The Letter of Peter to Philip

Translated by Frederik Wisse

The Letter of Peter which he sent to Phillip.

"Peter, the apostle of Jesus Christ, to Philip our beloved brother and our fellow apostle and to the brethren who are with you : greetings! Now I want you to know, our brother that we revceived orders from our Lord and the Savior of the whole worldthat we should come together and give instruction and preach in the salvation which was promised us by our Lord Jesus Christ. But as for you, you were separate from us, and you did not desire us to come togetherand to know how to organize ourselves in order that we might tell the good news. Therefore would it be agreeable to you, our brother, to come according to the orders of our God Jesus"

When Philip had receuived these words, and when he had read them, he went to Peter rejoicing with gladness. Then Peter gathered the others also. They went upon the mountain which is called "the mountOlivet" the place where they used to gather with the blessed Christ when he was in the body.Then, when the apostles had come together, and had thrown themselves upon their knees, they prayed thus saying, "Father, Father, Father of the light, who possesses the incorruptions, hear us just as thou hast taken pleasure in thy holy child Jesus Christ. For he became for us an illuminator in the darkness. Yea hear us!" And they prayed again another time, saying , "Son of Life! Son of Immortality, who is in the light, Son,Christ of immortality, our Redeemer, gives us power, for they seek to kill us!" Then a great light appeared so that the mountains shone from the sight of him who had appeared. And a voicecalled out to them saying, " Listen to my words that I may speak to you. Why are you asking me I am JesusChrist who am with you forever." Then the apostles answered, and said , "Lord, we would like to know the deficiency of the aeons and their pleroma." And - " How are we detained in this dwelling place" Further; " How did we come to this place"And : "In what manner shall we depart" Again: "How do we have authority of boldness", And: "Why do the powersfight against us". Then a voice came to them out of the light saying , "It is you yourselves who are witnesses that I spoke all these things to you. But because of your unbelief I shall speak again. First of all concerning the deficiency of the aeons, this is the deficiency, when the disobedience and the foolishness of the mother appeared withoutthe commandment of the majesty of the Father. She wanted to raise up the aeons. And when she spoke, the Arrogant One followed. And when she left behind a part, the Arrogant One laid hold of it, and it became a deficiency. This is the deficiecny of the aeons. Now when the Arrogant One had taken a part, he sowed it. And he placed powers over it and authorities. And he enclosed it in the aeons which are dead.And all the powers of the world rejoiced that they had been begotten. But they do not know the pre-existentFather, sicne they are strangers to him. But this is the one to whom they gave power and whom they served bypraising him. But he, the Arrogant One, became proud on account of the praise of the powers. He became an envier and he wanted to make an image in the place of an image, and a form in the placeof a form. And he comissioned the powers within his authority to mold mortal bodies. And they came to be from a misrepresentation , from the semblance which had merged." "Next concerning the pleroma: I am the one who was sent down in the body because of the seed which had fallen away. And I came down into their mortal mold. But they did not recognize me ; they were thinking ofme that I was a mortal man. And I spoke with him who belongs to me, and he harkened to me just as you toowho harkened today. And I gave him authority in order that he might enter into the inheritance of his fatherhood.And I took [...] they were filled [...] in his salvation. And since he was a deficiency , for this reason he became a pleroma." "It is because of this that you are being detained, because you belong to me. When you strip off from yourselveswhat is corrupted, then you will become illuminators in the midst of mortal men." "And this is the reason that you will fight against the powers, because they do not have rest like you, since theydo not wish that you be saved." Then the apostles worshipped again saying, "Lord, tell us : In what way shall we fight against the archons, since the archons are above us" Then a voice called out to them from the appearance saying, "Now you will fight against them in this way, for the archons are fighting against the inner man. And you are to fight against them in this way : Come together and teach in the world the salvation with a promise.And you, gird yourselves with the powers of the Father, and let your prayer be known. And he, the Father,will help you as he has helped you by sending me. Be not afraid, I am with you forever, as I previouslysaid to you when i was in the body" Then there came a lightning and thunder roared from heaven, and what appeared to them in that place wastaken up to heaven. Then the apostles gave thanks to the Lord with every blessing. And they returned to Jerusalem. And while coming up they spoke with each other on the road concerning the light which had come. And a remark wasmade concerning the Lord. It was said, "If he , our Lord, suffered, then how much must we suffer" Peter answered saying , "He suffered on our behalf, and it is necessary fro us too to suffer because of oursmallness." Then a voice came to them saying, "I have told you many times : it is necessary for you to suffer. It is necessarythat they bring you to synagogues, and governors, so that you will suffer. But he who does not suffer and does not[...] [...the] the Father [...] in order that he may [...]". And the apostles rejoiced greatly and came up to Jerusalem. And they came up to the temple and gave instructionin salvation in the name of their Lord Jesus Christ. And they healed a multitude. And Peter opened his mouth, he said to his fellow disciples, "Did our Lord Jesus, when he was in the body, showus everything For he came down. My brothers, listen to my voice." And he was filled with a holy spirit. He spoke thus " Our illuminator, Jesus, came down and was crucified.And he bore a crown of thorns. And he put on a purple garment. And he was crucified on a tree and he was buried in a tomb. And he rose from the dead. My brothers, Jesus is a stranger to this suffering. But we are the oneswho have suffered through the transgression of the mother. And because of this, he did everything like us. For the Lord Jesus, the Son of the immeasureable glory of the Father, he is the author of our lives. My brothers, letus therefore not obey these lawless ones, and walk in [...]" Peter gathered together the others also, saying, " O, Lord Jesus Christ, author of our rest, give us a spirit of understanding in order that we also may preform wonders." Then Peter and the other apostles saw him, and they were filled with a holy spirit, And each one preformed healings.And they parted in order to preach the Lord Jesus. And they came together and greeted each other saying,"Amen" Then Jesus appeared saying to them, "Peace to you all and everyone who believes in my name. And when youdepart, joy be to you and grace and power. And be not afraid ; behold, I am with you forver!" Then the apostles parted from eachother into four words in order to preach. And they went by the power of Jesus, in peace.

Selection made from James M.Robinson(ed): The Nag Hammadi Library, revised edition. HarperCollins, San Fransisco 1990.ISBN 0-06066935-7