The Gnostic Bible: Gnostic Texts of Mystical Wisdom form the Ancient and Medieval Worlds

234 LITERATURE OF GNOSTIC WISDOM

travels incognito through this world and speaks with those who will listen. In
particular there is one who listens, a prototypal listener, who was lacking but
now is filled. Peter's sermon on the suffering of Jesus and of Christians is es-
pecially appropriate for the community of the Letter of Peter to Philip. This is
an embattled group, which is fighting against the rulers. It is to struggling be-
lievers that Jesus is made to offer peace, and to promise joy, grace, and power.
The Letter of Peter to Philip was probably composed in Greek, most likely
sometime in the second or third century, but at present exists only in Coptic.
Where it was composed is unknown.

THE LETTER OF

PETERTO PHILIP

1

Peter,^2 messenger^3 of Jesus the anointed,^4 to Philip,^5 our beloved brother and

our fellow messenger, and the brothers who are with you: greetings.

I want you to understand, our brother, that we received orders from our

lord, the savior of the whole world, that we should come together to teach and

preach concerning the salvation that was promised us by our lord Jesus the

anointed. But you were separated from us, and you did not wish us to come

together and learn how to orient ourselves that we might tell the good news.^6

So would it be agreeable to you, our brother, to come according to the orders

of our god Jesus?

When Philip received and read this, he went to Peter, rejoicing with glad-

ness.

Then Peter gathered the others. They went to the mountain called Olivet,

where they used to gather with the blessed anointed one when he was in the

body.

i. The Letter of Peter to Philip: Nag Hammadi Codex VIII,2, pp. 132,10 to 140,27; translated

from the Coptic by Marvin Meyer. Another Coptic copy of this text has been announced by

James M. Robinson and Stephen Emmel, but at present it remains unavailable.

2. As in the New Testament Acts of the Apostles, Peter is a leader of the messengers (or apostles).


3. Apostle.


4. Christ.


5. This portrait of Philip has features both of Philip the disciple in the New Testament gospels
   and of Philip the evangelist in the Acts of the Apostles.


6. That is, the gospel.