“... A third strategy is opposition, or correction. That is to say, although the Gospel of Philip assumes that to a degree Matthew and John are reliable repositories of dominical sayings, the author’s attitude to those prior Gospels is not one that assumes biblical infallibility. The evangelist would probably not agree with the dictum of his contemporary Irenaeus, that “the Scriptures are perfect, since they were spoken by the Word of God and his Spirit.”24 Just as certain Gnostic authors are keen to point out where Moses went wrong, so the Gospel of Philip is not afraid to issue correction to well-established early Christian tradition. [...] There is also correction of specific passages of the Gospels. For the Valentinian author, Jesus is straightforwardly the seed of Joseph,26 and there is a denial of the virgin birth, or at least of the conception by the Holy Spirit: Some say that Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit. They are deceived! They do not know what they are talking about! When did a woman ever conceive from a woman? Mary was a virgin whom no power defiled. She is a great anathema to the Hebrews who are apostles and friends of the apostles. This virgin whom no power defiled is . . . the powers defiled them. And the Lord would not have said “My Father in heaven” unless he had another father. Otherwise he would simply have said [“My Father”].27 ...”