Human Beings and Animals The Gospel of Philip

Human Beings and Animals

The superiority of human beings is not apparent to the eye but lies in what is hidden. Consequently, they are dominant over animals that are stronger than they are and greater in ways apparent and hidden. So animals survive. But when human beings leave them, animals kill and devour each other. Animals have eaten each other because they have found no other food. Now, however, they have food, because humans till the ground.

The superiority of man [one who is in union with the Universal spirit of God] is not obvious to the eye, but lies in what is hidden from view [it is found within the heart – he is at peace]. Consequently, he has mastery over the animals [the carnal nature – the lusts of the flesh and they cannot harm or offend him] which are stronger than he is [they will dominate man by their desires] and great in terms of the obvious [their power to control our behavior which is manifest in our actions] and the hidden [the idols of the heart which we are often not even aware of having that cause us to do what is contrary to the Father’s will whether intended or not]. This enables them to survive [our carnal nature will convince us through the fleshly desires of our bodies that what we are doing is acceptable even if it is harmful to ourselves or others]. But if man is separated from them [as the first man Adam was (before the fall) and the last man Adam is and subsequently all of His begotten sons], they [the animals] slay one another and bite one another. They ate one another because they did not find any food [their food is the dust of the earth (our bodies) while in the carnal state this is what must die to feed the gestating son within]. But now they have found food because man tilled the soil [when Adam took from the “tree of knowledge of good and evil” and was cast out of the garden–“Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.” This allows nachash access into our hearts through the corruption of our minds]. (Philip 43)


The superiority of humans over other creatures is not obvious to the eye; it lies in metaphysical distinctions. Humans can master animals which are stronger than they are because of the greater power of their minds. This enables mankind to survive in a world which is full of stronger creatures. The same is true of the weaker animals. They survive because they attach themselves to humans who protect them through the power of their minds. Mental power is always superior to physical prowess, and will ultimately prevail.