The Gospel of Thomas is not part of the Bible for several reasons, and it presents some quite different interpretations of Jesus’ sayings compared to the canonical Gospels.
The Gospel of Thomas has faced significant examination by scholars and social media users, with some on Twitter even suggesting it was ‘banned’ from the Bible.
While it is not accurate to say the Gospel of Thomas was ‘banned,’ as some have suggested, it was excluded for various reasons. It also contains teachings that differ from other accounts of Jesus found in religious texts.
Cross Examined notes that the Gospel of Thomas “doesn’t follow a narrative structure” and “doesn’t report on major parts of Jesus’ life.”
Instead, it is described as having 114 “esoteric sayings” purportedly detailing secrets Jesus shared with his disciples.
One text begins with: “These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down.”
In “After the New Testament: A Reader in Early Christianity,” Bart Ehrman suggests the document was “probably” written early in the second century, though “some of these sayings” might be older and could “go back to Jesus himself.”
Consequently, many scholars have debated the overall legitimacy of the Gospel of Thomas, especially since the proposed timeframe indicates it was written after all the apostles had died, which means Apostle Thomas was not the actual author.
There are additional reasons why the Gospel of Thomas was not included as a Biblical Gospel.
The process of deciding which texts would be included in the Bible involved consideration of several factors. Cross Examined highlights that the church typically looked for “three different attributes” when evaluating a text’s inclusion.
Firstly, to be considered canonical, the Gospel needed to be linked to an apostolic eyewitness testimony, which it was not.
‘Apostolic eyewitness’ refers to firsthand accounts and teachings from the apostles, who were chosen by Jesus to witness his life, teachings, death, and resurrection.
Though one of Jesus’ apostles was named Thomas, the text was dated to the mid-second century, well after the apostles had died.
Secondly, the Gospel of Thomas’ Gnostic leanings, which emphasize personal spiritual knowledge as the key to salvation, did not align closely with other biblical texts. The early church rejected this Gnostic viewpoint as too divergent for the time.
Thirdly, the church recognized only four Gospels, excluding Thomas. Given its differences from other texts, it was not considered for inclusion.
What insights does the Gospel of Thomas offer about the church or Jesus’ teachings that differ considerably from other biblical texts?
Unlike other texts, the Gospel of Thomas does not focus on Jesus’ life, actions, or death. Instead, it emphasizes Jesus as a voice imparting “salvation through his teachings” rather than through “death and resurrection,” as discussed by Marko Marina, Ph.D.
In the Gospel of Thomas, the main issue with the world is not ‘sin’ as in other biblical texts, but rather ignorance and a failure to confront truth and our real identities.
The Gospel quotes ‘Jesus’ as saying: “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.”
Another quote states: “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.'”
The Gospel of Thomas’ portrayal of Jesus also offers a different perspective on the ‘kingdom.’
In this text, an alleged saying from Jesus reads: “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’s in the sea,’ then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and it’s outside of you.”
While some perceive the sayings in the Gospel of Thomas as challenging or opposing other biblical teachings, it is important to recognize that these sayings are not necessarily mutually exclusive and can coexist.
Ultimately, the notion of finding faith within oneself rather than through an establishment, building, or authority aligns more with modern perspectives of the Church.