Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (5 page)

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.