Not only does it not produce in winter, but on the Sabbath his field shall be bare.

8. The Christ has come to fully ransom some, to save (restore and heal) others, and to be the propitiation (payment) for others. Those who were estranged he ransomed. He purchases them for himself. He saves, heals, and restores those who come to him. These he desires to pledge (in marriage). When he became manifest (in this world) he ordained the soul (with a body) as he desired (and set aside his own life), but even before this, in the time of the world's beginning, he had ordained the soul (he had laid down his own life for these souls). At his appointed time he came to bring the soul he pledged himself to back to (for) himself. It had come to be under the control of robbers and they took it captive. Yet he saved it, and he paid the price for both the good and the evil of the world.

9. Light and dark, life and death, right and left are brothers. It is impossible for one to be separated from the other. They are neither good, nor evil. A life is not alive without death. Death is not death if one were not alive. Therefore each individual shall be returned to his origin, as he was from the beginning. Those who go beyond the world will live forever and are in the eternal present.

10. The names that are given to worldly things cause great confusion.  They contort our perception from the real to the unreal. He who hears the word “God” does not think of the real, but rather has false, preconceived ideas. It is the same with the words “Father,” “Son,” “Holy Spirit,” “Life,” “Light,” “Resurrection,” and “Church (the called out ones),” and all other words. They do not recall the real, but rather they call to mind preconceived, false ideas.

They (Archons) learned the reality of human death. They (Archons) who are in the world system made them (men) think of the false idea. If they had been in eternity, they would not have designated anything as evil, nor would they have placed things within worldly events (time and place). They (men) are destined for eternity.

11. The only name they (men) should never speak into the world is the name the Father gave himself through the Son. This is the Father’s name. It exists that he may be exalted over all things. The Son could not become the Father, unless he was given the Father’s name. This name exists so that they (men) may have it in their thoughts. They (men) should never speak it. Those who do not have it cannot even think it. But the truth created names in the world for our sake. It would not be possible to learn the truth without names.

12. The Truth alone is the truth. It is a single thing and a multitude of things.  The truth teaches us love alone through many and varied paths.

13. Those who ruled (lower gods) desired to deceive man because they knew man was related to the truly good ones. They (Archons) took the designation of good and they gave it to those who were not good. They did this so that by way of words they might deceive man and bind him to those who are not good.  When they receive favor, they are taken from those who are not good and placed among the good. These are they who had recognized themselves.  The rulers (lower gods) had desired to take the free person, and enslave him to themselves forever. Rulers of power fight against man. The rulers do not want him to be saved (recognize himself), so that men will become their masters. For if man is saved there will be no need for sacrifice.

14. When sacrifice began, animals were offered up to the ruling powers (Archon / Demiurge). They were offered up to them while the sacrificial animals were still alive.  But as they offered them up they were killed. But the Christ was offered up dead to God (the Supreme God), and yet he lived.

15. Before the Christ came, there had been no bread in the world.  In paradise, the place where Adam was, there had been many plants as food for wild animals, but paradise had no wheat for man to eat. Man had to be nourished like animals. But the Christ, the perfect man, was sent. He brought the bread of heaven, so that man could eat as he should.

16.  The rulers (lower gods) thought what they did (create the material world) was by their own will and power, but the Holy Spirit worked through them without their knowledge to do her will.

17. The truth, which exists from the beginning, is sown everywhere, and everyone sees it being sown, but only a few see the harvest.

18.  Some say that Mary conceived (impregnated) by the Holy Spirit. They are in error. They do not know what they are saying. How can a female impregnate another female? (The Holy Spirit is a feminine force.) Mary is the virgin whom no power defiled. She is a great problem and curse among the Hebrew Apostles and those in charge (church leaders).  The ruler (lower god) who attempts to defile this virgin, is himself defiled. The Lord was not going to say, “my father in heaven”, unless he really had another father (on earth).  He would simply have said, “my father”.

19.  The Lord says to the Disciples, “Come into the house of the Father, but do not bring anything in or take anything out from the father’s house.”

20. Jesus (Yeshua) is the secret name; Christ (messiah) is the revealed name. The name “Jesus” (Yeshua) does not occur in any other language. His name is called “Jesus” (Yeshua). In Aramaic his name is Messiah, but in Greek it is Christ (Cristos). In every language he is called the anointed one. The fact that he is Savior (Yeshua) could be fully comprehended only by himself, since it is the Nazarene who reveals the secret things.

21. Christ has within himself all things; man, angel, mystery (sacraments), and the father.

22.  Those who say that the Lord first died and then arose are in error. He would have to first arise (be born) before he could die. If he is not first resurrected (born) he would die, but God lives and cannot die.

(Alternate translation:

Those who say that the Lord died first and then arose are in error. He arose first and then died. If one does not first attain the resurrection, he will not die. As God lives, he would live also).

23. No one will hide something highly valuable in something ostentatious (that would draw attention). More often, one places something of great worth within a number of containers worth nothing. This is how it is with the (human) soul. It is a precious thing placed within a lowly body.

24.  Some are fearful that they will arise (from the dead) naked. Therefore they desire to rise in the flesh. They do not understand that those who choose to wear the flesh are naked (destitute in spirit). Those who choose to strip themselves of the flesh are the ones who are not naked.

25. Flesh and blood will not be able to inherit the kingdom of God.  What is this that will not inherit? It is that which is upon each of us (our flesh). But what will inherit the kingdom is that which belongs to Jesus and is of his flesh and blood. Therefore he says: “He who does not eat my flesh and drink my blood, has no life in him.” What is his flesh? It is the Word, and his blood is the Holy Spirit. He who has received these has food and drink and clothing.

26. I disagree with those who say the flesh will not arise. They are in error. Tell me what will rise so that we may honor you. You say it is the spirit in the flesh and the light contained in the flesh. But whatever you say there is nothing you mention that is contained outside of the flesh (material world). It is necessary to arise in this flesh if everything exists within the flesh (and everything exists as part of or connected to the material world).

27. In this world those wearing a garment are more valuable than the garment. In the kingdom of the Heavens the garment is more valuable than the one wearing it.

28. By water and fire the entire realm is purified through the revelations by those who reveal them, and by the secrets through those who keep them. Yet, there are things kept secret even within those things revealed. There is water in baptism and there is fire in the oil of anointing.

29. Jesus took them all by surprise. For he did not reveal himself as he originally was, but he revealed himself as they were capable of perceiving him. He revealed himself to all in their own way. To the great, he revealed himself as great. To the small he was small. He revealed himself to the angels as an angel and to mankind he was a man. Some looked at him and saw themselves. But, throughout all of this, he concealed his words from everyone. However when he revealed himself to his Disciples upon the mountain, he appeared glorious. He was not made small. He became great, but he also made the disciples great so that they would be capable of comprehending his greatness.

30. He said on that day during his thanksgiving (in the Eucharist), “You have combined the perfect light and the holy spirit along with angels and images.”

31. Do not hate the Lamb. Without him it is not possible to see the door to the sheepfold. Those who are naked will not come before the King.