Gospel of Philip

The Elements  and Inhabitants of the Bridal Chamber Let not the Bridal Chamber be for animals, slaves, or harlots. Rather, let it be for those both free and virginal! Indeed we have been begotten and brought into being by the aid of the Sacred Spirit, and then we were reborn by means of the Anointed One. In both cases it is Spirit who has anointed us, and having thus been reborn, we are now “married” beings. No one can see the reflection of themselves in water or in a mirror without light, and no one can see that light without water or a mirror to reflect it. To see one’s true self, it is necessary to be immersed in both—the light as well as the water, and the light is present in the oil of anointing. SYNOPSIS This analogue is perhaps the early beginnings of interiorized monasticism with its emphasis on “chastity” understood now perhaps in a new way.  The phrase virginal beings is contrasted with these three (animals, slaves, harlots) which are, it seems, symbolic humans—animals