Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (7 page)

milk.’ ”

me a divider?”

80
Jesus said, “He who has recognized

He turned to his disciples and said to

the world has found the body, but he who

them, “I am not a divider, am I?”

has found the body is superior to the

73
Jesus said, “The harvest is great but

world.”

the laborers are few. Beseech the lord,

81
Jesus said, “Let him who has grown

therefore, to send out laborers to the

rich be king, and let him who possesses

harvest.”

power renounce it.”

74
He said, “O lord, there are many

82
Jesus said, “He who is near me is

around the drinking trough, but there is

near the fire, and he who is far from me

nothing in the cistern.”

is far from the kingdom.”

75
Jesus said, “Many are standing at

83
Jesus said, “The images are manithe door, but it is the solitary who will fest to man, but the light in them remains

enter the bridal chamber.”

concealed in the image of the light of the

76
Jesus said, “The kingdom of the fafather. He will become manifest, but his ther is like a merchant who had a conimage will remain concealed by his signment of merchandise and who dislight.”

covered a pearl. That merchant was

84
Jesus said, “When you see your

shrewd. He sold the merchandise and

likeness, you rejoice. But when you see

bought the pearl alone for himself. You

your images which came into being betoo, seek his unfailing and enduring treafore you, and which neither die nor besure where no moth comes near to devour come manifest, how much you will have

and no worm destroys.”

to bear!”

77
Jesus said, “It is I who am the light

85
Jesus said, “Adam came into being

which is above them all. It is I who am

from a great power and a great wealth,

the all. From me did the all come forth,

but he did not become worthy of you.

and unto me did the all extend. Split a

For had he been worthy, [he would] not

piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up

[have experienced] death.”

the stone, and you will find me there.”

86
Jesus said, “[The foxes have their

78
Jesus said, “Why have you come

holes] and the birds have their nests, but

out into the desert? To see a reed shaken

the son of man has no place to lay his

by the wind? And to see a man clothed

head and rest.”

in fine garments [like your] kings and

87
Jesus said, “Wretched is the body

your great men? Upon them are the fine

that is dependent upon a body, and

garments, and they are unable to discern

wretched is the soul that is dependent on

the truth.”

these two.”

79
A woman from the crowd said to

88
Jesus said, “The angels and the

him, “Blessed are the womb which bore

prophets will come to you and give to

THE COPTIC GOSPEL OF THOMAS

27

you those things you (already) have.

reached her house, she set the jar down

And you too, give them those things

and found it empty.”

which you have, and say to yourselves,

98
Jesus said, “The kingdom of the fa

‘When will they come and take what is

ther is like a certain man who wanted to

theirs?’ ”

kill a powerful man. In his own house he

89
Jesus said, “Why do you wash the

drew his sword and stuck it into the wall

outside of the cup? Do you not realize

in order to find out whether his hand

that he who made the inside is the same

could carry through. Then he slew the

one who made the outside?”

powerful man.”

90
Jesus said, “Come unto me, for my

99
The disciples said to him, “Your

yoke is easy and my lordship is mild, and

brothers and your mother are standing

you will find repose for yourselves.”

outside.”

91
They said to him, “Tell us who you

He said to them, “Those here who do

are so that we may believe in you.”

the will of my father are my brothers and

He said to them, “You read the face of

my mother. It is they who will enter the

the sky and of the earth, but you have not

kingdom of my father.”

recognized the one who is before you,

100
They showed Jesus a gold coin and

and you do not know how to read this

said to him, “Caesar’s men demand taxes

moment.”

from us.”

92
Jesus said, “Seek and you will find.

He said to them, “Give Caesar what

Yet, what you asked me about in former

belongs to Caesar, give God what betimes and which I did not tell you then, longs to God, and give me what is mine.”

now I do desire to tell, but you do not

101
�Jesus said,� “Whoever does not

inquire after it.”

hate his [father] and his mother as I do

93
�Jesus said,� “Do not give what

cannot become a [disciple] to me. And

is holy to dogs, lest they throw them on

whoever does [not] love his [father and]

the dung heap. Do not throw the pearls

his mother as I do cannot become a [dis[to] swine, lest they . . . it [ . . . ].”

ciple to] me. For my mother [ . . . ], but

94
Jesus [said], “He who seeks will

[my] true [mother] gave me life.”

find, and [he who knocks] will be let in.”

102
Jesus said, “Woe to the pharisees,

95
[Jesus said], “If you have money do

for they are like a dog sleeping in the

not lend it at interest, but give [it] to one

manger of oxen, for neither does he eat

from whom you will not get it back.”

nor does he [let] the oxen eat.”

96
Jesus said, “The kingdom of the fa

103
Jesus said, “Fortunate is the man

ther is like [a certain] woman. She took

who knows where the brigands will enter,

a little leaven, [concealed] it in some

so that [he] may get up, muster his dodough, and made it into large loaves. Let main, and arm himself before they

him who has ears hear.”

invade.”

97
Jesus said, “The kingdom of the [fa

104
They said to Jesus, “Come, let us

ther] is like a certain woman who was

pray today and let us fast.”

carrying a [jar] full of meal. While she

Jesus said, “What is the sin that I have

was walking [on the] road, still some

committed, or wherein have I been dedistance from home, the handle of the jar feated? But when the bridegroom leaves

broke and the meal emptied out behind

the bridal chamber, then let them fast and

her [on] the road. She did not realize it;

pray.”

she had noticed no accident. When she

105
Jesus said, “He who knows the

28

NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS

father and the mother will be called the

110
Jesus said, “Whoever finds the

son of a harlot.”

world and becomes rich, let him re

106
Jesus said, “When you make the

nounce the world.”

two one, you will become the sons of

111
Jesus said, “The heavens and the

man, and when you say, ‘Mountain, move

earth will be rolled up in your presence.

away,’ it will move away.”

And the one who lives from the living

107
Jesus said, “The kingdom is like a

one will not see death.” Does not Jesus

shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One

say, “Whoever finds himself is superior

of them, the largest, went astray. He left

to the world”?

the ninety-nine and looked for that

112
Jesus said, “Woe to the flesh that

one until he found it. When he had gone

depends on the soul; woe to the soul that

to such trouble, he said to the sheep,

depends on the flesh.”

‘I care for you more than the ninety-

113
His disciples said to him, “When

nine.’ ”

will the kingdom come?”

108
Jesus said, “He who will drink

�Jesus said,� “It will not come by

from my mouth will become like me. I

waiting for it. It will not be a matter of

myself shall become he, and the things

saying ‘here it is’ or ‘there it is.’ Rather,

that are hidden will be revealed to

the kingdom of the father is spread out

him.”

upon the earth, and men do not see it.”

109
Jesus said, “The kingdom is like a

114
Simon Peter said to them, “Let

man who had a [hidden] treasure in his

Mary leave us, for women are not worthy

field without knowing it. And [after] he

of life.”

died, he left it to his [son]. The son [did]

Jesus said, “I myself shall lead her in

not know (about the treasure). He inherorder to make her male, so that she too ited the field and sold [it]. And the one

may become a living spirit resembling

who bought it went plowing and [found]

you males. For every woman who will

the treasure. He began to lend money at

make herself male will enter the kingdom

interest to whomever he wished.”

of heaven.”

Papyrus Egerton 2:

The Unknown Gospel

The fragmentary manuscript known as Papyrus Egerton 2 contains a non-canonical Gospel that is never referred to in any ancient source and that was, as a consequence, completely unknown until its publication in 1935.1

The fragments were discovered among a collection of papyri purchased by the British Museum. They had come from Egypt and are usually dated to around 150 ce. The “Unknown Gospel” narrated in these papyri, however, must have been older than the manuscript fragments that contain it. While some scholars have argued that the Gospel was written before the canonical books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, most have concluded that it was produced somewhat later, during the first half of the second century.

Since the Unknown Gospel is preserved only in fragments, it is impossible to judge its original length and contents. The surviving remains preserve four separate stories: (1) an account of Jesus’ controversy with Jewish leaders that is similar to the stories found in John 5:39–47 and 10:31–39; (2) a healing of a leper, reminiscent of Matt 8:1–4; Mark 1:40–45; Luke 5:12–16; and Luke 17:11–14; (3) a controversy over paying tribute to Caesar, comparable to Matt 22:15–22; Mark 12:13–17; and Luke 20:20–26; and (4) a fragmentary account of a miracle of Jesus on the bank of the Jordan River, possibly performed to illustrate his parable about the miraculous growth of seeds. This final story has no parallel in the canonical Gospels.

Scholars continue to debate whether the author of this Gospel (a) used the four canonical Gospels as literary sources for his accounts, (b) quoted from memory stories that he knew from the canonical Gospels (changing them in the process), or (c) acquired his stories not from the canonical Gospels, but from the oral traditions of Jesus in wide circulation in the first and second centuries.

1See Ehrman,
Lost
Christianities
, 49–50.

Translation by Bart D. Ehrman based on the Greek text found in Egbert Schlarb and Dieter Lu¨ hrmann,
Fragmente
apocryph
gewordener
Evangelien
in
griechischer
und
lateinischer
Sprache
(Marburg: N. G. Elwert, 2000) 147–53, but I have followed the sequence of the fragments given in H. Idris Bell and T. C. Skeat,
Fragments
of
an
Unknown
Gospel
and
Other
Early
Christian
Papyri
(London: British Museum, 1935).

29

30

NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS

1 [And Jesus said]2 to the lawyers: ing: Be clean.” And immediately the lep

“[Punish] every wrong-doer and

rosy left him. And Jesus said to him, “Go,

[transgressor], but not me. [For that one

show yourself to the priests and make an

does not consider] how he does what he

offering for your cleansing as Moses

does.”

commanded; and sin no more. . . .”

Then he turned to the rulers of the

people and spoke this word: “Search the

Scriptures, for you think that in them you

3 . . . [they came] to him and began

rigorously testing him, saying,

have life. They are the ones that testify

“Teacher Jesus, we know that you have

concerning me. Do not think that I came

come from God. For the things you do

to accuse you to my Father. The one who