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The Gospel of Thomas is perhaps the most famous of the apocryphal Gospels. The extant version presents as a lengthy list of 114 “sayings” of Christ and bears a striking resemblance in places to the gnostic heresies. However, some scholars argue that the work is not explicitly gnostic or otherwise conveys a sort of primordial Gnosticism. While many scholars have argued for an early date for its composition in the 1st century AD, an increasing number of researchers have proposed a later date on the preponderance of evidence, perhaps in the mid-2nd century. Renowned biblical scholar Dr. Craig A. Evans notes that “[o]ver half of the New Testament writings are quoted, paralleled, or alluded to in Thomas . . . [unlike any other] Christian writing prior to AD 150.” As such, it was unlikely to have been written before or during the completion of the New Testament.
These are the hidden sayings that the living Jesus spoke, and Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down.
And he said, “Whoever discovers the meaning of these sayings will not taste death.”
Jesus said, “Whoever seeks should not stop until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will be . . . amazed and reign over all.”
Jesus said, “If your leaders tell you, Behold, the kingdom is in Heaven, then the birds of heaven will precede you. If they tell you, It is in the sea, then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is within you and outside of you. When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will realize that you are the children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty.”
Jesus said, “The older person will not hesitate to ask a little seven-day-old child about the place of life, and they will live, because many who are first will be last, and they will become one.”
Jesus said, “Know what is in front of your face, and what is hidden from you will be revealed to you, because there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed.”
His disciples said to him, “Do you want us to fast? And how should we pray? Should we make donations? And what food should we avoid?” Jesus said, “Do not lie, and do not do what you hate, because everything is revealed in the sight of Heaven; for there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing covered up that will stay secret.”
Jesus said, “Blessed is the lion that is eaten by a human and then becomes human, but how awful for the human who is eaten by a lion, and the lion becomes human.”
He said, “The human being is like a wise fisher who cast a net into the sea and drew it up from the sea full of little fish. Among them, the wise fisher found a fine large fish and cast all the little fish back down into the sea, easily choosing the large fish. Anyone who has ears to hear should hear!”
Jesus said, “Behold, a sower went out, took a handful of seeds, and scattered them. Some fell on the roadside; the birds came and gathered them. Others fell on the rock; they did not take root in the soil and ears of grain did not rise toward the sky. Yet others fell on thorns; they choked the seeds and worms ate them. Finally, others fell on good soil; it produced fruit up toward the sky, some sixty times as much and some one hundred and twenty.”
Jesus said, “I have cast fire on the world, and behold, I am watching over it until it blazes.”
Jesus said, “This heaven will disappear, and the one above it will disappear too. Those who are dead are not alive, and those who are living will not die. In the days when you ate what was dead, you made it alive. When you are in the light, what will you do? On the day when you were one, you became divided. But when you become divided, what will you do?”
The disciples said to Jesus, “We know you are going to leave us. Who will lead us then?” Jesus said to them, “Wherever you are, you will go to James the Just, for whom heaven and earth came into being.”
Jesus said to his disciples, “If you were to compare Me to someone, who would you say I am like?” 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, I am completely unable to say whom You are like.” Jesus said, “I am not your teacher. Because you have drunk, you have become intoxicated by the bubbling spring I have measured out.” He took him aside and told him three things. When Thomas returned to his companions, they asked, “What did Jesus say to you?” Thomas said to them, “If I tell you one of the things He said to me, you will pick up stones and cast them at me, and fire will come out of the stones and burn you up.”
Jesus said to them, “If you fast, you will bring guilt on yourselves; and if you pray, you will be condemned; and if you make donations, you will harm your spirits. If they welcome you when you enter any land and go around in the countryside, heal those who are sick among them and eat whatever they give you, because it is not what goes into your mouth that will defile you. What comes out of your mouth is what will defile you.”
Jesus said, “When you see the one who was not born of a woman, fall down on your face and worship that Person. That is your Father.”
Jesus said, “Maybe people think that I have come to cast peace on the world, and they do not know that I have come to cast divisions on the earth: fire, sword, and war. Where there are five in a house, there will be three against two and two against three, father against son and son against father. They will stand up and be one.”
Jesus said, “I will give you what no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, no hand has ever touched, and no human mind has ever thought.”
The disciples said to Jesus, “Tell us about our end. How will it come?” Jesus said, “Have you discovered the beginning so that you can look for the end? Because the end will be where the beginning is. Blessed is the one who will stand up in the beginning. They will know the end and will not taste death.”
Jesus said, “Blessed is the One who came into being before coming into being. If you become My disciples and listen to My message, these stones will become your servants; because there are five trees in Paradise which do not change in summer or winter, and their leaves do not fall. Whoever knows them will not taste death.”
The disciples asked Jesus, “Tell us, what can the kingdom of the heavens be compared to?” He said to them, “It can be compared to a mustard seed. Though it is the smallest of all the seeds, when it falls on tilled soil it makes a plant so large that it shelters the birds of the sky.”
Mary said to Jesus, “Whom are Your disciples like?” He said, “They are like little children living in a field which is not theirs. When the owners of the field come, they will say, Give our field back to us. They will strip naked in front of them to let them have it and give them their field. So I say that if the owner of the house realizes the bandit is coming, they will watch out beforehand and will not let the bandit break into the house of their domain and steal their possessions. You, then, watch out for the world! Prepare to defend yourself so that the bandits do not attack you, because what you are expecting will come. May there be a wise person among you! When the fruit ripened, the reaper came quickly, sickle in hand, and harvested it. Anyone who has ears to hear should hear!”
Jesus saw some little children nursing. He said to His disciples, “These nursing children can be compared to those who enter the kingdom.” They said to Him, “Then will we enter the kingdom as little children?” Jesus said to them, “When you make the two into one, and make the inner like the outer and the outer like the inner, and the upper like the lower, and so make the male and the female a single one so that the male will not be male nor the female female; when you make eyes in the place of an eye, a hand in the place of a hand, a foot in the place of a foot, and an image in the place of an image; then you will enter [the kingdom].”
Jesus said, “I will choose you—one out of a thousand and two out of ten thousand—and they will stand as a single one.”
His disciples said, “Show us the place where You are, because we need to look for it.” He said to them, “Anyone who has ears to hear should hear! Light exists within a person of light, and they light up the whole world. If they do not shine, there is darkness.”
Jesus said, “Love your brother as your own soul. Protect them like the pupil of your eye.”
Jesus said, “You see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but you do not see the beam in your own eye. When you get the beam out of your own eye, then you will be able to see clearly to get the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
“If you do not fast from the world, you will not find the kingdom. If you do not make the Sabbath into a Sabbath, you will not see the Father.”
Jesus said, “I stood in the middle of the world and appeared to them in the flesh. I found them all drunk; I did not find any of them thirsty. My soul ached for the children of humanity, because they were blind in their hearts and could not see. They came into the world empty and planned on leaving the world empty. Meanwhile, they are drunk. When they shake off their wine, then they will change.”
Jesus said, “If the flesh came into existence because of spirit, that is amazing. If spirit came into existence because of the body, that is really amazing! But I am amazed at how [such] great wealth has been placed in this poverty.”
Jesus said, “Where there are three deities, they are divine. Where there are two or one, I am with them.”
Jesus said, “No prophet is welcome in their own village. No doctor heals those who know them.”
Jesus said, “A city built and fortified on a high mountain cannot fall, nor can it be hidden.”
Jesus said, “What you hear with one ear, listen to with both, then proclaim from your rooftops. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket or in a hidden place. Rather, they put it on the stand so that everyone who comes and goes can see its light.”
Jesus said, “If someone who is blind leads someone else who is blind, both of them fall into a pit.”
Jesus said, “No one can break into the house of the strong and take it by force without tying the hands of the strong. Then they can plunder the house.”
Jesus said, “Do not be anxious from morning to evening or from evening to morning about what you will wear.”
His disciples said, “When will You appear to us? When will we see You?” Jesus said, “When you strip naked without being ashamed, and throw your clothes on the ground, and stomp on them as little children would, then [you will] see the Son of the Living One and will not be afraid.”
Jesus said, “Often you have wanted to hear this message that I am telling you, and you do not have anyone else from whom to hear it. There will be days when you will look for Me, but you will not be able to find Me.”
Jesus said, “The Pharisees and the scholars have taken the keys of knowledge and hidden them. They have not entered and have not let others enter who wanted to. So be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
Jesus said, “A grapevine has been planted outside of the Father. Since it is malnourished, it will be pulled up by its root and destroyed.”
Jesus said, “Whoever has something in hand will be given more, but whoever does not have anything will lose even what little they do have.”
Jesus said, “Become passersby.”
His disciples said to him, “Who are You to say these things to us?” [He replied,] “You do not realize who I am from what I say to you, but you have become like those Judeans who either love the tree but hate its fruit, or love the fruit but hate the tree.”
Jesus said, “Whoever blasphemes the Father will be forgiven, and whoever blasphemes the Son will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, neither on earth nor in Heaven.”
Jesus said, “Grapes are not harvested from thorns, nor are figs gathered from thistles, because they do not produce fruit. [A good person] brings good things out of their treasure, and an [evil] person brings evil things out of their evil treasure. They say evil things because their heart is full of evil.”
Jesus said, “From Adam to John the Immerser, no one has been born who is so much greater than John the Immerser that they should not avert their eyes. But I say that whoever among you will become a little child will know the kingdom and become greater than John.”
Jesus said, “It is not possible for anyone to mount two horses or stretch two bows, and it is not possible for a servant to follow two leaders, because they will respect one and despise the other. No one drinks old wine and immediately wants to drink new wine. And new wine is not put in old wineskins, because they would burst. Nor is old wine put in new wineskins, because it would spoil. A new patch of cloth is not sewn onto an old coat, because it would tear apart.”
Jesus said, “If two make peace with each other in a single house, they will say to the mountain, Go away, and it will.”
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are one—those who are chosen—because you will find the kingdom. You have come from there and will return there.”
Jesus said, “If they ask you, Where do you come from? tell them: We have come from the light, the place where light came into being by itself, [established] itself, and appeared in their image. If they ask you, Is it you? then say, We are its children, and we are chosen by our living Father. If they ask you, What is the sign of your Father in you? then say, It is movement and rest.”
His disciples said to Him, “When will the dead have rest, and when will the new world come?” He said to them, “What you are looking for has already come, but you do not know it.”
His disciples said to Him, “Twenty-four prophets have spoken in Israel, and they all spoke of You.” He said to them, “You have ignored the Living One right in front of you, and you have talked about those who are dead.”
His disciples said to Him, “Is circumcision useful, or not?” He said to them, “If it were useful, parents would have children who are born circumcised. But the true circumcision in spirit has become profitable in every way.”
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of the heavens.”
Jesus said, “Whoever does not hate their father and mother cannot become My disciple, and whoever does not hate their brothers and sisters and take up their cross like I do is not worthy of Me.”
Jesus said, “Whoever has known the world has found a corpse. Whoever has found a corpse, of them the world is not worthy.”
Jesus said, “My Father’s kingdom can be compared to someone who had [good] seed. Their enemy came by night and sowed weeds among the good seed. The person did not let anyone pull out the weeds; so that you do not pull out the wheat along with the weeds—they said to them—On the day of the harvest, the weeds will be obvious; then they will be pulled out and burned.”
Jesus said, “Blessed is the person who has gone to a lot of trouble. They have found life.”
Jesus said, “Look for the Living One while you are still alive. If you die and then try to look for Him, you will not be able to.”
They saw a Samaritan carrying a lamb to Judea. He said to His disciples, “What do you think he is going to do with that lamb?” They said to Him, “He is going to kill it and eat it.” He said to them, “While it is living, he will not eat it, but only after he kills it and it becomes a corpse.” They said, “He cannot do it any other way.” He said to them, “You, too, look for a resting place, so that you will not become a corpse and be eaten.”
Jesus said, “Two will rest on a couch: one will die, the other will live.” Salome said, “Who are You, Lord, to climb onto my couch and eat off my table as if You are from someone?” Jesus said to her, “I am the One who exists in equality. Some of what belongs to My Father was given to Me.” “I am Your disciple,” [she said]. “So I am telling you, if someone is equal, they will be full of light; but if they are divided, they will be full of darkness.”
Jesus said, “I tell My mysteries to [those who are worthy of My] mysteries. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”
Jesus said, “There was a rich man who had much money. He said, I will use my money to sow, reap, plant, and fill my barns with fruit, so that I will not need anything. That is what he was thinking to himself, but he died that very night. Anyone who has ears to hear should hear!”
Jesus said, “Someone was planning on having guests. When dinner was ready, they sent their servant to call the visitors. The servant went to the first and said, My master invites you. They said, Some merchants owe me money; they are coming tonight; I need to go and give them instructions—excuse me from the dinner. The servant went to another one and said, My master invites you. They said, I have just bought a house and am needed for the day; I will not have time. The servant went to another one and said, My master invites you. They said, My friend is getting married, and I am going to make dinner; I cannot come—excuse me from the dinner. The servant went to another one and said, My master invites you. They said, I have just bought a farm and am going to collect the rent; I cannot come—excuse me. The servant went back and told the master, The ones you have invited to the dinner have excused themselves. The master said to their servant, Go out to the roads and bring whomever you find so that they can have dinner. Buyers and merchants will not [enter] the places of My Father.”
He said, “A [creditor] owned a vineyard. He leased it out to some sharecroppers to work it so he could collect its fruit. He sent his servant so that the sharecroppers could give him the fruit of the vineyard. They seized his servant, beat him, and nearly killed him. The servant went back and told his master. His master said, Perhaps he just did not know them. He sent another servant, but the tenants beat that one too. Then the master sent his son, thinking, Maybe they will show some respect to my son. Because they knew that he was the heir of the vineyard, the sharecroppers seized and killed him. Anyone who has ears to hear should hear!”
Jesus said, “Show me the stone the builders rejected; that is the cornerstone.”
Jesus said, “Whoever knows everything, but is personally lacking, lacks everything.”
Jesus said, “Blessed are you when you are hated and persecuted, and no place will be found where you have been persecuted.”
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted in their own hearts. They have truly known the Father. Blessed are those who are hungry, so that their stomachs may be filled.”
Jesus said, “If you give birth to what is within you, what you have within you will save you. If you do not have that within [you], what you do not have within you [will] kill you.”
Jesus said, “I will destroy [this] house, and no one will be able to build it . . .”
[A man said to Him,] “Tell my brothers to divide our inheritance with me.” He said to him, “Who made me a divider?” He turned to His disciples and said to them, “Am I really a divider?”
Jesus said, “The harvest really is plentiful, but the workers are few. So, pray that the Lord will send workers to the harvest.”
He said, “Lord, many are gathered around the well, but there is nothing to drink.”
Jesus said, “Many are waiting at the door, but those who are one will enter the bridal chamber.”
Jesus said, “The Father’s kingdom can be compared to a merchant with merchandise who found a pearl. The merchant was wise; they sold their merchandise and bought that single pearl for themselves. You, too, look for the treasure that does not perish but endures, where no moths come to eat, and no worms destroy.”
Jesus said, “I am the light that is over all. I am the All. The All has come from Me and unfolds toward Me. Split a log; I am there. Lift the stone, and you will find Me there.”
Jesus said, “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed shaken by the wind? A [[person]] wearing fancy clothes, [[like your]] rulers and powerful people? They [wear] fancy [[clothes]], but cannot know the truth.”
A woman in the crowd said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts that nourished You.” He said to [[her]], “Blessed are those who have listened to the message of the Father and kept it, because there will be days when you will say, Blessed is the womb that did not conceive and the breasts that have not given milk.”
Jesus said, “Whoever has known the world has found the body; but whoever has found the body, of them the world is not worthy.”
Jesus said, “Whoever has become rich should become a ruler, and whoever has power should renounce it.”
Jesus said, “Whoever is near Me is near the fire, and whoever is far from Me is far from the kingdom.”
Jesus said, “Images are revealed to people, but the light within them is hidden in the image of the Father’s light. He will be revealed, but His image will be hidden by His light.”
Jesus said, “When you see your likeness, you rejoice. But when you see your images that came into being before you did—which do not die and are not revealed—how much you will have to bear!”
Jesus said, “Adam came into being from a great power and great wealth, but he did not become worthy of you. If he had been worthy, [[he would not have tasted]] death.”
Jesus said, “[[The foxes have dens,]] and the birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head and rest.”
Jesus said, “How miserable is the body that depends on a body, and how miserable is the soul that depends on both.”
Jesus said, “The messengers and the prophets will come to you and give you what belongs to you. You will give them what you have and ask yourselves, When will they come and take what is theirs?”
Jesus said, “Why do you wash the outside of the cup? Do you not know that whoever created the inside created the outside too?”
Jesus said, “Come to Me, because My yoke is easy and My requirements are light. You will be refreshed.”
They said to Him, “Tell us who You are so that we may trust You.” He said to them, “You read the face of the sky and the earth, but you do not know the One right in front of you, and you do not know how to read the present moment.”
Jesus said, “Look and you will find. I did not answer your questions before. Now I want to give you answers, but you are not looking for them.”
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs, or else it might be thrown on the dung heap. Do not throw pearls to the pigs, or else they might . . .”
Jesus [[said]], “Whoever looks will find, [[and whoever knocks,]] it will be opened for them.”
[[Jesus said]], “If you have money, do not lend it at interest. Instead, give [[it to]] someone from whom you will not get it back.”
Jesus [[said]], “The Father’s kingdom can be compared to a woman who took a little yeast and [[hid]] it in flour. She made it into large loaves of bread. Anyone who has ears to hear should hear!”
Jesus said, “The Father’s kingdom can be compared to a woman carrying a jar of flour. While she was walking down a long road, the jar’s handle broke and the flour spilled out behind her on the road. She did not know it, and did not realize there was a problem until she got home, put down the jar, and found it empty.”
Jesus said, “The Father’s kingdom can be compared to a man who wanted to kill someone powerful. He drew his sword in his house and drove it into the wall to figure out whether his hand was strong enough. Then he killed the powerful one.”
The disciples said to Him, “Your brothers and mother are standing outside.” He said to them, “The people here who do the will of My Father are My brothers and mother; they are the ones who will enter My Father’s kingdom.”
They showed Jesus a gold coin and said to Him, “Those who belong to Caesar demand tribute from us.” He said to them, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give to God what belongs to God, and give to Me what belongs to Me.”
“Whoever does not hate their [[father]] and mother as I do cannot become My [[disciple]], and whoever [[does not]] love their [[father]] and mother as I do cannot become My [[disciple]]. For My mother . . . , but [[My]] true [[Mother]] gave Me Life.”
Jesus said, “How awful for the Pharisees who are like a dog sleeping in a feeding trough for cattle, because the dog does not eat and [[does not let]] the cattle eat either.”
Jesus said, “Blessed is the one who knows where the bandits are going to enter. [[They can]] get up to assemble their defenses and be prepared to defend themselves before they arrive.”
They said to [[Jesus]], “Come, let us pray and fast today.” Jesus said, “What have I done wrong? Have I failed? Rather, when the groom leaves the bridal chamber, then people should fast and pray.”
Jesus said, “Whoever knows their father and mother will be called a bastard.”
Jesus said, “When you make the two into one, you will become [true] children of man, and if you say, Mountain, move, it will go.”
Jesus said, “The kingdom can be compared to a shepherd who had one hundred sheep. The largest one strayed. He left the ninety-nine and looked for that one until he found it. Having gone through the trouble, he said to the sheep: I love you more than the ninety-nine.”
Jesus said, “Whoever drinks from My mouth will become like Me, and I Myself will become like them; then, what is hidden will be revealed to them.”
Jesus said, “The kingdom can be compared to someone who had a treasure [hidden] in their field. [They] did not know about it. After they died, they left it to their son. The son did not know it either. He took the field and sold it. The buyer plowed the field, [found] the treasure, and began to loan money at interest to whomever they wanted.”
Jesus said, “Whoever has found the world and become rich should renounce the world.”
Jesus said, “The heavens and the earth will roll up in front of you, and whoever lives from the Living One will not see death.” Does not Jesus say, “Whoever finds themselves, of them the world is not worthy”?
Jesus said, “How awful for the flesh that depends on the soul. How awful for the soul that depends on the flesh.”
His disciples said to Him, “When will the kingdom come?” [He replied,] “It will not come by looking for it. They will not say, Look over here, or, Look over there! Rather, the Father’s kingdom is already spread out over the earth, and people do not see it.”
Simon Peter said to them, “Mary should leave us, because women are not worthy of life.” Jesus said, “Behold, am I to make her a man? So that she may become a living spirit too, she is equal to you men, because every woman who makes herself manly will enter the kingdom of the heavens.”