Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
INNER CIRCLE: A Great Mystery

INNER CIRCLE: A Great Mystery

Last updated on: June 20, 2025 at 2:28 pm by Keith Giles

0 Comments

INNER CIRCLE: A Great Mystery 2025-06-20T14:28:44+00:00 Keith Giles

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

IMAGE: Keith Giles [MidJourney]

“There were three who traveled with the Lord all the time: His mother Mary, her sister, and Magdalene, who is called his companion; because Mary is his sister, his mother, and his partner (companion). Miriam is a sister, a mother, and a wife (koinonos). “The Father” and “The Son” are single names; “the Holy Spirit” (Breath) is a double name, because they are everywhere: above, below, in the visible and the invisible. Spirit [Pneuma] becomes manifest when descending, and hidden when ascending.

“The holy ones make use of threatening powers. These powers are blinded by the Breath (Holy Spirit) to believe they are serving the human, but in truth they are working for the holy ones.” (The Gospel of Philip vs. 32-34)

There are three Marys, and there are three names of God. The third Mary is Magdalene. The third name of God is the Spirit (Breath).

The name of Magdalene is Koinonos. The name of Spirit is Pneuma.

Mary is a name for a spiritual companion. Spirit is a name for Divine Presence.

The awakened ones make use of all powers, recognizing that all things are connected to the Divine. The Spirit, which is everywhere, collaborates with us so that all things work together for our good. For if God’s Spirit fills all things, then no weapon formed against us may prosper, and whatever they intend for evil will become our greatest blessing.

These cryptic ideas from the Gospel of Philip invite us to dig deeper into their possible meanings. Why are we told that there were Marys who traveled with Jesus? Why does his mother and her sister have the same name? Or, is the second Mary his sister (and not his mother’s sister)? Was Mary Magdalene his wife? Is that the deeper meaning of “Koinonos”?

Why are these three Miriams juxtaposed with the Father, Son and Spirit? How are Magdalene and the Holy Spirit analogous? Is Magdalene his “companion” in the same way the Spirit is “the comforter”?

If “the Holy Spirit is a double name” does that suggest that “Magdalene” is also a double name? The Tower? The Companion?

What are we to make of this idea that “the holy ones use threatening (or harmful) powers”? What do we mean by “use”? Are these powers merely principles? Or are they spirits? Or are they people who are still unaware of their Oneness with the Divine? Why does the Holy Spirit blind them rather than heal their blindness? Is this a temporary arrangement until the day these blind ones awaken on their own to the truth of Divine connection?

I’ve done my best to suggest possible answers to these questions, but I’m not entirely confident in my assumptions.

Is Mary “a sister, a mother, and a wife,” in the same way that God is a Father, a Son and a Spirit? What are we to make of this comparison? Perhaps Magdalene is a soul companion to Jesus in the same way God’s Spirit is our companion. We can never escape God’s Spirit. If we ascend to the Heavens or make our bed in the grave, God’s Spirit is there with us, always.

What are the implications of the similarities between Koinonos and Pneuma? The Spirit of God is the Breath, and God breathed into the first Adam his own breath of life, so God’s presence is as near as our own breath. Is this a metaphor for the companion of Jesus? Is she as near to him as his own breath? Are they one in the spirit and the flesh?

Sometimes all we have are mysteries. Sometimes the questions are the answer. Awe and wonder are companions of curiosity, and as children of God, we are encouraged to become changed and transformed by the renewing of our minds.

It’s okay to step into the unknown. There is no shame in admitting we do not understand everything. What matters most is that we are not offended by the mystery or discouraged by the unanswered questions.

We trust in our experience of God. We trust when we don’t understand.

This is faith. Not certainty.

This is hope. Not confidence.

This is love. And the greatest of these is love.

The new book, “The Quantum Gospel of Mary and the Lost Gospel of Truth”is now available on Amazon.The book from Keith Giles, “The Quantum Sayings of Jesus: Decoding the Lost Gospel of Thomas” is available now on Amazon. Order HERE>*Keith Giles is the best-selling author of the Jesus Un series. He has been interviewed on CNN with Anderson Cooper, Coast to Coast Radio with George Noory, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and John Fugelsang’s “Tell Me Everything.”*He co-hosts The Heretic Happy Hour Podcastand his solo podcast, Second Cup With Keith which are both available on Spotify, Amazon, Apple, Podbean or wherever you find great podcasts.

Previous Post

June 18, 2025

Why Paul Literally Reads Scripture Allegorically

Next Post

June 27, 2025 INNER CIRCLE: Ask Your Mother

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Googled: “In psychology and everyday language, intelligence is the capacity to learn, understand, reason, think ..."

Herm

AI Is A Gateway to the ..."

"It's so weird to me how anyone thinks that getting basic income is in any ..."

Scott Santens

AI Is A Gateway to the ..."

"Sounds very much like what Pope Leo wrote in Magnifica Humanitas - a lot of ..."

ffeineandsugar

AI Is A Gateway to the ..."

"As it is written in the canonical Gospels:But as many as received Him, to them ..."

Herm

INNER CIRCLE: God’s Transcending Love

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Biblicism Christian Politics Cosmic Christ Deconstruction Discipleship Dispensationalism Divine Unity Ekklesia End Time Stuff Eschatology Evergreen Following Jesus Gender General Christian Topics Gnostics God's Love Gospel of Judas Gospel of Mary Gospel of Philip Gospel of the Kingdom Gospel of Thomas Gospel of Truth Hell Historical Jesus Inner Circle Investigative Reporting Islam LGBTQ Issues Marriage Mental/Emotional Health Mystery Non-Duality Philosophy Podcast Poetry Politics Poverty Preemptive Love Prophecy Psychology Quantum Theology Racism Reconstruction Satire Sex Technology Theology Uncategorized Universalism

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What traveling companion of Paul was a physician and historian, writing two New Testament books?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Mark Luke Barnabas Silas

Books by This Author Books by Keith Giles

See All Titles »