Solo

Of the many Thomasine parallels with NT sayings of Jesus, two strike me as very helpful in determining the probable dating of the Thomas’ gospel traditions.

One is this:

1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be watchful.. Your adversary the
devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking
someone to devour.

vs GT(7)

Blessed be the lion
who is devoured by the man,
for the man will become
like a lion, and cursed be
the man whom the lion
devours, for the lion becomes
like a man.

Two is this:

Mat 6:3-4

…when you give alms do not let
your left hand know what your
right hand is doing, so that your alms
may be in secret; and your
Father who sees in secret will
reward you.

vs GT(62)

It is to those worthy of my mysteries,
that I tell my mysteries. Do not let
your left hand know what the right hand is doing.


In the two pairs, we have for the Gospel of Thomas a teaching formula, as a paradox, matched by a normative maxim in the canon. Which is the chicken and which the egg ? In both cases, the image appears to be too idiomatic to argue there is no dependence of one saying on the other.

What do people think ? Which context is likely the original for the two sayings ?

Jiri

Casper

I can't be sure but I seem to remember something about the left-hand-right-hand thing being a popular hellenized parable of some sort, or maybe used by someone and copied often (Homer?). I could well be mistaken, and I have nothing further.

gnosis92

I wouldn't rule out the possibility he said both/either depending on the context. Perhaps the "secret" teachings were taught in private.