Redemption by spiritual knowledge and the gospel of Philip

### Redemption by Spiritual Knowledge in the Gospel of Philip  

Redemption in the Gospel of Philip is intricately tied to spiritual knowledge, or *gnosis*, which reveals one’s true nature and divine origin. As Philippians 2:12 states, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” This emphasis on self-awareness and effort aligns with the central premise of *gnosis*—that redemption is achieved through self-knowledge and an understanding of divine truths.  

### Initiation through Spiritual Knowledge  

The Gospel of Philip highlights that redemption is not merely a passive reception of grace but an active process of transformation through knowledge:  

> “All those who have everything should know themselves, should they not? If some do not know themselves, they will not enjoy what they have, but those who know themselves will enjoy their possessions.”  

To know oneself is to recognize the divine within and transcend ignorance, which is the root of spiritual decay:  

> “Ignorance is the mother of [all evil]. Ignorance leads to [death, because] those who come from [ignorance] neither were nor [are] nor will be. [But those in the truth] will be perfect when all truth is revealed.”  

This revelation of truth allows one to rise above sin and slavery:  

> “Whoever knows the truth is free, and a free person does not sin, for ‘one who sins is a slave of sin.’ Truth is the mother, knowledge is the father.”  

### Redemption as Spiritual Enlightenment  

Redemption in the Gospel of Philip is described as a process of spiritual awakening and restoration to one’s original state. This journey begins with baptism, progresses through redemption, and culminates in the Bridal Chamber:  

> “The holy place is baptism; the holy of the holy is redemption; the holy of holies is the bridal chamber. Baptism entails resurrection and redemption, and redemption is in the bridal chamber.”  

The Bridal Chamber symbolizes union with the divine, transcending earthly limitations:  

> “Our bridal chamber is the image [of the bridal chamber] above. That is why its curtain was torn from top to bottom, for some people from below had to go up.”  

Redemption is not just a return to an original state but an ascent to a higher, spiritual existence through *gnosis*:  

> “Farming in this world depends on four things, and a harvest is gathered and taken into the barn as a result of water, earth, air, and light. God’s farming also depends on four things: faith, hope, love, and knowledge. Faith is the earth in which we take root. Hope is the water with which we are nourished. Love is the air through which we grow. Knowledge is the light by which we ripen.”  

### Christ as the Redeemer and Revealer  

Christ plays a central role in redemption, not as a distant savior but as the revealer of spiritual truths that enable individuals to redeem themselves:  

> “Jesus revealed himself [at the] Jordan River as the fullness of heaven’s kingdom. The one [conceived] before all was conceived again; the one anointed before was anointed again; the one redeemed redeemed others.”  

Through his life, death, and resurrection, Christ “purchased strangers and made them his own”:  

> “Christ came to purchase some, to save some, to redeem some. He purchased strangers and made them his own, and he brought back his own whom he had laid down of his own will as a deposit.”  

By revealing the truth, Christ sets humanity free and enables them to rise above ignorance and sin:  

> “The word says, ‘If you know the truth, the truth will make you free.’ Ignorance is a slave, knowledge is freedom. If we know the truth, we shall find the fruit of truth within us.”  

### Freedom through Knowledge and Love  

The Gospel of Philip asserts that true freedom is achieved through knowledge of the truth:  

> "Whoever knows the truth is free, and a free person does not sin, for 'one who sins is a slave of sin.' Truth is the mother, knowledge is the father."  

In this view, knowledge (*gnosis*) liberates individuals from ignorance, which binds them to sin. Redemption, then, is not merely about being forgiven but about being elevated to a state where sin no longer holds power. To know the truth is to be aligned with divine wisdom and to rise above the enslavement of worldly passions.  

### Knowledge and the Responsibility of Love  

However, the Gospel does not advocate for isolated enlightenment. Those who are made free through knowledge remain "slaves because of love for those who do not yet have freedom of knowledge." This paradox highlights a vital aspect of spiritual redemption: with great knowledge comes responsibility. The redeemed are called to serve others out of love, guiding them toward spiritual awakening.  

### Love as the Ultimate Expression of Redemption  

The passage emphasizes that while knowledge grants freedom, love builds up and perfects the individual:  

> "Love [never says] it owns something, [though] it owns [everything]. Love does not [say, 'This is mine'] or 'That is mine,' but rather, '[All that is mine] is yours.'"  

In the redemptive process, love becomes the highest manifestation of spiritual knowledge. Those redeemed by *gnosis* do not hoard spiritual truths but share them generously. True redemption involves not just personal liberation but fostering a community where divine truths are shared in love, leading others toward enlightenment and freedom.  

### Redemption as the Knowledge of Truth  

Irenaeus, in *Against All Heresies*, echoes the Gospel of Philip’s emphasis on redemption through knowledge:  

> “Knowledge is the redemption of the inner man. For since both defect and passion flowed from ignorance, the whole substance of what was thus formed is destroyed by knowledge.”  

In the Gospel of Philip, the ultimate redemption is spiritual enlightenment. To know the truth is to be liberated from ignorance and united with the divine. As love and knowledge grow together, the individual is transformed, entering into the Bridal Chamber, the symbol of ultimate redemption and union with God.  

Redemption, therefore, is a process that involves both the revelation of divine truths and the individual’s active engagement with this knowledge. By working out one’s salvation “with fear and trembling,” the soul ascends to its divine origin, fulfilling the promise of redemption through spiritual knowledge.