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The Gospel of Thomas
Dennis Bratcher
The Gospel of Thomas is a manuscript containing a collection of sayings
of Jesus that was discovered among a hoard of ancient manuscripts at Nag
Hammadi in Egypt in 1945. There are references to the work in early
Christian writings, but historians assumed it had been lost. The writing
is not a "gospel" in the strictest sense, because there is no connecting
narrative about the life of Jesus, no summaries of his teachings, and no
theological interpretations and commentary, as for example in the Gospel
of John. Thomas is simply a list of 114 sayings attributed to Jesus
(called logoi, "words") not arranged in any chronological or
topical order. Some of the sayings closely parallel sayings that appear
in the Gospels, some are similar, and nearly half appear nowhere in
Scripture.
The writing is attributed to Didymos Judas Thomas or "Thomas the Twin."
In the Gospel accounts, Didymos Thomas was one of the disciples of
Jesus, better know as "Doubting Thomas" (Jn 20:24-25). In some early
church traditions, especially in the Syrian church, Thomas was
considered to be the twin brother of Jesus. Historically, that is
unlikely since it is never mentioned in the Gospel accounts. It seems
incredulous that the tradition would leave out that detail.
Whether Thomas was the actual collector of the sayings is unknown.
It was common in that era to assign names of well-known or respected
people to literary works as a way to carry on the tradition of that
person. Such works are called pseudepigrapha, and there are
many examples from the three or four centuries surrounding the birth of
Jesus (for example,
The Testament of Abraham, Enoch, The Assumption of Moses,
etc.). While our modern culture of copyrights and plagiarism
concerns might consider that dishonest, it is an eastern custom that
holds ancestors and predecessors in high regard, and that sees shared
communal ideas as more valuable than individual ones.
There are various opinions about the date of the writing. The
manuscript itself dates to about the fourth century AD. However, some
scholars place the actual date of composition of Thomas somewhere
between AD 70 and 150, which would make it nearly contemporary with the
canonical Gospels. In this case, the sayings of Jesus could be from the
same tradition that was used to compile the Gospels. Because of the
close relationship between the Gospels, especially the Synoptic Gospels
(Matthew, Mark, and Luke) many New Testament scholars have posited some
common sources for the materials that are shared among the gospels (see The Synoptic Problem). If accurate, this
suggests that there was a Jesus tradition in either oral or written
form, or perhaps both, that circulated among followers of Jesus before
the Gospels were actually written in the last half of the first century.
Among these sources, scholars supposed that there was a collection of
sayings of Jesus preserved from which the New Testament writers drew in
writing the Gospels. They gave this posited "sayings source" the
designation Q, an abbreviation for the German word Quelle,
"source" (see A Proposed Reconstruction of "Q").
Because of the close parallel between many of the sayings in Thomas and
the Gospels, some scholars have suggested that Thomas is also based on
the Q source or is actually Q itself. Of course, these remain only
hypotheses since there is no conclusive proof that a Q source ever
existed. Still, the existence of a collection of sayings of Jesus as
early as the dates proposed for Thomas suggests that there did exist
such a collection in the early church. That gives the hypotheses more
credibility
However, other scholars date Thomas much later, as late as the fourth
century. This would mean that composition of the work dates very close
to the time the manuscript was written. They point to the similarities
between Thomas and the Gospels as evidence that Thomas was built from
the Gospel narratives themselves with other material added from that
later time period. The similarity of Thomas to some of the unique
material that only appears in either Matthew or Luke suggests that
either Thomas was composed from those Gospels, or had access to some of
the same traditions that were used by the Gospel writers (see
Synoptic Problem). If this later date is accurate, then Thomas is
little more than a rewriting and reinterpretation of the earlier Gospel
accounts.
We simply do not know the answers to these questions of date and
origin. It is entirely possible that Thomas represents a very early
authentic tradition of the sayings of Jesus, although processed through
the concerns of a particular community. But we have no solid evidence
for that.
The manuscript itself is written in Coptic, a form of writing used in
Egypt in which the Egyptian language was written with modified Greek
characters, just as ancient Hebrew had come to be written in Aramaic
characters. Thomas actually exists in two versions, the complete
Egyptian Coptic version and a fragmentary Greek version. The Greek
version is among a group of manuscripts and fragments know as the
Oxyrhynchus Papyri. These date to about the beginning of the third
century AD. The Oxyrhynchus Papyri were discovered in the 1800’s, but
since Thomas was only in fragments scholars were not aware of what it
was until after the discovery of the Coptic version. The Greek version
contains about 16 of the 114 sayings in the Coptic version, plus one not
found there. There are some minor variations in the sayings but they are
essentially the same.
The cache of Coptic manuscripts discovered at Nag Hammadi represented
a particular version of Christianity know as Gnosticism, derived from
the Greek word gnosis, "knowledge." Gnosticism blended
Christianity with a form of philosophically based mysticism in which
followers sought internal enlightenment or gnosis. This was
secret knowledge imparted only to those who had sought to purify
themselves to receive this enlightenment. It became little more than a
religious philosophy based on platonic dualism in which there was a
distinction between the physical and spiritual planes of existence. The
goal in Gnosticism was to shed the limits of the physical plane of
existence, and try to reach the spiritual level through gnosis.
Gnostic Christianity took many forms, but most were condemned as heresy
for denying many of the basic tenets of the Christian Faith, such as the
Incarnation.
There is debate whether Thomas was actually a Gnostic writing, or was
simply valued by the Gnostics and adapted into their belief system.
While most of Thomas presents little that most early Christians would
find objectionable, there are some parts that reflect a more clearly
Gnostic perspective (for example, the Preamble and saying 114). Yet,
scholars who see the writing as an authentic Jesus tradition understand
those places to be later additions by the Gnostic community in Egypt to
adapt the writing to their own views. That is entirely possible,
although there is no direct evidence either way. However, the basic
perspective of Jesus as presented in Thomas, that the Kingdom of God is
not a future expectation but something that can be achieved in the
present time, could easily be accepted by the Gnostics. That view is
also presented in the canonical Gospels, although there it is much more
directly tied to ethics than to the spiritual and esoteric quest for
enlightenment that the Gnostics promoted.
In any case, as it stands, Thomas seems to be Gnostic. The introduction
mentions the "secret sayings," suggesting that this writing is only for
those who are seeking or have attained the gnosis. The conclusion
to the Coptic version could be seen as simply a radically sexist
perspective.
114 Simon Peter said to them, "Make Mary leave us, for
females don't deserve life." Jesus said, "Look, I will guide her to make
her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you
males. For every female who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of
Heaven."
However, if it is understood as a metaphor drawn from the culture of
the day, it fits well with the Gnostic world view. There, "female" may
refer to those Christians who are not seeking the way of gnosis.
The "male" represents the Gnostic Christians who are seeking to "know"
the secret things, attempting to fulfill the first saying in Thomas:
"Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste
death." This becomes, then, a concise metaphorical expression of the
Gnostic approach, to abandon the "female" (orthodox Christianity) and
seek to become "male" (seeking the secret gnosis).
Following is a comparison chart of the two versions of the Gospel of
Thomas, with references to parallels in the canonical Gospels.
Cross references in Green are close parallels, those in
Blue
are variations of the Thomas sayings, while those in
Red
share only general ideas.
Coptic Thomas |
Greek Thomas |
Gospels |
Parallels |
These are the secret sayings that
the living Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas recorded. |
These are the secret sayings which
were spoken by Jesus the Living One, and which Judas, who is
called Thomas, wrote down" |
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1 And he said, "Whoever discovers
the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death." |
1 He said to them: "Whoever
discovers [the interpretation] of these words shall never taste
death." |
Jn 8:51 Very truly, I tell you,
whoever keeps my word will never see death." |
Jn 8:51 |
2 Jesus said, "Let him who seeks
continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will be
disturbed. When he is disturbed, he will marvel, and will reign
over all. |
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." |
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3 Jesus said, "If your leaders say
to you, 'Look, 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
within you and it is outside you.
When you know yourselves, then you
will be known, and you will understand that you are children of
the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you
live in poverty, and you are the poverty." |
3 Jesus said, "If your leaders say
to, '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." |
Lk 17:20 Once Jesus was asked by
the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he
answered, "The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can
be observed; 21 nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There
it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you." |
Lk 17:20-21 |
4 Jesus said, "The man old in days
won't hesitate to ask a little child seven days old about the
place of life, and that man will live. For many of the first
will be last, and will become a single one." |
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." |
Mk 9:35 He sat down, called the
twelve, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be
last of all and servant of all." 36 Then he took a little child
and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to
them, 37 "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes
me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent
me." |
Mt 19:30,
20:16; Mk 9:35-37, 10:31; Lk
13:31 |
5 Jesus said, "Know what is in
front of your face, and what is hidden from you will be
disclosed to you. |
5 Jesus said: "Know what is before
your face and what is hidden from you will be revealed to you. |
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For there is nothing hidden that
will not be revealed. |
For there is nothing hidden which
shall not be made manifest, nor buried which shall not be
raised." |
Mt 10:26 "So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that
will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become
known. |
Mt 10:26, Lk 10:2 |
6 His disciples asked him and said
to him, "Do you want us to fast? How should we pray? Should we
give alms? What diet should we observe?" |
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?" |
Lk 11:1 He was praying in a certain
place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to
him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." |
Lk 11:1 |
Jesus said, "Don't lie, and don't
do what you hate, because all things are disclosed before
heaven. After all, there is nothing hidden that will not be
revealed, and there is nothing covered up that will remain
undisclosed." |
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." |
|
See Thomas 5 |
7 Jesus said, "Blessed is the lion
that the man will eat, so that the lion becomes a man. And
cursed is the man that the lion will eat, and the lion still
will become a man." |
7 [. . . ]
is [. . .] will become [. . .] that [. . . ]. |
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8 And he said, A man is like a wise
fisherman who cast his net into the sea and drew it up from the
sea full of little fish. Among them the wise fisherman
discovered a fine large fish. He threw all the little fish back
into the sea, and chose the large fish without difficulty.
Whoever has ears to hear let him hear. |
|
Mt 13:47 Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught
fish of every kind; 13:48 when it was full, they drew it ashore,
sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. |
Mt 13:47-48 |
9 Jesus said, Look, the sower went
out, took a handful (of seeds), and scattered them. Some fell on
the road, and the birds came and gathered them. Others fell on
rock, and they didn't take root in the soil and didn't produce
heads of grain. Others fell on thorns, and they choked the
seed(s) and worms ate them. And others fell on good soil, and
produced a good crop: it yielded sixty per measure and one
hundred twenty per measure. |
|
Mt 13:3 And he told them many
things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4
And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came
and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they
did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they
had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were
scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7
Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked
them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain,
some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. |
Mt 13:3-8, Mk
4:3-8, Lk 8:5-8 |
10 Jesus said, "I have cast fire
upon the world, and look, I'm guarding it until it blazes." |
|
Lk 12:49 "I came to bring fire to
the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! |
Lk 12:49 |
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. During the days when you ate what is dead,
you made it come alive. When you 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?" |
|
24:35 Heaven and earth will pass
away, but my words will not pass away. |
Mt 25:35; Mk 13:31,
Lk 16:17, 21:33; 2 Pet 3:10 |
12 The disciples said to Jesus, "We
know that you are going to leave us. Who will be our leader?"
Jesus said to them, "No matter where you are you are to go to
James the Just, for whose sake heaven and earth came into
being." |
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13 Jesus said to his disciples,
"Compare me to something and tell me what I am like." Simon
Peter said to him, "You are like a just messenger." Matthew said
to him, "You are like a wise philosopher." Thomas said to him,
"Teacher, my mouth is utterly unable to say what you are like."
Jesus said, "I am not your teacher. Because you have drunk, you
have become intoxicated from the bubbling spring that I have
tended."
And he took him, and withdrew, and
spoke three sayings to him. When Thomas came back to his friends
they asked him, "What did Jesus say to you?" Thomas said to
them, "If I tell you one of the sayings he spoke to me, you will
pick up rocks and stone me, and fire will come from the rocks
and devour you." |
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Mk 8:27 Jesus went on with his
disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way
he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" 28 And
they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and
still others, one of the prophets." 29 He asked them, "But who
do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the
Messiah." 30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone
about him. |
Mk 8:27-30 |
14 Jesus said to them, "If you
fast, you will bring sin upon yourselves, and if you pray, you
will be condemned, and if you give alms, you will harm your
spirits.
When you go into any region and
walk about in the countryside, when people take you in, eat what
they serve you and heal the sick among them. |
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After all, what goes into your
mouth will not defile you; rather, it's what comes out of your
mouth that will defile you." |
|
Lk 10:8 Whenever you enter a town
and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9 cure
the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has
come near to you.'
Mk 7:15 there is nothing outside a
person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out
are what defile." |
Lk 10:8-9
Mt 15:11, Mk 7:15
|
15 Jesus said, "When you see one
who was not born of woman, fall on your faces and worship. That
one is your Father." |
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16 Jesus said, "Perhaps people
think that I have come to bring peace upon the world. They do
not know that I have come to cast conflicts upon the earth:
fire, sword, war. For there will be five in a house: there will
be three against two and two against three, father against son
and son against father, and they will stand alone. |
|
Mt 10:34 "Do not think that I have
come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring
peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his
father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law; 36 and one's foes will be members of
one's own household. |
Mt 10:34-36, Lk
12:51-53 |
17 Jesus said, "I will give you
what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, what no hand has
touched, what has not arisen in the human heart." |
|
1 Cor 2:9 But, as it is written,
"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart
conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him" |
1Cor 2:9; Isaiah
64:4 |
18 The disciples said to Jesus,
"Tell us, how will our end come?" Jesus said, "Have you found
the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see,
the end will be where the beginning is. Blessed is the one who
stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not
taste death." |
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19 Jesus said, "Blessed is the one
who came into being before coming into being.
If you become my disciples and pay
attention to my sayings, these stones will serve you. For there
are five trees in Paradise for you; they do not change, summer
or winter, and their leaves do not fall. Whoever knows them will
not taste death." |
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20 The disciples said to Jesus,
"Tell us what Heaven's kingdom is like." He said to them, It's
like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, but when it
falls on prepared soil, it produces a large plant and becomes a
shelter for birds of the sky. |
|
Mk 4:30 He also said, "With what
can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use
for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the
ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 4:32 yet when
it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs,
and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can
make nests in its shade." |
Mt 13:31-32, Mk
4:30-32, Lk 13:18-19 |
21 Mary said to Jesus, "What are
your disciples like?" He said, They are like little children
living in a field that is not theirs. when the owners of the
field come, they will say, "Give us back our field." They take
off their clothes in front of them in order to give it back to
them, and they return their field to them.
For this reason I say, if the owner of a house knows that a thief
is coming, he will be on guard before the thief arrives and will
not let the thief break into his house of his domain and steal
his possessions. |
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As for you, then, be on guard
against the world. Prepare yourselves with great strength, so
the robbers can't find a way to get to you, for the trouble you
expect will come. Let there be among you a person who
understands. When the crop ripened, he came quickly carrying a
sickle and harvested it. Anyone who has ear to hear, let him
hear. |
|
Mt 24:43 But understand this: if
the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the
thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have
let his house be broken into.
Mk 4:26 He also said, "The kingdom
of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 4:27
and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would
sprout and grow, he does not know how. 4:28 The earth produces
of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain
in the head. 4:29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in
with his sickle, because the harvest has come." |
Mt 24:43, Lk 12:39
Mk 4:26-29 |
22 Jesus
saw some babies nursing. He said to his disciples, "These nursing
babies are like those who enter the kingdom." They said to him,
"Then shall we enter the kingdom as babies?" |
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Lk 18:16 But Jesus called for them
and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop
them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God
belongs. 17 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the
kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." |
Mt 18:3, Lk
18:16-17 |
Jesus said to them, "When you make
the two into one, and when you make the inner like the outer and
the outer like the inner, and the upper like the lower, and when
you make male and female into a single one, so that the male
will not be male nor the female be female, when you make eyes in
place of an eye, a hand in place of a hand, a foot in place of a
foot, an image in place of an image, then you will enter [the
kingdom]." |
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Mk 9:43 If your hand causes you to
stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed
than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable
fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it
is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and
to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to
stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom
of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into
hell, 48 where their worm never dies, and the fire is never
quenched. |
Mt 5:29-30, Mk
9:43-48 |
23 Jesus said, "I shall choose you,
one from a thousand and two from ten thousand, and they will
stand as a single one." |
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24 His disciples said, "Show us the
place where you are, for we must seek it." |
24 [. . .] |
Jn 13:36 Simon Peter said to him,
"Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered, "Where I am going,
you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterward." |
Jn 13:36 |
He said to them, "Whoever has ears. let him hear! There is light
within a person of light, and it shines on the whole world. If
it does not shine, it is dark." |
There is [. . .] of light [. . .]
world. [. . .] it is [. . .]. |
6:22 "The eye is the lamp of the
body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full
of light; 6:23 but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body
will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness,
how great is the darkness! |
Mt 6:22-23, Lk
11:34-36 |
25 Jesus said, "Love your friends
like your own soul, protect them like the pupil of your eye." |
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26 Jesus said, "You see the sliver
in your brother's eye, but you don't see the timber in your own
eye. When you take the timber out of your own eye, then you will
see well enough to remove the sliver from your brother's eye." |
26 [. . .]
then you will see well enough to remove the sliver from your
brother's eye. |
Mt 7:3 Why do you see the speck in
your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your neighbor, 'Let me take the speck
out of your eye,' while the log is in your own eye? 5 You
hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you
will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye. |
Mt 7:3-5, Lk 6:41-42 |
27 [Jesus said] "If you do not fast
from the world, you will not find the kingdom. If you do not
observe the Sabbath as a Sabbath you will not see the Father." |
27 Jesus said: "Unless you fast to
the world, you shall in no way find the Kingdom of God; and
unless you observe the Sabbath as a Sabbath, you shall not see
the Father." |
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28 Jesus said, "I took my stand in
the midst of the world, and in flesh I appeared to them. I found
them all drunk, and I did not find any of them thirsty. My soul
ached for the children of humanity, because they are blind in
their hearts and do not see, for they came into the world empty,
and they also seek to depart from the world empty. But meanwhile
they are drunk. When they shake off their wine, then they will
change their ways." |
28 Jesus said: "I took my stand 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 [do not] see [. . . ]. |
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29 Jesus said, "If the flesh came
into being because of spirit, that is a marvel, but if spirit
came into being because of the body, that is a marvel of
marvels. Yet I marvel at how this great wealth has come to dwell
in this poverty." |
29 [. . .]
poverty. |
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30 Jesus said, "Where there are
three gods, they are gods. Where there are two or one, I am with
him." |
30 Jesus said: "Where there are
[three, they are not] without God, and when there is one alone,
[I say,] I am with him. |
Mt 18:20 For where two or three are
gathered in my name, I am there among them. |
Mt 18:20 |
[77] Split a piece of wood; I am there. Lift up the stone, and you
will find me there." |
Raise the stone, and there you will
find me; cleave the wood, and there I am." |
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31 Jesus said, "No prophet is
welcome in his own village; doctors don't cure those who know
them." |
31 Jesus said: "A prophet is not
acceptable in his own country, neither does a physician work
cures upon those that know him." |
Mk 6:4 Then Jesus said to them,
"Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and
among their own kin, and in their own house." |
Mk 6:4, Lk 4:23-24,
Jn 4:44 |
32 Jesus said, "A city built on a
high hill and fortified cannot fall, nor can it be hidden." |
32 Jesus said: "A city built on the
top of a high hill and fortified can neither fall nor be hid." |
Mt 5:14 "You are the light of the
world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. |
Mt 5:14 |
33 Jesus said, "What you will hear
in your ear, in the other ear proclaim from your rooftops. |
33 Jesus said: "What you hear with
one ear, [. . .] |
Mt 10:27 What I say to you in the
dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim
from the housetops. |
Mt 10:27 |
After all, no one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, nor
does one put it in a hidden place. Rather, one puts it on a lamp
stand so that all who come and go will see its light." |
|
Lk 8:16 "No one after lighting a
lamp hides it under a jar, or puts it under a bed, but puts it
on a lamp stand, so that those who enter may see the light. |
Mt 5:15, Mk 4:21, Lk 8:16, Lk 11:33 |
34 Jesus said, "If a blind person
leads a bind person, both of them will fall into a pit." |
|
Mt 15:14 Let them alone; they are
blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides
another, both will fall into a pit." |
Mt15:14, Lk6:39 |
35 Jesus said, "No one can enter a
strong man's house and take it by force without tying his hands.
Then one can loot his house." |
|
Mk 3:27 But no one can enter a
strong man's house and plunder his property without first tying
up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. |
Mt12:29, Mk3:27,
Lk11:21-22 |
36 Jesus said, "Do not fret, from
morning to evening and from evening to morning, about what you
are going to wear. |
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. |
Mt 6:25 Therefore I tell you, do
not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will
drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more
than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds
of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value
than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour
to your span of life? 28 And why do you worry about clothing?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither
toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory
was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the
grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown
into the oven, will he not much more clothe you--you of little
faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or
'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' |
Mt 6:25-31, Lk
12:22-31 |
37 His disciples said, "When will
you appear to us, and when will we see you?"
Jesus said, "When you strip without being ashamed, and you take
your clothes and put them under your feet like little children
and trample then, then [you will see] the son of the living one
and you will not be afraid." |
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 [. . .]. |
|
|
38 Jesus said, "Often you have
desired to hear these sayings that I am speaking to you, and you
have no one else from whom to hear them. There will be days when
you will seek me and you will not find me." |
|
|
|
39 Jesus said, "The Pharisees and
the scribes have taken the keys of knowledge and have hidden
them. They have not entered nor have they allowed those who want
to enter to do so. |
39 [. . .]
have taken [. . .] of [. . .] hidden [. . .] have entered [. . .]
have they [. . . ] enter [. . .].
|
Lk 11:52 Woe to you lawyers! For
you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter
yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering." |
Lk 11:52 |
As for you, be as sly as snakes and
as simple as doves." |
[. . .] as [. . .] simple [. . .]. |
Mt 10:16 "See, I am sending you out
like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and
innocent as doves. |
Mt 10:16 |
40 Jesus said, "A grapevine has
been planted apart from the Father. Since it is not strong, it
will be pulled up by its root and will perish." |
|
Mt 15:13 He answered, "Every plant
that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. |
Mt 15:13 |
41 Jesus said, "Whoever has
something in hand will be given more, and whoever has nothing
will be deprived of even the little they have." |
|
Mt 25:29 For to all those who have,
more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from
those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. |
Mt25:29, Lk19:26 |
42 Jesus said, "Be passersby." |
|
|
|
43 His disciples said to him, "Who
are you to say these things to us?" |
|
Jn 8:25 They said to him, "Who are
you?" Jesus said to them, "Why do I speak to you at all? |
Jn 8:25 |
"You don't understand who I am from what I say to you. Rather, you
have become like the Jews, for they love the tree but hate its
fruit, or they love the fruit but hate the tree." |
|
7:16 You will know them by their
fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?
7:17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the
bad tree bears bad fruit. 7:18 A good tree cannot bear bad
fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that
does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
7:20 Thus you will know them by their fruits. |
Mt 7:16-20, Lk 6:43-45 |
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." |
|
Mk 3:28 Truly I tell you, people
will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they
utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can
never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin. |
Mt 12:32, Mk
3:28-29, Lk 12:10 |
45 Jesus said, "Grapes are not
harvested from thorn trees, nor are figs gathered from thistles,
for they yield no fruit.
Good persons produce good from what
they've stored up; bad persons produce evil from the wickedness
they've stored up in their hearts, and say evil things. For from
the overflow of the heart they produce evil." |
|
Mt 7:16 You will know them by their
fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?
17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the
bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not
bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus
you will know them by their fruits. |
Mt 7:16-20, Lk
6:43-46 |
46 Jesus said, "From Adam to John
the Baptist, among those born of women, no one is so much
greater than John the Baptist that his eyes should not be
averted. |
|
Mt 11:11 Truly I tell you, among
those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the
Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than
he. |
Mt 11:11, Lk 7:28 |
But I have said that whoever among
you becomes a child will recognize the kingdom and will become
greater than John." |
|
Mt 18:2 He called a child, whom he
put among them, 3 and said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change
and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven. 18:4 Whoever becomes humble like this child is the
greatest in the kingdom of heaven. |
Mt 18:13, Mk 10:15,
Lk 18:17 |
47 Jesus said, "A person cannot
mount two horses or bend two bows. And a slave cannot serve two
masters, otherwise that slave will honor the one and offend the
other. |
|
Mt 6:24 "No one can serve two
masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the
other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and wealth. |
Mt 6:24; Lk 16:13 |
"Nobody drinks aged wine and
immediately wants to drink young wine. Young wine is not poured
into old wineskins, or they might break, and aged wine is not
poured into a new wineskin, or it might spoil. An old patch is
not sewn onto a new garment, since it would create a tear." |
|
Mt 9:16 No one sews a piece of
unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from
the cloak, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put
into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is
spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into
fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved." |
Mt 9:16-17; Mk
2:21-22; Lk 5:36-39 |
48 Jesus said, "If two make peace
with each other in a single house, they will say to the
mountain, 'Move from here!' and it will move." |
|
Mt 18:19 Again, truly I tell you,
if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be
done for you by my Father in heaven.
Mk 11:23 Truly I tell you, if you
say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and
if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say
will come to pass, it will be done for you. 24 So I tell you,
whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received
it, and it will be yours. |
Mt 18:19, Mk
11:23-24 |
49 Jesus said, "Blessed are those
who are alone and chosen, for you will find the kingdom. For you
have come from it, and you will return there again." |
|
|
|
50 Jesus said, "If they say to you,
'Where have you come from?' say to them, 'We have come from the
light, from the place where the light came into being by itself,
established [itself], and appeared in their image.' If they say
to you, 'Is it you?' say, 'We are its children, and we are the
chosen of the living Father.' If they ask you, 'What is the
evidence of your Father in you?' say to them, 'It is motion and
rest.'" |
|
|
|
51 His disciples said to him, "When
will the rest for the dead take place, and when will the new
world come?" He said to them, "What you are looking forward to
has come, but you don't know it." |
|
|
|
52 His disciples said to him,
"Twenty-four prophets have spoken in Israel, and they all spoke
of you." He said to them, "You have disregarded the living one
who is in your presence, and have spoken of the dead." |
|
|
|
53 His disciples said to him, "is
circumcision useful or not?" He said to them, "If it were
useful, their father would produce children already circumcised
from their mother. Rather, the true circumcision in spirit has
become profitable in every respect." |
|
|
|
54 Jesus said, "Blessed are the
poor, for to you belongs the kingdom of heaven." |
|
Mt 6:20 Then he looked up at his
disciples and said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is
the kingdom of God. |
Mt 5:3, Lk 6:20 |
55 Jesus said, "Whoever does not
hate father and mother cannot be my disciple, and whoever does
not hate brothers and sisters, and carry the cross as I do, will
not be worthy of me." |
|
Mt 10:37 Whoever loves father or
mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son
or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and whoever
does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. |
Mt 10:37-38,
Lk 14:26 |
56 Jesus said, "Whoever has come to
know the world has discovered a carcass, and whoever has
discovered a carcass, of that person the world is not worthy." |
|
|
|
57 Jesus said, The Father's kingdom
is like a person who has [good] seed. His enemy came during the
night and sowed weeds among the good seed. The person did not
let the workers pull up the weeds, but said to them, "No,
otherwise you might go to pull up the weeds and pull up the
wheat along with them." For on the day of the harvest the weeds
will be conspicuous, and will be pulled up and burned. |
|
Mt 13:24 He put before them another
parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who
sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while everybody was asleep,
an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went
away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the
weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder
came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your
field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' 28 He answered,
'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you
want us to go and gather them?' 29 But he replied, 'No; for in
gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them.
30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at
harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first
and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into
my barn.'" |
Mt 13:24-30 |
58 Jesus said, "Blessed is the man
who has toiled and has found life." |
|
Mt 11:28 "Come to me, all you that
are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you
rest. |
Mt 11:28 |
59 Jesus said, "Look to the living
one as long as you live, otherwise you might die and then try to
see the living one, and you will be unable to see." |
|
Jn 7:34 You will search for me, but
you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.
Jn 13:33 Little children, I am with
you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to
the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot
come.' |
Jn 7:34, Jn 13:33 |
60 [He saw] a Samaritan carrying a
lamb and going to Judea. He said to his disciples, "[Why does]
that man [carry] around the lamb?" They said to him, "So that he
may kill it and eat it." He said to them, "He will not eat it
while it is alive, but only after he has killed it and it has
become a carcass." They said, "Otherwise he can't do it." He
said to them, "So also with you, seek for yourselves a place for
rest, or you might become a carcass and be eaten." |
|
|
|
61 Jesus said, "Two will recline on
a couch; one will die, one will live."
Salome said, "Who are you mister?
You have climbed onto my couch and eaten from my table as if you
are from the One." Jesus said to her, "I am the one who comes
from what is whole. I was granted from the things of my Father."
[She said] "I am your disciple." [He said] "For this
reason I say, if he is [whole], he will be filled with light,
but if he is divided, he will be filled with darkness."
|
|
Lk 17:34 I tell you, on that night
there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other
left. |
Mt 24:40-41; Lk
17:34 |
62 Jesus said, "I disclose my mysteries
to those [who are worthy] of [my] mysteries. |
|
Mk 4:11 And he said to them, "To
you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for
those outside, everything comes in parables; |
Mt 13:11, Mk 4:11,
Lk 8:10 |
Do not let your left hand know what
your right hand is doing." |
|
Mt 6:3 But when you give alms, do
not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, |
Mt 6:3 |
63 Jesus said, There was a rich man
who had a great deal of money. He said, "I shall invest my money
so that I may sow, reap, plant, and fill my storehouses with
produce, that I may lack nothing." These were the things he was
thinking in his heart, but that very night he died. Let him who
has ears hear. |
|
Lk 12:16 Then he told them a
parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he
thought to himself, 'What should I do, for I have no place to
store my crops?' 18 Then he said, 'I will do this: I will pull
down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all
my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you
have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be
merry.' 20 But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your
life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared,
whose will they be?' 21 So it is with those who store up
treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God." |
Lk 12:16-21 |
64 Jesus said, A man was receiving
guests. When he had prepared the dinner, he sent his slave to
invite the guests. The slave went to the first and said to that
one, "My master invites you." That one said, "Some merchants owe
me money; they are coming to me tonight. I have to go and give
them instructions. Please excuse me from dinner." The slave went
to another and said to that one, "My master has invited you."
That one said to the slave, "I have bought a house, and I have
been called away for a day. I shall have no time." The slave
went to another and said to that one, "My master invites you."
That one said to the slave, "My friend is to be married, and I
am to arrange the banquet. I shall not be able to come. Please
excuse me from dinner." The slave went to another and said to
that one, "My master invites you." That one said to the slave,
"I have bought an estate, and I am going to collect the rent. I
shall not be able to come. Please excuse me." The slave returned
and said to his master, "Those whom you invited to dinner have
asked to be excused." The master said to his slave, "Go out on
the streets and bring back whomever you find to have dinner. |
|
Lk 14:16 Then Jesus said to him,
"Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. 17 At the time
for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been
invited, 'Come; for everything is ready now.' 18 But they all
alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have
bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please
accept my regrets.' 19 Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of
oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.'
20 Another said, 'I have just been married, and therefore I
cannot come.' 21 So the slave returned and reported this to his
master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his
slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town
and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.'
22 And the slave said, 'Sir, what you ordered has been done, and
there is still room." 23 Then the master said to the slave, 'Go
out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so
that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those
who were invited will taste my dinner.'" |
Mt 22:3-9, Lk
14:16-24 |
Buyers and merchants [will] not
enter the places of my Father. |
|
Mt 19:23 Then Jesus said to his
disciples, "Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person
to enter the kingdom of heaven. |
Mt 19:23, Mk 10:23 |
65 He said, A good man owned a
vineyard and rented it to some farmers, so they could work it
and he could collect its crop from them. He sent his slave so
the farmers would give him the vineyard's crop. They grabbed
him, beat him, and almost killed him, and the slave returned and
told his master. His master said, "Perhaps he didn't know them."
He sent another slave, and the tenants beat that one as well.
Then the master sent his son and said, "Perhaps they'll show my
son some respect." Because the tenants knew that he was the heir
to the vineyard, they grabbed him and killed him. Let him who
has ears hear. |
|
Mt 21:33 "Listen to another
parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a
fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34
When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the
tenants to collect his produce. 35 But the tenants seized his
slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36
Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they
treated them in the same way. 37 Finally he sent his son to
them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 38 But when the
tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir;
come, let us kill him and get his inheritance." 39 So they
seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. |
Mt 21:33-39, Mk
12:1-8, Lk 20:9-15 |
66 Jesus said, "Show me the stone
that the builders rejected: that is the keystone." |
|
Lk 20:17 But he looked at them and
said, "What then does this text mean: 'The stone that the
builders rejected has become the cornerstone'? |
Mt 21:42, Mk 12:10,
Lk 20:17; Psalm 118:22 |
67 Jesus said, "Whoever believes
that the All is lacking is himself completely lacking." |
|
|
|
68 Jesus said, "Blessed are you
when you are hated and persecuted; and no place will be found,
wherever you have been persecuted." |
|
Mt 5:11 "Blessed are you when
people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil
against you falsely on my account. |
Mt 5:11, Lk 6:22
See also Thomas 69a |
69 Jesus said, "Blessed are those
who have been persecuted in their hearts: they are the ones who
have truly come to know the Father. |
|
Mt 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they will see God. |
Mt 5:8 (see Thomas
68) |
Blessed are those who go hungry,
for the belly of him who desires will be filled." |
|
Lk 6:21a "Blessed are you who are
hungry now, for you will be filled. |
Mt 5:6, Lk 6:21a |
70 Jesus said, "If you bring forth
what is within you, what you have will save you. If you do not
have that within you, what you do not have within you will
kill you." |
|
|
|
71 Jesus said, "I will destroy
[this] house, and no one will be able to build it [...]." |
|
Mk 14:58 "We heard him say, 'I will
destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I
will build another, not made with hands.'" |
Mk 14:58 |
72 A [man said] to him, "Tell my
brothers to divide my father's possessions with me." He said to
the person, "Mister, who made me a divider?" He turned to his
disciples and said to them, "I'm not a divider, am I?" |
|
Lk 12:13 Someone in the crowd said
to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family
inheritance with me." 14 But he said to him, "Friend, who set me
to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15 And he said to them,
"Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for
one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." |
Lk 12:13-15 |
73 Jesus said, "The harvest is
great but the laborers are few, so beg the lord of the harvest
to send out laborers to the harvest." |
|
Mt 9:37 Then he said to his
disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
9:38 therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers
into his harvest." |
Mt 9:37-38, Lk 10:2 |
74 He said, "Lord, there are many
around the drinking trough, but there is nothing in the well." |
|
|
|
75 Jesus said, "There are many
standing at the door, but those who are alone will enter the
bridal suite." |
|
22:14 For many are called, but few
are chosen." |
Mt 22:14 |
76 Jesus said, The Father's kingdom
is like a merchant who had a supply of merchandise and found a
pearl. That merchant was prudent; he sold the merchandise and
bought the single pearl for himself. |
|
Mt 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on
finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he
had and bought it.
|
Mt 13:45-46 |
So also with you, seek his treasure
that is unfailing, that is enduring, where no moth comes to eat
and no worm destroys." |
|
6:19 "Do not store up for
yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and
where thieves break in and steal; 6:20 but store up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. |
Mt 6:19-20, Lk
12:33 |
77 Jesus said, "I am the light that
is over all things. I am all: from me all came forth, and to me
all attained. |
|
Jn 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them,
saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will
never walk in darkness but will have the light of life."
Jn 1:3 All things came into being
through him, and without him not one thing came into being.
|
Jn 8:12, 1:3 |
Split a piece of wood; I am there.
Lift up the stone, and you will find me there." |
[30] Raise the stone, and there you
will find me; cleave the wood, and there I am." |
|
|
78 Jesus said, "Why have you come
out to the desert? To see a reed shaken by the wind? And to see
a person dressed in soft clothes, like your rulers and your
powerful ones? They are dressed in soft [clothes], and they
cannot understand truth." |
|
Mt 11:7 As they went away, Jesus
began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out
into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 11:8
What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes?
Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 11:9 What
then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more
than a prophet. |
Mt 11:7-9, Lk
7:24-26 |
79 A woman in the crowd said to
him, "Lucky are the womb that bore you and the breasts that fed
you." He said to [her], "Blessed are those who have heard the
word of the Father and have truly kept it. |
|
Lk 11:27 While he was saying this,
a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, "Blessed
is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!" 28
But he said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God
and obey it!" |
Lk 11:27-28 |
For there will be days when you will say, 'Blessed are the womb
that has not conceived and the breasts that have not given
milk.'" |
|
Lk 23:29 For the days are surely
coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the
wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' |
Lk 23:29 |
80 Jesus said, "Whoever has come to
know the world has discovered the body, and whoever has
discovered the body, of that one the world is not worthy." |
|
|
|
81 Jesus said, "Let him who has
become wealthy reign, and let him who has power renounce ." |
|
|
|
82 Jesus said, "Whoever is near me
is near the fire, and whoever is far from me is far from the
kingdom." |
|
|
|
83 Jesus said, "Images are visible
to men, but the light within them is hidden in the image of the
Father's light. He will be disclosed, but his image is hidden by
his light." |
|
|
|
84 Jesus said, "When you see your
likeness, you rejoice. But when you see your images that came
into being before you and that neither die nor become visible,
how much you will have to bear!" |
|
|
|
85 Jesus said, "Adam came from
great power and great wealth, but he was not worthy of you. For
had he been worthy, [he would] not [have tasted] death." |
|
|
|
86 Jesus said, "[Foxes have their
dens] and birds have [their] nests, but the son of man has no
place to lay his head and rest." |
|
Mt 8:20 And Jesus said to him,
"Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son
of Man has nowhere to lay his head." |
Mt 8:20, Lk 9:58 |
87 Jesus said, "How miserable is
the body that depends on a body, and how miserable is the soul
that depends on these two." |
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88 Jesus said, "The messengers and
the prophets will come to you and give you what belongs to you.
You, in turn, give them what you have, and say to yourselves,
'When will they come and take what belongs to them?'" |
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89 Jesus said, "Why do you wash the
outside of the cup? Don't you understand that the one who made
the inside is also the one who made the outside?" |
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Lk 11:39 Then the Lord said to him,
"Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish,
but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools!
Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? |
Lk 11:39-40 |
90 Jesus said, "Come to me, for my
yoke is comfortable and my lordship is gentle, and you will find
rest for yourselves." |
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Mt 11:28 "Come to me, all you that
are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you
rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am
gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." |
Mt 11:28-30 |
91 They said to him, "Tell us who
you are so that we may believe in you." |
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Jn 9:36 He answered, "And who is
he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him." |
Jn 9:36 |
He said to them, "You examine the
face of heaven and earth, but you have not come to know the one
who is in your presence, and you do not know how to examine the
present moment. |
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Lk 12:54 He also said to the
crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you
immediately say, 'It is going to rain'; and so it happens. 55
And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be
scorching heat'; and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how
to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not
know how to interpret the present time? |
Lk 12:54-56 |
92 Jesus said, "Seek and you will
find.
In the past, however, I did not
tell you the things about which you asked me then. Now I am
willing to tell them, but you are not seeking them." |
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Mt 7:7 "Ask, and it will be given
you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be
opened for you. |
Mt 7:7; Lk 11:9 |
93 "Don't give what is holy to
dogs, for they might throw them upon the manure pile. Don't
throw pearls [to] pigs, or they might ... it [...]." |
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Mt 7:6 "Do not give what is holy to
dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will
trample them under foot and turn and maul you. |
Mt 7:6 |
94 Jesus [said], "He who seeks will
find, and for [he who knocks] it will be opened." |
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7:8 For everyone who asks receives,
and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks,
the door will be opened. |
Mt 7:8, Lk 11:10 |
95 [Jesus said], "If you have
money, don't lend it at interest. Rather, give [it] to someone
from whom you won't get it back." |
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Lk 6:34 If you lend to those from
whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even
sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love
your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.
Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most
High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. |
Lk 6:34-35, Lk
14:12-14 |
96 Jesus [said], The Father's
kingdom is like a certain woman. She took a little leaven, [hid]
it in dough, and made it into large loaves of bread. Let him who
has ears hear. |
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Mt 13:33 He told them another
parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took
and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was
leavened." |
Mt 13:33, Lk
13:20-21 |
97 Jesus said, The [Father's]
kingdom is like a woman who was carrying a [jar] full of meal.
While she was walking along [on] a road, the handle of the jar
broke and the meal spilled behind her on the road. She didn't
know it; she hadn't noticed a problem. When she reached her
house, she put the jar down and discovered that it was empty. |
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98 Jesus said, The Father's kingdom
is like a man who wanted to kill a powerful man. While still at
home he drew his sword and thrust it into the wall to find out
whether his hand would go in. Then he killed the powerful man. |
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99 The disciples said to him, "Your
brothers and your mother are standing outside." He said to them,
"Those here who do what my Father wants are my brothers and my
mother. They are the ones who will enter my Father's kingdom." |
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Mt 12:46 While he was still
speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were
standing outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him,
"Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside,
wanting to speak to you." 48 But to the one who had told him
this, Jesus replied, "Who is my mother, and who are my
brothers?" 49 And pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are
my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my
Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." |
Mt 12:46-50, Mk
3:31-35 |
100 They showed Jesus a gold coin
and said to him, "The Roman emperor's men demand taxes from us."
He said to them, "Give the emperor what belongs to the emperor,
give God what belongs to God, and give me what is mine." |
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Mk 12:14b Is it lawful to pay taxes
to the emperor, or not? 15 Should we pay them, or should we
not?" But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why are you
putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it."
16 And they brought one. Then he said to them, "Whose head is
this, and whose title?" They answered, "The emperor's." 12:17
Jesus said to them, "Give to the emperor the things that are the
emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were
utterly amazed at him. |
Mk 12:14b-17, Lk
20:22-25 |
101 "Whoever does not hate father
and mother as I do cannot be my disciple, and whoever does [not]
love his father and mother as I do cannot be my
[disciple]. For my mother [...], but [my] true [mother] gave me
life." |
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Mt 10:37 Whoever loves father or
mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son
or daughter more than me is not worthy of me |
Mt 10:37, Lk 14:26 |
102 Jesus said, "Woe to the
Pharisees! They are like a dog sleeping in the cattle manger:
the dog neither eats nor lets the cattle eat." |
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103 Jesus said, "Fortunate is the
man who knows where the rebels are going to attack., so he can
get up, muster his resources, and be prepared before they
invade." |
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24:43 But understand this: if the
owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief
was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let
his house be broken into. |
Mt 24:43, Lk 12:39 |
104 They said to Jesus, "Come, let
us pray today, and let us fast." Jesus said, "What sin
have I committed, or how have I been undone? Rather, when the
groom leaves the bridal suite, then let people fast and pray." |
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105 Jesus said, "Whoever knows the
father and the mother will be called the child of a whore." |
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106 Jesus said, "When you make the
two into one, you will become children of Adam, and when you
say, 'Mountain, move from here!' it will move." |
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Mk 11:23
Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and
thrown into the sea,' and if you do not doubt in your heart, but
believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for
you. |
Mt 17:20, 21:21,Mk 11:23 |
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 and looked for the one
until he found it. After he had toiled, he said to the sheep, 'I
love you more than the ninety- nine.' |
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Mt 18:12 What do you think? If a
shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray,
does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in
search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly
I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine
that never went astray. |
Mt 18:12-13, Lk
15:3-7 |
108 Jesus said, "Whoever drinks
from my mouth will become like me; I myself shall become that
person, and the hidden things will be revealed to him." |
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109 Jesus said, The kingdom is like
a man who had a treasure hidden in his field but did not know
it. And [when] he died he left it to his son. The son did not
know [about it]. He took over the field and sold it. The buyer
went plowing and found the treasure. He began to lend
money at interest to whomever he wished. |
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Mt 13:44 "The kingdom of heaven is
like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid;
then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that
field. |
Mt 13:44 |
110 Jesus said, "Whoever finds the
world and becomes rich, let him renounce the world." |
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111 Jesus said, "The heavens and
the earth will roll up in your presence, and whoever is living
from the living one will not see death."
Does not Jesus say, "Those who have
found themselves, of them the world is not worthy"? |
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112 Jesus said, "Woe to the flesh
that depends on the soul. Woe to the soul that depends on the
flesh." |
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113 His disciples said to him,
"When will the kingdom come?" "It will not come by watching for
it. It will not be said, 'Look, here!' or 'Look, there!' Rather,
the Father's kingdom is spread out upon the earth, and people
don't see it." |
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17:20 Once Jesus was asked by the
Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered,
"The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be
observed; 17:21 nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There
it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you." |
Lk 17:20-21 |
114 Simon Peter said to them, "Make
Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life." Jesus said,
"Look, I will guide her to make her male, so that she too may
become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female
who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of Heaven." |
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The translations of both versions of the
Gospel of Thomas are adaptations by the author of "Greek Fragments of
Thomas" and "The Gospel of Thomas," in The Complete Gospels:
Annotated Scholars Version, edited Rober Miller, 2nd edition,
Polebridge Press, 1992, 1994, and "The Gospel of Thomas," in The Nag
Hammadi Library, edited James Robinson, trans. by Thomas Lambdin,
Harper and Row, 1977.
-Dennis Bratcher, Copyright ©
2018, Dennis
Bratcher, All Rights Reserved
See Copyright and User Information Notice
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Related pages
The Synoptic Problem
Reconstruction of "Q"
Interpretation Issues
JEDP: Sources in the Pentateuch
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