to Matthew, Mark &
Luke
3.
The Lamp
Mark 4:21-25 // Luke 8:16-18
Matt 5:15 // Luke 11:33
Matt 10:26-7 // Luke 12:2-3
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Other Versions
The
fact that the Gospel of Thomas records the aphorisms of the lamp and the
disclosed secrets in separate clusters unrelated to the contexts in
which they were used in the synoptic Gospels proves that these sayings
were recalled independently in early Christian circles. Unlike any
synoptic author, Thomas presents the hidden/revealed paradox first,
long before introducing the image of the location of the lamp. In fact
he cites it twice in adjacent clusters (Thom 5.2 & 6.5), to
support different non-canonical Jesus sayings, each of which concludes
with the catchword “disclosed.”
|
The
SECRET REVEALED
|
Thomas
5 |
Thomas
6 |
1 |
Jesus said: |
2 |
Jesus said: |
|
|
|
"Don't lie, |
|
|
3 |
and don't do what you hate |
|
"Know what is front of your
face, |
|
|
|
and what is hidden from you |
|
|
|
will be disclosed
to you |
4 |
because all things are
disclosed |
|
|
|
before Heaven. |
2 |
For there is
nothing hidden |
5 |
For there is
nothing hidden |
|
that will
not be revealed." |
|
that will not be
revealed; |
|
|
6 |
and there is nothing covered |
|
|
|
that will remain
undisclosed." |
Moreover, while this Thomas doublet is worded exactly the same, it is
not identical to any synoptic version. Though Thom 6:5-6 presents a
balanced pair of synonyms similar to Matt 10:26 // Luke 12:2, the paired
verbs are cited in an inverted order [“hidden/revealed //
covered/disclosed” rather than “covered/uncovered // hidden/made
known”]. Such variation indicates that the non-canonical author working
from aural memory rather than from any synoptic gospel.
|
The
LAMP
|
Thomas
33 |
1 |
Jesus said: |
|
"What you hear in your ear |
|
in your other ear* |
|
proclaim from your
rooftops. |
2 |
For no one lights
a lamp |
|
and puts it under a bushel |
|
nor does one
put it in a cellar. |
|
Rather, one puts it
on a stand |
|
so that all
who enter and leave |
|
will see its light. |
Thomas’ version of the aphorism of the lamp displays the same pattern of
inverted wording vis-à-vis synoptic parallels. Thom 33:2 is closest to
Luke 11:33 except its identification of inappropriate places to locate
an oil lamp [“under a bushel” or “in a cellar”] is the reverse of
Luke’s. Moreover, in Thomas this aphorism is appended to an
injunction to disclose whispered secrets that is worded more like Matt
10:27 than Luke’s version. This shows that the Gospel of Thomas is the
product of a culture which collected oral sayings instead of
transcribing texts.
|
Color
Code |
Red |
Five
texts use same wording. |
Purple |
Four texts
use same wording. |
Blue |
Three
texts use same wording. |
Teal |
Two
texts use same wording. |
Black |
Words unique
to a particular gospel. |
<the> |
RSV wording revised to reflect Greek. |
[it] |
Word
in RSV but not Greek text. |
|
No
parallel passage in this gospel. |
last revised
28 February 2023
|