The Gospel Of Thomas
Translated by
Thomas O. Lambdin
(Audio)
These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down.
(1) And he said, "Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death."
(2) Jesus said, "Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds.
When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he
will be astonished, and he will rule over the All."
(3) Jesus said, "If those who lead you say to you, 'See, the 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
kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to
know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that
it is you who are the sons of the living father. But if you will not
know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that
poverty."
(4) Jesus said, "The man old in days will not hesitate to ask a small
child seven days old about the place of life, and he will live. For
many who are first will become last, and they will become one and the
same."
(5) Jesus said, "Recognize what is in your sight, and that which is
hidden from you will become plain to you . For there is nothing hidden
which will not become manifest."
(6) His disciples questioned him and said to him, "Do you want us to
fast? How shall we pray? Shall we give alms? What diet shall we
observe?"
Jesus said, "Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate, for all
things are plain in the sight of heaven. For nothing hidden will not
become manifest, and nothing covered will remain without being
uncovered."
(7) Jesus said, "Blessed is the lion which becomes man when consumed by
man; and cursed is the man whom the lion consumes, and the lion becomes
man."
(8) And he said, "The man is like a wise fisherman who cast his net
into the sea and drew it up from the sea full of small fish. Among them
the wise fisherman found a fine large fish. He threw all the small fish
back into the sea and chose the large fish without difficulty. Whoever
has ears to hear, let him hear."
(9) Jesus said, "Now the sower went out, took a handful (of seeds), and
scattered them. Some fell on the road; the birds came and gathered them
up. Others fell on the rock, did not take root in the soil, and did not
produce ears. And others fell on thorns; they choked the seed(s) and
worms ate them. And others fell on the good soil and it produced good
fruit: it bore sixty per measure and a hundred and twenty per measure."
(10) Jesus said, "I have cast fire upon the world, and see, I am guarding it until it blazes."
(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. In the
days when you consumed what is dead, you made it what is alive. When
you come to dwell 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?"
(12) The disciples said to Jesus, "We know that you will depart from us. Who is to be our leader?"
Jesus said to them, "Wherever you are, you are to go to James the
righteous, for whose sake heaven and earth came into being."
(13) Jesus said to his disciples, "Compare me to someone and tell me whom I am like."
Simon Peter said to him, "You are like a righteous angel."
Matthew said to him, "You are like a wise philosopher."
Thomas said to him, "Master, my mouth is wholly incapable of saying whom you are like."
Jesus said, "I am not your master. Because you have drunk, you have
become intoxicated from the bubbling spring which I have measured out."
And he took him and withdrew and told him three things. When Thomas
returned to his companions, they asked him, "What did Jesus say to you?"
Thomas said to them, "If I tell you one of the things which he told me,
you will pick up stones and throw them at me; a fire will come out of
the stones and burn you up."
(14) Jesus said to them, "If you fast, you will give rise to sin for
yourselves; and if you pray, you will be condemned; and if you give
alms, you will do harm to your spirits. When you go into any land and
walk about in the districts, if they receive you, eat what they will
set before you, and heal the sick among them. For what goes into your
mouth will not defile you, but that which issues from your mouth - it
is that which will defile you."
(15) Jesus said, "When you see one who was not born of woman, prostrate
yourselves on your faces and worship him. That one is your father."
(16) Jesus said, "Men think, perhaps, that it is peace which I have
come to cast upon the world. They do not know that it is dissension
which I have come to cast upon the earth: fire, sword, and war. For
there will be five in a house: three will be against two, and two
against three, the father against the son, and the son against the
father. And they will stand solitary."
(17) Jesus said, "I shall give you what no eye has seen and what no ear
has heard and what no hand has touched and what has never occurred to
the human mind."
(18) The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us how our end will be."
Jesus said, "Have you discovered, then, the beginning, that you look
for the end? For where the beginning is, there will the end be. Blessed
is he who will take his place in the beginning; he will know the end
and will not experience death."
(19) Jesus said, "Blessed is he who came into being before he came into
being. 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. Whoever becomes acquainted with them will not experience death."
(20) The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us what the kingdom of heaven is like."
He said to them, "It is like a mustard seed. It is the smallest of all
seeds. But when it falls on tilled soil, it produces a great plant and
becomes a shelter for birds of the sky."
(21) Mary said to Jesus, "Whom are your disciples like?"
He said, "They are like children who have settled in a field which is
not theirs. When the owners of the field come, they will say, 'Let us
have back our field.' They (will) undress in their presence in order to
let them have back their field and to give it back to them. Therefore I
say, if the owner of a house knows that the thief is coming, he will
begin his vigil before he comes and will not let him dig through into
his house of his domain to carry away his goods. You, then, be on your
guard against the world. Arm yourselves with great strength lest the
robbers find a way to come to you, for the difficulty which you expect
will (surely) materialize. Let there be among you a man of
understanding. When the grain ripened, he came quickly with his sickle
in his hand and reaped it. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."
(22) Jesus saw infants being suckled. He said to his disciples, "These
infants being suckled are like those who enter the kingdom."
They said to him, "Shall we then, as children, enter the kingdom?"
Jesus said to them, "When you make the two one, and when you make the
inside like the outside and the outside like the inside, and the above
like the below, and when you make the male and the female one and the
same, so that the male not be male nor the female female; and when you
fashion eyes in the place of an eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and
a foot in place of a foot, and a likeness in place of a likeness; then
will you enter the kingdom."
(23) Jesus said, "I shall choose you, one out of a thousand, and two
out of ten thousand, and they shall stand as a single one."
(24) His disciples said to him, "Show us the place where you are, since it is necessary for us to seek it."
He said to them, "Whoever has ears, let him hear. There is light within
a man of light, and he lights up the whole world. If he does not shine,
he is darkness."
(25) Jesus said, "Love your brother like your soul, guard him like the pupil of your eye."
(26) Jesus said, "You see the mote in your brother's eye, but you do
not see the beam in your own eye. When you cast the beam out of your
own eye, then you will see clearly to cast the mote from your brother's
eye."
(27) <Jesus said,> "If you do not fast as regards the world, you
will not find the kingdom. If you do not observe the Sabbath as a
Sabbath, you will not see the father."
(28) Jesus said, "I took my place in the midst of the world, and I
appeared to them in flesh. I found all of them intoxicated; I found
none of them thirsty. And my soul became afflicted for the sons of men,
because they are blind in their hearts and do not have sight; for empty
they came into the world, and empty too they seek to leave the world.
But for the moment they are intoxicated. When they shake off their
wine, then they will repent."
(29) Jesus said, "If the flesh came into being because of spirit, it is
a wonder. But if spirit came into being because of the body, it is a
wonder of wonders. Indeed, I am amazed at how this great wealth has
made its home in this poverty."
(30) Jesus said, "Where there are three gods, they are gods. Where there are two or one, I am with him."
(31) Jesus said, "No prophet is accepted in his own village; no physician heals those who know him."
(32) Jesus said, "A city being built on a high mountain and fortified cannot fall, nor can it be hidden."
(33) Jesus said, "Preach from your housetops that which you will hear
in your ear. For no one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel, nor
does he put it in a hidden place, but rather he sets it on a lampstand
so that everyone who enters and leaves will see its light."
(34) Jesus said, "If a blind man leads a blind man, they will both fall into a pit."
(35) Jesus said, "It is not possible for anyone to enter the house of a
strong man and take it by force unless he binds his hands; then he will
(be able to) ransack his house."
(36) Jesus said, "Do not be concerned from morning until evening and
from evening until morning about what you will wear."
(37) His disciples said, "When will you become revealed to us and when shall we see you?"
Jesus said, "When you disrobe without being ashamed and take up your
garments and place them under your feet like little children and tread
on them, then will you see the son of the living one, and you will not
be afraid"
(38) Jesus said, "Many times have you desired to hear these words which
I am saying to you, and you have no one else to hear them from. There
will be days when you will look for me and will not find me."
(39) Jesus said, "The pharisees and the scribes have taken the keys of
knowledge (gnosis) and hidden them. They themselves have not entered,
nor have they allowed to enter those who wish to. You, however, be as
wise as serpents and as innocent as doves."
(40) Jesus said, "A grapevine has been planted outside of the father,
but being unsound, it will be pulled up by its roots and destroyed."
(41) Jesus said, "Whoever has something in his hand will receive more,
and whoever has nothing will be deprived of even the little he has."
(42) Jesus said, "Become passers-by."
(43) His disciples said to him, "Who are you, that you should say these things to us?"
<Jesus said to them,> "You do not realize who I am from what I
say to you, but you have become like the Jews, for they (either) love
the tree and hate its fruit (or) love the fruit and hate the tree."
(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."
(45) Jesus said, "Grapes are not harvested from thorns, nor are figs
gathered from thistles, for they do not produce fruit. A good man
brings forth good from his storehouse; an evil man brings forth evil
things from his evil storehouse, which is in his heart, and says evil
things. For out of the abundance of the heart he brings forth evil
things."
(46) Jesus said, "Among those born of women, from Adam until John the
Baptist, there is no one so superior to John the Baptist that his eyes
should not be lowered (before him). Yet I have said, whichever one of
you comes to be a child will be acquainted with the kingdom and will
become superior to John."
(47) Jesus said, "It is impossible for a man to mount two horses or to
stretch two bows. And it is impossible for a servant to serve two
masters; otherwise, he will honor the one and treat the other
contemptuously. No man drinks old wine and immediately desires to drink
new wine. And new wine is not put into old wineskins, lest they burst;
nor is old wine put into a new wineskin, lest it spoil it. An old patch
is not sewn onto a new garment, because a tear would result."
(48) Jesus said, "If two make peace with each other in this one house,
they will say to the mountain, 'Move Away,' and it will move away."
(49) Jesus said, "Blessed are the solitary and elect, for you will find
the kingdom. For you are from it, and to it you will return."
(50) Jesus said, "If they say to you, 'Where did you come from?', say
to them, 'We came from the light, the place where the light came into
being on its own accord and established itself and became manifest
through their image.' If they say to you, 'Is it you?', say, 'We are
its children, we are the elect of the living father.' If they ask you,
'What is the sign of your father in you?', say to them, 'It is movement
and repose.'"
(51) His disciples said to him, "When will the repose of the dead come
about, and when will the new world come?"
He said to them, "What you look forward to has already come, but you do not recognize it."
(52) His disciples said to him, "Twenty-four prophets spoke in Israel, and all of them spoke in you."
He said to them, "You have omitted the one living in your presence and have spoken (only) of the dead."
(53) His disciples said to him, "Is circumcision beneficial or not?"
He said to them, "If it were beneficial, their father would beget them
already circumcised from their mother. Rather, the true circumcision in
spirit has become completely profitable."
(54) Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven."
(55) Jesus said, "Whoever does not hate his father and his mother
cannot become a disciple to me. And whoever does not hate his brothers
and sisters and take up his cross in my way will not be worthy of me."
(56) Jesus said, "Whoever has come to understand the world has found
(only) a corpse, and whoever has found a corpse is superior to the
world."
(57) Jesus said, "The kingdom of the father is like a man who had good
seed. His enemy came by night and sowed weeds among the good seed. The
man did not allow them to pull up the weeds; he said to them, 'I am
afraid that you will go intending to pull up the weeds and pull up the
wheat along with them.' For on the day of the harvest the weeds will be
plainly visible, and they will be pulled up and burned."
(58) Jesus said, "Blessed is the man who has suffered and found life."
(59) Jesus said, "Take heed of the living one while you are alive, lest
you die and seek to see him and be unable to do so."
(60) <They saw> a Samaritan carrying a lamb on his way to Judea.
He said to his disciples, "That man is round about the lamb."
They said to him, "So that he may kill it and eat it."
He said to them, "While it is alive, he will not eat it, but only when
he has killed it and it has become a corpse."
They said to him, "He cannot do so otherwise."
He said to them, "You too, look for a place for yourself within repose,
lest you become a corpse and be eaten."
(61) Jesus said, "Two will rest on a bed: the one will die, and the other will live."
Salome said, "Who are you, man, that you ... have come up on my couch and eaten from my table?"
Jesus said to her, "I am he who exists from the undivided. I was given some of the things of my father."
<...> "I am your disciple."
<...> "Therefore I say, if he is destroyed, he will be filled
with light, but if he is divided, he will be filled with darkness."
(62) Jesus said, "It is to those who are worthy of my mysteries that I
tell my mysteries. Do not let your left (hand) know what your right
(hand) is doing."
(63) Jesus said, "There was a rich man who had much money. He said, 'I
shall put my money to use so that I may sow, reap, plant, and fill my
storehouse with produce, with the result that I shall lack nothing.'
Such were his intentions, but that same night he died. Let him who has
ears hear."
(64) Jesus said, "A man had received visitors. And when he had prepared
the dinner, he sent his servant to invite the guests.
He went to the first one and said to him, 'My master invites you.' He
said, 'I have claims against some merchants. They are coming to me this
evening. I must go and give them my orders. I ask to be excused from
the dinner.'
He went to another and said to him, 'My master has invited you.' He
said to him, 'I have just bought a house and am required for the day. I
shall not have any spare time.'
He went to another and said to him, 'My master invites you.' He said to
him, 'My friend is going to get married, and I am to prepare the
banquet. I shall not be able to come. I ask to be excused from the
dinner.'
He went to another and said to him, 'My master invites you.' He said to
him, 'I have just bought a farm, and I am on my way to collect the
rent. I shall not be able to come. I ask to be excused.'
The servant returned and said to his master, 'Those whom you invited to
the dinner have asked to be excused.' The master said to his servant,
'Go outside to the streets and bring back those whom you happen to
meet, so that they may dine.' Businessmen and merchants will not enter
the places of my father."
(65) He said, "There was a good man who owned a vineyard. He leased it
to tenant farmers so that they might work it and he might collect the
produce from them. He sent his servant so that the tenants might give
him the produce of the vineyard. They seized his servant and beat him,
all but killing him. The servant went back and told his master. The
master said, 'Perhaps he did not recognize them.' He sent another
servant. The tenants beat this one as well. Then the owner sent his son
and said, 'Perhaps they will show respect to my son.' Because the
tenants knew that it was he who was the heir to the vineyard, they
seized him and killed him. Let him who has ears hear."
(66) Jesus said, "Show me the stone which the builders have rejected. That one is the cornerstone."
(67) Jesus said, "If one who knows the all still feels a personal deficiency, he is completely deficient."
(68) Jesus said, "Blessed are you when you are hated and persecuted.
Wherever you have been persecuted they will find no place."
(69) Jesus said, "Blessed are they who have been persecuted within
themselves. It is they who have truly come to know the father. Blessed
are the hungry, for the belly of him who desires will be filled."
(70) Jesus said, "That which you have will save you if you bring it
forth from yourselves. That which you do not have within you will kill
you if you do not have it within you."
(71) Jesus said, "I shall destroy this house, and no one will be able to build it [...]."
(72) A man said to him, "Tell my brothers to divide my father's possessions with me."
He said to him, "O man, who has made me a divider?"
He turned to his disciples and said to them, "I am not a divider, am I?"
(73) Jesus said, "The harvest is great but the laborers are few.
Beseech the Lord, therefore, to send out laborers to the harvest."
(74) He said, "O Lord, there are many around the drinking trough, but there is nothing in the cistern."
(75) Jesus said, "Many are standing at the door, but it is the solitary who will enter the bridal chamber."
(76) Jesus said, "The kingdom of the father is like a merchant who had
a consignment of merchandise and who discovered a pearl. That merchant
was shrewd. He sold the merchandise and bought the pearl alone for
himself. You too, seek his unfailing and enduring treasure where no
moth comes near to devour and no worm destroys."
(77) Jesus said, "It is I who am the light which is above them all. It
is I who am the all. From me did the all come forth, and unto me did
the all extend. Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up the
stone, and you will find me there."
(78) Jesus said, "Why have you come out into the desert? To see a reed
shaken by the wind? And to see a man clothed in fine garments like your
kings and your great men? Upon them are the fine garments, and they are
unable to discern the truth."
(79) A woman from the crowd said to him, "Blessed are the womb which
bore you and the breasts which nourished you."
He said to her, "Blessed are those who have heard the word of the
father and have truly kept it. For there will be days when you will
say, 'Blessed are the womb which has not conceived and the breasts
which have not given milk.'"
(80) Jesus said, "He who has recognized the world has found the body,
but he who has found the body is superior to the world."
(81) Jesus said, "Let him who has grown rich be king, and let him who possesses power renounce it."
(82) Jesus said, "He who is near me is near the fire, and he who is far from me is far from the kingdom."
(83) Jesus said, "The images are manifest to man, but the light in them
remains concealed in the image of the light of the father. He will
become manifest, but his image will remain concealed by his light."
(84) Jesus said, "When you see your likeness, you rejoice. But when you
see your images which came into being before you, and which neither die
not become manifest, how much you will have to bear!"
(85) Jesus said, "Adam came into being from a great power and a great
wealth, but he did not become worthy of you. For had he been worthy, he
would not have experienced death."
(86) Jesus said, "The foxes have their holes and the birds have their
nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head and rest."
(87) Jesus said, "Wretched is the body that is dependant upon a body,
and wretched is the soul that is dependent on these two."
(88) Jesus said, "The angels and the prophets will come to you and give
to you those things you (already) have. And you too, give them those
things which you have, and say to yourselves, 'When will they come and
take what is theirs?'"
(89) Jesus said, "Why do you wash the outside of the cup? Do you not
realize that he who made the inside is the same one who made the
outside?"
(90) Jesus said, "Come unto me, for my yoke is easy and my lordship is
mild, and you will find repose for yourselves."
(91) They said to him, "Tell us who you are so that we may believe in you."
He said to them, "You read the face of the sky and of the earth, but
you have not recognized the one who is before you, and you do not know
how to read this moment."
(92) Jesus said, "Seek and you will find. Yet, what you asked me about
in former times and which I did not tell you then, now I do desire to
tell, but you do not inquire after it."
(93) <Jesus said,> "Do not give what is holy to dogs, lest they
throw them on the dung-heap. Do not throw the pearls to swine, lest
they [...] it [...]."
(94) Jesus said, "He who seeks will find, and he who knocks will be let in."
(95) Jesus said, "If you have money, do not lend it at interest, but
give it to one from whom you will not get it back."
(96) Jesus said, "The kingdom of the father is like a certain woman.
She took a little leaven, concealed it in some dough, and made it into
large loaves. Let him who has ears hear."
(97) Jesus said, "The kingdom of the father is like a certain woman who
was carrying a jar full of meal. While she was walking on the road,
still some distance from home, the handle of the jar broke and the meal
emptied out behind her on the road. She did not realize it; she had
noticed no accident. When she reached her house, she set the jar down
and found it empty."
(98) Jesus said, "The kingdom of the father is like a certain man who
wanted to kill a powerful man. In his own house he drew his sword and
stuck it into the wall in order to find out whether his hand could
carry through. Then he slew the powerful man."
(99) The disciples said to him, "Your brothers and your mother are standing outside."
He said to them, "Those here who do the will of my father are my
brothers and my mother. It is they who will enter the kingdom of my
father."
(100) They showed Jesus a gold coin and said to him, "Caesar's men demand taxes from us."
He said to them, "Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give God what
belongs to God, and give me what is mine."
(101) <Jesus said,> "Whoever does not hate his father and his
mother as I do cannot become a disciple to me. And whoever does not
love his father and his mother as I do cannot become a disciple to me.
For my mother [...], but my true mother gave me life."
(102) Jesus said, "Woe to the pharisees, for they are like a dog
sleeping in the manger of oxen, for neither does he eat nor does he let
the oxen eat."
(103) Jesus said, "Fortunate is the man who knows where the brigands
will enter, so that he may get up, muster his domain, and arm himself
before they invade."
(104) They said to Jesus, "Come, let us pray today and let us fast."
Jesus said, "What is the sin that I have committed, or wherein have I
been defeated? But when the bridegroom leaves the bridal chamber, then
let them fast and pray."
(105) Jesus said, "He who knows the father and the mother will be called the son of a harlot."
(106) Jesus said, "When you make the two one, you will become the sons
of man, and when you say, 'Mountain, move away,' it will move away."
(107) Jesus said, "The kingdom is like a shepherd who had a hundred
sheep. One of them, the largest, went astray. He left the ninety-nine
sheep and looked for that one until he found it. When he had gone to
such trouble, he said to the sheep, 'I care for you more than the
ninety-nine.'"
(108) Jesus said, "He who will drink from my mouth will become like me.
I myself shall become he, and the things that are hidden will be
revealed to him."
(109) Jesus said, "The kingdom is like a man who had a hidden treasure
in his field without knowing it. And after he died, he left it to his
son. The son did not know (about the treasure). He inherited the field
and sold it. And the one who bought it went plowing and found the
treasure. He began to lend money at interest to whomever he wished."
(110) Jesus said, "Whoever finds the world and becomes rich, let him renounce the world."
(111) Jesus said, "The heavens and the earth will be rolled up in your
presence. And the one who lives from the living one will not see
death." Does not Jesus say, "Whoever finds himself is superior to the
world?"
(112) Jesus said, "Woe to the flesh that depends on the soul; woe to the soul that depends on the flesh."
(113) His disciples said to him, "When will the kingdom come?"
<Jesus said,> "It will not come by waiting for it. It will not be
a matter of saying 'here it is' or 'there it is.' Rather, the kingdom
of the father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it."
(114) Simon Peter said to him, "Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life."
Jesus said, "I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that
she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every
woman who will make herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven."
For a
Comparison between Thomas
And the other New Testament Writings
The Gospel of
Thomas - New Testament
Cross Reference Study