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Gospels of Thomas and Philip and Truth - Syriac Christian Church

Gospels of Thomas and Philip and Truth - Syriac Christian Church

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the year 140 AD, <strong>and</strong> could date from the first century’ (Bernard Grenfell <strong>and</strong> Arthur Hunt,<br />

The Oxyrhynchus Papri: Part I, 1898).<br />

Stephen J. Patterson, ‘Underst<strong>and</strong>ing the Gospel <strong>of</strong> <strong>Thomas</strong> Today’, in<br />

Stephen J. Patterson, James M. Robinson & Hans-Gebhard Bethge, The Fifth<br />

Gospel (1998): As a sayings collection, it is likely that <strong>Thomas</strong> originated sometime in<br />

the first century, when sayings collections had not yet given way to other, more<br />

complex forms <strong>of</strong> literature, such as the narrative story or dialogue.... The social<br />

radicalism that characterized the early synoptic tradition is also found in the Gospel<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>Thomas</strong>.... Moreover, some <strong>of</strong> the most characteristic features <strong>of</strong> Gnosticism are<br />

not present in <strong>Thomas</strong>, such as the notion that the world was created by an evil<br />

demiurge.... It now seems most likely that with the Gospel <strong>of</strong> <strong>Thomas</strong> we do indeed<br />

have a new text, whose traditions are for the most part not derivative <strong>of</strong> other, better-<br />

known gospels, <strong>and</strong> which was originally written at a time more or less contemporary<br />

with the canonical texts.<br />

Higinio Alas Gómez, The Nag Hammadi <strong>Gospels</strong> (1998): [Gnosticism] basically<br />

denied the physical reality <strong>of</strong> Christ incarnate.... Little by little, scholars have come to<br />

comprehend that it is not appropriate to classify [the] texts [<strong>of</strong> <strong>Thomas</strong>, <strong>Philip</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />

Valentine] as gnostic,... since these clearly affirm the incarnation, crucifixion <strong>and</strong><br />

resurrection <strong>of</strong> Christ<br />

Elaine H. Pagels, ‘Exegesis <strong>of</strong> Genesis 1 in the <strong>Gospels</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Thomas</strong> <strong>and</strong> John’,<br />

Journal <strong>of</strong> Biblical Literature (1999): The sayings [in the <strong>Thomas</strong> Gospel] are not<br />

r<strong>and</strong>omly arranged, but carefully ordered to lead one through a process <strong>of</strong> seeking<br />

<strong>and</strong> finding ‘the interpretation <strong>of</strong> these sayings’ (log.1).... <strong>Thomas</strong>'s theology <strong>and</strong><br />

anthropology do not depend upon some presupposed, generic ‘gnostic myth’.<br />

Instead,... the source <strong>of</strong> this religious conviction is, quite simply, exegesis <strong>of</strong> Genesis<br />

1.... Such exegesis connects the eikon <strong>of</strong> Gen 1:26-27 with the primordial light,... to<br />

show that the divine image implanted at creation enables humankind to find ... the<br />

way back to its origin in the mystery <strong>of</strong> the primordial creation.<br />

———————, Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel <strong>of</strong> <strong>Thomas</strong> (2003): Now that<br />

scholars have begun to place the sources discovered at Nag Hammadi, like newly<br />

discovered pieces <strong>of</strong> a complex puzzle, next to what we have long known from<br />

tradition, we find that these remarkable texts, only now becoming widely known, are<br />

transforming what we know as <strong>Christian</strong>ity.... Let us start by taking a fresh look at the<br />

most familiar <strong>of</strong> all <strong>Christian</strong> sources— the gospels <strong>of</strong> the New Testament— in the<br />

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