The Coptic Gospel of Philip

What is The Coptic Gospel of Philip?

This gnostic text was written sometime between the 2nd to 3rd century AD and is unlike most of the gnostic texts. Most consist of stories, but this book is moreso fragments of phrases. There is only one surviving manuscript in the Nag Hammadi manuscript and has multiple missing sections causing certain phrases to be rather vague or confusing.

Issues With It:

As with all gnostic texts, the dating is a major issue. Philip did not live remotely close to the 2nd century so such a text being written by him would be impossible.

The text also contradicts what the Bible says about Mary: "Some say that Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit. They are deceived! They do not know what they are talking about," (C.G.P., Logion 17). This claim contradicts Matthew 1:18, Luke 1:35, and The Apostle's Creed where it says Jesus was conceived of the Spirit.

This gnostic gospel also falls short when it comes to Jesus: "Those who say that the Lord first died and then rose are wrong. For he first rose and then died," (C.G.P., Logion 21). This contradicts verses such as Romans 6:9-10, Matthew 28:5-7, and Acts 2:23-24.

God also cannot make mistakes for it is said in “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He," (Deuteronomy 32:4 NASB1995). We see this too in Psalm 18:30 and Psalm 139:13-14; however, the C.G.P. says: "The world came into being by a mistake," (C.G.P., Logion 99).

The Coptic Gospel of Philip also teaches perfectionism, a theological belief that states a person, once saved, will never sin again: "Whoever has the knowledge of the truth is free, and the freeman does not sin," (C.G.P., Logion 110). Passages such as Romans 7:18-19 refute such an idea.

Works Cited:

The Apocryphal Gospels. United Kingdom, Penguin Books Limited, 2021.