The gospel of Thomas.

There are four gospels in the New Testament. That fact was pretty much established in the first century: The gospels which ancient Christians assumed were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are considered the canonical gospels. They’re the valid ones. Others, not so much.

For good reason. If you’ve ever read those other gospels, they read like obvious Christian fanfiction. They get Jesus all wrong. He’s less patient, more angry or judgey, more legalistic or more libertarian, or the author puts words in his mouth which are just plain heretic. It’s kinda obvious why the ancient Christians didn’t put ’em in their bibles.

The Gospel of Thomas is much less obvious. Yeah, but it’s because we don’t understand them that we can’t just definitively say, “Oh, it’s heretic.” It might be heretic, and some of the ancient Christians, like Eusebius of Caesarea and Origen of Alexandria, were entirely sure it was. There are some sayings in there which are kinda weird, which we don’t entirely understand, possibly because the gospel was composed by gnostics. (No, the apostle Thomas didn’t write it. That, we’re sure of.) Gnostic writings weren’t meant to be understood, unless you paid gnostic teachers to decode ’em for you. Whereas the canonical gospels are meant for everybody to understand.

Thomas is what scholars call a logia, a list of sayings. It’s what we suspect Matthew and Luke used as one of their sources for their gospels: One or more logias, plus Mark. As a logia, it only consists of Jesus’s sayings—not his acts, miracles, birth, death, resurrection, nor any of the longer and more complex teachings. Thomas doesn’t include the context of these sayings either, which makes them a lot harder to interpret if this is the only gospel you have. It definitely has its deficiencies. That’s why Christian scholars might read it, but none of us but the crackpots seriously think about adding it to the bible.

Thing is, Thomas overlaps the canonical gospels an awful lot. Read it for yourself: Most of the sayings are also found in the New Testament. And in some cases, with an extra sentence or word, which puts a whole new spin on their interpretation. But no, this doesn’t mean Thomas explains what the bible really means. Let’s not go the crackpot route, okay?

Our current copy was missing for centuries till 13 books, written in Coptic, were discovered in a sealed jar near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945. (They’re now at the Coptic Museum in Cairo.) Thomas was included in Codex 2. After their discovery, scholars soon realized three of the Oxyrhynchus Papyri (discovered in Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and now in museums round the world) were parts of Thomas written in Greek.

My translation below comes from the Coptic text. Some scholars split Thomas into chapters and verses. I didn’t do that; each saying (or logion) has a number, and each “verse” is a letter if you wanna refer to that specific part of the saying. And no, I’m not providing commentary; it’s not bible.

So if you wanna read it for yourself, here you go.

The text of Thomas.

1AThese are the secret teachings spoken by the living Jesus.

The Twin, Judas Thomas, wrote them down,

1Band said, “Whoever figures out the meaning of these words,

he will not taste death.”

2AJesus says, “Don’t let the seeker stop seeking till he finds.

2BOnce he finds, he’ll be bothered.

2CIf he’s bothered, he’ll be […] amazed,

2Dand he’ll be king over everything!”

3AJesus says, “If your leaders tell you, ‘Look, the kingdom is in the sky,’

then the birds of the sky take precedence over you.

3BIf they tell you, ‘The kingdom is in the sea,’

then the fish take precedence over you.

3CBut the kingdom is inside you,

and visible.

3DOnce you know yourselves, they will know you,

and they’ll realize you’re children of the living Father.

3EWhen you won’t know yourselves, you exist in poverty.

You are the poverty.”

4AJesus says, “The man of many days’ age

won’t hesitate to ask the little boy of seven days

about the place of Life.

And he will live.

4BFor many of the first will become last,

4Cand they become a single one.”

5AJesus says, “Know what’s in front of your face,

and what is hidden from you will be revealed to you.

5BFor nothing hidden will not be revealed.”

6AJesus’s students questioned him,

telling him this: “Do you want us to fast?

What’s the way to pray? Should we give charity?

From what foods should we abstain?”

6BJesus says, “Don’t lie,

6Cand don’t do what you hate.

6DFor all these things are revealed publicly, in heaven’s presence.

6EFor nothing hidden will not be revealed,

6Fand nothing covered will remain undisclosed.”

7AJesus says, “How awesome for the lion the man will eat,

and the lion becomes human.

7BHow cursed is the man the lion will eat,

and the lion becomes human.”

8AJesus says this: “A man is like a wise fisher who threw his net in the lake.

He pulled it out of the lake, full of little fish from below.

8BAmong them the wise fisher found a big, good fish.

8CHe threw all the little fish away, back into the lake.

He had no trouble choosing the big fish.

Whoever uses his ears to listen, listen!”

9AJesus says this: “Look, a sower came out,

filled his hand, and threw.

9BSome actually fell on the road.

Birds came and gathered them up.

9COthers fell on the rock,

never to put roots in the earth, and send ears to the sky.

9DOthers fell onto thorns.

They choked the seed, and the worm ate them.

9EOthers fell on good soil,

and bore good fruit to the sky,

and yielded 60 per measure, and 120 per measure.”

10Jesus says this: “I have thrown fire onto the world.

Look, I watch over it till it burns.”

11Jesus says this: “This sky will pass away.

That heaven which is above it will pass away.

11B Those who are dead, don’t live.

Those who live, won’t die.

11C The days when you ate dead things, you made them living things.

Once you should be in the light, what will you do?

11D On the day you were one, you made two.

Once you should be two, what will you do?”

12AThe students tell Jesus this: “We know you’ll leave from our hands.

So who will become great, raised up over us?

12BJesus tells them this: “When that time and place comes,

you’ll go to James the Just.

Heaven and earth exist because of him.”

13AJesus tells his students this: “Compare me with others.

Tell me this: Whom am I like?”

13BSimon Peter tells him this: “You’re like a righteous messenger.”

13CMatthew tells him this: “You’re like a wise philosopher.”

13DThomas tells him this: “Master, my mouth won’t let me say what you’re like.”

13E Jesus says this: “Then I’m not your master.

For you drank, and you got drunk

from the bubbling spring, the one I measured.”

13FJesus takes him and went away,

and speaks three things to Thomas.

13GWhen Thomas comes back to his fellows,

they ask him this: “What did Jesus tell you?”

13HThomas tells them this: “If I should speak one of the things he told me,

you’ll take up stones and throw them at me—

and fire will come out of the stones and burn you.”

14AJesus tells his students this: “If you fast, you’ll beget yourselves a sin.

14BIf you pray, they’ll condemn you.

14CIf you give charity, you’ll be doing evil to your spirits.

14DIf you go to any land, and walk in their squares:

If they accept you, eat what they put before you.

Cure the sick among them.

14EFor whatever goes in your mouth will not defile you,

but what comes out of your mouth, that is what defiles you.”

15Jesus says this: “When you look upon he who wasn’t begotten by a woman,

fall on your face and worship him: He’s your Father.”

16AJesus says this: “Maybe men think I have come to bring peace to the world.

16BAnd they don’t know I came to bring some division to the world.

Fire. Sword. War.

16CFive will be in a house, and three will be against two, and two against three.

The father against the son, and the son against the father.

16DThey will stand to their feet, being on their own.”

17Jesus says this: “I will give you what eye didn’t look upon,

what ear didn’t hear, what hand didn’t touch,

what didn’t come up in the human mind.”

18AThe students tell Jesus this: “Tell us this: How will our end take place?”

BJesus says, “Has the beginning been revealed to you,

so now you seek the end?

Where the beginning is,

there the end will be.

18CHow awesome for one who stands on his feet at the beginning.

He’ll know the end, and he won’t taste death.”

19AJesus says this: How awesome for the one who was in the beginning before he existed.

BIf you would be my students, and listen to my words,

these stones will become your servants.

19CFor you have five trees in paradise

which stay there summer and winter,

and their leaves don’t fall.

19DHe who will know them, won’t taste death.”

20AThe students tell Jesus this: “Tell us this:

What does heaven’s kingdom compare to?”

20BJesus tells them this: “It’s like a grain of mustard.

20CSmaller than all seeds,

20Dand when it falls upon tilled earth,

it puts out a great breach and is shelter for the sky’s birds.”

21AMary tells Jesus this: “Whom are your students like?”

21BJesus says this: “They’re like small children living in a field which isn’t theirs.

21CWhen the masters of the field come, they’ll say this: ‘Give us our field back!’

21DThey strip naked before them so they give it back to them—

and they do give their field back to them.

21ESo I say this about it: If the master of the house knows the robber is coming,

he will keep watch before the robber comes,

and not let him dig into his house, his kingdom,

to plunder his goods.

21FAnd you all: Keep watch on the world from the beginning!

21GStrap onto your waist a great power, lest robbers find you on the road,

21Hfor the advantage you look for, they will find.

21ILet a wise man be found in your midst.

21JWhen the fruit opens, he comes quickly, sickle in hand, and reaps it.

21KWhoever uses his ears to listen, listen!”

22AOnce, Jesus sees some little ones drinking milk.

22BJesus tells his students this: “These little ones drinking milk:

They’re like those who go into the kingdom.”

22CThe students tell Jesus this: “Then are we little ones?

Do we go into the kingdom?”

22DJesus tells them this: “When you make the two into one,

and if you make the inside like the outside, and the outside like the inside,

and the topside like the underside,

22Eso I will make the male and the female into a single one.

Not so the male becomes male and the female becomes female.

22FWhen you put eyes where an eye should go,

and a hand where a hand should go,

and a foot where a foot should go,

and an image where an image should go,

then you’ll go into the kingdom.”

23AJesus says this: “I will chose you—

one out of a thousand, and two out of a myriad.

23BAnd they will stand to their feet, being a single one.”

24AJesus’s students say this: “Show us the place where you are.

It’s necessary that we seek it!”

24BJesus tells them this: “Whoever uses his ears to listen, listen!

24CLight exists inside a man of light, and he becomes light to the world.

If he doesn’t become light, he’s darkness.”

25Jesus says this: “Love your brother like your soul.

Guard him like the pupil of your eye.”

26AJesus says this: “You see the wood chip in your brother’s eye.

You don’t see the support beam in your eye.

26BWhen you get the beam out of your eye,

you can see out of it to get the chip out of your brother’s eye.”

27AJesus says, “If you don’t fast from the world, you won’t find the kingdom.

27BIf you don’t keep Sabbath as Sabbath, you won’t look upon the Father.”

28AJesus says this: “I stood to my feet in the midst of the world.

I appeared outwardly to them, in flesh.

28BI found them—all of them—drunk.

I found none of them thirsty.

28CMy soul pains over the sons of humanity, for they’re blind in their minds.

They don’t look outward, for they came into the world empty,

and they also seek to come out of the world empty.

28DBut now they are drunk.

When they throw away their wine, then they will repent.”

29AJesus says this: “If the flesh exists because of spirit, it’s wonderful.

29BIf the spirit exists because of the body, it’s a wonder of wonders.

29CBut I myself wonder at this:

How these great riches were placed in this poverty.”

30Jesus says this: “The place which has three gods: They’re in God.

The place which has two or one: I myself am with him.”

31Jesus says, “No prophet is accepted in his village.

No physician cures those who know him.”

32Jesus says this: “They’re building a city on a raised-up hill.

Because it’s fortified, there’s no way that it falls.

Nor can it be hidden.”

33AJesus says this: “What you listen to with your ear and your other ear,

preach from your rooftops.

33BFor no one burns a lamp and puts it under their ear,

nor does he put it in a hidden place,

33Cbut he puts it on the lampstand,

so that anyone who goes in and comes out, may see its light.”

34Jesus says this: “A blind man, if he leads a blind man before him,

the two of them fall down into a pit.”

35Jesus says this: “In no way can one go into the strong man’s house

and take it by force, unless he bind his hands.

Then he will clear out the house.”

36Jesus says this: “Don’t worry from morning to evening, and from evening to morning,

about what you put on yourselves.”

37AJesus’s students say this: “What day will you appear to us?

Which day will we look upon you?”

37BJesus says this: “When you strip yourselves naked without being ashamed,

and take your clothes, put them on the ground under your feet like little children,

and trample them,

37Cthen you will look upon the Son of the Living One,

and you will not be afraid.”

38AJesus says this: “Many times, you desired to listen to these words,

these which I speak to you, and had no one to hear them from.

38BSomeday will come when you seek me,

and will not find me.”

39AJesus says this: “The Pharisees and scribes took the keys of knowledge.

They hid them.

39BThey didn’t enter,

and those who desire to enter, they didn’t let them.

39CYou must be clever like serpents, and innocent like doves.”

40AJesus says this: “A grapevine was planted outside the Father.

40BIt’s not supported; it will be pulled up by its root and destroyed.”

41AJesus says this: “One who has in his hand, it’ll be given to him.

41BOne who has nothing, the little he has will be taken from his hand.”

42Jesus says this: “Become those who pass by.”

43AJesus’s students told him this: “Who are you, that you speak these things to us?”

43BJesus says, “From what I speak to you, do you not realize who I am?

43CBut you have become like the Judeans, for the love the tree and hate its fruit.

Or they love the fruit and hate the tree.”

44AJesus says this: “Whoever tells off the Father, this will be forgiven.

44BAnd whoever tells off the Son, this will be forgiven.

44CAnd whoever tells off the Holy Spirit, this will not be forgven,

neither on earth nor in heaven.”

45AJesus says, “They don’t harvest grapes from thorns.

They don’t gather figs from thistles, for they don’t produce fruit.

45BA good person brings good out of his treasury.

45CAn evil person brings evil out of his wicked treasury, his mind.

He speaks evil things,

45Dfor out of the mind’s excess, he brings out evil.”

46AJesus says this: “Among those begotten of women from Adam to John the baptist,

none is raised up above John the baptist.

So John’s eyes needn’t be lowered.

46BI also said this:

Whoever will be the smallest among you will know the kingdom,

and will be raised up above John.”

47AJesus says this: “There’s no way a man can climb onto two horses at once,

nor stretch two bows at once,

47Band no way a slave can serve two masters at once,

or he will honor the one, and he will despise the other.

47CNo man drinks old wine, and immediately desires to drink new wine.

47DAnd they don’t pour new wine into new wineskins, lest they split open;

and they don’t pour old wine into new wineskins, lest they be destroyed.

47EThey don’t sew old patches on new garments, lest there be a split.”

48Jesus says this: “When two make peace with one another, in this one house,

they will tell this mountain, ‘Move away,’ and it will move.”

49AJesus says this: “How awesome are the individuals and the elect.

49BFor they will find the kingdom.

For you are out of it.

You will go back there again.”

50AJesus says this: “If they tell you this: ‘Where did you come from?’

tell them this: ‘We came out of the light, the place where the light comes out by itself.

It stood to its feet and appeared in their image.’

50BIf they tell you this: ‘Is it you?’

say this: ‘We’re its sons. We’re the elect of the living Father.’

50CIf they ask you this: ‘What’s the sign of your Father in yourselves?’

tell them this: ‘It’s motion and rest.’ ”

51AJesus’s students told him this: “On which day will the dead rest?”

And on which day will the new world come?”

51BJesus told them this: “That which you look out for, has come.

But you, you don’t know it.”

52AJesus’s students told him this: “Twenty-four prophets spoke in Israel,

and all of them spoke through you.”

52BJesus told them this: “You left the One who lives in your presence,

and you speak about the dead.”

53AJesus’s students told him this: “Is circumcision useful, or for us?

53BJesus told them this: “If it were useful,

their father would beget them from their mother already circumcised.

53CBut true circumcision in the Spirit:

All of it is profitable.”

54Jesus says this: “How awesome for the poor,

for heaven’s kingdom is yours.”

55AJesus says this: “Whoever doesn’t hate his father and mother,

cannot become my student.

55BHe who doesn’t hate his brothers and sisters,

who doesn’t take up his cross like I do,

he will not deserve me.”

56AJesus says this: “Whoever truly knows the world, has found a corpse.

56BWhoever has found a corpse, the world isn’t worthy of him.”

57AJesus says this: “The Father’s kingdom is like a man who had good seed.

57BHis enemy came in the night and sowed darnel amongst the good seed.

57CThe man didn’t permit them to weed the darnel.

He told them this: ‘Lest you go to weed the darnel, and weed the grain with it.’

57DAt harvest time, the darnel will appear.

They weed them out, and burn them.”

58Jesus says this: “How awesome for the man who’s suffered,

for he has found life.”

59Jesus says this: “Look after the Living One while you are alive,

lest you die and seek to see him, and you are unable to find him.”

60AJesus saw a Samaritan going into Judea, taking a lamb.

60BJesus told his students this: “That one has a lamb.”

60CThe students told Jesus, “So he can kill and eat it.”

60DJesus told them, “He won’t eat it while it’s alive,

but if he kills it, it’s a corpse.”

60EThe students told Jesus, “He can’t do otherwise.”

60FJesus told them this: “Look for a place to rest yourselves,

so you won’t become corpses and they won’t eat you.”

61AJesus says, “Two will rest on a bed.

One will die. One will live.”

61BSalomé says, “Who are you, mister?

When someone left, you got onto my dining couch and ate from my table.”

61CJesus told her this: “I’ve come from the One who is equal.

They gave me some of my Father’s things.

61DSalome says, “I am your student.”

61EJesus says, “This is why I say this:

When one becomes equal, one will be full of light.

And when one becomes divided, one will be full of darkness.”

62AJesus says this: “I speak my mysteries to those worthy of my mysteries.

62BWhatever your right hand does, let not your left realize what that is.”

63AJesus says this: “There’s a plutocrat who had much wealth.

63BHe said this: ‘I’ll make use of my wealth to sow, reap, and plant,

and fill my storehouse with fruit, so I won’t need anything.’

63CThese were his thoughts in his mind.

And in that very night, he died.

63DWhoever has his ears, listen!”

64AJesus says this: “A man had some visitors.

When he prepared dinner, he sent his slave so he might call the visitors.

64BThe slave went to the first.

64CThe slave told him this: ‘My master calls you.’

The visitor said this: ‘I have money for some traders who come to me at evening.

I will go and give them orders. I ask to be excused from dinner.’

64DThe slave went to another and told him this: ‘My master calls you.’

64EThe visitor told him this: ‘I bought a house.

They require a day of me, and I cannot rest.’

64FThe slave went to another and told him this: ‘My master calls you.’

64GThe visitor told him this: ‘My friend will be married,

and I, who will host the dinner, cannot come. I ask to be excused from dinner.’

64HThe slave went to another and told him this: ‘My master calls you.’

IThe visitor told him this: ‘I bought a farm.

I’m going to collect rent. I cannot come. I ask to be excused.’

64JThe slave came and told his master this:

‘Those you called to the dinner have asked to be excused.’

64KThe master told the slave this: ‘Go outside the walls, to the roads.

Those you find there, bring them so they may dine.’

Buyers and sellers may not enter my Father’s lands.”

65AJesus says this: “A good man had a vineyard.

He gave it to tenants so they’d work it, and he’d take its fruit from their hand.

65BHe sent his slave so the tenants might give him the vineyard’s fruit.

65CThey grabbed his slave, beat him; had they time they’d kill him.

The servant left, and spoke to his master.

65DThe master said this: ‘Maybe he didn’t know them.’

65EHe sent another slave, and the tenants beat the other slave.

65FThen the master sent his son, saying this: ‘Maybe they’ll respect him.’

65GThe tenants there, knowing he was the vineyard’s heir, seized and killed him.

65HWhoever has his ears, listen!”

66Jesus says this: “Show me the stone, the one they turned away.

It is the corner stone.”

67Jesus says this: “One who knows everything:

If he has needs himself, he needs the whole place.”

68AJesus says this: “How awesome you are when they hate and persecute you.

68BIn the place they persecute you, they find no place for themselves.”

69AJesus says this: “How awesome are those who are persecuted in their minds.

Those who are there, truly have known the Father.

69BHow awesome are those who are hungry.

The belly of one who desires, may be satisfied.”

70AJesus says, “When you beget it in yourselves, that which you have will save you.

70BWhen you don’t have it in you, that which you lack will kill you.”

71Jesus says this: “I will destroy this house,

and no one can build it up. Not again.”

72AA man told Jesus this: “Speak to my brothers, so they may divide my father’s belongings with me.”

72BJesus told him this: “Mister, who made me an arbiter?”

72CJesus turned to his students.

He told them this: “No really: Am I an arbiter?”

73Jesus says this: “The harvest is truly plentiful. The laborers few.

Pray to the Lord so he might send laborers out to the harvest.”

74Jesus says this: “Lord, there are many around the fountain,

but nothing in the well.”

75Jesus says this: “Many are standing at the door.

But the single ones will go into the wedding feast.”

76AJesus says this: “The Father’s kingdom is like a man, a trader.

He had a consignment there, and found a pearl.

76BThe trader was wise, and gave his consignment back.

He bought only the pearl for himself.

76CYou too: Seek after treasure which doesn’t perish, which endures.

Kept in a place where no moth approaches to eat, nor worms destroy.”

77AJesus says this: “I am the light, the one shining upon all of them.

I am everything. Everything has come out of me. Everything reaches out to me.

77BSplit open a timber, and I am there.

77CPick up a stone, and you will find me there.”

78AJesus says this: “Why did you come out to the fields?

To see a reed blowing around in the wind?

78BTo see a man with soft clothing upon him, like your kings and oligarchs?

78CYes they’re in soft clothing, but they can’t recognize truth.”

79AA woman in the crowd told Jesus this: “How awesome is she,

the belly which birthed you, and the breasts which fed you.”

79BJesus told her this: “How awesome are those

who listened to the Father’s word, and guard it in truth.

79CFor in some days, you will say, ‘How awesome is she,

the one who doesn’t conceive, and the breasts which don’t give milk.’ ”

80Jesus says this: “Whoever knows the world has found a body.

Whoever has found a body, the world isn’t worthy of them.”

81AJesus says this: “Whoever becomes rich, let him become king.

81BAnd whoever has power—let him renounce it.”

82AJesus says this: “Whoever is close to me, is close to the fire.

82BAnd whoever is far from me, is far from the kingdom.”

83AJesus says this: “The images are revealed to humanity.

The light which is in them, the Father’s light, is hidden in the image.”

83BThe Father will be revealed,

and his image hidden away by this light.”

84AJesus says this: “On the day you look at your image, you rejoice.

84BAnd when you look at your images which came before you,

which neither die, nor appear anymore,

how much will you withstand?”

85AJesus says this: “Did Adam come from great power and great wealth?

He never became worthy of you.

85BHad he been deserving, he would not have tasted death.”

86AJesus says this: “Foxes have their dens, and birds have their nests.

86BAnd the Son of Man has no place to lay his head, and rest himself.”

87Jesus says this: “A body which depends on a body is miserable.

A soul which depends on these two is also miserable.”

88AJesus says this: “Angels are coming to you with the prophets,

and they will give you what they have.

88BYou yourselves, give them what you have,

and tell yourselves this: ‘When will they come and take what’s theirs?’ ”

89AJesus says this: “Why do you wash the outside of the cup?

89BDon’t you understand whoever created the inside also created the outside?”

90AJesus says this: “Come to me, for my yoke is gentle, and my lordship is mild.

90BYou will find rest for yourselves.”

91APeople told Jesus this: “Tell us what you are,

so we may believe in you.”

91BJesus told them this: “You read the face of the heavens and earth,

yet he was in your presence, and you didn’t know him.

You don’t know how to read the moment.”

92AJesus says this: “Seek, and you will find.

92BBut the things you asked me about in those days:

I didn’t reveal them to you at that time.

Now, it pleases me to reveal them—yet you don’t seek them.”

93AJesus says, “Don’t give a holy thing to dogs,

lest they throw it onto the dunghill.

93BDon’t throw pearls to pigs,

lest it be made [worthless].”

94AJesus says, “One who seeks will find.

94BOne who calls inside, it’ll be opened for him.”

95AJesus says this: “If you have money, don’t lend at interest,

95Bbut give it to one from whom you will not take from his hand.”

96AJesus says this: “The Father’s kingdom is like a woman.

96BShe takes a little bit of yeast, hid it in dough,

and made it into some large loaves of bread.

96CWhoever has his ears, listen!”

97AJesus says this: “The Father’s kingdom is like a woman carrying a jar full of flour.

97BWalking on a long road, the handle of the jar broke,

the flour emptied out behind her on the road,

97Cand she knew it not; she didn’t realize her trouble.

97DWhen she arrived at her house she set the jar down,

and found it was empty.”

98AJesus says, “The Father’s kingdom is like a man wanting to kill an oligarch.

98BHe drew the sword in his own house and stabbed the wall,

so he might see whether his hand was strong enough.

98CThen he killed the oligarch.”

99AJesus’s students told him this: “Your brothers and mother are standing outside.”

99BJesus told them this: “Those in this place who do my Father’s will,

these are my brothers and my mother.

99CIt is they who will go into my Father’s kingdom.”

100APeople showed Jesus a gold coin, and told him this:

“Those who belong to Caesar, demand taxes of us.”

100BJesus told them this: “Give Caesar’s things to Caesar.

100CGive God’s things to God.

100DAnd whatever’s mine, give me.”

101AJesus says, “Whoever doesn’t hate his father and his mother like me,

can’t become my student.

101BWhoever doesn’t love his father and his mother like me,

can’t become my student.

101CFor my mother, she… […]

and my true mother gave me life.”

102Jesus says this: “How sad for the Pharisees,

for they’re like a dog sleeping in a cattle trough.

He doesn’t eat, and he won’t let the cattle eat.”

103Jesus says this: “How awesome is one who knows

which part of the house the thieves break in,

so he can get up, gather his kingdom,

and strap his weapon on his waist from the beginning, before they come in.”

104APeople told Jesus this: “Come, pray today, and fast.”

104BJesus told them this: “Which sin have I done? How was I defeated?

104CBut when the bridegroom leaves the bridal chamber, let them fast and pray.”

105Jesus says this: “Whoever knows the Father and mother,

they will call him ‘the son of the whore.’ ”

106AJesus says this: “Once you make the two into one,

you will be the sons of man,

106Band if you should say this: ‘Mountain, move away,’

it will move!”

107AJesus says this: “The kingdom is like a man,

a shepherd who has there 100 sheep.

107BOne of them, the largest, strayed.

The shepherd left the 99,

and sought after the sheep till he found it.

107CHaving suffered, he told the sheep this:

‘I love you more than the 99.’ ”

108AJesus says this: “Whoever drinks from my mouth will be like me.

108BI myself will also be like him.

108CHidden things will be revealed to him.”

109AJesus says this: “The kingdom is like a man,

who had there in his field a hidden treasure, and he was ignorant of it.

109BAfter his death, he left it to his son, and the son knew not.

He took the field there, and gave it away.

109CWhoever bought it, came plowing and found the treasure.

He began to lend money at interest to those he loved.”

110Jesus says this: “Whoever has found the world and become wealthy,

let him renounce the world.”

111AJesus says this: “The heavens will be rolled up,

and the earth likewise, in your presence.

111BWhoever lives according to the Living One, will not look upon death.”

111CBecause Jesus says this: “So whoever finds himself,

of him the world isn’t worthy.”

112Jesus says this: “How sad for the flesh which depends on the soul.

How sad for the soul which depends on the flesh.”

113Jesus’s students told him this: “On what day is the kingdom coming?”

113BJesus says, “It isn’t coming when one looks for it.

113CThey won’t say this: ‘Look over there,’ nor ‘Look at him!’

113DBut the Father’s kingdom is spread out upon the earth, and people don’t look at it.”

114ASimon Peter told them this, “Let Mary leave us, for women aren’t worthy of the Life.”

114BJesus says this: “Look, I myself will lead her,

so I can make her male, so she might also be a living spirit like you males.

114CFor any woman who makes herself male will go into heaven’s kingdom.”