Gnostic texts are available in several major English translations. The standard complete collection is Marvin Meyer's The Nag Hammadi Scriptures (2007). The original scholarly edition is James M. Robinson's The Nag Hammadi Library in English (1977, revised 1988). Bentley Layton's The Gnostic Scriptures (1987) offers the best annotations. For the Pistis Sophia and related texts, G.R.S. Mead's translation (1921) is freely available online. All major texts are free at gnosis.org.
The Three Major Translation Collections
Marvin Meyer — The Nag Hammadi Scriptures (HarperOne, 2007)
The most current and comprehensive print edition. Meyer assembled an international team of specialists and produced fresh translations of all 52 Nag Hammadi texts, plus related texts (the Gospel of Judas, the Gospel of Mary, Hermetic texts). Each text has an individual introduction by a specialist. Includes thematic essays by Elaine Pagels and others. ~800 pages. Best choice for serious study.
James M. Robinson (ed.) — The Nag Hammadi Library in English (Harper & Row, 1977; revised 1988)
The original scholarly English translation, produced by an international team under UNESCO auspices through the 1966 Messina Congress project. Slightly older translations with less detailed introductions than Meyer, but still widely cited and in print. The 1988 revised edition is the one to use. The complete text is also freely available online at gnosis.org. Best for: budget-conscious readers, free online access.
Bentley Layton — The Gnostic Scriptures (Doubleday, 1987)
Does not include all Nag Hammadi texts, but provides the most extensively annotated translations of the texts it covers. Layton's notes on translation choices, vocabulary, and theological context are exceptionally detailed. Includes the Secret Book of John, the Gospel of Thomas, Valentinian texts, and a selection of patristic sources on Gnosticism. Best for: scholars who want deep annotations and context.
Individual Text Translations
| Text | Best translation | Free online? |
|---|---|---|
| Gospel of Thomas | Marvin Meyer (2007) or Thomas Lambdin (Robinson collection) | Yes — gnosis.org/naghamm/gthlamb.html |
| Secret Book of John | Frederik Wisse (Robinson) or Marvin Meyer (2007) | Yes — gnosis.org/naghamm/apocjn.html |
| Gospel of Philip | Wesley Isenberg (Robinson) or Meyer (2007) | Yes — gnosis.org/naghamm/gop.html |
| Gospel of Truth | Robert Grant / David Noel Freedman or Attridge/MacRae | Yes — gnosis.org/naghamm/got.html |
| Pistis Sophia | Violet MacDermot (Brill, 1978) — scholarly; G.R.S. Mead (1921) — free online | Yes — gnosis.org/library/pistis-sophia.htm |
| Gospel of Mary | Karen L. King (2003) or Christopher Tuckett (2007) | Yes — gnosis.org/library/marygosp.htm |
| Gospel of Judas | Kasser, Meyer, Wurst (National Geographic, 2006, revised 2008) | Partial — National Geographic website |
Free Online Sources
- gnosis.org/naghamm/nhl.html — The Gnostic Society Library: complete Nag Hammadi collection in Robinson's translation, individual text pages with introductions
- earlychristianwritings.com — Individual texts with dating notes, multiple translations linked, scholarly introductions
- sacred-texts.com/chr/apo/ — G.R.S. Mead's translations of Pistis Sophia and other texts; older but free
- The Nag Hammadi Archive (nag-hammadi.com) — Facsimile pages of the original Coptic manuscripts alongside translations
German and French Translations
For German readers, the most authoritative scholarly edition is the complete translation by the Berlin-Humboldt University team (Schenke, Bethge, Kaiser), published in 2001. For French readers, Jean-Pierre Mahé and Paul-Hubert Poirier edited a comprehensive French edition (Écrits gnostiques, Gallimard, Pléiade, 2007) — considered by many scholars the best single-volume Gnostic text collection in any language for its introductions and apparatus.
Which translation of the Gospel of Thomas should I read?
For a clear modern reading translation: Marvin Meyer's in The Nag Hammadi Scriptures (2007) or his standalone The Gospel of Thomas (HarperOne, 1992). For free online reading: Thomas O. Lambdin's translation at gnosis.org is the most widely used and clearly written. For scholarly study: Bentley Layton's translation in The Gnostic Scriptures (1987) provides the most detailed annotations.
Are there any Gnostic texts in the Bible?
No canonical Bible text is Gnostic, though some biblical passages — particularly in the Gospel of John, Paul's letters, and the Wisdom books — share features with Gnostic thought and were intensively used by Gnostic teachers. Some deuterocanonical/apocryphal texts (included in Catholic and Orthodox bibles but not Protestant) show Wisdom theology that parallels Gnostic Sophia ideas, particularly Sirach and the Wisdom of Solomon.