The Gospel of Philip
The most comprehensive Gospel of Philip site on the web.

Available now: The Gospel of Philip: Annotated & Explained by Andrew Phillip Smith, Published by Skylight Paths. Available Fall 2005.

Translation & Annotation by Andrew Phillip Smith
Foreword by Stevan Davies

5.5 x 8.5, 176 pp (est)
Quality Paperback Original
ISBN 1-59473-111-X

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The Gospel of Philip is one of the most exciting and accessible of the Gnostic texts found at Nag Hammadi in Egypt in 1945. The source of Dan Brown’s intriguing speculations about Mary Magdalene in his best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code, the Gospel of Philip draws on ancient imagery—the natural world, the relationships between women, men and family, the ancient distinctions between lord and servants, free people and slaves, and pagans, Jews and Christians—to offer us insight into the spiritual interpretation of scripture that is at the foundation of Christianity.

The Gospel of Philip: Annotated and Explained unravels the discourses, parables and sayings of this second-century text to explore a spiritual, non-literal interpretation of the Bible. Along with his elegant and accurate new translation from the original Coptic, Andrew Phillip Smith probes the symbolism and metaphors at the heart of the Gospel of Philip to reveal otherwise unrecorded sayings of Jesus, fragments of Gnostic mythology and parallels to the teachings of Jesus and Paul. He also examines the joyful imagery of rebirth, salvation and mystical union in the bridal chamber that was the pursuit of Christian Gnosticism.

Now you can experience this ancient Gospel even if you have no previous knowledge of early Christianity or Gnostic thought. This SkyLight Illuminations edition provides important insights into the historical context and major themes of the Gospel of Philip, and gives you a deeper understanding of the Gospel’s overarching message: deciphering our own meaning behind the symbols of this world increases and enriches our understanding of God.

“How refreshing to move from our contemporary culture of Christian literalism to a spiritual world alive with symbol, metaphor and the poetry of the Divine.”
—Ron Miller, Religion Department chair, Lake Forest College, author of The Gospel of Thomas: A Guidebook for Spiritual Practice

“Provides us with a wealth of insightful annotations, and the translation is the most accessible to date. All of those with an interest in Gnostic tradition and its sacraments will be happy to receive this splendid work!”
—Stephan A. Hoeller, author of Gnosticism, Jung and the Lost Gospels and The Gnostic Jung

“An excellent new translation and annotation that brings a fascinating Gnostic text to life. A valuable contribution to our ongoing efforts to understand the richness of early Christianity.”
—Timothy Freke, coauthor of The Jesus Mysteries, Jesus and the Lost Goddess and The Laughing Jesus

Andrew Phillip Smith is the author of The Gospel of Thomas: A New Version Based on Its Inner Meaning. An independent scholar with close ties to the academic community, he has been investigating early Christianity for over a decade, sharing the results of his research in presentations and writings. His website (www.bardic-press.com/philip/philip.htm) is the most comprehensive resource for the Gospel of Philip on the Internet.

Stevan Davies is professor of religious studies at College Misericordia. He is the author of the bestseller The Gospel of Thomas: Annotated and Explained and The Secret Book of John: The Gnostic Gospel—Annotated and Explained (both SkyLight Paths). His website is www.misericordia.edu/users/davies/thomas/thomas.htm.

The Gospel of Philip at Early Christian Writings

Wikipedia Entry On the Gospel of Philip

The Gospel of Philip - Facts, Info and Encyclopedia Article

Secret Sayings - Gospel of Philip
Sayings of Jesus Within the Gospel of Philip

Multiple Choice Quiz on the Gospel of Philip!

gnosis.org
The most comprehensive web site on Gnosticism


Translations of the Gospel of Philip

The Gospel of Philip Translated by Wesley J Isenberg
Not strictly legal, but no one seems to mind

The Gospel of Philip Translated by Paterson Brown

Interlinear Translation of Walter Till's Text of the Gospel of Philip
By Paterson Brown

An Introductory Coptic Grammar (Sahidic Dialect)
By J. Martin Plumley

A Coptic Dictionary
By Walter Crum

Da Vinci Code, Mary Magdalene and the Gospel of Philip

Interview With Bart Ehrman on the Da Vinci code
Ehrman is a respected New Testament scholar and author of Truth and Fiction in the Da Vinci Code

Mary Magdalene in Recent Literature
Society of Biblical Literature Review by Birger A. Pearson

The Real Mary Magdalene
Article to accompany BBC television documentary

Unravelling the Da Vinci Code

Beyond 'Da Vinci' Fiction to 'Kissing Code Reality
The kiss in the Gospel of Philip

The Marring of the Nag Hammadi
More about that kiss

Mary Magdalene Saint or Sinner?
Article from Time Magazine

The Wife of Christ by William Thomas

The Gospel and the Grail
By Margaret Starbird

Jesus, Mary and Da Vinci?
Pro Da Vinci Code

The First Mary
Rediscovering the first Mary


The Apostle Philip

St. Philip the Apostle
From the Catholic Encyclopedia

The Acts of Philip
Third century apocryphal acts, trans. M.R. James

Apostolic commission narratives in the canonical and apocryphal Acts of the Apostle by István Czachesz
Includes a good amount of information on the Acts of Philip

Women Priests, Vegetarianism - An Early Christian Manuscript Holds Some Surprises
Harvard University Gazette article on the Acts of Philip

Philip the Apostle: Profile & Biography of Philip the Apostle, Disciple of Jesus

Images of the Apostle Philip
From Google Images

The Seven Apostles
Article by Peter Kirby


Valentinus and the Valentininans
The Gospel of Philip is a product of Valentinian Gnosticism

Valentinus and the Valentinians
Information about a number of historical Valentinians

Valentinus and the Valentinian Tradition
An overview of their history and thought


Interpretation of the Gospel of Philip

The Mystery of the Bridal Chamber in the Gospel of Philip
A mystical article about the sacraments in the Gospel of Philip

Misconceptions: Female imaginations and male fantasies in parental imprinting
Fascinating article that doesn't mention the Gospel/Philip but gives important background to Philip 95

The Gospel After Phillipus
Musings on the Gospel of Philip

Division of the Soul and the Spirit
The soul and the spirit in the Gospel of Philip and other texts

The Maternal Spirit by Paterson Brown
The feminine holy spirit

Aspects of an Early Christian Initiation ritual by William J. Hamblin.
PDF article by a Mormon scholar

The Gospel of Philip and the Gnostic Sacraments

Gnostic Christianity: The Sacrament of the Bridal Chamber
By Marnia Robinson

Eternal Marriage as Found in Early Christian Writings and Other Ancient Documents
Extracts include comments on the Gospel of Philip

The Gospel of Philip on Epiphany
Blog article by Terje Bergesen

An Analytical Study of Words
Focuses on the meaning of 'aion' in early christianity

Book Reviews and Other

Review of Martha Lee Turner's Gospel According to Philip: The Sources and Coherence of an Early Christian Collection
From the Catholic Biblical Quarterly

Review of The Gospel Of Philip, Translated From the Coptic Text, With an Introduction and Commentary By R. McL. Wilson
From Theology Today, 1962

Review of The Gospel of Mary of Magdala by Karen King
From Meta-history.com

The Gospel of Philip is also known as the Gospel According to Philip, the Gospel of St Philip, the Gospel of Saint Philip, and the Gospel According to Saint Philip. The "of" and "according to" depend on how the Greek/Coptic KATA is translated. "The Gospel According to Philip" is therefore a more traditional translation of the name of this gospel. Philip is not referred to as a saint in the title or in the text, so Saint Philip is anachronistic. It is only because of the title of the text that we call it a gospel; Philip is referred to once only in the course of the text.