Texts in Conversation
Romans connects baptism with entering Jesus' death, while the Gospel of Philip says Jesus has removed death from the water. Both join baptism to new life, but Philip makes entering the water safe because Jesus has already overcome its danger.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Romans 6:4
New Testament
1 What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection.
Gospel of Philip 10:67
Nag Hammadi
Jesus is the only one who knows the destiny of this one. The priest is entirely holy, even his body, because if he holds the bread he will render it holy, or the cup, or anything else that he holds and purifies, and how could he not purify the body as well? Jesus perfected the water of baptism. This is how he emptied out death. Consequently, we descend into the water, but we do not descend into death, to prevent us from being emptied out in the spirit of the world. Whenever it blows, winter starts. Whenever the holy Spirit blows, summer starts.
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Notes and References
“... In Pauline theology, baptism represents a spiritual death (see Romans 6:3–6). It is significant that the Gospel of Philip identifies the first shrine as facing west, which direction, in many ancient societies, was associated with death. The baptismal sacrifice seems to be equiva- lent to dying to the things of the world (see also 78.20–24). Later in the Gospel of Philip we read, “By perfecting the water of baptism, Jesus emp- tied it of death. Thus we go down into the water, but we do not go down into death in order that we may not be poured out into the spirit of the world. When that spirit blows, it brings the winter (i.e., death). When the holy spirit breathes, the summer (i.e., life) comes” (77.7–15). ...”
Strathearn, Gaye
Reading the Gospel of Philip as a Temple Text
(p. 193) Brigham Young University, 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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