The Letter of Peter to Philip
NHC VIII, 2 and CT, 1
The following translation has been committed to the public domain and may be freely copied and used, changed or unchanged, for any purpose. It is based on the Coptic text of Nag Hammadi Codex VIII, 2 and Codex Tchacos 1. The Nag Hammadi texts were written in the fourth century, subsequently buried, and then rediscovered in 1945. The Codex Tchacos was discovered in the 1970s in Egypt, and was first published in 2006 by National Geographic. Though framed as a letter, this tractate primarily presents a dialogue between Jesus and his apostles.
This translation from the Coptic and Greek is by Samuel Zinner and was edited by Mark M. Mattison with the generous support of Other Gospels. Zinner’s translation is based on Peter Nagel, Codex apocryphus gnosticus Novi Testamenti. Band 2: Briefe und Apokalypsen aus den Schriften von Nag Hammadi und dem Codex Tchacos mit einer Neuausgabe der “Epistula Apostolorum.” Koptisch und Deutsch. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 503. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2023, 44-65.
Symbols
[ ] Gap in the text (known as a “lacuna”)
( ) Editorial insertion to clarify the text
< > Editorial correction of a scribal error
[132] Page number of the Coptic codex (hyperlinked)
Nag Hammadi Codex VIII
[132] The Letter of Peter, which he dispatched to Philip.
Peter, the apostle of Jesus Christ, to Philip, our beloved brother, and our co-apostle, as well as the brethren together with you. Greetings.
I desire for you to understand, our brother, that we received directives from our Lord, the savior of the entire world, for us to assemble together, in order to teach and preach about the salvation promised to us by [133] our Lord Jesus Christ.
You, however, separated yourself from us, and you desired not to assemble together to learn how we could coordinate ourselves, so that we might announce the message.
Would it, therefore, be acceptable to you, our brother, to come in accord with the directives of our God, Jesus?
When Philip had received and read this, he went to Peter, delighting with glee.
Codex Tchacos
Introduction
A bright light then became visible, and the mountain glowed because of the sight of the one who had become visible, and a voice cried out to them, and said:
“Pay attention to my words, so that I can speak to you.
Why are you looking for me?
I am Jesus Christ, who abides with you continually.”
The apostles responded, and said:
“Lord, it would please us to understand the deficiency of the aeons,
as well as their fullness,
and how we are held back in this dwelling-place.
How have we arrived at this place?
How will we depart?
[135] How do we come to have authority for boldness of speech?
Why do the powers battle against us?”
A voice from the light then cried out to them, and said: “You are the ones who testify that I have spoken all of these things to you, but on account of your unfaithfulness, I will repeat (these things).
[1] [Peter, the] apostle of Jesus [Christ], writes to Philip, [my beloved], and my co-apostle, [and] to the brethren. Greetings.
[Now, I desire] for you to understand, my [brother, that we] received instructions [from] our Lord, even [the savior] of the entire world, [that we would assemble together], in order to [teach and] preach [the] salvation by means of the Lord, [Jesus] Christ.
You, however, separated yourself [from us], and [you did not . . .] we have [. . .] to preach.
If, [then], you consider it acceptable, brother, come in accord with the directives of Jesus, our God.
[. . .] Philip received these, and read these, and he gladly went to Peter.
Peter Gathers the Apostles on the Mount of Olives
Peter then assembled the others. They went to the mountain called Olivet, where formerly they would assemble together with the blessed Christ when he dwelt in the body.
When the apostles were met together, and had fallen to their knees, they prayed as follows, and spoke:
“Father, Father, Father of the light,
you to whom belong the indestructible ones,
listen to us,
just as [you] have been delighted in your holy Son, Jesus Christ,
because for our sake he has become a light [134] in the darkness.
Verily,[1] listen to us.”
And once more they prayed, and spoke:
“Son of life, Son of deathlessness,
you who dwell in the light,
Son, Christ of deathlessness,
our redeemer,
grant us strength,
because they are hunting for us to murder us.”
“Now, then, regarding [the deficiency] of the aeons, here is the deficiency: When the defiance and thoughtlessness of the Mother became manifest, apart from the order of the Greatness of the Father, she desired to establish aeons. When she spoke, the tyrannical one followed, but when she abandoned a piece, the tyrannical one seized it, and it turned into a deficiency. This is the deficiency of the aeons.
“When the tyrannical one had taken a piece, he planted it, stationing powers and authorities over it, and he restricted it to inside the mortal aeons. Every cosmic power was gleeful that they had been produced. [136] However, they were ignorant of the pre-existent [Father], given that they are aliens to him. [Instead, this] (tyrannical) one was granted power, and they worshipped him and praised him.
“Now the mind of the tyrannical one grew arrogant on account of the praise of the powers. He became an opponent and desired to replace an image [with another image] and to replace a form with another form. Now, he delegated the powers under his authority to shape mortal bodies, and they came to exist out of a disparity of the likeness that had been produced.
“However, regarding your detention, it is because you belong to me. When you remove from yourselves what is destructible, then you will become lights among mortals.
“Regarding your battle against the powers, it results from their lacking rest, unlike yourselves, given that they do not desire for you to be saved.”
Then once more the apostles worshipped, and said: “Lord, instruct us, how shall we battle with the archons, given that the archons are superior to us?”
A voice then cried out to them from the apparition, and said: “You have to war against them in the following way, because the archons war against the Inner Man. You have to war against them in the following way:
“Assemble together and teach salvation accompanied with a promise to the world, and gird yourselves with the power of my Father, and make known your request, and he, the Father, will assist you, as he assisted you when he sent me. [138] [Fear] not, [I will be with you continually], as I spoke to you formerly when I dwelt in the body.”
Then lightning and thunder came from heaven, and the one they had seen in the apparition in that place was snatched to heaven.
Peter then assembled the others. They [then] went up to the Mount of Olives, where they would formerly assemble together with the blessed Christ [2] in the days when he dwelt in the body.
The apostles then assembled together, and knelt, [and prayed] in the following way:
“[Father], Father, Father of the [light],
you to whom belong the unpolluted ones,
listen to [us! . . .]
your [. . .] in [your holy son, Jesus Christ,
because] for our sake [he] became a light in the darkness.
Verily, listen to us.”
And [they] continued [. . .]:
“[. . . deathlessness [. . .]
[…] listen to us,
and grant [us strength],
because they are hunting for us to murder us!”
Jesus Appears to the Apostles
Then a bright light became visible, so that the mountain glowed from the apparition that had become visible. A voice cried out to them, and said:
“Pay attention [to my] words, so that I can speak to you,
because you have been looking for me.
I am Jesus Christ, who will be with you continually.”
[3] The apostles then responded, and said:
“Lord, [the] deficiency of the aeons,
as well as their fullness,
how do they hold us back [in this dwelling-place,
and how] have we arrived at this place,
and, how [will we] depart,
and how do we come to have the authority for boldness of speech?
[Why do the] powers battle against us?”
[Then] an utterance came out of the light, and said: “You yourselves testify to me that I [. . .] these things [. . .], but on account of your unfaithfulness, I will answer yet again.
The Deficiency and the Tyrannical / Proud One
“Now, then, [regarding] the deficiency of the aeons, here is the deficiency, which is defiance. The uninformed Mother became manifest, apart from the order of the Great One. From the beginning, he desired to establish aeons, and when she [spoke], the proud one appeared. Now, a part was abandoned behind her. The proud one seized it, and a deficiency came to exist. Now, this is [4] the deficiency of the aeons.
“This was because the proud one took the part, and sowed it, and he established [powers] and authorities, [and restricted it] to the [mortal] aeons, [and] every [power] of the world gleeful over their coming to exist. They, however, know not the [Father], who exists from the beginning, [given that] they are aliens to him. Instead, this (proud) one granted them power, and they worshipped and praised him.
“And the mind of the proud one [grew arrogant on account of] the praise [of the powers], and he [became] an opponent, and they desired to replace an image with another image and (to replace) a form with another form. With his authority, he directed the powers to shape mortal bodies, and something contemptible resulted from the likeness that had arisen.
The Incarnation
“Now, concerning the fullness, it is I, [even] I, who was dispatched down into the body for the sake of this seed that had been lost, and I descended to their mortal mold. They, however, failed to notice me, imagining me to be a mortal person. I spoke with the one who is mine, and he paid attention to me, just like you, too, who have paid attention this day. I granted him authority to come into the inheritance of his fatherhood, and I took [him] [137] [. . .] filled [. . .] by means of his salvation. Given that he was deficiency, he turned into fullness.
“Now concerning the fulfillment, it is I, [even] I, who was dispatched into a body [for the sake of this] seed that had been lost, because it had entered [into a] mortal mold. They, however, failed to notice me. They imagined I was a mortal. I spoke with the one [5] who is mine, and the one who is mine paid attention to me, that is, you are the one [. . .]. [You] are the one who has paid attention [this day], and I granted (you)[2] authority to come into the inheritance of (your)[3] father, [and] I took my own, and the aeons were completed by means of their [salvation. . . .], that is, a reduction]. On account of this, there is also [. . .].
Battling the Powers
“However, regarding your detention, it is because you belong to me. When you remove the flesh from yourselves, then [you will] become lights among mortals.
“Then you will battle the powers, because they lack rest, unlike you, given that they do not desire for you to be saved.”
Then once more the apostles worshipped, and said: “Son, instruct us, how shall we battle against the archons, given that they, the archons, are (here) below?”
The voice then cried out from the apparition, [6] and said: “You now, fight in the following way, because the archons battle against the Inner Man. You, however, fight in the following way:
“[Assemble] together and teach salvation to the world, and gird yourselves with the power of my Father, and make known your request, and he, the Father, <will assist you, as> he assisted (you) when he sent [me]. Fear [not], I will be with you, as I spoke to you formerly when I dwelt in the body.”
Then a rumbling and thunder came from heaven, and the one they had seen in the apparition [was snatched up] from there.
Suffering and Death