The Gospel of Thomas

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The Gospel of Thomas

• ??A 96121114 Anita
• ??A 96121116 Ellen
• ??A 96121122 Ruby
• ??A 96121156 Queena

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Outline

• The Introduction of the Gospel of Thomas
• The definition of Pseudepigrapha
• The importance and the author of the Gospel of
  Thomas
• The difference between the New Testament and the
  Gospel of Thomas
• The difference between four Canonical Gospels and
  the Gospel of Thomas

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The Introduction of the Gospel of Thomas

• Ellen

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• Discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in December
  1945
• Written in the Coptic language
• Designated as Codex II by modern-day scholars
• Regarded as a non-canonical gospel (Apocrypha)
• Composed of 114 logia (sayings) attributed to
  Jesus
• Recorded Jesus discourses, not mentioned
  crucifixion, resurrection, final judgement, or a
  messianic understanding of Jesus

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Nag Hammadi
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The Philosophy of the Gospel of Thomas

• Jesus is represented as a spiritual guide whose
  words bring eternal life.
• Readers are advised to continue seeking until
  they find what will enable them to become rulers
  of their own lives.
• It emphasizes direct and unmediated experience.

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Bible Books

• Bible books are divided into three main parts
• Biblical canon
• Biblical books considered to be authoritative as
  scripture by a particular religious community,
  generally in Judaism or Christianity.
• Deuterocanonical books/ Apocrypha
• Deuterocanonical means secondarily canonical ,
  especially indicates the books and parts of books
  found in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Bible
  but not in the Protestant. Apocrypha has similar
  meaning but indicates the books in New Testament.
• Pseudepigrapha (New Testament Apocrypha)
• Non-canonical books written in the period 200 BC
  to 200 AD.
• New Testament pseudepigrapha also likely to be
  called New Testament Apocrypha.

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Pseudepigrapha

• The Greek meaning is falsely titled., meaning a
  work attributed to someone who did not actually
  write it, especially in ancient writing.
• Other Pseudepigrapha examples in New Testament
• The Gospel of Peter
• The Gospel of Judas, which begins by presenting
  itself as "the secret account of the revelation
  that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas
  Iscariot".

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Date of Composition

• The Early Camp
• Richard Valantasis writes
• Assigning a date to the Gospel of Thomas is
  very complex because it is difficult to know
  precisely to what a date is being assigned.
  Scholars have proposed a date as early as AD 60
  or as late as AD 140, depending upon whether the
  Gospel of Thomas is identified with the original
  core of sayings, or with the author's published
  text, or with the Greek or Coptic texts, or with
  parallels in other literature.

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Date of Composition

• The Late Camp
• Robert E. Van Voorst states
• Most interpreters place its writing in the
  second century, understanding that many of its
  oral traditions are much older.

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Date of Composition

• Scholars generally fall into one of two main
  camps
• The Early Camp" favoring a date for the "core"
  of between the years 50 and 100, before or
  approximately contemporary with the composition
  of the canonical gospels.
• The Late Camp" favoring a date in the 2nd
  century, after composition of the canonical
  gospels.

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The Importance of Thomas Gospel

• The Gospel of Thomas is regarded by some scholars
  as the most important texts in understanding
  early Christianity outside the New Testament.
• It is an important work for scholars working on
  the Q document.

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What is the Q document?

• Q document is a postulated lost textual source
  for the Gospel of Matthew and Gospel of Luke. It
  is a theoretical collection of Jesus' sayings
  which was written in Koine Greek.
• Although many scholars believe that "Q" was a
  real document, no actual document or fragment has
  been found.

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Author

• These are the secret sayings that the living
  Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas recorded.
• However, most scholars did not consider
• the Gospel of Thomas was written by Didymos
  Judas Thomas. Some scholars believed that was
  likely a very late text written by a Gnostic
  author.

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• In the 4th century, Cyril of Jerusalem considered
  that the author of the Thomas Gospel was Manis
  disciple who also called Thomas.

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• 3 Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you,
• 'Look, the (Father's) 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 (Father's) 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."

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• 6 His disciples asked him and said to him,
• "Do you want us to fast? How should we pray?
  Should we give to charity? What diet should we
  observe?"
• 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."

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• 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 to charity,
  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.
• After all, what goes into your mouth will not
  defile you rather, it's what comes out of your
  mouth that will defile you."

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Item Matthew, Mark, Luke John Thomas
New Covenant The central theme of the Gospels - Love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself The central theme - Love is the New Commandment given by Jesus Secret knowledge, love your friends
Forgiveness Very important - particularly in Matthew and Luke Assumed Not mentioned
Disciples-number Twelve Twelve not mentioned
Virgin birth account In Matthew Luke, but not Mark Not mentioned Not mentioned
Preaching style Brief one-liners parables Essay format Sayings, parables
Storytelling Parables Figurative language Metaphor hidden, parables
Miracles Many miracles Seven Signs N/A
Passover meal Body Blood Bread and wine Interrupts meal for foot washing N/A
Resurrection Mary and the Women are the first to learn Jesus has arisen John adds detailed account of Mary's experience of the Resurrection Not Applicable as Gospel of Thomas is a collection of the "sayings" of Jesus, not the events of his life