The Gospel Of Thomas quotes

Canon or not canon, the enlightenment in this text is difficult to deny. Reminds me of the Tao Te Ching

In no particular order, here are some verses I find especially compelling, or interesting. Honestly its difficult not to simply copy the entire text, I find most of the verses to be very beautiful.

  1. And he said, "Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death."

  2. Jesus said, "Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, and he will rule over the All."

  3. Jesus said, "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 is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty.

  4. Jesus said, "The man old in days will not hesitate to ask a small child seven days old about the place of life, and he will live. For many who are first will become last, and they will become one and the same."

  5. Jesus said, "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."

  6. His disciples questioned him and said to him, "Do you want us to fast? How shall we pray? Shall we give alms? What diet shall we observe?" Jesus said, "Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate, for all things are plain in the sight of heaven. For nothing hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain without being uncovered."

  7. Jesus said to his disciples, "Compare me to someone and tell me whom I am like." Simon Peter said to him, "You are like a righteous angel." Matthew said to him, "You are like a wise philosopher." Thomas said to him, "Master, my mouth is wholly incapable of saying whom you are like." Jesus said, "I am not your master. Because you have drunk, you have become intoxicated from the bubbling spring which I have measured out." And he took him and withdrew and told him three things. When Thomas returned to his companions, they asked him, "What did Jesus say to you?" Thomas said to them, "If I tell you one of the things which he told me, you will pick up stones and throw them at me; a fire will come out of the stones and burn you up." (invites a lot of imagination)

  8. Jesus said, "I shall give you what no eye has seen and what no ear has heard and what no hand has touched and what has never occurred to the human mind."

  9. The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us how our end will be." Jesus said, "Have you discovered, then, the beginning, that you look for the end? For where the beginning is, there will the end be. Blessed is he who will take his place in the beginning; he will know the end and will not experience death."

  10. Jesus said, "No prophet is accepted in his own village; no physician heals those who know him."

  11. Jesus said, "Whoever has something in his hand will receive more, and whoever has nothing will be deprived of even the little he has."

  12. Jesus said, "Become passers-by." (important)

  13. Jesus said, "If one who knows the all still feels a personal deficiency, he is completely deficient."

  14. Jesus said, "Blessed are they who have been persecuted within themselves. It is they who have truly come to know the father. Blessed are the hungry, for the belly of him who desires will be filled."

  15. Jesus said, "The harvest is great but the laborers are few. Beseech the Lord, therefore, to send out laborers to the harvest."

  16. He said, "O Lord, there are many around the drinking trough, but there is nothing in the cistern."

  17. Jesus said, "Many are standing at the door, but it is the solitary who will enter the bridal chamber."

  18. Jesus said, "The foxes have their holes and the birds have their nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head and rest."

  19. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you

  20. Jesus said, "He who seeks will find, and he who knocks will be let in."

  21. They showed Jesus a gold coin and said to him, "Caesar's men demand taxes from us." He said to them, "Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give God what belongs to God, and give me what is mine."

  22. Jesus said, "Whoever finds the world and becomes rich, let him renounce the world."


Cherry picking verses will not make anyone virtuous. But similar to a Zen Koan maybe you are tuned to the wisdom of a particular verse and and it shocks your system enough to bring you back to the present.