The Gospel of Philip (Fragment Quoted by Epiphanius) 1

The only quotation that survives from a 'Gospel of Philip' known to Epiphanius, bishop of Salamis, who copied it in his Panarion (Medicine Chest against heresies, about AD 375, book 26, chapter 13) while describing the 'Gnostics' of Egypt in his day; he calls it a gospel 'forged in the name of Philip the holy disciple'. In it the Lord reveals what the soul must say as it rises through the heavens past the Powers and their Ruler: that it has gathered itself together, has not begotten children for the Ruler, and belongs to those from above. The same kind of ascent of the soul past hostile powers is told in the Gospel of Mary and the Pistis Sophia (where Philip is one of the disciples charged with writing down the Saviour's words). Author and date unknown, probably 3rd century AD or earlier. It is probably not the same book as the Coptic Gospel of Philip from Nag Hammadi (Codex II, 3), also on this site: that text does not contain this passage, and the two may only share the apostle's name. This is M. R. James's translation (1924) of the quotation alone; Epiphanius's hostile introduction is not included. Not part of any church's canon.