The Gospel of Thomas, a Q-esque off shoot, is not one of the core-four canonical Gospels of the Bible, but nevertheless provides an extensive insight into early Christian communities as well as the life of Jesus as the other four main Gospels do. White explains Thomas’s authorship to be “explicitly attributed” to Didymus Judas Thomas (360). This full name translates into “twin”, or someone intrinsically connected to the Jesus figure. Thomas approaches Jesus’s identity in a spiritualized, heavenly, and Wisdom/Sophia-like way; different from the human or divine man formed aretologies of the first three synoptic gospels. Although inherently counteracting each other’s theologies, Thomas is most similar to the Gospel of John which helps readers to draw insights about the more spiritual and abstract being that is Jesus.
Thomas’s collections of the sayings of Jesus and dialogue with his disciples is complex and wordy at first read, but is formed like so to create an image of Jesus as a heavenly figure understood only at a level above that of humanity. In the very first verse of Thomas, Jesus says, “Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death” (Thomas 1). Thomas sets up his gospel by having Jesus inform his followers that the words of Jesus have the key to eternal life. What Jesus says is truth, and ultimately the law of the kingdom. Understanding what Jesus says, and emulating his words and ways by how one lives their life is ultimately the key into the kingdom of heaven. In verses 13 and 17, Jesus is like a divine prophet, who has come to usher in a new age, a new time. In this new era, the old and those who have passed away are not regarded. Jesus is a figure that puts forth an optimism to looking ahead and living life on earth following the instructions of the heavenly kingdom, which Jesus as messenger delivers. Jesus is a prophet and a messenger, here and now. He often corrects his disciples and emphasizes the point that he is omnipresent. Thomas chooses to make Jesus an approachable messenger when he integrates Jesus as gentle and someone in whom one can take rest (Thomas 90), in addition to Jesus’s divinity. Jesus’s suffering and death is not mentioned in Thomas, instead, Thomas chooses to focus on the relationship that Jesus has into the eternal life and how in which to make life on earth one full of discipleship and love that most closely mirrors that of the divine and heavenly kingdom which Jesus portrays as the ultimate goal and idea of perfection.
From the start of the Gospel of Thomas, Thomas seeks to portray that the kingdom of heaven as a part of each of Jesus’s followers intrinsically and in the faith that they spread to new followers; “the kingdom is within you and it is outside you” (3). The physical conditions of humanity is not what Jesus and the kingdom of heaven is concerned about according to Thomas. The human condition, as well as the earthly world is drunk and flawed within these readings; nursing babies are within means of reaching the kingdom of heaven, but once questions regarding physicality and actions, come up, Jesus talks about the flaws of humanity for focusing and placing laws on the human condition. Jesus cares much more for the souls of humanity. Midway through Thomas’s gospel, the disciples ask Jesus, “‘is circumcision useful or not?'”, in which Jesus wittily responds, “‘If it were useful, their father would produce children already circumcised from their mother. Rather, the true circumcision in spirit has become profitable in every respect'” (53). Time and time again, Jesus disregards and takes the focus away from human and worldly things; to Thomas’s character of Jesus, the spirit and understanding of an individual is what makes him most in the image of Christ and the kingdom of heaven, not what he eats or wears or does to his body. Entrance to the kingdom of heaven according to Christ depends on an understanding of one’s own spirit and relationship with Jesus. The earthly world and all its worries about the physical body, riches, etc. is intrinsically flawed according to Thomas, and the only way to align oneself with Christ is a focus on the spirit and the identity of Christ.
Thomas almost presents a messianic secret in alignment with his allusions to insiders. The disciples know more than the “average Joe” due to their relationship with Christ and having heard (“drunk” (13)) his words directly from him. Even more so, what Thomas is revealed is secret and not able to be shared. Jesus reveals to his closest followers the keys and insights to achieve a place in the kingdom of heaven and to be reunited with Jesus one day, the ultimate gift from Christ.
Thomas’s form of Christianity seems to be that like aestheticism according to White. This form of Christianity appeals to the intrinsically spiritual individual, or someone/a community who lacks physical possessions. Thomas and his representation of Jesus extend the divine kingdom to anyone who can grasp the words of Christ. Body or identity does not matter to this version of Jesus, solely the soul and spiritual relationship between Jesus, God the Father, and each earthly individual. A unique gospel surely, but not one without value and insight on a different interpretation of Christ himself.
Author Archives: Kendall Scott
RoJ 5/10; Team 5, Question 2
Mark’s gospel, believed to be the earliest, can be interpreted as “rough around the edges”. In contrast to Matthew and Luke, in which the writers have sought to fill in gaps and narrativize, Mark does not gloss Jesus and his disciples. He depicts his disciples not as all-knowing and perfect followers; but rather in a tone of utter misunderstanding. Through journeying, traveling, living, and eating with Christ, they attempt to emulate his ways and pick up on his teachings, but lack the hindsight of the Markan author. Mark writes this gospel at a time right after the Jewish war in which Jewish population was devastated. They had expected an all-powerful Messiah to come and save them and deliver them from tragedy; they assumed the Jesus figure they had known previously was supposed to be the Messiah that intervened in this point and time. According to White, the “dominant view- here being parodied as a misunderstanding- assumed a connection with some form of a political eschatology” (278-279). Mark uses the disciples misunderstanding of Jesus’s character to teach and approach his audience in a way which reframed their mindset. Jesus was still a Savior who would usher in the Kingdom of God at the end of time, but his purpose was not to squash the Romans in the Jewish War. Jesus’s disciples in Mark parallel this misunderstanding; they expected Jesus to be a political power and restore the correct form of power on earth; but as Jesus tells John, the focus of humanity should be supporting one’s neighbor and preparing for the divine kingdom of heaven, not worrying about the ruling body on earth. Of all of the passages of understanding that Mark has, an important one that stands out is 8:33, where Jesus rebukes Peter because his mind is set on human things, not those of the divine. The disciples in general seek Jesus as an all-powerful savior, but often do not understand his teachings and miracles especially when it comes to specifically healing the marginalized. In all, the understanding of Christ’s divinity was to be that of personal understanding, not that of a forceful Roman emperor, hence Jesus’s telling his disciples not to tell of his miracles. This is an “out with the old, and in with the new” type of sweep that Mark tries to implement through Jesus.
The stories of Bartimaeus is that of a blind beggar who hears of Jesus, calling out his name and having faith in Jesus’s miracle powers. Jesus in turn heals Bartimaeus and does not “shush” him like many who ordered him to be quiet. Jesus here reaches out to a person on the margins of society, bringing them back into the community. Jesus has the power to heal his blindness; similar to the power Jesus has to heal the hardened hearts, or lack of faith the disciples suffer from. Mark depicts Jesus’s disciples as blind and misunderstanding at many points, and through this miracle Jesus highlights that through faith they will see the truth. Later on, an unnamed woman anoints Jesus with ointment (perfume in a sense); this has a dual meaning. Anointing is not only the sign of recognizing Jesus as the messiah and having faith, but also is a ritual as a preparation for burial. This is a sign of the woman’s faith in Jesus’s divinity. Jesus’s disciples are angry at the ‘waste’ of ointment by the woman; this is yet another misunderstanding that Jesus scolds them for. This woman has faith in Jesus, his divinity, his future; his disciples still do not understand. Despite being scolded, the woman continues to do what she is right; in the bigger picture, Mark alludes to that when Jesus’s followers are in a point of persecution, by continuing to do what is true to faith they will be able to align themselves with Christ’s teachings.
Within the parable of the sower, Jesus creates a metaphor for his spreading of the faith and the Word into the population. Some will understand, some will not. In my opinion, the twelve disciples would fall into the category of those who land on the rocky soil. At the beginning of Jesus’s ministry and for many individual teachings, the disciples rejoice and admire Jesus’s teachings (they believe and preach Christ’s message when it is easy and accessible). But when it comes to Jesus’s Passion, they fall back; Peter denies Christ, his disciples flee; Christ’s twelve disciples run away or hide when something comes to test their faith. On the other hand, marginalized believers such as the women who anoints Jesus and Bartimaeus “hear the word and accept” Jesus in full faith, despite their ailments or placement at the margins of society where they face adversity despite the presence of Jesus in their lives (Mark 4:20).
To conclude, discipleships for Mark is the act of someone seeking to understand Jesus’s teachings; it does not have to be a perfect emulation of Christ’s actions, but can be anyone who is willing to give up their life to follow Christ. This is in contrast from the original rules and regulations of Judaism, which had strict restrictions and requirements, whereas Jesus seeks to take in all aspects of society; especially those who are marginalized (physical disabled, sick, women, etc). In addition to this, Jesus’s followers must continue to have faith amongst adversity, and seek to understand Jesus’s teachings; giving up the old way and welcoming in a new understanding.
RoJ 4/19 Team 5: Question 3
Coping with death is never easy, especially when a faith and community leader is brutally murdered. Jesus’s followers struggled with his crucifixion; struggled to understand, to continue to believe, and to have hope. Despite this, many of Jesus’s closest followers orally passed on and lated wrote down accounts of his death, burial, and resurrection, known as called the “kerygma”/proclomation (White 106). Throughout different Gospel accounts and Paul’s letters, Christ’s followers are encouraged that Jesus’s death had purpose, was in God’s plan, and is a key tenant of faith.
Within 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, Paul writes of a conversion of pagans to serving God. He identifies the previous traditional worship to idols, transitioning into Christians who are choosing to serve a “living and true God”. Within just a single additional verse, Paul also identifies the central belief of Jesus’s resurrection to Christianity along with the offer of eternal life to Jesus’s followers who choose to serve him. On the other hand, within the “Christ Hymn” of Philippians 2:5-11 Paul identifies Christ’s divine qualities as coming from God; but also highlights his humanly humility, obedience, and servitude and the acknowledgement from God that followed along these traditions. The core message within these scriptures is to highlight the duality between Jesus’s divinity and his humanity; the coexistence of the two and how they can occur simultaneously and that through being a suffering servant Jesus is exalted and honored by the Lord.
According to White (121), the Christ Hymn reflects early engagement with the Jewish scriptures and draws upon cultural ideas of divinity found in the Greco-Roman world by addressing suffering and the idea of being a servant (“obedient to the point of death”) such as were mentioned in Isaiah in regards to suffering servant songs.
The Christ Hymn served as a model for early Christians of God’s plan for Jesus. Watching their faith leader be crucified would have been devastating for Christians and have seemed like the “end of the road’. Paul takes Jesus’s crucifixion and describes it as something with purpose and hope. By describing Jesus as “emptying” himself and “humbling himself”, Paul makes the notion that it was a noble deed for Christ to die and within the Lord’s plan. Following the description of the crucifixion by exclaiming God’s exaltation of Jesus and the divinity of Christ, Paul reinforces the fact that Jesus is Lord and the crucifixion was an event to highlight Jesus’s divinity (Philippians 2:5-11).
Paul addresses his Thessalonian community in a time of mourning a loss of a community member, who are fear that those who pass away before the end of time will not able to participate in the kingdom of God because they were not on Earth at the time of the apocalypse. Paul relates Jesus’s resurrection to the ability of God to take those who have already died with him to the kingdom of heaven. In addition to this, he highlights that the dead will rise first, and will not be forgotten when it is time to join the kingdom of God. This teaching was important for the early followers of Jesus because it reinstilled hope in life after death and hopefully decreased fear and morning in the time of death because of the promise of a reunion with Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).