Texts in Conversation
The Gospel of Philip and 1 John both connect Cain's murder of his brother with an evil parent. Philip makes Cain the serpent's son through adultery, giving a story of his birth to explain the family resemblance that 1 John associates with his evil deeds.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
1 John 3:12
New Testament
10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone who does not practice righteousness—the one who does not love his fellow Christian—is not of God. 11 For this is the gospel message that you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another, 12 not like Cain who was of the evil one and brutally murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous. 13 Therefore do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love our fellow Christians. The one who does not love remains in death.
Gospel of Philip 5:32
Nag Hammadi
The holy Spirit shepherds everything, and she governs [all] the powers that have been tamed, as well as those that have [not been tamed], and those that dwell alone by themselves, because truly she [...] corrals them, [in order that ...] want to, they will be unable to [escape]. [He who was] formed [...]. you would find his children to be noble beings. If he had not been formed, but begotten, you would find his offspring noble. However, he was molded, and he begot. What nobility this is! First, an adulteress appeared, and she was followed by a murderer, even he who was begotten of adultery, because he was the son of the serpent. Consequently, he was a murderer like his father as well, and he killed his brother. Every act of sexual union that has occurred between those who are unlike each other equals adultery.
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Notes and References
“... This saying alludes to the adulterous conception of Cain, who is the son of the serpent and became a murderer (ϩⲁⲧ7ⲣⲱⲙⲉ) like his father. This is similar to John 8:44 where Jesus indicates that the Jews who seek to kill him have the devil as their father, and he was a murderer (ϩⲉⲧ7ⲣⲱⲙⲉ || avnqrwpokto,noj) from the beginning. It is possible §42a was influenced by John 8:44 since the examples above (§§110a, 123d) indicate the probable influence of John 8 and the description of the serpent/devil as a murderer and father is similar in both passages, but 1 John 3:12–15 also relates Cain to the ‘evil one’ and includes the term avnqrwpokto,noj.57 ...”
Zelyck, Lorne R.
John among the Other Gospels: The Reception of the Fourth Gospel in the Extra-Canonical Gospels
(pp. 119-120) Mohr Siebeck, 2013
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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