Gospels of Thomas and Philip and Truth - Syriac Christian Church
Gospels of Thomas and Philip and Truth - Syriac Christian Church Gospels of Thomas and Philip and Truth - Syriac Christian Church
perspective offered by one of the other Christian gospels composed in the first century and discovered at Nag Hammadi, the Gospel of Thomas. Nicholas Perrin, ‘The Gospel of Thomas: Witness to the Historical Jesus?’ (paper, Annual Meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature, 2002): The Gospel of Thomas was not originally written in Greek;... instead, it shows every evidence of having been written in Syriac [i.e. Aramaic¹].... Secondly,... the Gospel of Thomas is not an evolving sayings collection of different strata. Instead, it is a carefully worked unity, brought together by a Syriac-speaking editor. [¹Heb Mr) (aram) = LXX Gk ΣΥΡΟΙ, as Ezra 4:7; Biblio.26, Mt 4:24, www.metalog.org/files/ph_interlin/ph020a.html (line 6)] Jean-Yves Leloup, Introduction to The Gospel of Philip (French 2003, English 2004): To reach [thus] into Christian origins is to find ourselves in a space of freedom without dogmatism, a space of awe before the Event that was manifest in the person, the deeds, and the words of the Teacher from Galilee.... The Gospel of Philip invites us to follow Christ by awakening in this life to that in us which does not die, to what St John called Eternal Life.... Another important theme showing a kinship between this Gospel and that of Thomas is the idea of non-duality.... The Gospel of Philip ... [is] dealing with subjects that were undoubtedly the source of much misunderstanding in his times, as they still are today. 22
These are the secret sayings° which the living¹ Yeshua° has spoken and Didymos Judas Thomas° inscribed. (¹i.e. resurrected; Jer 23:18, Mt 13:34, Lk 1:1 8:10 10:21, Jn 21:25, Rev/Ap 1:17; hypertext interlinear of the entire text: www.metalog.org/files/th_interlin.html) 1. And he {says¹}: Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings shall not taste death. (IISam 14:14, Ps 118:17, Isa 25:8, Lk 9:27, Jn 5:24 8:51; this is apparently an introductory saying quoting Thomas himself, included [like Jn 21:24] by his own disciples, since it speaks of the following as a collection of sayings; ¹thruout the Greek fragments of Thomas, ‘x says’ is in the present tense— see Henry Barclay Swete [1897], Recent Scholarly Comments, below) 2. Yeshua says: Let him who seeks not cease seeking until he finds; and when he finds he shall be troubled; and having been troubled he shall marvel, and he shall reign over the totality° {and find repose°}. (Gen 1:26, Dan 7:27, Lk 1:29 22:25-30!, Rev/Ap 1:6 3:21 20:4 22:5; =Clement of Alexandria, Stromata II.9 V.14) 3. Yeshua says: If those who lead you say to you: Behold, the Sovereignty is in the sky!, then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you: It is in the sea!, then the fish {of the sea} will precede you. But the Sovereignty {of God} is within you and it is without you. {Whoever recognizes himself shall find it; and when you recognize yourselves} you shall know that you are the Sons of the Living Father. Yet if you do not recognize yourselves, then you are impoverished and you are the impoverishment. (Gen 6:2, Dt 30:1114, Hos 1:10, Zech 12:1, Mal 2:10, Lk 11:41 17:21, Th 89, Plato's Philebus 48c 63c) 4. Yeshua says: The person old in days will not hesitate to ask a little child of seven days concerning the place of life— and he shall live. For many who are first shall become last, {and the last first}; and they shall become a single unity. (Gen 2:2-3 17:12, Mt 11:25-26 18:1-6+10-14, Lk 2:21; Mary Anne Evans [‘George Eliot’], Middlemarch: ‘She could 23
- Page 1 and 2: Metalogos’ The Gospels of Thomas
- Page 3 and 4: Introduction In December of 1945 tw
- Page 5 and 6: www.metalog.org/files/supremacy.htm
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- Page 13 and 14: www.metalog.org. 20. ‘The History
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- Page 25 and 26: together?’; ³the Qur’án 27:75
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perspective <strong>of</strong>fered by one <strong>of</strong> the other <strong>Christian</strong> gospels composed in the first<br />
century <strong>and</strong> discovered at Nag Hammadi, the Gospel <strong>of</strong> <strong>Thomas</strong>.<br />
Nicholas Perrin, ‘The Gospel <strong>of</strong> <strong>Thomas</strong>: Witness to the Historical<br />
Jesus?’ (paper, Annual Meetings <strong>of</strong> the Society <strong>of</strong> Biblical Literature, 2002): The Gospel <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Thomas</strong> was not originally written in Greek;... instead, it shows every evidence <strong>of</strong><br />
having been written in <strong>Syriac</strong> [i.e. Aramaic¹].... Secondly,... the Gospel <strong>of</strong> <strong>Thomas</strong> is<br />
not an evolving sayings collection <strong>of</strong> different strata. Instead, it is a carefully worked<br />
unity, brought together by a <strong>Syriac</strong>-speaking editor. [¹Heb Mr) (aram) = LXX Gk ΣΥΡΟΙ,<br />
as Ezra 4:7; Biblio.26, Mt 4:24, www.metalog.org/files/ph_interlin/ph020a.html (line 6)]<br />
Jean-Yves Leloup, Introduction to The Gospel <strong>of</strong> <strong>Philip</strong> (French 2003, English<br />
2004): To reach [thus] into <strong>Christian</strong> origins is to find ourselves in a space <strong>of</strong> freedom<br />
without dogmatism, a space <strong>of</strong> awe before the Event that was manifest in the<br />
person, the deeds, <strong>and</strong> the words <strong>of</strong> the Teacher from Galilee.... The Gospel <strong>of</strong> <strong>Philip</strong><br />
invites us to follow Christ by awakening in this life to that in us which does not die, to<br />
what St John called Eternal Life.... Another important theme showing a kinship<br />
between this Gospel <strong>and</strong> that <strong>of</strong> <strong>Thomas</strong> is the idea <strong>of</strong> non-duality.... The Gospel <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Philip</strong> ... [is] dealing with subjects that were undoubtedly the source <strong>of</strong> much<br />
misunderst<strong>and</strong>ing in his times, as they still are today.<br />
22