Gospel of Thomas
| Gospel of Thomas | |
|---|---|
Nag Hammadi Codex II:The beginning of the Gospel of Thomas | |
| Information | |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Author | Attributed to Thomas |
| Language | Coptic, Greek |
| Period | Early Christianity(possibly Apostolic Age) |
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| New Testament apocrypha |
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| Christianity portal |
The Gospel of Thomas (also known as the Coptic Gospel of Thomas) is a non-canonical sayings gospel.[1][2] It was discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945 among a group of books known as the Nag Hammadi library. Scholars speculate the works were buried in response to a letter from Bishop Athanasius declaring a strict canon of Christian scripture. Most scholars place the composition during the second century,[3][4] while some have proposed dates as late as 250 AD and others have traced its signs of origins back to 60 AD.[5][6] Some scholars have seen it as evidence of the existence of a "Q source" that might have been similar in its form as a collection of sayings of Jesus, without any accounts of his deeds or his life and death, referred to as a sayings gospel, though most conclude that Thomas depends on or harmonizes the Synoptics.[7][8][9]
The Coptic-language text, the second of seven contained in what scholars have designated as Nag Hammadi Codex II, comprises 114 sayings attributed to Jesus. Almost two-thirds of these sayings resemble those found in the canonical gospels[10] and its editio princeps counts more than 80% of parallels,[11] while it is speculated that the other sayings were added from Gnostic tradition.[12] Its place of origin may have been Syria, where Thomasine traditions were strong.[13] Other scholars have suggested an Alexandrian origin.[14]
The introduction states: "These are the hidden words that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas wrote them down."[15] Didymus (Koine Greek) and Thomas (Aramaic) both mean "twin". Most scholars do not consider the Apostle Thomas the author of this document; the author remains unknown.[16] Because of its discovery with the Nag Hammadi library, and the cryptic nature, it was widely thought the document originated within a school of early Christians, proto-Gnostics.[17][18] By contrast, critics have questioned whether the description of Thomas as an entirely gnostic gospel is based solely on the fact it was found along with gnostic texts at Nag Hammadi.[19][18]
The Gospel of Thomas is very different in tone and structure from other New Testament apocrypha and the four canonical Gospels. Unlike the canonical Gospels, it is not a narrative account of Jesus' life; instead, it consists of logia (sayings) attributed to Jesus, sometimes stand-alone, sometimes embedded in short dialogues or parables; 13 of its 16 parables are also found in the Synoptic Gospels. The text contains a possible allusion to the death of Jesus in logion 65[20] (Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen), but does not mention his crucifixion, his resurrection, or the Last Judgment; nor does it mention a messianic understanding of Jesus.[21][22]
- ^ "Our Most Important Gospel from Outside the NT: The Gospel of Thomas". The Bart Ehrman Blog. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ Foster (2008), p. 16.
- ^ Bock (2006), p. 61,63.
- ^ Ehrman, Bart (2003). Lost Christianities. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. xi–xii. ISBN 978-0-19-514183-2.
- ^ Valantasis (1997), p. 12, 20.
- ^ Porter (2010), p. 9.
- ^ Meier (1991), pp. 135–138.
- ^ Schnelle (2007), p. 230.
- ^ McLean, Bradley H. (1994). "Chapter 13: On the Gospel of Thomas and Q". In Piper, Ronald A. (ed.). The Gospel behind the Gospels: Current Studies on Q. Brill. pp. 321–345. ISBN 978-90-04-09737-7.
- ^ Linssen (2020).
- ^ Guillaumont et al. (1959), pp. 59–62.
- ^ Ehrman (2003b), pp. 19–20.
- ^ Dunn & Rogerson (2003), p. 1574.
- ^ Brown (2019).
- ^ Patterson, Robinson & Bethge (1998).
- ^ DeConick (2006), p. 2.
- ^ Layton (1987), p. 361.
- ^ a b Ehrman (2003a), p. 59.
- ^ Davies (1983a), pp. 23–24.
- ^ DeConick (2006), p. 214.
- ^ McGrath (2006), p. 12.
- ^ Dunn & Rogerson (2003), p. 1573.