The gospel of Thomas says there is a light in all people and everyone is capable of becomming a son or daughter of God. That Jesus was a role model in this as he found God in himself, and that we are all capable of doing the same.
Do you think Jesus meant that the only way to God was by being like him and not using him as a translator?
If this gospel is true, all you have to do is be like Jesus to get to heaven. That would mean Ghandi is in heaven, as well as many other people who were Christ-like, and that you do not need to join a religion to find God, because God is in all of us.
Does anyone think this is a better version of Christianity?
2007-01-28 08:01:30 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes, I believe it was rejected because it did not promote the going to hell scare tactics the church wanted to use to convert people.
2007-01-28 08:14:16 · update #1
No! It's a false book.
The Gospel of Thomas makes no mention of Hell, Satan, Eternal Damnation, and demons, which is in contrast to the earliest extant Christian documents, the Pauline epistles and Mark, which clearly show a belief in these areas. This may suggest that the Gospel of Thomas was produced by a community or author who did not believe in Hell, Satan, Eternal Damnation, and demons. So the author/community associated with the Gospel of Thomas appears to be unconnected with the early Christian community of followers of Paul and Mark.
The last verse in the book, which strikes many commentators as appended at a later date, perhaps reflecting a mainstream misogyny not otherwise found in this text, also refers to the "life" in a sense that can only mean the "life everlasting":
114. Simon Peter said to them, "Make Mary leave us, for females do not deserve life." Jesus said, "Look, I will guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of Heaven."
Says only MEN can enter heaven?? FALSE!!!!
2007-01-28 08:14:14 · answer #1 · answered by lookn2cjc 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That's not what the Gospel of Thomas says. First of all the GoT is a gnostic book and gnosticism does not say that "everyone is capable of becoming a son or daughter of God." Gnosticism said quite the opposite. According to gnosticism, only a very few people would get to "see the light" and understand the mysteries of God. Truth about God and reality was hidden and not something that ordinary people could learn. Instead only a few special elites got to be enlightened/saved/whatever.
This is in contrast with Christianity which teaches that truth about God is not a secret, anyone can learn it. God does not want to just save a few mysterious elite people, but rather everyone. Not that everyone will be saved, but everyone has the opportunity to be saved. Gnosticism doesn't even give most people the opportunity to be saved.
Secondly the GoT is incredibly sexist. Did you read the part where it says that women have to be made males in order to enter heaven?
People have a perception these days that Gnosticism was some feel good, spiritual, feminist, loving religion. It was far from it. It was incredibly elitist, esoteric, and misogynist.
2007-01-28 08:21:27 · answer #2 · answered by Sass B 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
definite. I felt i ought to have have been given precisely a similar from only examining Jesus's speeches in the different gospels. no longer something new there in any respect. So the respond could be that to do God's will, we ought to attend to one yet another as divine, that we ought to continuously love one yet another as Christ loves us and that this is substantial to no longer be legalistic yet to look on the justifications in the back of God's commandments to us and observe that fairly than get slowed down in the trivialities.
2016-09-28 02:48:18 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Did it ever occurr to you why this book was rejected as Canonical?
P.S. Please cite where I can find in the other Canonical New Testament Books "scare tactics". Better yet....give us a lesson in Church Councils and why and how which books were considered Canonical or not. I am really interested in hearing all this.
2007-01-28 08:12:32 · answer #4 · answered by Augustine 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have read it.
I thought it was like the other gospels -- some good points, some bad concepts and some incomprehensible ideas.
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2007-01-28 08:07:55 · answer #5 · answered by Chickyn in a Handbasket 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I love the Gospel of Thomas. I believe that Gnosticism and most mystical religions, Sufism, Kabalah, etc... make much more since to me than Christianity. We are all part of God and he us.
2007-01-28 08:10:16 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
I haven't read it, but I do think it is a better version of Christianity.
2007-01-28 08:56:13 · answer #7 · answered by Ayesha 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋