The Key to Understanding Jesus and the Apostles
This unique Gospel message is Freely given for the sake of the church.
Seemingly hidden for many centuries, but now revealed, the recent discovery of a "key of knowledge" has yielded a practical and very useful cross reference tool to understand the epistles.
This cross shaped key is found hidden within many early manuscripts and most prominently within the controversial Gospel of Thomas. This mysterious key unlocks a treasure chest allowing the disciple to discover hidden connections both within Thomas, and within the canonical letters.
There are convincing sequential similarities in thought, word, and rhetoric between The Gospel of Thomas and several canonical writings that become plainly visible. Providing an invaluable contribution to the study of the New Testament, these connections appear to reveal the original thought processes behind the apostolic writings.
Aligning and combining the sayings of Jesus together with these apostolic writings, we "make the two into one." It's almost like Jesus and the apostles left us a cross reference study bible.
Take a look at these Key Word Connections:
View The Thomas - Corinthian Connection
See The Thomas - Galatians Connection
See The Thomas - James Connection
See The Thomas - 1 Peter Connection
See The Thomas - 1 John Connection
See The Thomas - Revelations Connection
These new insights suggest that The Gospel of Thomas squares more neatly into the framework of early Christianity than is commonly assumed. Such similarities, connections, and cross references could revolutionize our understanding of the epistles, the gospel, the tapestry of the early church, and even of Christ.
I think the implications of these revelations stretch the imagination beyond belief. What do you think? Being the only known document with simultaneously extensive, sequential, and unique connections to all these early canonical writings does not suggest a later date for Thomas, but rather a very, very early date.
What does all this mean?
Why are these texts interconnected in such an extensive manner?
What do these connections teach us about the meaning of the canonical letters and about Thomas?
Did Paul, James, Peter, and John construct their letters using "The Gospel of Thomas?" If so, why?
Thomas claims to be the Gospel authored by Christ himself, and penned by Thomas. Could apostolic acceptance of this proposition explain the connections, and explain why the apostles used this gospel so extensively. (See the Thomas prologue)
Given the apparent apostolic reliance upon the Gospel of Thomas, could this gospel be The Original Gospel Of Christ?
This would be revolutionary. As a unique gospel, apparently intended primarily for those within the church, this key of knowledge teaches those who would follow Jesus, as one of his disciples, how to live life as a wandering radical. It then reveals to these solitary and elect the complete reunification and oneness of the all through the teachings of the bridal chamber. This gospel, if sent and received, could be a significant challenge to the current religious world.
May we be granted wisdom and grace.
URfriend,
Dean Johnson
P.S. Perhaps The Gospel of Thomas was even used by non-canonical authors:
posted by URfriend, Dean Johnson @ 8:49:00 PM
8 comments
8 Comments:
Did this gospel come directly from Christ, merely being scribed by Thomas, as this gospel claims?
(See the Thomas Prologue?)
This would make Thomas Christ's own gospel.
Regarding this question, there four pages worth considering:
Considered together these 4 pages suggest that the Apostle Paul relied heavily upon on the Gospel of Thomas. Paul's reliance on the Gospel of Thomas in his creation of 1 Corinthians suggests a very early date for Thomas. This early dating together with Paul's extensive usage of Thomas suggests a pre-eminent authority present in this text. One reasonable explanation is that "The Gospel of Thomas" was "The Gospel of Christ."
1. http://www.angelfire.com/dc/universalism/Corinthian_Thomas_Parallels.html
This is a complete side by side comparison of both 1 Corinthians and The Gospel of Thomas. There appears to be extensive and entirely sequential similarities in thought, word, and rhetoric, throughout both the gospel and letter. Individually these similarities might be inconsequential, but sequentially throughout the entirety of both texts they cannot be ignored.
Then there are the 2 loose chiastic structures based on key word connections throughout Thomas:
2. The Outer Thomas Chiasmic Structure based on the Cross (Staurogram):
http://www.angelfire.com/dc/universalism/keyofknowledge.html
3. The Inner Chiasmic Structure
based on the Kingdom:
http://www.angelfire.com/dc/universalism/realizedeschatologychart.html>
Cumulatively, the evidence from these 3 web pages suggests a very early date for the Gospel of Thomas. The reason they suggest an early date is that it becomes extremely unlikely that a later author could have fashioned Thomas using the saying of Jesus, while sequentially matching the Rhetoric of 1 Corinthians, while also simultaneously maintaining both the inner and outer loosely based chiasms that provide the overarching structure for the Gospel of Thomas. It is much easier to believe that Thomas came first, and that the other gospels flowed out from Thomas.
Finally, with Paul's extensive reliance upon Thomas in mind, http://www.angelfire.com/dc/universalism/mygospel.html hesitantly considers the realistic possibility that "The Gospel of Christ" that is so often referred to in the scriptures and in Paul's writings may be an actual early text commissioned by Christ himself. The possibility is examined that the gospel commonly known as "The Gospel of Thomas" may be the actual Gospel of Christ: Christ's own message and gospel passed on to his closest disciples.
This might explain the apostle Paul's extensive use of The Gospel of Thomas in his own writings.
Today, many similarities in thought, word, and rhetoric between Thomas and Galatians were posted online for the benefit of the body of Christ.
The Gospel of Thomas Compared to Galatians
It is almost like Jesus and the Apostles gave us a cross reference Bible for our personal studies. Enjoy.
Today is posted a sequential side by side comparison of
James and The Gospel of Thomas
James was leader in the initial church in Jerusalem.
These similarities between James and the Gospel of Thomas may suggest that James also recognized the value of Thomas, perhaps also viewing it as the very gospel of Christ.
This connection to James is especially interesting as it is reminiscent of the the "Gospel to the Circumcision" mentioned by Paul.
These connections may also imply that some of the the early Jewish believers which were scattered abroad in the early dispersion could have been very familiar with this gospel known as Thomas. James 1:1
For the sake of the church, and especially for those who value the special place of Peter in Church history, today is revealed the connections between
1 Peter and The Gospel of Thomas.
May it be a blessing.
Some recent scholarship has suggested that the disciples of Thomas and John did not get along. For example, partially based on John's gospel portrayal of Thomas as the doubting Thomas Elaine Pagels in Beyond Belief portrays Thomas and John as rival factions within the early church.
This posting of the Thomas - 1 John Connection may provide further insights and perhaps even challenge this train of thought.
The Gospel of Thomas - Gospel of Mary Connection is posted today.
Though not a canonical gospel this posting is significant as Mary was the first to see Christ in his resurrection glory.
Here is a gift for the prophets and all those who look for the Revelation of Christ from within.
Today is posted a side by side comparison between The Gospel of Christ and The Revelation of Jesus Christ
May we see him as he is.
Jesus chastised the scribes of his day for hiding the key of knowledge within their scribblings. This key was necessary for those who would enter the kingdom.
Jesus said, "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,” (Thomas 39, Luke 11:52).
The recognition of the scribal use of the "Staurogram" or the "Tau-Rho Cross" as this "key of knowledge" may be useful in locating other texts that are based on the Gospel of Thomas.
Just as the Staurogram is located in saying 55 at the center of the Thomas text, so also, other ancient texts constructed using Thomas also have the concepts of Thomas 55 and the cross located centrally within their texts. Seek and you will find.
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