What is the significance of the gospel of thomas

Two of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century were found quite by accident. The initial discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls happened when a young boy was searching for a goat near Qumran in Two years earlier, two farmers digging in a field near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, accidentally unearthed a jar containing twelve leather-bound codices.

It is this second discovery—now referred to as the Nag Hammadi Library—that concerns us here. Among the forty-plus treatises discovered in , several are known as the Gnostic Gospels , and one in particular has captured a great deal of attention: the Gospel of Thomas.

Scholars today are divided over the significance of this text. Some think the sayings recorded in Thomas take us back to the historical Jesus. Others have concluded they tell us little to nothing about Jesus, only a great deal about esoteric Christian communities living in Syria and Egypt centuries after his execution. Most scholars think these sayings reflect Gnostic tendencies; still others are not so sure. The Coptic version of the Gospel of Thomas found at Nag Hammadi was our first look at the complete text.

The Nag Hammadi manuscript of Thomas dates to the fourth century, but a majority of scholars believe the earliest Greek version goes back roughly two centuries earlier. The Gospel of Thomas consists of a brief prologue followed by sayings of Jesus.

If you carefully read the Gospel of Thomas against the four New Testament Gospels, roughly half of the sayings will seem familiar. The question of how Thomas relates to these other gospels is hotly debated. Unlike the New Testament Gospels, which privilege other disciples e. The prologue and first saying set the tone for the rest of the gospel. Throughout the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus imparts knowledge to his closest disciples in the form of these secret sayings.

They are not parables for the masses but esoteric mysteries for a few. See this article for more examples. In the same way, we have to exercise extreme discernment. Satan likes to twist the truth just ever so slightly, so our ears get tricked by it.

No doubt, every church in history has had to battle some heretical ideas, ours stands at no exception. Hope Bolinger is an editor at Salem, a multi-published novelist, and a graduate of Taylor University's professional writing program.

More than 1, of her works have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer's Digest to Keys for Kids. She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams. Her modern-day Daniel trilogy is out with IlluminateYA.

And her inspirational adult romance Picture Imperfect releases in November of Find out more about her at her website. Share this. What Is the Gospel of Thomas? What is the Gospel of Thomas? Some scholars use form criticism to argue that Thomas is the earliest gospel or the earliest Christian document in existence. Form criticism assumes that shorter versions of a saying are earlier than more elaborate traditions. In the case of the Gospel of Thomas, some scholars argue that certain sayings of Jesus are more simple and shorter than the Synoptic parallels and so are earlier in date.

Yet recent work has demonstrated that this form- critical principle does not always hold true. In fact, Thomas contains a number of sayings that are actually longer than their Synoptic parallels. The scholars Mark Goodacre and Simon Gathercole contend that the Synoptics are earlier than Thomas, which they date to the mid-second century. If this is true concerning Saying 71, then the Gospel of Thomas as a whole could fit within the period of to C.

A later date for the Gospel of Thomas is not a negative judgment. Simeon Burke , "When was the Gospel of Thomas written? Two pieces of evidence indicate that the Gospel of Thomas dates to ca.

The origins of the Gospel of Thomas—and the accuracy of its classification as a Gnostic text—are enigmatic. Early Christian writings that are not typically included in the New Testament can still reveal much about religious history and about the doctrines associated with Christianity today.

If the Gospel of Matthew was written after 70 C. Evaluating its subject carefully, rigorously, and with minimal preconceptions. Interpretation of the genre and shape of a narrative in order to determine its original setting and function.