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Old 02-28-2007, 11:30 AM   #1
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Default Which was the original: Thomasine or NT saying ?

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
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Old 02-28-2007, 12:38 PM   #2
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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.
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Old 02-28-2007, 05:30 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Solo View Post
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
I wouldn't rule out the possibility he said both/either depending on the context. Perhaps the "secret" teachings were taught in private.
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