Difference between revisions of "Book of Thomas the Contender" - New World Encyclopedia

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There are two competing theories as to the composition of the text. The first theory hold that since the actual dialog lasts only for slightly more than half of the text, with the remainder being a monologue, the current book may have originally been two works, one of dialog, one of monologue. The second holds that the work originated as a letter, in effect an ''Epistle of the Contender'', written by a non-Christian Jew who upheld a Hellenic philosophy. In this theory, the text was later given a Christian setting and converted into a dialog.
 
There are two competing theories as to the composition of the text. The first theory hold that since the actual dialog lasts only for slightly more than half of the text, with the remainder being a monologue, the current book may have originally been two works, one of dialog, one of monologue. The second holds that the work originated as a letter, in effect an ''Epistle of the Contender'', written by a non-Christian Jew who upheld a Hellenic philosophy. In this theory, the text was later given a Christian setting and converted into a dialog.
  
An additional consideration is that, since the scribe writing the text is named as Matthaias, this work may actually be the lost [[Gospel of Matthias]] referred to in some writings of the [[Church Fathers]]. The dialog can also be read as an internal conversation between Jesus and his "lower self," Judas Thomas, sometimes called "the Twin," who is cast as the "contender" for supremacy of the soul. In this view, the [[New Testament]]'s "Doubting Thomas" and Judas "the betrayer" could also be descriptive of this internal battle between the [[Christ Self]] and "ego identity."  
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An additional consideration is that, since the scribe writing the text is named as Matthaias, this work may actually be the lost [[Gospel of Matthias]] referred to in some writings of the [[Church Fathers]]. The dialog can also be read as an internal conversation between Jesus and his "lower self," Judas Thomas, sometimes called "the Twin," who is cast as the "contender" for supremacy of the soul. In this view, the [[New Testament]]'s "Doubting Thomas" and Judas "the betrayer" could also be descriptive of this internal battle between the [[Christ Self]] and "ego identity."
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The Book of Thomas the Contender was probably composed in the first half of the third century CE. It appears to be part of the gnostic or proto-gnostic tradition exemplified  the [[Gospel of Thomas]] (50-125 C.E.), and the [[Acts of Thomas]], (c. 225 C.E.).
  
 
==Content==
 
==Content==

Revision as of 02:34, 15 August 2008

The Apostle Thomas, known here as "The Contender"

The Book of Thomas the Contender, also known more simply as the Book of Thomas (not to be confused with the Gospel of Thomas), is one of the books of the New Testament apocrypha discovered in the Nag Hammadi library, a cache of Gnostic literature secreted in the Egyptian desert since the fourth century CE. The title derives from the first line of text. :"The secret words that the savior spoke to Judas Thomas..." A title appended to the end of the text speaks of the work as "The Contender writing to the Perfect."

Composition and date

There are two competing theories as to the composition of the text. The first theory hold that since the actual dialog lasts only for slightly more than half of the text, with the remainder being a monologue, the current book may have originally been two works, one of dialog, one of monologue. The second holds that the work originated as a letter, in effect an Epistle of the Contender, written by a non-Christian Jew who upheld a Hellenic philosophy. In this theory, the text was later given a Christian setting and converted into a dialog.

An additional consideration is that, since the scribe writing the text is named as Matthaias, this work may actually be the lost Gospel of Matthias referred to in some writings of the Church Fathers. The dialog can also be read as an internal conversation between Jesus and his "lower self," Judas Thomas, sometimes called "the Twin," who is cast as the "contender" for supremacy of the soul. In this view, the New Testament's "Doubting Thomas" and Judas "the betrayer" could also be descriptive of this internal battle between the Christ Self and "ego identity."

The Book of Thomas the Contender was probably composed in the first half of the third century CE. It appears to be part of the gnostic or proto-gnostic tradition exemplified the Gospel of Thomas (50-125 C.E.), and the Acts of Thomas, (c. 225 C.E.).

Content

The content of this work is quite gnostic in style, in the sense of imparting a secret, arcane knowledge related to good versus evil, and while it lacks references to the elaborate gnostic cosmology, its allusions to such concepts as the pleroma and light versus fire clearly point to gnostic influence origins. For example:

Then the savior continued and said, "O unsearchable love of the light! O bitterness of the fire that blazes in the bodies of men and in their marrow, kindling in them night and day, and burning the limbs of men and making their minds become drunk and their souls become deranged...

Summary

The book opens by identifying its scribe as Mathaias, who transcribed the following dialog between Jesus and Thomas. Jesus commands Thomas to listen to him, so that Jesus can "reveal to you the things you have pondered."

Jesus acknowledges Thomas' reputation as his "twin and true companion" and encourages him to learn his true identity, which cannot be known as long as he remains in ignorance. Jesus identifies himself as "the knowledge (Greek: gnosis) of the truth," and predicts that in the future, Thomas will be cal "the one who knows himself."

Thomas implores Jesus to teach him of "the hidden things," so that he can speak of them to his fellow humans after the savior's ascension. Jesus explains that our "visible bodies" survive by devouring other living creatures, and thus become subject to change and decay. "That body is bestial," he explains, originating from sexual intercourse like any lower animal. He therefore instructs his disciples to be "like babes" until they reach perfection.

Thomas implores Jesus to share more. "Why does this visible light (the sun) that shines on behalf of men rise and set?" he asks. The savior replies the the sun is merely part of a transitory existence, and what "when all the elect abandon bestiality," even the sun will "withdraw up to its essence."

He goes on to denounce the fire of passion, which makes minds of males and females drunk and deranges their souls, "for the males move upon the females and the females upon the males." Jesus advises that truth seekers "make themselves wings" to fly from such lusts.

This, Jesus explains, is "the doctrine of the perfect." Only the foolish are guided by the "fire" which provides the illusion of truth, but in the end imprisons them in "a dark sweetness" and blinds them with "insatiable lust."

On the other hand, "Blessed is the wise man who sought after the truth, and when he found it, he rested upon it forever and was unafraid of those who wanted to disturb him."

The time of the end is close at hand: "Only a little while longer, and that which is visible will dissolve."

Thomas asks he and the other disciples should deal with those who defend physical life and procreation as the only means by which humans can know salvation, using the slogan: "Had we not been begotten in the flesh, we would not have known iniquity." Jesus gives a harsh reply to this: "Do not esteem them as men, but regard them as beasts, for just as beasts devour one another, so also men of this sort devour one another."

"How can we go preach them," Thomas protests, "since we are not esteemed in the world?" Jesus predicts that those who do listen will be persecuted by the rulers of this world, who in turn are under the dominion of powerful evil angels.

Jesus follows this with a series of curses:

"Woe to you, godless ones, who have no hope, who rely on things that will not happen! Woe to you who hope in the flesh and in the prison that will perish!... Woe to you within the fire that burns in you, for it is insatiable! Woe to you because of the wheel that turns in your minds! Woe to you within the grip of the burning that is in you, for it will devour your flesh openly and rend your souls secretly... Woe to you, captives, for you are bound in caverns!... Woe to you who love intimacy with womankind and polluted intercourse with them! Woe to you in the grip of the powers of your body, for they will afflict you! Woe to you in the grip of the forces of the evil demons! Woe to you who beguile your limbs with fire!.. Woe to you, for you did not receive the doctrine..."

These woes are followed in turn by a series of blessings on those who do receive the truth:

"Blessed are you who have prior knowledge of the stumbling blocks and who flee alien things. Blessed are you who are reviled and not esteemed on account of the love their lord has for them. Blessed are you who weep and are oppressed by those without hope, for you will be released from every bondage... For when you come forth from the sufferings and passions of the body, you will receive rest from the good one, and you will reign with the king, you joined with him and he with you, from now on, for ever and ever."

Quotes

  • He who has not known himself has known nothing, but he who has known himself has at the same time already achieved knowledge about the depth of the all.
  • If the things that are visible to you are obscure to you, how can you hear about the things that are not visible?
  • You are babes until you become perfect."
  • "As they are killed, they are assimilated to all the beasts of the perishable realm."
  • Blessed is the wise man who sought after the truth, and when he found it, he rested upon it forever
  • They fulfill the lust of their fathers. They will be thrown down to the abyss and be afflicted by the torment of the bitterness of their evil nature.

References
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9780060821081

  • Attridge, Harold W., Charles W. Hedrick, and Robert Hodgson. Nag Hammadi, Gnosticism & Early Christianity. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson Publishers, 1986. ISBN 9780913573167
  • Meyer, Marvin W. The Gnostic Discoveries: The Impact of the Nag Hammadi Library. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. ISBN
  • Sell, Jesse. The Knowledge of the Truth—Two Doctrines: The Book of Thomas the Contender (CG II,7) and the False Teachers in the Pastoral Epistles. Europäische Hochschulschriften, Bd. 194. Frankfurt am Main: Lang, 1982. ISBN 9783820472240
  • Turner, John Douglas. The Book of Thomas the Contender, from Codex II of the Cairo Gnostic Library from Nag Hammadi (CG II, 7): The Coptic Text, with Translation, Introd., and Commentary. Missoula, Mont: Society of Biblical Literature, 1975. ISBN 9780891300175

External links

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