One of the major themes of the Gospel of Philip is the
reunification of the soul and spirit in a heavenly union that realizes the
identification of the soul with its true self.
The author focuses upon the metaphor of marriage. Marriage is a symbol of the fullness of the
divine; it is a symbol of knowledge and truth.
The wedding chamber is for free men and virgins. Heavenly marriage is also a symbol of
chastity, since it is spiritual and not carnal.
This marriage is a mystery, and it belongs entirely to another
dimension. The union of the bride with
her bridegroom leads to the restoration of the androgyny. Through spiritual union male and female will
become one, and there will no longer be male and female but rather a unique
being.
Androgynous union repairs the damage of the separation of
male and female, which occurred when the female element fell into matter,
according to the myth of Sophia. This
separation led to death. When Adam and
Eve were joined to each other in paradise, they were in a condition of unity
and knowledge. Once they separated into
two different beings, however, they fell into ignorance and death. If she enters into him again and he embraces
her, death will cease to be. The
separation of male and female was the beginning of death. It is Christ who eliminates the
separation. Christ came to heal the
separation that was from the beginning and reunite the two, in order to give
life to those who died through separation and unite them.
