Bible Book

The Gospel of Thomas

Gospel of Thomas

The Gospel of Thomas (also known as the Coptic Gospel of Thomas) is a non-canonical sayings gospel. 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, while some have proposed dates as late as 250 AD and others have traced its signs of origins back to 60 AD. 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.

1. And he said, "Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death." Study and show yourself approved, and you will enter the Kingdom of God.

2. Jesus said, "Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. [And after they have reigned, they will rest.]" If you truth, you will find truth. The truth is not always plesant to hear. Many will be surprised when they hear the truth and will wonder, but the truth will set them free.

3. Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the (Father's) kingdom 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 will precede you. Rather, the (Father's) kingdom is within you and it is outside you. The heavenly Father's Kingdom is within us all if we accept Him. Look around, When Jesus returns His Everlasting Kingdom will be right here, a new earth and we will enter a new earth age.

When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty." You can't fool yourself, are you with God or not. Live as a Christian and you will know yourself and be known to others as a child of the living God. No need to fear or live in poverty as the Heavenly Father always takes care of His own.

4. Jesus said, "The person old in days won't hesitate to ask a little child seven days old about the place of life, and that person will live. Age and experience do not guarantee wisdom. An "elderly" person can find life by humbly seeking knowledge from an innocent, very young child, representing a source of pure, uncorrupted understanding.

For many of the first will be last, and will become a single one." This is a paradox. It suggests that those who are considered important or powerful in this world (the "first") will lose that status, while those who are insignificant (the "last") will be elevated. Ultimately, this leads to a state of unity, where all distinctions are dissolved.

5. Jesus said, "Know what is in front of your face, and what is hidden from you will be disclosed to you. Recognize what is before your face, and what is hidden from you will be revealed to you.

For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. [And there is nothing buried that will not be raised.]" For there is nothing hidden that will not be made manifest. (Luke 8:16-17, Mark 4:21-23)

6. His disciples asked him and said to him, "Do you want us to fast? How should we pray? Should we give to charity? What diet should we observe?" The disciples were worried about fasting rituals they need to perform.

Jesus said, "Don't lie, and don't do what you hate, because all things are disclosed before heaven. After all, there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and there is nothing covered up that will remain undisclosed." No need for rituals and do not do things that you hate to do. This teaching emphasizes that true spiritual practice comes from genuine, heartfelt intentions rather than routine rituals.

7. Jesus said, "Lucky is the lion that the human will eat, so that the lion becomes human. And foul is the human that the lion will eat, and the lion still will become human." The saying suggests that to enter the kingdom of God, one must transform the "lower self" (the lion) into the "higher self" (man), making them one. The cursed path is the opposite: allowing the lower self to overpower and absorb the higher self.

8. And he said, "The person is like a wise fisherman who cast his net into the sea and drew it up from the sea full of little fish. Among them the wise fisherman discovered a fine large fish. He threw all the little fish back into the sea, and easily chose the large fish. Anyone here with two good ears had better listen!" The parable is often interpreted as a message to seek and value the one true thing, or the "large fish," and to disregard or "throw back" the many lesser things, or the "small fish" of the world. It is seen as a call to find the one thing that is truly valuable and sustaining.

9. Jesus said, "Look, the sower went out, took a handful (of seeds), and scattered (them). Some fell on the road, and the birds came and gathered them. Others fell on rock, and they didn't take root in the soil and didn't produce heads of grain. Others fell on thorns, and they choked the seeds and worms ate them. And others fell on good soil, and it produced a good crop: it yielded sixty per measure and one hundred twenty per measure." This is the parable of the sower. The seeds on the roadside are eaten by birds, those on rock don't take root, and those in thorns are choked and eaten by worms. Only the seeds on good soil produce a crop, yielding sixty or even one hundred and twenty measures. This parable is often interpreted as a metaphor for how people receive different teachings and spiritual growth based on their inner state or "soil".

10. Jesus said, "I have cast fire upon the world, and look, I'm guarding it until it blazes." The "fire" represents the transformative and disruptive power of Jesus's teachings. It is a force that burns away old ways of thinking and understanding.

11. Jesus said, "This heaven will pass away, and the one above it will pass away.

The dead are not alive, and the living will not die. During the days when you ate what is dead, you made it come alive. When you are in the light, what will you do? On the day when you were one, you became two. But when you become two, what will you do?" It describes the transient nature of the physical world and a spiritual duality, suggesting that one's true life is in the "light" and that becoming "two" (divided or dualistic) is a fallen state.

12. The disciples said to Jesus, "We know that you are going to leave us. Who will be our leader?"

Jesus said to them, "No matter where you are you are to go to James the Just, for whose sake heaven and earth came into being." This verse highlights James's importance, as the saying suggests the entire creation was brought forth for him, which is a significant exaltation.

13. Jesus said to his disciples, "Compare me to something and tell me what I am like." Jesus asked the disciples to identify Him.

Simon Peter said to him, "You are like a just messenger."

Matthew said to him, "You are like a wise philosopher."

Thomas said to him, "Teacher, my mouth is utterly unable to say what you are like."

Jesus said, "I am not your teacher. Because you have drunk, you have become intoxicated from the bubbling spring that I have tended."

And he took him, and withdrew, and spoke three sayings to him. When Thomas came back to his friends they asked him, "What did Jesus say to you?" I believe Jesus was speaking to Thomas about the mysteries of the Kingdom.

Thomas said to them, "If I tell you one of the sayings he spoke to me, you will pick up rocks and stone me, and fire will come from the rocks and devour you." Remember, this was doubting Thomas we are speaking of. Jesus opened his eyes so that he would never be doubtful again.

14. Jesus said to them, "If you fast, you will bring sin upon yourselves, and if you pray, you will be condemned, and if you give to charity, you will harm your spirits. It then advises them to focus on their actions and words when traveling, urging them to eat what is offered and heal the sick, as what comes out of their mouths is what truly defiles them, not what enters their mouths.

When you go into any region and walk about in the countryside, when people take you in, eat what they serve you and heal the sick among them. Eat what the people offer you even if it does not appeal to you.

After all, what goes into your mouth will not defile you; rather, it's what comes out of your mouth that will defile you." It's not the food you eat that defiles the body, but rather what you speak that will defile you.

15. Jesus said, "When you see one who was not born of woman, fall on your faces and worship. That one is your Father." This saying is often interpreted mystically, suggesting that one should recognize and worship the true, divine self or spirit, which is considered the spiritual "father" and is not subject to the limitations of physical birth.

16. Jesus said, "Perhaps people think that I have come to cast peace upon the world. They do not know that I have come to cast conflicts upon the earth: fire, sword, war. He says that conflicts will arise even within a single household, with family members turning against each other, three against two, and two against three, father against son and son against father. (Luke 12:51, Matthew 10:34-36).

For there will be five in a house: there'll be three against two and two against three, father against son and son against father, and they will stand alone." There will be division among families and in the churches. (John 10:19-21, 15:18-21).

17. Jesus said, "I will give you what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, what no hand has touched, what has not arisen in the human heart." This saying refers to divine knowledge or spiritual truths that are beyond the perception of the physical senses and the limited human intellect. It suggests that true spiritual reality can only be apprehended through a deeper, intuitive, or divine understanding, rather than through material experience.

18. The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us, how will our end come?"

Jesus said, "Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is. This is often interpreted to mean that the end is not a separate event but is intrinsically linked to the beginning, and spiritual enlightenment at the start of one's path leads to the knowledge of the end and the overcoming of death.

Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death. "He explains that the "end will be where the beginning is."

19. Jesus said, "Congratulations to the one who came into being before coming into being.

If you become my disciples and pay attention to my sayings, these stones will serve you.

For there are five trees in Paradise for you; they do not change, summer or winter, and their leaves do not fall. Whoever knows them will not taste death." If you become my disciples and listen to my words, these stones will minister to you. For there are five trees for you in Paradise which remain undisturbed summer and winter and whose leaves do not fall.

20. The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us what Heaven's kingdom is like." The disciples wanted to know what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.

He said to them, "It's like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, but when it falls on prepared soil, it produces a large plant and becomes a shelter for birds of the sky." This saying is comparable to parables in the canonical gospels, such as the one in (Matthew 13:31-32), and (Mark 4:30-32), where Jesus also uses the image of a mustard seed to describe the kingdom.

21. Mary said to Jesus, "What are your disciples like?" Mary wanted to know who she would be dealing with.

He said, "They are like little children living in a field that is not theirs. When the owners of the field come, they will say, 'Give us back our field.' They take off their clothes in front of them in order to give it back to them, and they return their field to them. The comparison to children in a field not their own suggests the disciples are temporary residents of the world, and must shed worldly attachments when called upon.

For this reason, I say, if the owners of a house know that a thief is coming, they will be on guard before the thief arrives and will not let the thief break into their house (their domain) and steal their possessions.

As for you, then, be on guard against the world. Prepare yourselves with great strength, so the robbers can't find a way to get to you, for the trouble you expect will come. This emphasizes the necessity of spiritual alertness, suggesting that one must guard their inner self against potential threats or the unexpected.

Let there be among you a person who understands.

When the crop ripened, he came quickly carrying a sickle and harvested it. Anyone here with two good ears had better listen!" Similar to a passage in the Gospel of (Mark 4:29), this final section highlights spiritual readiness and the importance of acting quickly to achieve spiritual understanding when the time is right.

22. Jesus saw some babies nursing. He said to his disciples, "These nursing babies are like those who enter the (Father's) kingdom."

They said to him, "Then shall we enter the (Father's) kingdom as babies?" This is what it takes to enter the Kingdom of God.

Jesus said to them, "When you make the two into one, and when you make the inner like the outer and the outer like the inner, and the upper like the lower, and when you make male and female into a single one, so that the male will not be male nor the female be female, when you make eyes in place of an eye, a hand in place of a hand, a foot in place of a foot, an image in place of an image, then you will enter [the kingdom]." The core of the verse is the concept of "making the two into one," which is a central theme in Gnostic thought. This means transcending duality and achieving a state of complete unity. The analogy of "eyes in the place of an eye" and "hand in place of a hand" can be interpreted as a spiritual transformation. It means developing a new way of seeing and acting, moving beyond the limitations of the physical body to attain spiritual insight.

23. Jesus said, "I shall choose you, one from a thousand and two from ten thousand, and they will stand as a single one." This saying is interpreted to mean that while many will hear his message, only a very few will achieve a high level of spiritual realization and be united in a singular, non-dual state of existence. This is not about exclusion from salvation, but about the rarity of true, divine understanding.

24. His disciples said, "Show us the place where you are, for we must seek it."

He said to them, "Anyone here with two ears had better listen! There is light within a person of light, and it shines on the whole world. If it does not shine, it is dark." This saying suggests that spiritual truth and enlightenment are not a distant place to be found, but rather an internal state that must be cultivated and expressed. A person who has this inner light will naturally be a source of illumination for the world, while a person without it remains in darkness.

25. Jesus said, "Love your friends like your own soul, protect them like the pupil of your eye." This saying emphasizes a profound and protective love for others, equating the care one should have for a sibling or friend with the care for one's own soul and eye.

26. Jesus said, "You see the sliver in your friend's eye, but you don't see the timber in your own eye. When you take the timber out of your own eye, then you will see well enough to remove the sliver from your friend's eye." This saying is a parallel to the biblical passage found in (Matthew 7:1-5) and (Luke 6:37-42). It emphasizes self-reflection and the need to address one's own faults before correcting others.

27. "If you do not fast from the world, you will not find the (Father's) kingdom. If you do not observe the sabbath as a sabbath you will not see the Father." This is generally understood not as physical fasting, but as withdrawing from worldly concerns, materialism, and distractions. It implies a need for detachment to gain the spiritual clarity required to recognize the kingdom of God. This is interpreted as "making the Sabbath a true Sabbath," or spiritual rest and contemplation, rather than merely observing the Jewish day of rest.

28. Jesus said, "I took my stand in the midst of the world, and in flesh I appeared to them. I found them all drunk, and I did not find any of them thirsty. My soul ached for the children of humanity, because they are blind in their hearts and do not see, for they came into the world empty, and they also seek to depart from the world empty. Jesus finds humanity spiritually asleep and "intoxicated" by worldly things. People are "blind in their hearts" and fail to realize they are born empty and will leave empty.

But meanwhile they are drunk. When they shake off their wine, then they will change their ways." The verse suggests a call for people to "sober up" and "shake off their wine" to begin the process of repentance. This "intoxication" is a state of spiritual ignorance that can be shaken off. The saying serves as a call to recognize one's spiritual state and to awaken to the truth, which can lead to a change in perspective and a more authentic life.

29. Jesus said, "If the flesh came into being because of spirit, that is a marvel, but if spirit came into being because of the body, that is a marvel of marvels.

Yet I marvel at how this great wealth has come to dwell in this poverty." The verse highlights a central theme of the Gospel of Thomas: the paradoxical relationship between spirit and flesh, suggesting that spirit may be the primary substance, with the body being a less significant manifestation, yet also marveling at the presence of the divine ("great wealth") within the material body ("poverty").

30. Jesus said, "Where there are three deities, they are divine. Where there are two or one, I am with that one." Jesus is saying that He is with us even if we are not a lage group. (Matthew 18:20).

31. Jesus said, "No prophet is welcome on his home turf; doctors don't cure those who know them." A pastor is not seen as special in their hometown because people only know them as an ordinary person and have difficulty accepting a new or challenging message from them.

32. Jesus said, "A city built on a high hill and fortified cannot fall, nor can it be hidden." When a person is spiritually secure, their faith and inner strength are both unshakeable and can be seen by others, making it impossible to hide their light or be defeated by external forces.

33. Jesus said, "What you will hear in your ear, in the other ear proclaim from your rooftops.

After all, no one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, nor does one put it in a hidden place. Rather, one puts it on a lampstand so that all who come and go will see its light." Just as a lamp is placed on a stand to provide light for all, the teachings received should be proclaimed publicly from the "rooftops." (Matthew 5:15, Luke 8:16).

34. Jesus said, "If a blind person leads a blind person, both of them will fall into a hole." Blind leading the blind. Don't follow a teacher, pastor, or priest, if they are teaching false doctrine and traditions of men. Do your own homework and study God's Word for yourself and He will open all the mysteries in the bible.

35. Jesus said, "One can't enter a strong person's house and take it by force without tying his hands. Then one can loot his house." This saying is widely interpreted as a spiritual metaphor about overcoming the "strong man" ego or the limitations of the ego to access deeper truth. It suggests that the individual must first "bind" their ego and internal resistance before they can truly plunder the "house" of their own mind or achieve spiritual liberation.

36. Jesus said, "Do not fret, from morning to evening and from evening to morning, [about your food--what you're going to eat, or about your clothing--] what you are going to wear. [You're much better than the lilies, which neither card nor spin.

As for you, when you have no garment, what will you put on? Who might add to your stature? That very one will give you your garment.]" No need to worry, God will provide all you need to survive just as he does in nature with the lilies.

37. His disciples said, "When will you appear to us, and when will we see you?"

Jesus said, "When you strip without being ashamed, and you take your clothes and put them under your feet like little children and trample them, then [you] will see the son of the living one and you will not be afraid." The comparison to children suggests a return to a state of innocence and inherent value, free from the need to prove one's worth, which is a key concept in the Gospel of Thomas.

38. Jesus said, "Often you have desired to hear these sayings that I am speaking to you, and you have no one else from whom to hear them. There will be days when you will seek me and you will not find me." This saying has parallels in the canonical gospels, such as (Luke 10:23-24), and (John 7:34), which also speak of a time when people will long to see Jesus and not find him in the same way. The desire to hear his words and his eventual physical absence.

39. Jesus said, "The Pharisees and the scholars have taken the keys of knowledge and have hidden them. They have not entered nor have they allowed those who want to enter to do so. The "keys of knowledge" refers to the spiritual truth and understanding that the religious authorities hoard for themselves instead of sharing it. All the knowledge is available to you straight from the sorce if you study His Word.

As for you, be as sly as snakes and as simple as doves." Jesus is advising His followers to be wise as serpents, and as innocent as doves.

40. Jesus said, "A grapevine has been planted apart from the Father. Since it is not strong, it will be pulled up by its root and will perish." The verse is a parable interpreted to mean that any life, belief, or spiritual path not connected to the divine "Father" (or God) is unsound and will ultimately fail and be destroyed.

41. Jesus said, "Whoever has something in hand will be given more, and whoever has nothing will be deprived of even the little they have." Those with spiritual understanding will receive more, while those without will lose even their basic literal understanding, or that those who embrace a life of spiritual detachment will receive more, while those who cling to worldly attachments will lose everything.

42. Jesus said, "Be passersby." Don't become rooted in the world, but rather move through the world with a higher purpose.

43. His disciples said to him, "Who are you to say these things to us?"

"You don't understand who I am from what I say to you.

Rather, you have become like the Judeans, for they love the tree but hate its fruit, or they love the fruit but hate the tree." This is a metaphor, similar to one found in the canonical gospels (Matthew 7:16-20, Luke 6:43-44), that compares two ways of thinking. This could represent those who appreciate the potential or the source of the truth but reject its actual outcome or consequences. Also, this could represent those who are drawn to the results or the results, but are hostile to the source or the "truth" behind it.

44. Jesus said, "Whoever blasphemes against the Father will be forgiven, and whoever blasphemes against the son will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit will not be forgiven, either on earth or in heaven." Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. (Luke 12:10-12). "The unforgivable sin." Many believe this can only happen when you are delivered up before the synagogues, magistrates, and powers. (i.e. delivered up before Satan in the end times as a witness for Christ). However, if you are persistent in denying, slandering, or speaking evil against the "Holy Spirit of God," you may not be forgiven and are in real trouble. (Mark 3:29, Acts 7:51). Not only that, but if you constantly go against the Holy Spirit and cause other Christians problems. "God just might take you out!" (I have seen it happen more than once).

45. Jesus said, "Grapes are not harvested from thorn trees, nor are figs gathered from thistles, for they yield no fruit.

Good persons produce good from what they've stored up; bad persons produce evil from the wickedness they've stored up in their hearts, and say evil things. For from the overflow of the heart they produce evil." It explains that a good person brings forth good from their "treasure," while an evil person brings evil from the evil "treasure" in their heart, as "out of the abundance of the heart he brings forth evil". The saying highlights that a person's actions, both good and bad, originate from the state of their heart.

46. Jesus said, "From Adam to John the Baptist, among those born of women, no one is so much greater than John the Baptist that his eyes should not be averted.

But I have said that whoever among you becomes a child will recognize the (Father's) kingdom and will become greater than John." The saying is similar to the one in (Matthew 11:11) and (Luke 7:28), where Jesus states that "among those born of women no one is greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he".

47. Jesus said, "A person cannot mount two horses or bend two bows.

And a slave cannot serve two masters, otherwise that slave will honor the one and offend the other.

Nobody drinks aged wine and immediately wants to drink young wine. Young wine is not poured into old wineskins, or they might break, and aged wine is not poured into a new wineskin, or it might spoil.

An old patch is not sewn onto a new garment, since it would create a tear." The verse uses several analogies to illustrate this point: new wine cannot be put into old wineskins for fear of bursting, and an old patch on a new garment will cause a rip. The overall message is about the incompatibility of opposing things, urging a single-minded focus.

48. Jesus said, "If two make peace with each other in a single house, they will say to the mountain, 'Move from here!' and it will move." The internal unity or reconciliation between conflicting parts of oneself, or between two people, can create a powerful force capable of overcoming great obstacles. It is often linked to the idea that inner transformation allows one to achieve seemingly impossible things.

49. Jesus said, "Congratulations to those who are alone and chosen, for you will find the kingdom. For you have come from it, and you will return there again." This phrase refers to individuals who are set apart, chosen, or who find their true nature as individuals. It is not necessarily about being alone but about having a unique and direct relationship with the divine, separate from the external world.

50. Jesus said, "If they say to you, 'Where have you come from?' say to them, 'We have come from the light, from the place where the light came into being by itself, established [itself], and appeared in their image.'

If they say to you, 'Is it you?' say, 'We are its children, and we are the chosen of the living Father.'

If they ask you, 'What is the evidence of your Father in you?' say to them, 'It is motion and rest.'" The sign of this father within them is "movement and rest". The saying instructs followers to respond to questions about their origin and identity by pointing to this inner, divine source.

51. His disciples said to him, "When will the rest for the dead take place, and when will the new world come?"

He said to them, "What you are looking forward to has come, but you don't know it." This saying points to a spiritual reality that is present at all times, rather than something that will happen in the future. The implication is that enlightenment or a new state of being is accessible now, but the disciples are not perceiving it.

52. His disciples said to him, "Twenty-four prophets have spoken in Israel, and they all spoke of you." Predicted long ago by the prophets. (Matthew 22:31-32).

He said to them, "You have disregarded the living one who is in your presence, and have spoken of the dead." Look for what is right in front of you "the Spiritual truth."

53. His disciples said to him, "Is circumcision useful or not?"

He said to them, "If it were useful, their father would produce children already circumcised from their mother. Rather, the true circumcision in spirit has become profitable in every respect." Jesus directs the focus away from a physical ritual and toward a spiritual one, stating that the "true circumcision in spirit" is the source of all benefit.

54. Jesus said, "Congratulations to the poor, for to you belongs Heaven's kingdom." God blesses the poor in spirit (those who do not have all the truth), but realize their need for Him. "Those who put their trust in Jesus." (Psalm 84:12). He chooses the poor of this world who are rich in faith. (James 2:5). The Kingdom of Heaven will be theirs. (Luke 6:20).

55. Jesus said, "Whoever does not hate father and mother cannot be my disciple, and whoever does not hate brothers and sisters, and carry the cross as I do, will not be worthy of me." To "set aside" or "disregard". This is a rhetorical device to emphasize that one's loyalty to Jesus must be greater than any other love or obligation.

56. Jesus said, "Whoever has come to know the world has discovered a carcass, and whoever has discovered a carcass, of that person the world is not worthy." Forget the wordly things and focus on higher spiritual reality.

57. Jesus said, "The Father's kingdom is like a person who has [good] seed. His enemy came during the night and sowed weeds among the good seed. The person did not let the workers pull up the weeds, but said to them, 'No, otherwise you might go to pull up the weeds and pull up the wheat along with them.' For on the day of the harvest the weeds will be conspicuous, and will be pulled up and burned." This is speaking of the parable of the sower. (Matthew 13:1-23, Luke 8:1-15).

58. Jesus said, "Congratulations to the person who has toiled and has found life." One who has overcome worldly attachments to attain spiritual insight and a deeper, more authentic life.

59. Jesus said, "Look to the living one as long as you live, otherwise you might die and then try to see the living one, and you will be unable to see." The importance of seeking and recognizing spiritual truth or the divine in the present moment while one is alive, rather than waiting until death when it may be too late.

60. He saw a Samaritan carrying a lamb and going to Judea. He said to his disciples, "that person ... around the lamb." They said to him, "So that he may kill it and eat it." He said to them, "He will not eat it while it is alive, but only after he has killed it and it has become a carcass."

They said, "Otherwise he can't do it." You must kill the lamb first before you eat it, just as the old self must spiritually die before you become at a place of rest which is spiritual enlightenment.

He said to them, "So also with you, seek for yourselves a place for rest, or you might become a carcass and be eaten."

61. Jesus said, "Two will recline on a couch; one will die, one will live." Spiritualy die.

Salome said, "Who are you mister? You have climbed onto my couch and eaten from my table as if you are from someone."

Jesus said to her, "I am the one who comes from what is whole. I was granted from the things of my Father."

"I am your disciple."

"For this reason, I say, if one is whole, one will be filled with light, but if one is divided, one will be filled with darkness." Thhe battle within about good and evil.

62. Jesus said, "I disclose my mysteries to those [who are worthy] of [my] mysteries. This verse emphasizes that profound spiritual teachings (mysteries) are reserved for those who have the understanding and spiritual preparedness to receive them, and that the worthy should not boast about their inner wisdom or act in a way that suggests they are performing for others.

63. Jesus said, "There was a rich person who had a great deal of money. He said, 'I shall invest my money so that I may sow, reap, plant, and fill my storehouses with produce, that I may lack nothing.' These were the things he was thinking in his heart, but that very night he died. Anyone here with two ears had better listen!"

64. Jesus said, "A person was receiving guests. When he had prepared the dinner, he sent his slave to invite the guests.

The slave went to the first and said to that one, 'My master invites you.' That one said, 'Some merchants owe me money; they are coming to me tonight. I have to go and give them instructions. Please excuse me from dinner.'

The slave went to another and said to that one, 'My master has invited you.' That one said to the slave, 'I have bought a house, and I have been called away for a day. I shall have no time.'

The slave went to another and said to that one, 'My master invites you.' That one said to the slave, 'My friend is to be married, and I am to arrange the banquet. I shall not be able to come. Please excuse me from dinner.'

The slave went to another and said to that one, 'My master invites you.' That one said to the slave, 'I have bought an estate, and I am going to collect the rent. I shall not be able to come. Please excuse me.'

The slave returned and said to his master, 'Those whom you invited to dinner have asked to be excused.' The master said to his slave, 'Go out on the streets and bring back whomever you find to have dinner.'

Buyers and merchants [will] not enter the places of my Father."

65. He said, "A [...] person owned a vineyard and rented it to some farmers, so they could work it and he could collect its crop from them. He sent his slave so the farmers would give him the vineyard's crop. They grabbed him, beat him, and almost killed him, and the slave returned and told his master. His master said, 'Perhaps he didn't know them.' He sent another slave, and the farmers beat that one as well. Then the master sent his son and said, 'Perhaps they'll show my son some respect.' Because the farmers knew that he was the heir to the vineyard, they grabbed him and killed him. Anyone here with two ears had better listen!"

66. Jesus said, "Show me the stone that the builders rejected: that is the keystone."

67. Jesus said, "Those who know all, but are lacking in themselves, are utterly lacking."

68. Jesus said, "Congratulations to you when you are hated and persecuted; and no place will be found, wherever you have been persecuted."

69. Jesus said, "Congratulations to those who have been persecuted in their hearts: they are the ones who have truly come to know the Father.

Congratulations to those who go hungry, so the stomach of the one in want may be filled."

70. Jesus said, "If you bring forth what is within you, what you have will save you. If you do not have that within you, what you do not have within you [will] kill you."

71. Jesus said, "I will destroy [this] house, and no one will be able to build it [...]."

72. A [person said] to him, "Tell my brothers to divide my father's possessions with me."

He said to the person, "Mister, who made me a divider?"

He turned to his disciples and said to them, "I'm not a divider, am I?"

73. Jesus said, "The crop is huge but the workers are few, so beg the harvest boss to dispatch workers to the fields."

74. He said, "Lord, there are many around the drinking trough, but there is nothing in the well."

75. Jesus said, "There are many standing at the door, but those who are alone will enter the bridal suite."

76. Jesus said, "The Father's kingdom is like a merchant who had a supply of merchandise and found a pearl. That merchant was prudent; he sold the merchandise and bought the single pearl for himself.

So also with you, seek his treasure that is unfailing, that is enduring, where no moth comes to eat and no worm destroys."

77. Jesus said, "I am the light that is over all things. I am all: from me all came forth, and to me all attained.

Split a piece of wood; I am there.

Lift up the stone, and you will find me there."

78. Jesus said, "Why have you come out to the countryside? To see a reed shaken by the wind? And to see a person dressed in soft clothes, [like your] rulers and your powerful ones? They are dressed in soft clothes, and they cannot understand truth."

79. A woman in the crowd said to him, "Lucky are the womb that bore you and the breasts that fed you."

He said to [her], "Lucky are those who have heard the word of the Father and have truly kept it. For there will be days when you will say, 'Lucky are the womb that has not conceived and the breasts that have not given milk.'"

80. Jesus said, "Whoever has come to know the world has discovered the body, and whoever has discovered the body, of that one the world is not worthy."

81. Jesus said, "Let one who has become wealthy reign, and let one who has power renounce <it>."

82. Jesus said, "Whoever is near me is near the fire, and whoever is far from me is far from the (Father's) kingdom."

83. Jesus said, "Images are visible to people, but the light within them is hidden in the image of the Father's light. He will be disclosed, but his image is hidden by his light."

84. Jesus said, "When you see your likeness, you are happy. But when you see your images that came into being before you and that neither die nor become visible, how much you will have to bear!"

85. Jesus said, "Adam came from great power and great wealth, but he was not worthy of you. For had he been worthy, [he would] not [have tasted] death."

86. Jesus said, "[Foxes have] their dens and birds have their nests, but human beings have no place to lay down and rest."

87. Jesus said, "How miserable is the body that depends on a body, and how miserable is the soul that depends on these two."

88. Jesus said, "The messengers and the prophets will come to you and give you what belongs to you. You, in turn, give them what you have, and say to yourselves, 'When will they come and take what belongs to them?'"

89. Jesus said, "Why do you wash the outside of the cup? Don't you understand that the one who made the inside is also the one who made the outside?"

90. Jesus said, "Come to me, for my yoke is comfortable and my lordship is gentle, and you will find rest for yourselves."

91. They said to him, "Tell us who you are so that we may believe in you."

He said to them, "You examine the face of heaven and earth, but you have not come to know the one who is in your presence, and you do not know how to examine the present moment."

92. Jesus said, "Seek and you will find.

In the past, however, I did not tell you the things about which you asked me then. Now I am willing to tell them, but you are not seeking them."

93. "Don't give what is holy to dogs, for they might throw them upon the manure pile. Don't throw pearls [to] pigs, or they might ... it [...]."

94. Jesus [said], "One who seeks will find, and for [one who knocks] it will be opened."

95. [Jesus said], "If you have money, don't lend it at interest. Rather, give [it] to someone from whom you won't get it back."

96. Jesus [said], "The Father's kingdom is like [a] woman. She took a little leaven, [hid] it in dough, and made it into large loaves of bread. Anyone here with two ears had better listen!"

97. Jesus said, "The [Father's] kingdom is like a woman who was carrying a [jar] full of meal. While she was walking along [a] distant road, the handle of the jar broke and the meal spilled behind her [along] the road. She didn't know it; she hadn't noticed a problem. When she reached her house, she put the jar down and discovered that it was empty."

98. Jesus said, "The Father's kingdom is like a person who wanted to kill someone powerful. While still at home he drew his sword and thrust it into the wall to find out whether his hand would go in. Then he killed the powerful one."

99. The disciples said to him, "Your brothers and your mother are standing outside."

He said to them, "Those here who do what my Father wants are my brothers and my mother. They are the ones who will enter my Father's kingdom."

100. They showed Jesus a gold coin and said to him, "The Roman emperor's people demand taxes from us."

He said to them, "Give the emperor what belongs to the emperor, give God what belongs to God, and give me what is mine."

101. "Whoever does not hate [father] and mother as I do cannot be my [disciple], and whoever does [not] love [father and] mother as I do cannot be my [disciple]. For my mother [...], but my true [mother] gave me life."

102. Jesus said, "Damn the Pharisees! They are like a dog sleeping in the cattle manger: the dog neither eats nor [lets] the cattle eat."

103. Jesus said, "Congratulations to those who know where the rebels are going to attack. [They] can get going, collect their imperial resources, and be prepared before the rebels arrive."

104. They said to Jesus, "Come, let us pray today, and let us fast."

Jesus said, "What sin have I committed, or how have I been undone? Rather, when the groom leaves the bridal suite, then let people fast and pray."

105. Jesus said, "Whoever knows the father and the mother will be called the child of a whore."

106. Jesus said, "When you make the two into one, you will become children of Adam, and when you say, 'Mountain, move from here!' it will move."

107. Jesus said, "The (Father's) kingdom is like a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One of them, the largest, went astray. He left the ninety-nine and looked for the one until he found it. After he had toiled, he said to the sheep, 'I love you more than the ninety-nine.'"

108. Jesus said, "Whoever drinks from my mouth will become like me; I myself shall become that person, and the hidden things will be revealed to him."

109. Jesus said, "The (Father's) kingdom is like a person who had a treasure hidden in his field but did not know it. And [when] he died he left it to his [son]. The son [did] not know about it either. He took over the field and sold it. The buyer went plowing, [discovered] the treasure, and began to lend money at interest to whomever he wished."

110. Jesus said, "Let one who has found the world, and has become wealthy, renounce the world."

111. Jesus said, "The heavens and the earth will roll up in your presence, and whoever is living from the living one will not see death."

Does not Jesus say, "Those who have found themselves, of them the world is not worthy"?

112. Jesus said, "Damn the flesh that depends on the soul. Damn the soul that depends on the flesh."

113. His disciples said to him, "When will the kingdom come?"

"It will not come by watching for it. It will not be said, 'Look, here!' or 'Look, there!' Rather, the Father's kingdom is spread out upon the earth, and people don't see it."

114. Simon Peter said to them, "Make Mary leave us, for females don't deserve life." Peter sounded off a little quick and didn't understand what Jesus had in mind when it came to Mary and other spiritual women.

Jesus said, "Look, I will guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of Heaven." The passage can be seen as an assertion of female spiritual worth. By saying he will make her male, Jesus is presenting her as equal to men and affirming that she can achieve the same state of spiritual life.

Keep The Faith,
Barton