Helpful Saints Corpus Reader
Nag Hammadi Library
NHC-VIII-2
Reading display
Text size, spacing, and the sepia or night theme stay on this browser when storage is available.
Resume in the Library keeps only your last public work, edition and passage on this browser.
Saved Places
Saved only on this browser. Places do not synchronize between devices. Only work, edition and passage identifiers are kept; passage text is not stored.
Remove all Saved Places from this browser? Resume reading and display preferences will stay.
The Letter of Peter to Philip — NHC-VIII-2 — sourceblocks 1–5
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 Introduction [132] The Letter of Peter, which he dispatched to Philip.
Study this passage
The Letter of Peter to Philip — NHC-VIII-2 — sourceblocks 6–10
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.
Study this passage
The Letter of Peter to Philip — NHC-VIII-2 — sourceblocks 11–15
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:
Study this passage
The Letter of Peter to Philip — NHC-VIII-2 — sourceblocks 16–20
“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.” Jesus Appears to the Apostles 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:
Study this passage
The Letter of Peter to Philip — NHC-VIII-2 — sourceblocks 21–25
“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). The Deficiency and the Tyrannical / Proud One “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.
Study this passage
The Letter of Peter to Philip — NHC-VIII-2 — sourceblocks 26–30
“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. 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. Battling the Powers “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.
Study this passage
The Letter of Peter to Philip — NHC-VIII-2 — sourceblocks 31–35
“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.
Study this passage
The Letter of Peter to Philip — NHC-VIII-2 — sourceblocks 36–40
Suffering and Death The apostles then thanked the Lord with all praises and returned to Jerusalem. While they were going down (the mountain, heading towards Jerusalem) on the road, they conversed concerning the light that had become visible, and a dispute began concerning the Lord, during which they said: “If he, our Lord, suffered, how much more (will) we?” Peter responded, and said: “He suffered for our sake, and we will have to suffer, too, on account of our being small.”[4] A voice then came to them, and said: “I informed you many times that you will have to suffer. You will have to be dragged to synagogues and in front of governors, which will cause you to suffer. He, however, who will not suffer, he, too, [will] not [139] [. . . my] Father [. . .], so that he can [. . .].”
Study this passage
The Letter of Peter to Philip — NHC-VIII-2 — sourceblocks 41–45
The aptles, however, were very glad, and went up to Jerusalem, going up to the temple, and teaching salvation in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and they healed [a] multitude. Peter, however, began speaking, and said to his disciples: “When our Lord Jesus dwelt in the body, he told us everything, because he himself had descended. My brethren, pay attention to my voice.” He was filled with a holy Spirit, and spoke in the following way: “Our light, Jesus, [de]scended, and was crucified, and he wore a crown of thorns, and he donned a purple robe, and he was hanged on a tree, and he was interred in a tomb, and he rose from among the dead. “My brethren, Jesus is an alien to such suffering as this. We, however, are those who have suffered on account of the trespass of the Mother. This is why he announced everything with a symbolic meaning when he was among us. The Lord Jesus, Son of the measureless glory of the Father, is the author of our life.
Study this passage
The Letter of Peter to Philip — NHC-VIII-2 — sourceblocks 46–50
“My brethren, let us pay no attention to these Godless[5] ones, nor walk in [140] [. . .].” Conclusion Peter [then] assembled [the others], and said: “[Our Lord], Jesus Christ, author of our repose, grant us a spirit of insight, so that we, too, may be able to work miracles!” Peter and the other apostles then saw [him], and they were filled with a holy Spirit, and each one of them performed healings, and they departed to declare the Lord Jesus, and they assembled together, greeted[6] each other, and said: “Amen.” Jesus then became visible, and said to them: “Peace be with [all] of you, and with all who are faithful in my name. When you leave, however, gladness, grace, and power will be yours.
Study this passage
The Letter of Peter to Philip — NHC-VIII-2 — sourceblocks 51–52
“Fear not. Behold, I will be with you continually.” The apostles then departed from each other into four messages[7] to preach, and they went with the power of Jesus, with peace.
Study this passage
NHC-VIII-2 · All reading sections
Choose an edition
About this edition
Nag Hammadi — Sophia, Three Steles, Peter/Philip and Origin fragments
Unverified edition
Reading language: eng · Original language (catalog): Coptic; many works reflect Greek antecedents
Recorded completeness: Complete supplied author-dedicated English translations of Sophia of Jesus Christ (NHC III,4 and separate BerlinBG8502,3), Three Steles of Seth (NHC VII,5, with original Dositheos prologue and all three steles), Letter of Peter to Philip (NHC VIII,2 and separate CodexTchacos1), and the supplied Origin of the World fragments (NHC XIII,2 and separately attributed BritishLibrary/Oeyen fragments). Seven distinct Reader chapters. Berlin, Tchacos and Oeyen alternate witnesses are explicitly identified as related material, not manuscripts discovered at Nag Hammadi. These are complete supplied translations of fragmentary witnesses, not reconstruction of missing text or all Nag Hammadi Library. Full source word order, source page markers, lacunae and sigla retained; separate Notes/marketing/bibliographic intro excluded. Prior anthology editions remain public unchanged. No original Coptic or newly generated HSLT claim.. Available reading sections are listed below.
Limited body coverage in this view · eng
7 chapter/reading unit(s) · 63 nonempty passage record(s).
Fewer reading units or passage records than another edition of this work shown here. Editions may divide text differently.
Supported chapters & passages
- NHC-III-4 · 15 passage record(s)
- BG-8502-3 · 14 passage record(s)
- NHC-VII-5 · 6 passage record(s)
- NHC-VIII-2 · 11 passage record(s)
- CT-1-PETER-PHILIP · 9 passage record(s)
- NHC-XIII-2 · 1 passage record(s)
- OEYEN-ORIGIN-FRAGMENTS · 7 passage record(s)
Body coverage is separate from textual verification. Counts do not establish complete chapters or textual completeness.
Evidence Intelligence
Know what kind of evidence you are looking at.
Helpful Saints keeps direct biblical text, language evidence, ancient witnesses, historical context, research models, and open questions visibly distinct.Direct Biblical Text
The explicit wording and literary context of canonical Scripture.
Original-Language Evidence
Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, morphology, lemmas, semantic range, and textual comparison.
Ancient Witness
Septuagint, Dead Sea Scrolls, ancient Jewish literature, and early Christian writings—clearly classified.
Historical Context
Geography, material culture, chronology ranges, institutions, customs, and reception history.
Research Model
A configured chronology, theological synthesis, typological pattern, or proposed relationship.
Open Question
Evidence is incomplete, debated, or insufficient for a settled conclusion.