Texts in Conversation
John's friend of the bridegroom appears among those admitted to the bridal chamber in the Gospel of Philip. The shared wedding image places a trusted witness near the bridegroom, while Philip uses access to the bride to distinguish insiders from others.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
John 3:29
New Testament
27 John replied, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but rather, ‘I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete. 30 He must become more important while I become less important.” 31 The one who comes from above is superior to all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is superior to all.
Gospel of Philip 11:77
Nag Hammadi
If a marriage be denuded, it becomes fornication, and not just if the bride takes in the sperm of another man, but even should she just leave her bedroom and be seen, she has fornicated. She must be seen only by her father, and her mother, and the friend of the bridegroom, and the sons of the bridegroom. These are the ones who are allowed to enter the bridal chamber on a daily basis. However, the others are allowed only to desire to hear her voice and to relish her ointment. They are also allowed to feed on the crumbs that fall from the table, like dogs. Bridegrooms and brides belong in the bridal chamber. No one can see the bridegroom together with the bride unless [he become] these.
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Notes and References
“... §122b (82.10–17) The ‘friend of the bridegroom (ⲡϣⲃⲏⲣ⳿ ⲡⲛⲩⲫⲓⲟⲥ)’ is mentioned in a description of the events within the bridal chamber. John 3:29 is the only NT passage that mentions the ‘friend of the bridegroom (o` fi,loj tou/ numfi,ou || ⲡⲉϣⲃⲏⲣ ⲡⲁⲧϣⲉⲗⲉⲉⲧ),’ although it also occurs in Exc. 65.1.60 We can be confident that Theodotus was influenced by John 3:29, since the ‘friend of the bridegroom’ stands, hears the voice of the bridegroom, rejoices, and has fullness of joy (Exc. 65.1), but the Gos. Phil. parallel is less developed. ...”
Zelyck, Lorne R.
John among the Other Gospels: The Reception of the Fourth Gospel in the Extra-Canonical Gospels
(p. 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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