The Gospel of Philip – What is it?

what does the bible say?

The Gospel of Philip is a third-century Gnostic text that distorts the teachings of Jesus, promoting secret knowledge, denigrating the physical world, and twisting key aspects of salvation. It elevates mystical insight above Scripture, downplays the goodness of creation and the human body, and implies that eternal life comes through esoteric understanding rather than faith in Christ. In contrast, the Bible affirms that creation is inherently good (Genesis 1:31; 1 Timothy 4:4), that marriage and physical life are part of God’s design (Genesis 2:18-24; Matthew 19:4-6), and that salvation comes solely through Jesus’ historical, bodily death and resurrection (Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). It also emphasizes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word over hidden knowledge or mystical interpretations (Deuteronomy 29:29; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Far from being a genuine gospel, the Gospel of Philip emerged centuries after Jesus’ ministry, reflects Gnostic beliefs, and has no historical credibility, including fantastical claims about Jesus’ relationships and actions. Believers are called to reject such texts and hold firmly to the truth of the Bible, which grounds the faith in Christ’s real life, death, and resurrection (Galatians 1:8-9; Romans 6:4-5).

from the old testament

• Genesis 1:31 refutes Philip’s claim that the material world and the human body are evil. Creation, including physical life, is intentionally good and part of God’s design.
• Unlike what the Gospel of Philip teaches, physical intimacy in marriage is not spiritually inferior; marriage is God-ordained and meant for blessing and relational fulfillment (Genesis 2:18-24).
• Deuteronomy 6:5 undermines the idea that salvation comes through secret knowledge. God calls for wholehearted love for and obedience to God, not hidden mystical understanding.

from the new testament

• John 14:6 indicates that Jesus is the sole path to eternal life, not esoteric teachings as the Gospel of Philip claims.
• Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). This counters the Gospel of Philip’s Gnostic idea that resurrection and eternal life are achieved through hidden knowledge. Salvation depends on the historical, bodily death and resurrection of Jesus.
• Colossians 2:8 warns us, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition.” The Gospel of Philip’s secretive, mystical teachings are the type of deceptive philosophy that passage addresses. Believers are warned to hold to Christ-centered truth, not esoteric interpretations.
• Hebrews 4:12 counters the Gospel of Philip’s claim that mystical insight surpasses Scripture. God’s Word discerns truth from error, guiding believers without need for hidden teachings.

implications for today

The Gospel of Philip is considered one of the Gnostic, pseudepigraphal gospels that was rediscovered in the Nag Hammadi library of documents in Egypt in 1945. It appears to date to the third century and includes teachings similar to other Gnostic literature of the time period. The date of the document’s origin is unknown. Because it focused much on the activity of the Gnostic leader Valentinus (who was in Rome around 138-158), scholars agree it was written no earlier than this time. It was likely written sometime later in either the late second or third century in part as a response to policies put in place by Valentinus. Thus it is clear the Gospel of Philip was not written by the apostle Philip. Composed sometime between the late second to fourth century, it originated long after the lifetime of the New Testament apostle. No one knows who wrote the Gospel of Philip. Certainly the writer was a Gnostic from the time period, offering an alternative perspective to the traditional teachings of the church at that time. The early church did not take the Gospel of Philip seriously, and no collection of authoritative books included this book. Further, no early copy of the Gospel of Philip exists in Greek, as is the case in the four New Testament Gospels. The remaining ancient copy is in Coptic and was “lost” for centuries. The Gospel of Philip is the document responsible for popularizing the idea of a marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Mentioned twice in the writing, we see, “There were three who always walked with the Lord: Mary, his mother, and her sister, and Magdalene, the one who was called his companion. His sister and his mother and his companion were each a Mary.” Although “wife” is not mentioned here, many have understood it this way. The other mention that Jesus “kiss [ed] her often on the mouth” also has been used to suggest this relationship. Similar to other alleged “missing Gospels” the Gospel of Philip is neither missing nor a gospel. It instead portrays an alternative version of Jesus and New Testament teachings from long after the New Testament period by those seeking to communicate a Gnostic-influenced Christianity that emphasized enlightenment rather than the actual facts of Christianity presented in the New Testament accounts.

Recap

understand

• The Gospel of Philip is a third-century Gnostic text promoting secret knowledge and denigrating the physical world.
• The Bible teaches creation is good and salvation comes through Jesus’ bodily death and resurrection, not hidden wisdom.
• The Gospel of Philip has no historical credibility and was rejected by the early church.

reflect

• How does your view of creation and your body reflect God’s design, rather than the Gospel of Philip’s claim that the physical is evil?
• How are you grounded in the truth of Christ’s historical life, death, and resurrection?
• How can you guard yourself against teachings that elevate mystical insight above the authority of Scripture?

engage

• How does the Gospel of Philip’s focus on secret knowledge contrast with the biblical call for faith and obedience to God?
• How does affirming the goodness of creation and the human body strengthen our understanding of God’s plan?
• How can we discern and respond to modern teachings that distort the gospel, similar to how the early church rejected the Gospel of Philip?