THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS
- Translations by: Thomas O. Lambdin (Coptic version)
- B.P Grenfell A.S. Hunt (Greek Fragments)
- Bentley Layton (Greek Fragments)
- Commentary by: Craig Schenk
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I: Commentary
The Gospel of Thomas is a collection of traditional Sayings
(logoi) of Jesus. It is attributed to Didymos Judas Thomas, the
"Doubting Thomas" of the canonical Gospels, and according to many
early traditions, the twin brother of Jesus ("didymos" means
"twin" in Greek).
We have two versions of the Gospel of Thomas today. The
first was discovered in the late 1800's among the Oxyrhynchus
Papyri, and consists of fragments of a Greek version, which has
been dated to c. 200. The second is a complete version, in
Coptic, from Codex II of the Nag Hammadi finds. Thomas was
probably first written in Greek (or possibly even Syriac or
Aramaic) sometime between the mid 1st and 2nd centuries.
There has been much speculation on the relationship of
Thomas to the canonical Gospels. Many Sayings in Thomas have
parallels with the New Testament Sayings, especially those found
in the synoptic Gospels. This leads many to believe that Thomas
was also based on the so-called "Q" Document, along with Matthew,
Luke, and Mark. Indeed, some have speculated that Thomas may in
fact be "Q". Unlike the synoptic Gospels, and like "Q", the
Gospel of Thomas has no narrative connecting the various Sayings.
In form, it is simply a list of 114 Sayings, in no particular
order. Comparison with New Testament parallels show that Thomas
contains either more primitive versions of the Sayings, or
developments of more primitive versions. Either way, Thomas seems
to preserve earlier traditions about Jesus than the New
Testament.
Although it is not possible to attribute the Gospel of
Thomas to any particular sect, it is clearly Gnostic in nature.
As the preamble indicates, these are "secret sayings", and are
intended to be esoteric in nature. The Sayings are not intended
to be interpreted literally, as their New Testament parallels
often are, but to be interpreted symbolically, as attested by
Saying #1. While a literal interpretation may make sense, only by
understanding the deeper meanings of the Sayings can one truly
understand them. Thus in Saying #114, it is to be understood that
"male" symbolizes the pneumatic (spiritual, or Gnostic)
Christians, and "female" symbolizes the psychic (unenlightened,
or orthodox) Christians, rather than actually referring to males
and females. Keep in mind that true understanding of this text
was meant to come from PERSONAL contact with the Divine,
inspiration from within.
I will now present translations of both the Greek and Coptic
versions of the Gospel of Thomas. Of the 114 Sayings in the
complete work, and all of the fragments of the Greek text.
Also, the Greek version contains one Saying not found in the Coptic
version, which comes between Sayings 32 and 33 of the Coptic
version. I will enter the Coptic version first, as it is more
complete, followed by the Greek version. After both translations,
I've provided a listing of New Testament parallels for all 114
sayings for easier comparison.
Note that for the Coptic version, I use the standard NHL
translation, except for saying 70, where I have substituted the
translation found in Elaine Pagels' "The Gnostic Gospels", as it
seems a better translation.
Peace & Enlightenment be yours!
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IA: Editorial Symbols
I have followed the Nag Hammadi Library standard for
typographical symbols in this file. Text contained within [square
brackets] indicates a damaged portion of the manuscript where the
translators have attempted a reconstruction. Text within
(parentheses) indicates comments or text added by the translator
for clarification purposes. Text within
indicates a scribal error (spelling, grammatical, etc) in the
original, where the translator has made a correction. Text within
{funky brackets} indicates superfluous text added by the scribe.
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II: Coptic Gospel of Thomas
P) These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke
and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down.
1) And He said, "Whoever finds the interpretation of these
sayings will not experience death."
2) Jesus said, "Let him who seeks continue seeking until he
finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes
troubled, he will be astonished, and he will rule over the All."
3) Jesus said, "If those who lead you say, 'See, the Kingdom is
in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they
say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you.
Rather, the Kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you.
When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and
you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living
Father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty
and it is you who are that poverty."
4) Jesus said, "The man old in days will not hesitate to ask a
small child seven days old about the place of life, and he will
live. For many who are first will become last, and they will
become one and the same."
5) Jesus said, "Recognize what is in your sight, and that which
is hidden from you will become plain to you. For there is nothing
hidden which will not become manifest."
6) His disciples questioned Him and said to Him, "Do you want
us to fast? How shall we pray? Shall we give alms? What diet
shall we observe?"
Jesus said, "Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."
7) Jesus said, "Blessed is the lion which becomes man when
consumed by man; and cursed is the man whom the lion consumes,
and the lion becomes man."
8) And He said, "The Kingdom is like a wise fisherman who cast
his
net into the sea and drew it up from the sea full of small fish.
Among them the wise fisherman found a fine large fish. He threw
all the small fish back into the sea and chose the large fish
without difficulty. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."
9) Jesus said, "Now the sower went out, took a handful (of
seeds), and scattered them. Some fell on the road; the birds came
and gathered them up. Others fell on the rock, did not take rood
in the soil, and did not produce ears. And others fell on thorns;
they choked the seed(s) and worms ate them. And others fell on
the good soil and produced good fruit: it bore sixty per measure
and a hundred and twenty per measure."
10) Jesus said, "I have cast fire upon the world, and see, I am
guarding it until it blazes."
11) Jesus said, "This heaven will pass away, and the one above
it will pass away. The dead are not alive, and the living will
not die. In the days when you consumed what is dead, you made it
what is alive. When you come to dwell in the light, what will you
do? On the day when you were one you became two. But when you
become two, what will you do?"
12) The disciples said to Jesus, "We know that You will depart
from us. Who is to be our leader?"
Jesus said to them, "Wherever you are, you are to go to
James the righteous, for whose sake heaven and earth came into
being."
13) Jesus said to His disciples, "Compare me to someone and tell
Me whom I am like."
Simon Peter said to Him, "You are like a righteous angel."
Matthew said to Him, "You are like a wise philosopher."
Thomas said to Him, "Master, my mouth is wholly incapable of
saying whom You are like."
Jesus said, "I am not your master. Because you have drunk,
you have become intoxicated by the bubbling spring which I have
measured out."
And He took him and withdrew and told him three things. When
Thomas returned to his companions, they asked him, "What did
Jesus say to you?"
Thomas said to them, "If I tell you one of the things which
he told me, you will pick up stones and throw them at me; a fire
will come out of the stones and burn you up."
14) Jesus said to them, "If you fast, you will give rise to sin
for yourselves; and if you pray, you will be condemned; and if
you give alms, you will do harm to your spirits. When you go into
any land and walk about in the districts, if they receive you,
eat what they will set before you, and heal the sick among them.
For what goes into your mouth will not defile you, but that which
issues from your mouth - it is that which will defile you."
15) Jesus said, "When you see one who was not born of woman,
prostrate yourselves on your faces and worship him. That one is
your Father."
16) Jesus said, "Men think, perhaps, that it is peace which I
have come to cast upon the world. They do not know that it is
dissension which I have come to cast upon the earth: fire, sword,
and war. For there will be five in a house: three will be against
two, and two against three, the father against the son, and the
son against the father. And they will stand solitary."
17) Jesus said, "I shall give you what no eye has seen and what
no ear has heard and what no hand has touched and what has never
occurred to the human mind."
18) The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us how our end will be."
Jesus said, "Have you discovered, then, the beginning, that
you look for the end? For where the beginning is, there will the
end be. Blessed is he who will take his place in the beginning;
he will know the end and will not experience death."
19) Jesus said, "Blessed is he who came into being before he
came into being. If you become My disciples and listen to My
words, these stones will minister to you. For there are five
trees for you in Paradise which remain undisturbed summer and
winter and whose leaves do not fall. Whoever becomes acquainted
with them will not experience death."
20) The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us what the Kingdom of
Heaven is like."
He said to them, "It is like a mustard seed, the smallest of
all seeds. But when it falls on tilled soil, it produces a great
plant and becomes a shelter for birds of the sky."
21) Mary said to Jesus, "Whom are Your disciples like?"
He said, "They are like children who have settled in a field
which is not theirs. When the owners of the field come, they will
say, 'Let us have back our field.' They (will) undress in their
presence in order to let them have back their field and give it
back to them. Therefore I say to you, if the owner of a house
knows that the thief is coming, he will begin his vigil before he
comes and will not let him into his house of his domain to carry
away his goods. You, then, be on your guard against the world.
Arm yourselves with great strength lest the robbers find a way to
come to you, for the difficulty which you expect will (surely)
materialize. Let there be among you a man of understanding. When
the grain ripened, he came quickly with his sickle in his hand
and reaped it. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."
22) Jesus saw infants being suckled. He said to His disciples,
"These infants being suckled are like those who enter the
Kingdom."
They said to Him, "Shall we then, as children, enter the
Kingdom?"
Jesus said to them, "When you make the two one, and when you
make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside,
and the above like the below, and when you make the male and the
female one and the same, so that the male not be male nor the
female female; and when you fashion eyes in the place of an eye,
and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot, and
a likeness in place of a likeness; then will you enter [the
Kingdom]."
23) Jesus said, "I shall choose you, one out of a thousand, and
two out of ten thousand, and they shall stand as a single one."
24) His disciples said to Him, "Show us the place where You are,
since it is necessary for us to seek it."
He said to them, "Whoever has ears, let him hear. There is
light within a man of light, and he (or "it") lights up the whole
world. If he (or "it") does not shine, he (or "it") is darkness."
25) Jesus said, "Love your brother like your soul, guard him
like the pupil of your eye."
26) Jesus said, "You see the mote in your brothers eye, but you
do not see the beam in your own eye. When you cast the beam out
of your own eye, then you will see clearly to cast the mote from
your brother's eye."
27) "If you do not fast as regards the world, you
will not find the Kingdom. If you do not observe the Sabbath as a
Sabbath, you will not see the Father."
28) Jesus said, "I took my place in the midst of the world, and
I appeared to them in the flesh. I found all of them intoxicated;
I found none of them thirsty. And My soul became afflicted for
the sons of men, because they are blind in their hearts and do
not have sight; for empty they came into the world, and empty too
they seek to leave the world. But for the moment they are
intoxicated. When they shake off their wine, then they will
repent."
29) Jesus said, "If the flesh came into being because of spirit,
it is a wonder. But if spirit came into being because of the
body, it is a wonder of wonders. Indeed, I am amazed at how this
great wealth has made its home in this poverty."
30) Jesus said, "Where there are three gods, they are gods.
Where there are two or one, I am with him."
31) Jesus said, "No prophet is accepted in his own village; no
physician heals those who know him."
32) Jesus said, "A city being built on a high mountain and
fortified cannot fall, nor can it be hidden."
33) Jesus said, "Preach from your housetops that which you will
hear in your ear {(and) in the other ear}. For no one lights a
lamp and puts it under a bushel, nor does he put it in a hidden
place, but rather he sets it on a lampstand so that everyone who
enters and leaves will see its light."
34) Jesus said, "If a blind man leads a blind man, they will
both fall into a pit."
35) Jesus said, "It is not possible for anyone to enter the
house of a strong man and take it by force unless he binds his
hands; then he will (be able to) ransack his house."
36) Jesus said, "Do not be concerned from morning until evening
and from evening until morning about what you will wear."
37) His disciples said, "When will You become revealed to us and
when shall we see You?"
Jesus said, "When you disrobe without being ashamed and take
up your garments and place them under your feet like little
children and tread on them, then [will you see] the Son of the
Living One, and you will not be afraid"
38) Jesus said, "Many times have you desired to hear these words
which I am saying to you, and you have no one else to hear them
from. There will be days when you look for Me and will not find
Me."
39) Jesus said, "The Pharisees and the scribes have taken the
keys of Knowledge and hidden them. They themselves have not
entered, nor have they allowed to enter those who wish to. You,
however, be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves."
40) Jesus said, "A grapevine has been planted outside of the
Father, but being unsound, it will be pulled up by its roots and
destroyed."
41) Jesus said, "Whoever has something in his hand will receive
more, and whoever has nothing will be deprived of even the little
he has."
42) Jesus said, "Become passers-by."
43) His disciples said to him, "Who are You, that You should say
these things to us?"
"You do not realize who I am from what
I say to you, but you have become like the Jews, for they
(either) love the tree and hate its fruit or love the fruit and
hate the tree."
44) Jesus said, "Whoever blasphemes against the Father will be
forgiven, and whoever blasphemes against the Son will be
forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not
be forgiven either on earth or in heaven."
45) Jesus said, "Grapes are not harvested from thorns, nor are
figs gathered from thistles, for they do not produce fruit. A
good man brings forth good from his storehouse; an evil man
brings forth evil things from his evil storehouse, which is in
his heart, and says evil things. For out of the abundance of the
heart he brings forth evil things."
46) Jesus said, "Among those born of women, from Adam until John
the Baptist, there is no one so superior to John the Baptist that
his eyes should not be lowered (before him). Yet I have said
whichever one of you comes to be a child will be acquainted with
the Kingdom and will become superior to John."
47) Jesus said, "It is impossible for a man to mount two horses
or to stretch two bows. And it is impossible for a servant to
serve two masters; otherwise he will honor the one and treat the
other contemptuously. No man drinks old wine and immediately
desires to drink new wine. And new wine is not put into old
wineskins, lest they burst; nor is old wine put into a new
wineskin, lest it spoil it. An old patch is not sewn onto a new
garment, because a tear would result."
48) Jesus said, "If two make peace with each other in this one
house, they will say to the mountain, 'Move Away,' and it will
move away."
49) Jesus said, "Blessed are the solitary and elect, for you
will find the Kingdom. For you are from it, and to it you will
return."
50) Jesus said, "If they say to you, 'Where did you come from?',
say to them, 'We came from the light, the place where the light
came into being on its own accord and established [itself] and
became manifest through their image.' If they say to you, 'Is it
you?', say, 'We are its children, we are the elect of the Living
Father.' If they ask you, 'What is the sign of your father in
you?', say to them, 'It is movement and repose.'"
51) His disciples said to Him, "When will the repose of the dead
come about, and when will the new world come?"
He said to them, "What you look forward to has already come,
but you do not recognize it."
52) His disciples said to Him, "Twenty-four prophets spoke in
Israel, and all of them spoke in You."
He said to them, "You have omitted the one living in your
presence and have spoken (only) of the dead."
53) His disciples said to Him, "Is circumcision beneficial or
not?"
He said to them, "If it were beneficial, their father would
beget them already circumcised from their mother. Rather, the
true circumcision in spirit has become completely profitable."
54) Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor, for yours is the Kingdom
of Heaven."
55) Jesus said, "Whoever does not hate his father and his mother
cannot become a disciple to Me. And whoever does not hate his
brothers and sisters and take up his cross in My way will not be
worthy of Me."
56) Jesus said, "Whoever has come to understand the world has
found (only) a corpse, and whoever has found a corpse is superior
to the world."
57) Jesus said, "The Kingdom of the Father is like a man who had
[good] seed. His enemy came by night and sowed weeds among the
good seed. The man did not allow them to pull up the weeds; he
said to them, 'I am afraid that you will go intending to pull up
the weeds and pull up the wheat along with them.' For on the day
of the harvest the weeds will be plainly visible, and they will
be pulled up and burned."
58) Jesus said, "Blessed is the man who has suffered and found
life."
59) Jesus said, "Take heed of the Living One while you are
alive, lest you die and seek to see Him and be unable to do so."
60) a Samaritan carrying a lamb on his way to Judea.
He said to his disciples, "(Why does) that man (carry) the lamb
around?"
They said to him, "So that he may kill it and eat it."
He said to them, "While it is alive, he will not eat it, but
only when he has killed it and it has become a corpse."
They said to him, "He cannot do so otherwise."
He said to them, "You too, look for a place for yourself
within the Repose, lest you become a corpse and be eaten."
61) Jesus said, "Two will rest on a bed: the one will die, and
other will live."
Salome said to him, "Who are You, man, that You, as though
from the One, have come up on my couch and eaten from my table?"
Jesus said to her, "I am He who exists from the Undivided. I
was given some of the things of my Father."
"I am Your disciple."
"Therefore I say, if he is ,
he will be filled with light, but if he is divided, he will be
filled with darkness."
62) Jesus said, "It is to those [who are worthy of My] mysteries
that I tell My mysteries. Do not let your left hand know what
your right hand is doing."
63) Jesus said, "There was a rich man who had much money. He
said, 'I shall put my money to use so that I may sow, reap,
plant, and fill my storehouse with produce, with the result that
I shall lack nothing. Such were his intentions, but that same
night he died. Let him who has ears hear."
64) Jesus said, "A man had received visitors. And when he had
prepared the dinner, he sent his servant to invite guests. He
went to the first one and said to him, "My master invites you.'
He said, 'I have claims against some merchants. They are coming
to me this evening. I must go and give them my orders. I ask to
be excused from the dinner.' He went to another and said, 'My
master has invited you.' He said to him, 'I have just bought a
house and am required for the day. I shall not have any spare
time.' He went to another and said to him, 'My master invites
you.' He said to him, 'My friend is going to get married, and I
am to prepare the banquet. I shall not be able to come. I ask to
be excused from the dinner.' He went to another and said to him,
'My master invites you.' He said to him, 'I have just bought a
farm, and I am on my way to collect the rent. I shall not be able
to come. I ask to be excused.' The servant returned and said to
his master, 'Those whom you invited to the dinner have asked to
be excused.' The master said to his servant, 'Go outside to the
streets and bring back those whom you happen to meet, so that
they may dine.' Businessmen and merchants will not enter the
Places of My Father."
65) He said, "There was a good man who owned a vineyard. He
leased it to tenant farmers so that they might work it and he
might collect the produce from them. He sent his servant so that
the tenants might give him the produce of the vineyard. They
seized his servant and beat him, all but killing him. The servant
went back and told his master. The master said, 'Perhaps
did not recognize .' He sent another servant. The tenants
beat this one as well. Then the owner sent his son and said,
'Perhaps they will show respect to my son.' Because the tenants
knew that it was he who was the heir to the vineyard, they seized
him and killed him. Let him who has ears hear."
66) Jesus said, "Show me the stone which the builders have
rejected. That one is the cornerstone."
67) Jesus said, "Whoever believes that the All itself is
deficient is (himself) completely deficient."
68) Jesus said, "Blessed are you when you are hated and
persecuted. Wherever you have been persecuted they will find no
Place."
69) Jesus said, "Blessed are they who have been persecuted
within themselves. It is they who have truly come to know the
Father. Blessed are the hungry, for the belly of him who desires
will be filled."
70) Jesus said, "If you bring forth what is within you, what you
bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is
within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you."
71) Jesus said, "I shall destroy [this] house, and no one will
be able to rebuild it."
72) [A man said] to Him, "Tell my brothers to divide my father's
possessions with me."
He said to him, "O man, who has made Me a divider?"
He turned to His disciples and said to them, "I am not a
divider, am I?"
73) Jesus said, "The harvest is great but the laborers are few.
Beseech the Lord, therefore, to send out laborers to the
harvest."
74) He said, "O Lord, there are many around the drinking trough,
but there is nothing in the cistern."
75) Jesus said, "Many are standing at the door, but it is the
solitary who will enter the bridal chamber."
76) Jesus said, "The kingdom of the Father is like a merchant
who had a consignment of merchandise and who discovered a pearl.
That merchant was shrewd. He sold the merchandise and bought the
pearl alone for himself. You too, seek his unfailing and enduring
treasure where no moth comes near to devour and no worm
destroys."
77) Jesus said, "It is I who am the light which is above them
all. It is I who am the All. From Me did the All come forth, and
unto Me did the All extend. Split a piece of wood, and I am
there. Lift up the stone, and you will find Me there."
78) Jesus said, "Why have you come out into the desert? To see a
reed shaken by the wind? And to see a man clothed in fine
garments like your kings and your great men? Upon them are the
fine [garments], and they are unable to discern the truth."
79) A woman from the crowd said to Him, "Blessed are the womb
which bore You and the breasts which nourished You."
He said to her, "Blessed are those who have heard the word
of the Father and have truly kept it. For there will be days when
you will say, 'Blessed are the womb which has not conceived and
the breasts which have not given milk.'"
80) Jesus said, "He who has recognized the world has found the
body, but he who has found the body is superior to the world."
81) Jesus said, "Let him who has grown rich be king, and let him
who possesses power renounce it."
82) Jesus said, "He who is near Me is near the fire, and he who
is far from Me is far from the Kingdom."
83) Jesus said, "The images are manifest to man, but the light
in them remains concealed in the image of the light of the
Father. He will become manifest, but his image will remain
concealed by his light."
84) Jesus said, "When you see your likeness, you rejoice. But
when you see your images which came into being before you, and
which neither die not become manifest, how much you will have to
bear!"
85) Jesus said, "Adam came into being from a great power and a
great wealth, but he did not become worthy of you. For had he
been worthy, [he would] not [have experienced] death."
86) Jesus said, "[The foxes have their holes] and the birds have
[their] nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head
and rest."
87) Jesus said, "Wretched is the body that is dependant upon a
body, and wretched is the soul that is dependent on these two."
88) Jesus said, "The angels and the prophets will come to you
and give you those things you (already) have. And you too, give
them those things which you have, and say to yourselves, 'When
will they come and take what is theirs?'"
89) Jesus said, "Why do you wash the outside of the cup? Do you
not realize that he who made he inside is the same one who made
the outside?"
90) Jesus said, "Come unto me, for My yoke is easy and My
lordship is mild, and you will find repose for yourselves."
91) They said to Him, "Tell us who You are so that we may
believe in You."
He said to them, "You read the face of the sky and of the
earth, but you have not recognized the one who is before you, and
you do not know how to read this moment."
92) Jesus said, "Seek and you will find. Yet, what you asked Me
about in former times and which I did not tell you then, now I do
desire to tell, but you do not enquire after it."
93) "Do not give what is holy to dogs, lest they
throw them on the dung-heap. Do not throw the pearls to swine,
lest they grind it [to bits]."
94) Jesus [said], "He who seeks will find, and [he who knocks]
will be let in."
95) [Jesus said,] "If you have money, do not lend it at
interest, but give [it] to one from whom you will not get it
back."
96) Jesus [said], "The Kingdom of the Father is like a certain
woman. She took a little leaven, [concealed] it in some dough,
and made it into large loaves. Let him who has ears hear."
97) Jesus said, "The Kingdom of the [Father] is like a certain
woman who was carrying a jar full of meal. While she was walking
[on] a road, still some distance from home, the handle of the jar
broke and the meal emptied out behind her on the road. She did
not realize it; she had noticed no accident. When she reached her
house, she set the jar down and found it empty."
98) Jesus said, "The Kingdom of the Father is like a certain man
who wanted to kill a powerful man. In his own house he drew his
sword and stuck it into the wall in order to find out whether his
hand could carry through. Then he slew the powerful man."
99) The disciples said to Him, "Your brothers and Your mother
are standing outside."
He said to them, "Those here who do the will of My Father
are My brothers and My mother. It is they who will enter the
Kingdom of My Father."
100) They showed Jesus a gold coin and said to Him, "Caesar's men
demand taxes from us."
He said to them, "Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give
God what belongs to God, and give Me what is Mine."
101) "Whoever does not hate his father and his
mother as I do cannot become a disciple to Me. And whoever does
[not] love his father and his mother as I do cannot become a
[disciple] to Me. For My mother [gave me falsehood], but [My]
true [Mother] gave me life."
102) Jesus said, "Woe to the Pharisees, for they are like a dog
sleeping in the manger of oxen, for neither does he eat nor does
he let the oxen eat."
103) Jesus said, "Fortunate is the man who knows where the
brigands will enter, so that he may get up, muster his domain,
and arm himself before they invade."
104) They said [to Jesus], "Come, let us pray today and let us
fast."
Jesus said, "What is the sin that I have committed, or
wherein have I been defeated? But when the bridegroom leaves the
bridal chamber, then let them fast and pray."
105) Jesus said, "He who knows the father and the mother will be
called the son of a harlot."
106) Jesus said, "When you make the two one, you will become the
sons of man, and when you say, 'Mountain, move away,' it will
move away."
107) Jesus said, "The Kingdom is like a shepherd who had a
hundred sheep. One of them, the largest, went astray. He left the
ninety-nine sheep and looked for that one until he found it. When
he had gone to such trouble, he said to the sheep, 'I care for
you more than the ninety-nine.'"
108) Jesus said, "He who will drink from my mouth will become
like Me. I myself shall become he, and the things that are hidden
will become revealed to him."
109) Jesus said, "The Kingdom is like a man who had a [hidden]
treasure in his field without knowing it. And [after] he died, he
left it to his son. The son did not know (about the treasure). He
inherited the field and sold [it]. And the one who bought it went
plowing and found the treasure. He began to lend money at
interest to whomever he wished."
110) Jesus said, "Whoever finds the world and becomes rich, let
him renounce the world."
111) Jesus said, "The heavens and the earth will be rolled up in
your presence. And one who lives from the Living One will not see
death." Does not Jesus say, "Whoever finds himself is superior to
the world?"
112) Jesus said, "Woe to the flesh that depends on the soul; woe
to the soul that depends on the flesh."
113) His disciples said to Him, "When will the Kingdom come?"
"It will not come by waiting for it. It will
not be a matter of saying 'Here it is' or 'There it is.' Rather,
the Kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, and men
do not see it."
114) Simon Peter said to Him, "Let Mary leave us, for women are
not worthy of Life."
Jesus said, "I myself shall lead her in order to make her
male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you
males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the
Kingdom of Heaven."
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III: Fragments of Greek Gospel of Thomas
Several fragments of a Greek version of Thomas were found
among the Oxyrhynchys Papyri in the late 19th century. These
fragments consist of the preamble, and sayings 1-6, 26-28, 30-32,
36-38, and 39, as well as a saying not found in the Coptic
version, which follows 32. These fragments are found on
Oxyrhynchus Papyri 1, 654, and 655. Generally, the sayings are
essentially the same in both versions. However, the equivalent of
saying 30 adds the end of the Coptic version's saying 77.
The translation used here is a combination of thranslations
by B.P. Grenfell and A.S. Hunt and Bentley Layton.
P) These are the secret sayings which were spoken by Jesus the
Living One, and which Judas, who is called Thomas, wrote down"
1) He said to them: "Whoever hears these words shall never taste
death."
2) [Jesus said]: "Let him who seeks not cease until he finds,
and when he finds he shall wonder; wondering he shall reign,
and reigning shall rest."
3) Jesus said, "If those who attract you say, 'See, the Kingdom is
in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they
say to you, 'It is under the earth,' then the fish of the sea will
precede you. Rather, the Kingdom of God is inside of you, and it is
outside of you. [Those who] become acquainted with [themselves]
will find it; [and when you] become acquainted with yourselves, [you
will understand that] it is you who are the sons of the living
Father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty
and it is you who are that poverty."
4) Jesus said: "Let the old man who is full of days not
hesitate to ask the child of seven days about the place of life;
then he will live. For many that are first will be last, and
last, first, and they will become a single one."
5) Jesus said: "Recognize what is before your face and that
which is hidden from the you will be revealed to you. For there is
nothing hidden which shall not be made manifest, nor buried which
shall not be raised."
6) His disciples asked him and said to him, "How do you want us
to fast? And how shall we pray? And how [shall we] give alms? And
what kind of diet shall we follow?"
Jesus said, "Do not lie, and do not do what you hate, for all
things are disclosed before truth. For there is nothing hidden
which shall not be shown forth."
27) Jesus said: "Unless you fast to the world, you shall in no
way find the Kingdom of God; and unless you sabbatize the
Sabbath, you shall not see the Father."
28) Jesus said: "I stood in the midst of the world, and in the
flesh I was seen by them, and I found all drunken, and I found
none among them thirsty. And my soul grieved over the souls of men,
because they are blind in their heart and see not. [...]
30/77) Jesus said: "Where there are [two, they are not] without
God, and when there is one alone, [I say,] I am with him. Raise
the stone, and there you will find me; cleave the wood, and there
I am."
31) Jesus said: "A prophet is not acceptable in his own country,
neither does a physician work cures upon those that know him."
32) Jesus said: "A city built on the top of a high hill and
fortified can neither fall nor be hid."
--) Jesus said: "Thou hearest with one ear, [but the other thou
has closed].
36) Jesus said, "Do not worry from dawn to dusk and from dusk to
dawn about [what food] you [will] eat, [or] what [clothing] you
will wear. [You are much] better than the [lilies], which [neither]
card nor spin. And for your part, what [will you wear] when you
have no clothing? Who would add to your stature? It is he who
will give you your clothing.
37) His disciples said to him, "When will you be visible to us,
and when shall we behold you?"
He said, "When you strip naked without being ashamed, and
take your garments and put them under your feet like little
children and tread upon them, then you will see the child of the
Living, and you will not be afraid."
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IV: Canonical Comparisons of Thomas Sayings
I have grouped the sayings in the Gospel of Thomas into 5
categories. Sayings that are variants of or close parallels to
canonical passages (22 of these), sayings that appear more
remotely parallel or similar in some way (28), sayings which
contain parts parallel to several unconnected passages (13),
sayings parallel to non-canonical traditions of Jesus (only 1 of
these), and those with no apparent parallels (50!!).
Due to space limitations, I have decided only to cite
passages, and you can go through and compare them using any
Bible. I haven't attempted to make any comparisons to the
various Apocryphal or other Christian and Gnostic texts.
A: Variants/Close Parallels
---------------------------
9: Mt13:3-8, Mk4:3-8, Lk8:5-8
10: Lk12:49
16: Mt10:34-36, Lk12:51-53
20: Mt13:31-32, Mk4:30-32, Lk13:18-19
26: Mt7:3-5, Lk6:41-42
34: Mt15:14, Lk6:39
35: Mt12:29, Mk3:27, Lk11:21-22
41: Mt25:29, Lk19:26
45: Mt7:16-20, Lk6:43-46
46: Mt11:11, Lk7:28
54: Mt5:3, Lk6:20
64: Mt22:3-9, Lk14:16-24
65: Mt21:33-39, Mk12:1-8, Lk20:9-15
66: Mt21:42, Mk12:10, Lk20:17; Psalm118:22
73: Mt9:37-38, Lk10:2
86: Mt8:20, Lk9:58
89: Lk11:39-40
93: Mt7:6
94: Mt7:7-8, Lk11:9-10
100: Mk12:13-17, Lk20:22-25
103: Mt24:43, Lk12:39
107: Mt18:12-13, Lk15:3-7
B: Remote Parallels
-------------------
1: Jn8:51
3: Lk17:21
5: Mt10:26, Lk10:2
8: Mt13:47-48
17: 1Cor2:9; Isiah64:4
30: Mt18:20
31: Mk6:4, Lk4:23-24, Jn4:44
32: Mt5:14
36: Mt6:25, Lk12:22
40: Mt15:13
44: Mt12:32, Mk3:28-29, Lk12:10
48: Mt18:19, Mk11:23-24
57: Mt13:24-30
58: Mt11:28
59: Jn7:34, Jn13:33
63: Lk12:16-21
68: Mt5:11, Lk6:22
71: Mk14:58
72: Lk12:13-15
75: Mt22:14
78: Mt11:7-9, Lk7:24-26
90: Mt11:28-30
95: Lk6:34-35, Lk14:12-14
96: Mt13:33, Lk13:20-21
99: Mt12:46-50, Mk3:31-35
101: Mt10:37, Lk14:26
109: Mt13:44
113: Lk17:20-21
C: Multiple Parallels
---------------------
14a: no parallels
14b: Lk10:8-9
14c: Mt15:11, Mk7:15
21a: no parallels
21b: Mt24:43, Lk12:39
21c: Mk4:26-29
22a: Mt18:3, Lk18:17
22b: Mt5:29-30, Mk9:43-48
24a: Jn13:36
24b: Mt6:22-23, Lk11:34-36
33a: Mt10:27
33b: Mt5:15, Mk4:21, Lk8:16, Lk11:33
39a: Lk11:52
39b: Mt10:16
43a: Jn8:25
43b: Mt7:16-20, Lk6:43-46(?)
55a: Lk14:26
55b: Mt10:37
62a: Mt13:11, Mk4:11, Lk8:10
62b: Mt6:3
69a: Mt5:8 (cf. Thomas saying 68)
69b: Mt5:6, Lk6:21
76a: Mt13:45-46
76b: Mt6:20, Lk12:33
79a: Lk11:27-28
79b: Lk23:29
91a: Jn9:36
91b: Lk12:54-56
D: Non-Canonical Parallels
--------------------------
42: Some stands of Islamic tradition attribute this saying to
Jesus.
E: No Parallels
---------------
All the following sayings have no parallels in the Bible or
other non-Gnostic traditions:
2 23 51 77 98
4 25 52 80 102
6 27 53 81 104
7 28 56 82 105
11 29 60 84 106
12 37 61 85 108
13 38 67 87 110
15 47 70 88 111
18 49 73 92 112
19 50 74 97 114
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS
Commentary & Typing by Craig Schenk
6/17/92
Made available to the net by
Paul Halsall
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