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Gospel of Philip

About this book

Divine Names; Resurrection

Chapter 3

Some say that Mary conceived by means of the holy Spirit.⁠ They are wrong, not understanding what they say. Has a female ever conceived by means of a female? Mary is the virgin whom no power has defiled. It is a great anathema for the Hebrews, who are the apostles and [the] apostolic ones. This virgin, whom no power has defiled, [...] the powers have defile[d] themselves. The Lord also [would] not [have] said, “my [Father, who is in] heaven,” if he did not have another father. He instead would only have said, [“my Father.”] The Lord said to the [disciples:] “[Take] [from] every [house], and bring (it) into the house of the Father. Do not, however, steal from the house of the Father, and do not take away.” “Jesus” is a concealed name; “Christ” is a revealed name. “Jesus,” consequently, does not exist in any language. Rather, “Jesus” is his name by which he is called. However, regarding “Christ,” its name in Syriac is “Messiah,” but in Greek it is “Christ.” Everyone else has it in accord with each one of their respective languages. “The Nazarene” is the revealed (form) of the concealed. Christ possesses all things inside himself, regardless of whether that be a man, or an angel, or a symbolic image, as well as the Father. Those who say the Lord died first and then rose, they are wrong, because he rose first, and then he died. If someone does not gain the resurrection first, he will not (be able to) die. As God lives, that person would ‹not› d‹ie›. No one would conceal an important and valuable item in a container that looks valuable. Often, however, countless sums have been placed inside a container of little worth. This is the way it is regarding the soul: It is something valuable, and it has come to dwell inside a lowly body.⁠ Some are afraid that they might be resurrected naked. They consequently wish to rise in the flesh, and [they] do not understand that those who wear the [flesh] are the ones who are naked.⁠ These [able] to unclothe themselves [are] not naked. Flesh [and blood shall] not inherit the kingdom [of God].⁠ What shall not inherit? What we wear on us. What, however, shall also inherit? What belongs to Jesus and his blood.⁠ He consequently said: “He who will not eat my flesh and drink my blood, life is not in him.”⁠ What is this? His flesh is the Logos, and his blood is the holy Spirit.⁠ He who has obtained these possesses food, and he possesses drink and garments. Regarding myself, I find in error others who say that it will not rise, or both of them are in error. You say the flesh will not rise. Tell me, though, what shall rise, so we can congratulate you. You say “the spirit inside the flesh.” It is also this other light inside the flesh, it being a logos, because regardless of what you say, you say nothing except in the flesh. It is necessary to rise in this flesh, because all things dwell inside it.⁠ In this world, those who wear garments surpass the garments. In the kingdom of Heaven, the garments surpass those who have donned them.

Texts in conversation

Compare Gospel of Philip 3:30 and Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor 1 6:8

Nag Hammadi · Early Christian

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Summary

The Instructor and the Gospel of Philip connect Jesus' flesh and blood with the Word and Spirit, but reverse the pairing. Both make the meal a way to receive life, showing how the same saying about Jesus' body could support different explanations.

Passages

Gospel of Philip 3:30

Nag Hammadi
Some are afraid that they might be resurrected naked. They consequently wish to rise in the flesh, and [they] do not understand that those who wear the [flesh] are the ones who are naked. These [able] to unclothe themselves [are] not naked. Flesh [and blood shall] not inherit the kingdom [of God]. What shall not inherit? What we wear on us. What, however, shall also inherit? What belongs to Jesus and his blood. He consequently said: “He who will not eat my flesh and drink my blood, life is not in him.” What is this? His flesh is the Logos, and his blood is the holy Spirit. He who has obtained these possesses food, and he possesses drink and garments.
180–250 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Gospel of Philip

Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor 1 6:8

Early Christian · Paedagogus
But you are not inclined to understand it thus, but perhaps more generally. Hear it also in the following way. The flesh figuratively represents to us the Holy Spirit; for the flesh was created by Him. The blood points out to us the Word, for as rich blood the Word has been infused into life; and the union of both is the Lord, the food of the babes — the Lord who is Spirit and Word. The food — that is, the Lord Jesus — that is, the Word of God, the Spirit made flesh, the heavenly flesh sanctified. The nutriment is the milk of the Father, by which alone we infants are nourished.

References

“... The sacramental system of the Gos. Phil. goes beyond a metaphorical interpretation of the elements since ‘the mysteries of truth’ are revealed in ‘type and image’ (85.20–21; 67.9–11). The water and chrism (§§25, 66, 75), bread and mixed wine (§§23, 53, 100) are interpreted as water and fire, flesh and blood, but their real value is that they convey the heavenly water and fire and light, the Word and Holy Spirit. The emphasis on the Word and Holy Spirit conveyed through a Eucharistic interpretation of John 6:53–65 is also found in Clement of Alexandria. After a paraphrase of John 6:53–54 where the flesh and blood is compared to milk and interpreted as nourishment for infants, he provides an alternative interpretation: ‘The flesh figuratively represents (avllhgorei/) to us the Holy Spirit; for the flesh was created by Him. The blood points out to us the Word, for as rich blood the Word has been infused into life’ (Paed. 1.43.2; see also 1.38.2). The association of the flesh with the Holy Spirit and blood with the Word in a Eucharistic interpretation of John 6:53–54 is strikingly similar to the Gos. Phil., except Clement indicates that the flesh and blood are symbolic of the Holy Spirit and Word respectively, whereas the Gos. Phil. suggests that the flesh and blood conveys the Word and Holy Spirit. ...”
Lorne R. Zelyck, John among the Other Gospels: The Reception of the Fourth Gospel in the Extra-Canonical Gospels (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2013), 107.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Gospel of Philip 3:30 and Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor 1 6:8

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