Free Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament by [edited by] Bart D. Ehrman

there!’ For the Son
    see you descending, but now I see you
    of Man is within you. Follow after him!
    ascending. Why do you lie, since you
    Those who seek him will find him. Go
    belong to me?’ The soul answered and
    then and preach the gospel of the kingsaid, ‘I saw you. You did not see me nor dom. Do not lay down any rules beyond
    recognize me. I served you as a garwhat I appointed for you, and do not give ment, and you did not know me.’ When
    a law like the lawgiver lest you be conit had said this, it went away rejoicing strained by it.” When he had said this, he
    greatly.
    departed.
    “Again it came to the third power,
    But they were grieved. They wept
    which is called ignorance. [It (the
    greatly, saying, “How shall we go to the
    power)] questioned the soul saying,
    gentiles and preach the gospel of the
    ‘Where are you going? In wickedness are
    kingdom of the Son of Man? If they did
    you bound. But you are bound; do not
    not spare him, how will they spare us?”
    judge!’ And the soul said, ‘why do you

    THE GOSPEL OF MARY
    37
    judge me although I have not judged? I
    answered and said to the brethren, “Say
    was bound though I have not bound. I
    what you (wish to) say about what she
    was not recognized. But I have recoghas said. I at least do not believe that the nized that the All is being dissolved, both
    Savior said this. For certainly these teachthe earthly (things) and the heavenly.’
    ings are strange ideas.” Peter answered
    “When the soul had overcome the third
    and spoke concerning these same things.
    power, it went upwards and saw the
    He questioned them about the Savior:
    fourth power, (which) took seven forms.
    “Did he really speak with a woman with
    The first form is darkness, the second
    out our knowledge (and) not openly? Are
    desire, the third ignorance, the fourth is
    we to turn about and all listen to her? Did
    the excitement of death, the fifth is the
    he prefer her to us?”
    kingdom of the flesh, the sixth is the
    Then Mary wept and said to Peter,
    foolish wisdom of flesh, the seventh is
    “My brother Peter, what do you think?
    the wrathful wisdom. These are the seven
    Do you think that I thought this up myself
    [powers] of wrath. They ask the soul,
    in my heart, or that I am lying about the
    ‘Whence do you come, slayer of men, or
    Savior?” Levi answered and said to Peter,
    where are you going, conqueror of
    “Peter, you have always been hot-
    space?’ The soul answered and said,
    tempered. Now I see you contending
    ‘What binds me has been slain, and what
    against the woman like the adversaries.
    surrounds me has been overcome, and
    But if the Savior made her worthy, who
    my desire has been ended, and ignorance
    are you indeed to reject her? Surely the
    has died. In a [world] I was released from
    Savior knows her very well. This is why
    a world, [and] in a type from a heavenly
    he loved her more than us. Rather let us
    type, and (from) the fetter of oblivion
    be ashamed and put on the perfect man
    which is transient. From this time on will
    and acquire him for ourselves as he com
    I attain to the rest of the time, of the
    manded us, and preach the gospel, not
    season, of the aeon, in silence.’ ”
    laying down any other rule or other law
    When Mary had said this, she fell sibeyond what the Savior said.” When lent, since it was to this point that the
    [ . . . ] and they began to go forth [to]
    Savior had spoken with her. But Andrew
    proclaim and to preach.

    The Gospel of Philip
    The Gospel of Philip was almost completely unknown from Late Antiquity, through the Middle Ages, and down to the present day, until it was discovered as one of the documents in the Nag Hammadi Library (see p. 19).
    Although it is easily recognized as a Gnostic work, the book is notoriously difficult to understand in its details. In part this is due to the form of its composition: it is not a narrative Gospel of the type found in the New Testament nor a group of self-contained sayings like