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The Gospel of Philip gives Mary Magdalene a place like John's beloved disciple, marked by special love from Jesus. The disciples' question about her leads to a comparison of blindness and sight, connecting closeness to Jesus with understanding.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
John 13:23
New Testament
21 When he had said these things, Jesus was greatly distressed in spirit, and testified, “I tell you the solemn truth, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed to know which of them he was talking about. 23 One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was at the table to the right of Jesus in a place of honor. 24 So Simon Peter gestured to this disciple to ask Jesus who it was he was referring to. 25 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved leaned back against Jesus’ chest and asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus replied, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread after I have dipped it in the dish.” Then he dipped the piece of bread in the dish and gave it to Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son.
Gospel of Philip 7:3
Nag Hammadi
The Wisdom that is called barren, she is the [Mother of the] [an]gel[s] as well as [the] companion of the [... Ma]ry Mag[da]lene. [... loved her] more than the disciples [... he] greet[ed] her on her [...] times. The rest of [...] [...] they said to him: “Why do you love her more than all of us?” The savior answered, and said to them: “Why is it that I do not love you in the way she does? A blind person and a sighted person who both dwell in darkness do not differ from each other. When the light arrives, then he who sees will behold the light, and he who is blind will persist in darkness.” The Lord said: “Blessed is he who is before he came to be,” because he who is has come to be, and he will come to be.
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Notes and References
“... 55b. The Sfaviour lovjed [Ma]ry Mag|da]lene more than [all] the disciples.'* and kissed on her [mouth] often. The other [disciples] (p. 64) [ ]. They said to him: 'Why do you love her more than all of us?' The Saviour answered and said to them [ ) : 'Why do I not love you like her?" 56. If a blind man and one who sees are both together in the darkness, they are no different from one another. When the light comes, then he who sees will see die light, and die blind will remain in darkness. [...] 34. I.e. Mary Magdalene corresponds to the type of the Beloved Disciple. ...”
Schenke, Hans-Martin
"The Gospel of Philip" in Schneemelcher, Wilhelm; Wilson, R. McL. (ed.) New Testament Apocrypha, Volume 1: Gospels and Related Writings
(p. 194, 207) James Clarke & Co., 1991
* 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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