The Letter of Peter which he sent to Philip
"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 received orders from
our Lord and the Savior of the whole world that we should come
together to 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 together and to
know how we should 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 received 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
(mount) olives," 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, give 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 voice called out to them
saying, "Listen to my words that I may speak to you. Why are you
asking me? I am Jesus Christ 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 the authority of boldness?" And: "Why do the powers fight
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 without
the commandment of the majesty of the Father. She wanted to raise up
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 deficiency 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-existent Father, since they
are strangers to him. But this is the one to whom they gave power
and whom they served by praising 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 place of a form. And he commissioned 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 of me that I was a mortal man. And I spoke with him who
belongs to me, and he harkened to me just as you too who 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 yourselves what 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 they do not wish that
you be saved."
Then the apostles worshiped 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 power of my 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 previously said to you when I was in the body." Then there came
lightning and thunder from heaven, and what appeared to them in that
place was taken 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 was made 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 for us too to suffer because of our smallness." Then a
voice came to them saying, "I have told you many times: it is
necessary for you to suffer. It is necessary that they bring you to
synagogues and governors, so that you will suffer. But he who does
not suffer and does not [...] 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 instruction in salvation in the
name of the 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, show us 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 ones who 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 immeasurable
glory of the Father, he is the author of our life. My brothers, let
us therefore not obey these lawless ones, and walk in [...]."
[...] Then 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 perform wonders."
Then Peter and the other apostles saw him, and they were filled
with a holy spirit, And each one performed 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 you depart, joy be to you
and grace and power. And be not afraid; behold, I am with you
forever."
Then the apostles parted from each other into four words in order
to preach. And they went by a power of Jesus, in peace.