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

the Coptic Gospel of Thomas. It is instead a collection of mystical reflections that have evidently been excerpted from previously existing sermons, treatises, and theological meditations, brought together here under the name of Jesus’ disciple Philip.
    Since these reflections are given in relative isolation, without any real narrative context, they are difficult to interpret. There are, at any rate, extensive uses of catchwords to organize some of the material, and several of the principal themes emerge upon a careful reading.
    One of the clearest emphases is the contrast between those who can understand and those who cannot, between knowledge that is exoteric (available to all) and that which is esoteric (available only to insiders), between the immature outsiders (regular Christians, called “Hebrews”) and the mature insiders (Gnostics, called “Gentiles”). Those who do not understand, the outsiders with only exoteric knowledge, err in many of their judgments—for example, in taking such notions as the virgin birth (v. 17) or the resurrection of Jesus (v. 21) as literal statements of historical fact, rather than symbolic expressions of deeper truths.
    Throughout much of the work the Christian sacraments figure prominently. Five are explicitly named: baptism, anointing, eucharist, salvation, and bridal chamber (v. 68). It is hard to know what deeper meaning these rituals had for the author (especially the “bridal chamber,” which has stirred considerable debate among scholars), or even what he imagined them to entail when practiced literally.
    It is difficult to assign a date to this work, but it was probably compiled during the third century, although it draws on earlier sources.
    Translation of David Cartlidge and David Dungan, Documents for the Study of the Gospels , 2nd ed. (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1994) 56–75; used with permission.
    38

    THE GOSPEL OF PHILIP
    39
    1 A Hebrew person makes a Hebrew,
    These he made as securities in his will.
    and he is called a proselyte. But a pros
    Not only when he appeared did he lay
    elyte does not make a proselyte . . . there
    aside his life as he wished, but at the
    are those who are as they are . . . and they
    establishment of the world he laid aside
    make others . . . it is enough for them that
    his life. He came to take it when he
    they exist.
    wished to, because it had been set aside
    2 The slave seeks only to be free. Howas a pledge. It came under the control of ever, he does not seek after his lord’s
    robbers, and it was held prisoner. But
    properties. The son, however, is not only
    he saved it, and he ransomed the good
    a son but writes himself into the inheriones and the evil ones who were in the tance of the father.
    world.
    3 Those who inherit the dead are dead
    10 Light and darkness, life and death,
    and inherit the dead. Those who inherit
    the right and the left are each other’s
    living things are alive, and they inherit
    brothers. They cannot separate from one
    the living and the dead. Those who are
    another. Therefore, the good are not good
    dead inherit nothing. For how will the
    nor are the evil evil, nor is life life,
    one who is dead inherit? If the dead one
    nor death death. On account of this,
    inherits the living he will not die, but the
    each one will dissolve into its beginning
    dead one will live more.
    origin. But those who are exalted above
    4 A Gentile does not die. He has not
    the world cannot dissolve; they are
    lived, so he cannot die. He lives who has
    eternal.
    believed the truth; and he is in danger
    11 The names which are given to the
    that he will die, for he is alive. Now that
    worldly things contain a great occasion
    Christ has come
    for error. For they twist our consideration
    5 the world is created, the cities are
    from the right meaning to the wrong
    bedecked, the dead are carried out.
    meaning. For whoever hears (the word)
    6 When we were Hebrews, we were
    “God,” does not know the right meaning
    orphans. We had only