What portrait of jesus was painted in the fifth gospel. The gospel of thomas is a collection of 114 sayings written in coptic and discovered in the nag hammadi collection of documents in egypt in 1945, known as the gnostic gospels. The writing of the holy apostle thomas concerning the childhood of the lord. We have two versions of the uncanonical gospel today. Below, read the 114 sayings of jesus as translated by stephen j. The gospel according to thomas is an ancient collection of sayings attributed to jesus and thought to be recorded by his brother judas, the twin thomas means twin in aramaic. Let him who seeks not cease to seek until he finds. The gospel of thomas is quite different from the new testament gospels in that it is a gospel of sayings of jesus. Precisely the point when the quran says by my leavemeaning that the human being jesus christpbuh only has those powers that gods will have. Theres one thing i know for certain about todays gospel lesson.
Earlier in the gospel of thomas, jesus says that the man must become woman. The jesus of the gospel of thomas does appear rather different from the jesus we encounter in the others. Some scholars suggest that this gospel was collected from new testament sayings, while others believe it springs from a completely independent author because many of. A lost, secret vision of jesus earl richard loyola university yamauchi lecture october 17, 1993 the recent discovery and current interest in the gospel of thomas have elicited considerable popular and scholarly attention, a phenomenon which shows no.
The gospel of thomas is a gnostic gospel that is mainly a collection of sayings attributed to the living jesus. The text of the gospel of thomas from the scholars version translation published in the complete gospels prologue these are the secret sayings that the living jesus spoke and didymos judas thomas recorded. Gospel of thomas lambdin translation the nag hammadi. The collection of the four gospels is where we discover the person of jesus, along with the depth of the nature and power of the son of god. These are the hidden words that the living jesus spoke. How can it be that jesus is doing something which the quran ascribes to god, if he is merely a prophet. It is noncanonical and was discovered near nag hammadi, egypt in december 1945 ehrman.
I submit that these many of these saying, like many of the sayings in q and consequently matthew and luke can be admired for their wisdom without the assumption that they are divinely revealed or divinely inspired. Whereas john and the synoptic gospels include both the sayings of jesus and a description of his birth, baptism, activities, followers, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, etc. Thomas preached the gospel in persia, china, and india. Robinson visit the gospel of thomas collection for other translations and additional information. We have to keep in mind, and never lose sight of the fact that the historical jesus was culturally a product of the ancient near east, and in an area. Matthew said to him, an intelligent philosopher is what you resemble. Thomas is a collection of teachings that some attribute to jesus of nazareth. After the resurrection and ascension of jesus, thomas went to babylon and established the first christian church in that country.
Here are the secret sayings which jesus the living spoke, and which didymus jude thomas wrote down. Scholars speculate that the works were buried in response to a letter from bishop athanasius declaring a strict canon of christian scripture. Lets be honest when i say blank thomas and ask everyone to fill in. The gospel of thomas gnostic sayings of jesus in the nag hammadi full audiobook with music. In the gospel of thomas 20, too, a similar introduction to the parable of the mustard seed. The first was discovered in the late 1800s among the oxyrhynchus papyri, and consists of fragments of a greek version grgth, one of those oxy 1 dated 200c. The gospel of thomas full audio book nag hammadi read by cory dow. The apostle thomas, also known as didymus the twin, was a fisherman, but scripture does not reveal who his twin was. Doubting thomas and faith in the resurrection thinking. It does not form part of any biblical canon the infancy gospel of thomas is thought to be gnostic in origin. Its certainly more interesting than the canonical gospels. What portrait of jesus was painted in the fifth gospel of thomas. Some radical critics of the new testament claim that the gnostic gospel of thomas is equal or superior to the new testament and that it does not support the resurrection of christ, which is hardly surprising considering that it is primarily.
Jesus, a guide to disciples, bringing awareness that gods kingdom already rules biblical criticism cultural and historical context documents date, authorship implied audience and social setting authors apparent assumptions and goals theology study of gods nature, will, and activity among humankind chapter 2. Jesus, the gospel of thomas and knowledge an essay donated by allan w. Each account from the life of christ found in the gospels depicts the nuances of jesus that define his character, which give us a taste of what we come to know fully as we walk in relationship with him. Later references by hippolytus of rome and origen of alexandria to a gospel of thomas are not at all referring to this infancy gospel, as many. A complete version in coptic an egyptian language derived from the greek alphabet was found at nag hammadi, egypt in 1945. Primary sources gospel of thomas from jesus to christ. The christian scriptures new testament the gospel of thomas.
How does the gospel of thomas compare to the new testament gospels. The lordship of jesus in his resurrection is the prime testimony to the faithfulness of the god of israel to his covenant people, who were the first to be given the gospel. Because the gospel of mark, for example, depicts jesus as an utterly unique being. It was, the god of abraham, the god of isaac, and the god of jacob, the god of our ancestors who has glorified his servant jesus acts 3. The fifth gospel, the gospel of thomas comes of age new world in the saint thomas branch of christian mysticism was a. The gospel of thomas gnostic sayings of jesus in the nag. The infancy gospel of thomas bible study biblewise.
Portions of greek versions of the text were found at oxyrhynchus, egypt in the late 1800s. Most sayings are introduced with the simple attribution jesus said, one listed after the other. It was discovered near nag hammadi, egypt, in december 1945 among a group of books known as the nag hammadi library. The gospel according to thomas is one of those odd gospels. The gospel of thomas it does not tell the story of the life and death of jesus, but offers the reader his secret teachings about the kingdom of god. A new translation and analysis of the gospel that records the actual words of jesus. But many other scholars, conservatives and liberals alike, view this document more cautiously.
Introduction matthew and luke are the only two canonical gospels that include information about jesus birth. These are the secret sayings that the living jesus spoke and didymos judas thomas recorded. He should have hired an image consultant to spin the story and help to paint him in a more favorable light. But he said to them, unless i see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, i will not believe. Gospel of thomas offers the reader jesus secret teachings about the kingdom of god. The fact that thomas said my lord and my god does not require that thomas suddenly decided that jesus was god, it only requires what jesus asked of thomas. This is what many christians want thomas to mean, but given what jesus himself asked in john 14. The infancy gospel of thomas is a biographical gospel about the childhood of jesus, believed to date at the latest to the second century. The jesus seminar places high value on the historical basis of the gospel of thomasthat it recovers for us words jesus actually spoke that are not found in our four gospels. The gospel of thomass 114 sayings of jesus biblical. Four gospels, four portraits of christ first baptist orlando.
I was walking, listening to them speak with each other. The gospel of thomas also known as the coptic gospel of thomas is a noncanonical sayings gospel. Most think that it is no more than a secondcentury collection of sayings loosely based on the canonical gospels matthew. This secret sayings gospel does not tell the story of jesus life, but rather is a list of over 100 of his sayings, some of which are familiar to readers of the new testament. He who penetrates the meaning of these words will not taste death. Tell us what the kingdom of heaven is like, is secondary by comparison with mark 4. This is an excerpt from the book the plain truth about god101 by allan w janssen. Simon peter said to him, a just angel is what you resemble. If jesus is the son of god than we are also sons and daughters of god. I thomas the israelite have deemed it necessary to make known to all the brethren of the heathen the great things which our lord jesus christ did in his childhood, when he dwelt in the body in the city of nazareth, going in the fifth year of his age. This is the good news of jesus of nazareth, the son of god.
The gospel was found in a collection of fiftytwo different writings, which included a small piece of platos republic, a much more interesting read. How do jehovahs witnesses explain thomass exclamation. Luke includes one incident occurring when jesus was twelve, but the gap between babyhood and twelve is glaring. Gospel in life is the resource site for redeemer presbyterian church and timothy keller. Because it claims to be sayings from jesus collected by the apostle thomas, the discovery led to much attention, including claims that it was a lost gospel. The gospel of thomas collection translations and resources. Bible q what did thomas mean when he said to jesus my. The gospel of thomas is a collection of alleged jesus sayings logions. The story of the storytellers the gospel of thomas. Jesus in the quran and the infancy gospel of thomas. Translated by stephen patterson and marvin meyer visit the gospel of thomas collection for other translations and additional information. What did jesus say to thomas in the gospel of thomas. Its just that to his disciples, because of their culture and upbringing, did jesus tell them that the woman must become man. If this is a correct interpretation of gospel of thomas saying 114, then the saying is intended to be a statement of liberation, although the specific use of gender categories may be shocking to modern sensitivities.
336 1606 982 652 1354 1203 2 1256 350 727 477 971 1523 710 36 852 639 103 261 462 1129 963 1386 777 434 1008 1051 326 769 707 1106