Read Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament Online
Authors: [edited by] Bart D. Ehrman
Tags: #Biblical Reference, #Bible Study Guides, #Bibles, #Other Translations, #Apocryphal books (New Testament), #New Testament, #Christianity, #Religion, #Biblical Commentary, #Biblical Studies, #General, #History
Many of the sayings will sound familiar to readers already conversant with the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. For example, here one finds, in slightly different wording, the warning against the “blind leading the 1For a full discussion, see Ehrman,
Lost
Christianities
, 44–66. 2On what such “Gnostics” believed, see Ehrman,
Lost
Christianities
, 122–25. 3Full translations of all the writings, with incisive introductions, can be found in James Robinson,
The
Nag
Hammadi
Library
in
English
, 4th rev. ed.
(Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1996).
Translation by Thomas O. Lambdin in James Robinson,
The
Nag
Hammadi
Library
in
English,
3rd ed. (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1988) 126–38; used with permission.
19
20
NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS
blind” and the parables of the sower and of the mustard seed (sayings 9, 20, 34). Other sayings, however, are quite different and appear to presuppose a Gnostic point of view, in which people are understood to be spirits who have fallen from the divine realm and become entrapped in matter (i.e., in the prisons of their material bodies). Salvation, according to this perspective, comes to those who learn the truth of their plight and so are enabled to escape this impoverished material existence by acquiring the knowledge necessary for salvation (e.g., sayings 11, 22, 29, 37, and 80). Jesus is the one who conveys this knowledge.
Some scholars have maintained that the sayings of Thomas may be closer to what Jesus actually taught than what we find in the New Testament; others, however, have pointed out that the theology implicit in the more Gnostic teachings cannot be dated with confidence prior to the beginning of the second century. Thus, while some of these sayings may be quite old—may, in fact, go back to Jesus himself—the document as a whole probably came to be written sometime after the New Testament Gospels (although perhaps independently of them), possibly in the early second century.
These are the secret sayings which the
days old about the place of life, and he
living Jesus spoke and which Didymos
will live. For many who are first will
Judas Thomas wrote down.
become last, and they will become one
1
And he said, “Whoever finds the in-
and the same.”
terpretation of these sayings will not ex-
5
Jesus said, “Recognize what is in
perience death.”
your (sg.) sight, and that which is hidden
2
Jesus said, “Let him who seeks con-
from you (sg.) will become plain to you
tinue seeking until he finds. When he
(sg.). For there is nothing hidden which
finds, he will become troubled. When he
will not become manifest.”
becomes troubled, he will be astonished,
6
His disciples questioned him and
and he will rule over the all.”
said to him, “Do you want us to fast?
3
Jesus said, “If those who lead you
How shall we pray? Shall we give alms?
say to you, ‘See, the kingdom is in the
What diet shall we observe?”
sky,’ then the birds of the sky will precede
Jesus said, “Do not tell lies, and do not
you. If they say to you, ‘It is in the sea,’
do what you hate, for all things are plain
then the fish will precede you. Rather, the
in the sight of heaven. For nothing hidden
kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside
will not become manifest, and nothing
of you. When you come to know your-
covered will remain without being
selves, then you will become known, and
uncovered.”
you will realize that it is you who are the
7
Jesus said, “Blessed is the lion which
sons of the living father. But if you will
becomes man when consumed by man;
not know yourselves you dwell in poverty
and cursed is the man whom the lion
and it is you who are that poverty.”
consumes, and the lion becomes man.”
4
Jesus said, “The man old in days will
8
And he said, “The man is like a wise
not hesitate to ask a small child seven
fisherman who cast his net into the sea
THE COPTIC GOSPEL OF THOMAS
21
and drew it up from the sea full of small
Jesus said, “I am not your (sg.) master.
fish. Among them the wise fisherman
Because you (sg.) have drunk, you (sg.)
found a fine large fish. He threw all the
have become intoxicated from the bubsmall fish back into the sea and chose the bling spring which I have measured out.”
large fish without difficulty. Whoever has
And he took him and withdrew and
ears to hear, let him hear.”
told him three things. When Thomas re
9
Jesus said, “Now the sower went out,
turned to his companions, they asked
took a handful (of seeds), and scattered
him, “What did Jesus say to you?”
them. Some fell on the road; the birds
Thomas said to them, “If I tell you one
came and gathered them up. Others fell
of the things which he told me, you will
on rock, did not take root in the soil, and
pick up stones and throw them at me; a
did not produce ears. And others fell on
fire will come out of the stones and burn
thorns; they choked the seed(s) and
you up.”
worms ate them. And others fell on the
14
Jesus said to them, “If you fast, you
good soil and it produced good fruit: it
will give rise to sin for yourselves; and
bore sixty per measure and a hundred
if you pray, you will be condemned; and
and twenty per measure.”
if you give alms, you will do harm to
10
Jesus said, “I have cast fire upon the
your spirits. When you go into any land
world, and see, I am guarding it until it
and walk about in the districts, if they
blazes.”
receive you, eat what they will set before
11
Jesus said, “This heaven will pass
you, and heal the sick among them. For
away, and the one above it will pass away.
what goes into your mouth will not defile
The dead are not alive, and the living will
you, but that which issues from your
not die. In the days when you consumed
mouth—it is that which will defile you.”
what is dead, you made it what is alive.
15
Jesus said, “When you see one who
When you come to dwell in the light,
was not born of woman, prostrate yourwhat will you do? On the day when you selves on your faces and worship him.
were one you became two. But when you
That one is your father.”
become two, what will you do?”
16
Jesus said, “Men think, perhaps,
12
The disciples said to Jesus, “We
that it is peace which I have come to cast
know that you will depart from us. Who
upon the world. They do not know that
is to be our leader?”
it is dissension which I have come to cast
Jesus said to them “Wherever you are,
upon the earth: fire, sword, and war. For
you are to go to James the righteous, for
there will be five in a house: three will
whose sake heaven and earth came into
be against two, and two against three, the
being.”
father against the son, and the son against
13
Jesus said to his disciples, “Comthe father. And they will stand solitary.”
pare me to someone and tell me whom I
17
Jesus said, “I shall give you what
am like.”
no eye has seen and what no ear has heard
Simon Peter said to him, “You are like
and what no hand has touched and what
a righteous angel.”
has never occurred to the human mind.”
Matthew said to him, “You are like a
18
The disciples said to Jesus. “Tell us
wise philosopher.”
how our end will be.” Jesus said, “Have
Thomas said to him, “Master, my
you discovered, then, the beginning, that
mouth is wholly incapable of saying
you look for the end? For where the bewhom you are like.”
ginning is, there will the end be. Blessed
22
NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS
is he who will take his place in the be
Jesus said to them, “When you make
ginning; he will know the end and will
the two one, and when you make the
not experience death.”
inside like the outside and the outside
19
Jesus said, “Blessed is he who came
like the inside, and the above like the
into being before he came into being. If
below, and when you make the male and
you become my disciples and listen to
the female one and the same, so that the
my words, these stones will minister to
male not be male nor the female female;
you. For there are five trees for you in
and when you fashion eyes in place of
Paradise which remain undisturbed suman eye, and a hand in place of a hand, mer and winter and whose leaves do not
and a foot in place of a foot, and a likefall. Whoever becomes acquainted with ness in place of a likeness; then will you
them will not experience death.”
enter [the kingdom].”
20
The disciples said to Jesus, “Tell us
23
Jesus said, “I shall choose you, one
what the kingdom of heaven is like.”
out of a thousand, and two out of ten
He said to them, “It is like a mustard
thousand, and they shall stand as a single
seed. It is the smallest of all seeds. But
one.”
when it falls on tilled soil, it produces a
24
His disciples said to him, “Show us
great plant and becomes a shelter for
the place where you are, since it is necbirds of the sky.”
essary for us to seek it.”
21
Mary said to Jesus, “Whom are
He said to them, “Whoever has ears,
your disciples like?” He said, “They are
let him hear. There is light within a man
like children who have settled in a field
of light, and he lights up the whole world.
which is not theirs. When the owners of
If he does not shine, he is darkness.”
the field come, they will say, ‘Let us have
25
Jesus said, “Love your (sg.) brother
back our field.’ They (will) undress in
like your soul, guard him like the pupil
their presence in order to let them have
of your eye.”
back their field and to give it back to
26
Jesus said, “You (sg.) see the mote
them. Therefore I say, if the owner of a
in your brother’s eye, but you do not see
house knows that the thief is coming, he
the beam in your own eye. When you
will begin his vigil before he comes and
cast the beam out of your own eye, then
will not let him dig through into his house
you will see clearly to cast the mote from
of his domain to carry away his goods.
your brother’s eye.”
You (pl.), then, be on your guard against
27
�Jesus said,� “If you do not fast
the world. Arm yourselves with great
as regards the world, you will not find
strength lest the robbers find a way to
the kingdom. If you do not observe the
come to you, for the difficulty which you
Sabbath as a Sabbath, you will not see
expect will (surely) materialize. Let there
the father.”
be among you a man of understanding.
28
Jesus said, “I took my place in the
When the grain ripened, he came quickly
midst of the world, and I appeared to
with his sickle in his hand and reaped it.
them in flesh. I found all of them intoxi
Whoever has ears to hear let him hear.”
cated; I found none of them thirsty. And
22
Jesus saw infants being suckled. He
my soul became afflicted for the sons of
said to his disciples, “These infants being
men, because they are blind in their
suckled are like those who enter the
hearts and do not have sight; for empty
kingdom.”
they came into the world, and empty too
They said to him, “Shall we then, as
they seek to leave the world. But for the
children, enter the kingdom?”
moment they are intoxicated. When they
THE COPTIC GOSPEL OF THOMAS
23
shake off their wine, then they will
saying to you, and you have no one else
repent.”
to hear them from. There will be days
29
Jesus said, “If the flesh came into
when you will look for me and will not
being because of spirit, it is a wonder.