Scholarly Reflections
Pick, Bernhard. "Chapter Three: The Gospel of the Egyptians." Paralipomena: Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company, 1908, 19-22.
Epiphanius and Hippolytus both make mention of the Gospel of the Egyptians. They consider it to be full of arcane statements and to teach that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one person, not three, and that learning about the soul is obscure (Pick 1908, 19). A hallmark teaching, as referenced by Clement of Alexandria, is that death is a normal part of life, suggesting that celibacy is the good way to prevent death (Pick 1908, 20). The teaching is presented through conversations between Salome and Jesus. The coming of the Lord, further, can be predicted because it will be when there is no longer male or female, but when people speak the truth to one another. This citation is in 2 Clement 12:2, 4, 5 (Pick 1908, 21). The view, as represented by Clement of Alexandria (Stromata III, 9, 63), is that the Gospel of the Egyptians held women to be responsible for the primary evils of lust, generation, and death.