Comparison Of The Synoptic Gospels And The Gospel Of Thomas

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The Gospel of Thomas was discovered in the Egyptian dessert over half a century ago. It is a collection of sayings attributed to Jesus written by Didymos Judas Thomas. The sayings in this text are describes as having some divine power: "whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death" (Thomas 1). This gospel does not have a narrative of the life and passion of Jesus as well as a record of his teachings. Instead one saying is followed by another saying without a narrative element. Some writings in this text parallel those found in the Synoptic Gospels. The parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the sower are two such parables. Also, the Gospel of Thomas focuses more on the power and divinity of Jesus rather than on the characteristics of Jesus. Therefore, the important issue of this gospel is the knowledge and wisdom of the sayings, gnosticism.
Contained in the Gospel of Thomas are a few parables and sayings that parallel those found in the Synoptic Gospels. This brings up the question if the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of Thomas were using the ...

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