The Gospel of the Beloved Companion: The Complete Gospel of Mary Magdalene

Over the summer, I received an enthusiastic email from Anne Baring urging me to buy this book, which I ordered immediately. Along with I’m sure many other readers, I have an enduring interest in the Gnostic Gospels, having read the book by Elaine Pagels in the early 1980s and many other texts besides. I now live in the Cathar area, where the story of Mary Magdalene is very present, both historically and archetypally. I am reminded of an occasion when I was leading a seminar some 30 years ago during which we went to the cave at Sainte Baume, where Mary is reputed to have spent her later years. A sensitive among us put out the question about the historical reality of her presence, to which the reply was that it did not matter whether or not she had been there physically if her spirit was now present.This book is the first translation into English of what purports to be the complete Gospel of Mary Magdalene. As such, this is a momentous publication. The editor explains that the manuscript was reputedly brought from Alexandria to the Languedoc in the early to middle part of the first century and was translated into Occitan in the early 12th century. The manuscript has been preserved within a spiritual community since that time and this translation is from the original Alexandrian Greek. Of course, scholars would love to have access to the manuscript, but the translator does not feel she can break faith with those who have sacrificed so much to preserve it for over a millennium so that its message could one day be released back into the public arena, an action criticised by some members of her community. Hence, readers have to approach the Gospel with open minds and decide for themselves in the light of the text itself and the translator’s comparative critical analysis with other canonical and Gnostic Gospels. The Gospel is set out in 44 chapters with verses, but the translator also explains that there is no punctuation in the original, and a version like this is presented later in the book.The narrative is simple and powerful, and conveys vividly for me the non-dual state from which Yeshua spoke and taught: “Have I not told you that I am in the Spirit as the Spirit is in me? It is man who sees only poverty, for he sees with the eyes of the master of the world. But where man sees poverty, the Spirit sees only abundance. What the Spirit sees I see, and what I see the Spirit sees. And what the Spirit sees is. (6:8)” I find this an incredibly powerful statement, and many passages are preceded by the phrase ‘only from the truth’, corresponding to the New Testament translation, ‘verily’. In 21:2 we read “You do not know me or know where I am from. I have not come of myself, but the One who sent me is true; that One is the One whom you do not know. I know the Spirit because I am of the Spirit and the Spirit sent me.”Then again in 27:3: “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in the name of the Spirit, these testify about me. But you do not believe, because you cannot hear my voice. Those that hear my words and follow them, to them I give eternal life. They will never perish. The Spirit, who has sent them to me, is greater than all. The Spirit and I are one.” At this point, the Pharisees take up stones again to stone him, and he answers: “I have shown you the many good works from the Spirit. For which of those works do you stone me?” Quite a retort! In 35:12, Yeshua states in response to a question by Thomas that they do not know where he is going so how can they know the way: “My words are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. For my words are given of the Spirit, and no one comes to the Kingdom except through Her teachings. If you had known and understood my teachings, then you would have known and understood the One who sent me also.” (did you notice Her….?)The most potent and seminal passage in this Gospel comes towards the end, when the disciples come together after the crucifixion in the house at Bethany, and Mary tells them about her experience in the garden of the tomb. They are worried about exposing themselves to danger by going out and preaching. Mary stands up, raises her right hand and tells them not to grieve and to be resolute as Grace will protect them: “Let us praise his greatness, for he has prepared us and made us truly human.” As a result of this statement, ‘she turned their hearts to the good’ and Simon Peter says to her: “Sister, we know that he loved you more than any other among women. Tell us the words of the Rabbi, which you remember, which you know and understand, but we do not, nor have we heard them.”What follows is beyond measure, a priceless spiritual treasure so precious that it may well be, as Anne suggested to me, the real treasure of the Cathars. I read it first while having a morning coffee in Lisbon, a moment I will never forget. She says that she will proclaim what is hidden from them, and that Yeshua had said to her, “Miryam, you came into being before coming into being (think about the significance of this!), and whose eyes are set upon the Kingdom, who from the beginning has understood and followed my teachings.” He then shows her in a vision a great tree whose roots are in the earth, ‘which is your body’. The trunk extends upward through the five regions of humanity to the Crown, which is the Kingdom of the Spirit. There are eight boughs on the tree and each bears its own fruit, which must be eaten in all its fullness; between each bough there is a gate with a guardian who challenges the unworthy who try to pass. She then describes the levels of initiation, the ascent from darkness to light. You will have to buy the book yourself in order to appreciate the sheer symbolic power of this vision. At the end, we read that many of the disciples did not understand what she had said and grumbled against her among themselves about these ‘strange and complicated ideas’. Simon Peter resents her exclusive access, while Levi defends her, remarking that “surely as his companion, Yeshua knew her better than all others. That is why he loved her more than us.”Readers may have caught the tone of the Gospel of John from these extracts, but there are also passages that parallel the Gnostic insights of the Gospel of Thomas. In the second part, the translator analyses some of these parallels, using original Greek papyrus manuscripts for comparative purposes (the Greek is quoted in many instances). Using close textual analysis, she makes the case that this Gospel may even have been a source for the Gospel of John in terms of dating. There are also verses such as the famous passage about making the two into one that parallel the Gospel of Thomas (see below), with the significant difference that the passage in the Gospel of the Beloved Companion is set within a coherent narrative framework, whereas, in the Gospel of Thomas it is just a fragment. Then in the Gospel of Mary, there are whole chapters missing, and the Gospel of the Beloved Companion illuminates these and other extant passages. The translator’s commentary also sheds further light on key passages from the Gospel. She sets the burial rites surrounding Jesus (only explained in John) within the cultural context of the time, where only the immediate family would have been involved, with the wife or sister playing the leading role. This reinforces the message that Mary Magdalene was indeed the Beloved Companion.The Gospel of John was beloved to the Cathars, and was laid on the head of candidates as they were initiated as a Parfait or Parfaite. This is the mystical canonical Gospel, which, ironically, contains the words used by fundamentalist evangelicals to insist on the exclusive divinity of Christ, when they should be interpreted symbolically. Indeed, the Beloved Companion passage about the way, the truth and the life quoted above makes a lot more sense to me. So, dear reader, as the translator herself suggests, you will have to make up your own mind about the status of this Gospel by reading it for yourself. It is significant that the Vatican recently promoted Mary to the status of The Apostle to the Apostles, and some of you may have seen the corresponding film that came out this year. This Gospel goes a great deal further, stressing the importance of entering into the silence.I mentioned above the parallels with the Gospel of Thomas, so I will finish this review with this passage referring to stillness and silence (30:10): “If you bring forth what is within you, what you have within you will save you. If you do not find that within you that is from the Spirit, what you do not find within you will be your death. There is light within a person of light, and it shines on the whole world. If it does not shine, it is dark. Only from the truth I tell you, be still and know that I AM. Those with ears, let them hear.” It is often said in this area that, following the massacre of 225 Cathars at Montsegur on March 16th 1244, after 700 years the Vine will once again turn green. This beautiful and inspiring gospel is surely the fruit of this Vine.

As an ordained vicar in the Church of England, I’ve always endeavoured to seek Truth up and above the dogma, rules and restrictions imposed by the institutional Church - this book has been a revelationI’ve never felt totally comfortable or fitted into conventional Christianity or the Church system, and this book shows and tells me whyThe Bible as we have it has far too many inconsistencies within it that has always made me question its purpose, teaching and how it actually came into being - The Gospel of the Beloved Companion, shows me the TruthI now have to somehow untangle 50 odd years of incorrect teaching, theology, my understanding…or more to the point, misunderstanding - the Church as an institution is built on power, control and manipulation, and I no longer can have anything to do with its futile existence - I’m saddened that I was so blinded and ignorant for so many years, which allowed me to be a puppet for the institutionI am now free from it and able to understand and seek the Truth for what it is rather than being dictated to and manipulated to believe something which is so very different from the raw teaching and essence of who Jesus wasI’ve left the conventional Church - and am continuing my personal journey of discovery and creativity…seeking the heart of God, but without the chains of the institutional Church with all its lies, confusion, control and manipulation

I've not finished reading this yet, so I reserve judgement on the content, but why is the text in capitals? I find it very hard to read, especially on the Kindle Screen. It's a very poor choice if the document is as important as it purports to be.

I have for a long time been very interested in, if not 'driven' to, study and investigate other scriptures and especially gospels which did not appear in the Church authorised canon. In particular I was fascinated with learning more about the gospels which were labelled 'gnostic'. Many of these gospels are not easy always to understand properly without outside help in interpreting their meaning. " The Gospel of the Beloved Companion" is an exception. It is easy to overlook this treasure as it doesn't easily fit into a particular category and was not part of the nag Hammadi find which made other gospels more famous and which gave them some 'authority'having been made 'respectable' by such notable academics as Elaine Pagels.The Gospel of the Beloved Companion is quite simply the Truth which somehow you just recognise instinctively when you read it, even before Ms de Quillan elucidates and brings to bear her extreme commitment to this work and her knowledgable explanations and insight into some of the conclusions which are unavoidable about this gospel and about the canonical gospels also in relation to it. Since I read it I have felt somehow 'complete' spiritually. It verifies everything I have instinctively felt most of my life and has left me much more at peace with myself, knowing the Truth is definitely out there. I will always treasure my copy of this wonderful Gospel. My regret is that I don't have the resources available to me to meet Ms de Quillan or the people in France or the USA who share such a wonderful community based upon this Gospel. Do yourself a favour and read this book. I get the feeling that people who are meant to see it will be, as I was, inexorably drawn towards it anyway.

A gospel that not only reads, but feels like, the truth. My heart opened as I turned these pages. And my faith came home by a secret path it had never found before 💝 Let these words touch you with enough contemplation and the answers to the mysteries of all life will shine through them ✨ I absolutely recommend.

Not what I was expecting wouldn’t recommend it better books on this subject available