Examine the relationship of two common ideas or concepts found in the Gospels of John and Thomas.

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This essay represents an attempt to examine the relationship of two common ideas or concepts found in the Gospels of John and Thomas. Through the focus of themes of light and of paths to eternal life, this essay will endeavor to expound a few of the contrasts and similarities of the two Gospels, and illustrate how they effect the writings as a whole. To aid in the analysis, scholarly journals and discipline specific reference works will be utilized and meditated upon.

The theme of “light” is found throughout both the Gospels of John and Thomas. Many parallels exist concerning this theme in the Gospels, even though they are both considered independent attestations. In the commencement of John’s Gospel, the author states that the Word of God has come into being and that His life “…was the light of all people.” (GJn 1.4) Likewise, the same concept of light is present in the Gospel of Thomas. Both Gospels share a dualistic approach to the same idea as well. If one is opposed to following Jesus (who is the “True Light”), then one lives without light, thus in darkness. The dualistic approach to light is seen in Logia 24 of the Gospel of Thomas: “…there is light within a man of light, and he lights up the whole world. If he does not shine, he is in darkness.” (GTh 24) This closely parallels the Johannine tradition of light and darkness, especially the last sentence: “Night comes when no one can work; as long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (GJn 9.4) Another similarity regarding the issue of light also becomes evident in Thomas’ 50th Logia: “…We came from the light. We are its children, and we are the elect of the living father…” (GTh 50)

Raymond Brown, a renowned scholar of the New Testament, makes note in his writing comparing the two Gospels that there is no exact parallel in John to Jesus as “coming from the light.” However, Brown does conclude that if the saying in Thomas is dissected, then it does reflect a similarity in the Johannine tradition. The first statement regarding our coming into being by the light closely resembles: “The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.” (GJn 1.9) “If GTh is referring to sons of the light, we may think of John xii, 36: ‘Believe in the light that you may become sons of the light.’” 1 Another close parallel regarding the theme of light in the two Gospels occurs in Thomas 77 and John 8. “I am the light which is above them all…” (GTh 77a). The first fragment of the saying is very common in Johannine literature. A perfect parallel between the two is exhibited in John’s Gospel. John in a number of instances claims Jesus to have said, “I am the light…” (GJn 8.12). It is very coincidental for two independent attestations not only to constantly portray the theme of light in their works, but also to claim Jesus saying that “[He] is the light.” (GTh 77, GJn 8.12)

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The preceding analyzed how similar themes or ideas were evident in the Gospels of John and Thomas. Although many similarities may be exhibited, differences and conflicts are also evident. The two Gospels differ regarding the idea or concept of how one is able to obtain eternal life. The Gospel of Thomas is a Coptic, Gnostic writing that contains one-hundred and fourteen sayings of Jesus. The very first saying in the Gospel of Thomas acts as a preface or introductory for the one hundred and thirteen sayings that follow. “And he said, Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death.” (GTh 1) The author of the Gospel has put great emphasis on the words of Jesus and believes that they alone are what is needed to gain eternal life. If one recalls, the Gospel of Thomas contains no narratives, miracles or mention of Jesus’ crucifixion or resurrection whatsoever. Thus, the main focus of the Gospel is on the words of Jesus, and Thomas explicitly states that if one interprets the sayings, one will gain eternal life.

The first saying of the Gospel of Thomas is found in the Gospel of John and is almost verbatim. “Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.” (Jn 8.52) Although the same saying of Jesus is present in John’s Gospel, it does not reflect his belief of how one may obtain eternal life. The author of the Gospel of John believes that faith and belief alone are what is required to gain eternal life. John’s most famous quote is an example of John’s view. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (GJn 3.16) Here, John states that simply by “believing in him”, one gains eternal life. Again, Jesus states: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” (GJn 11.25-26) This may be seen again in the Gospel of John: “Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life.” (GJn 6.47) The Gospel of John was written in Greek; the Greek word for “believe” is pisteuo. Pisteuo belief amounts to more than just intellectual acknowledgement of a fact. It is a belief that involves a willingness to commit to, trust in, or follow someone. John’s account contains seven “signs” which Jesus performs to show people that he was the Messiah. After Jesus’ resurrection, He appears to the disciples in the closed room and reveals to them his wounds and that he is alive. Immediately following, the author narrates the reader that “…these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” (GJn 20.31)

The similarities and coincidences regarding the theme of light and the differences and conflicts concerning paths to eternal life are clearly evident. Both the Gospels of John and Thomas claim Jesus to be the “light of the world” and maintain this theme constantly throughout their writings. “For John, Jesus is the ‘way’, the ‘truth’, the ‘life’, the ‘logos’, and the ‘light’ and so these are equivalent terms in John’s Gospel. Indeed, the idea that Jesus is the light from whence all comes forth at the beginning, the light of men enabling all to be children of God is Thomas’ perspective as much as it is the perspective of the preamble to John’s Gospel.”2 It seems that John’s “light” is one in which everyone can believe and comprehend in. “The illumination is not presented as primarily intellectual…but as the direct bestowal of life or salvation.”3 Thomas’ “light” suggests that many will see the “light”, but not everyone will find interpretation to the sayings of Jesus, and thus, not achieve eternal life. The theme of light present in both Gospels suggests that both authors may have written their accounts during the same time; according to some scholars this is true. Most scholars date John’s Gospel between 90-125 AD, and some also date the Gospel of Thomas within the same time frame. Both Gospels encourage the reader to believe that the world has been living in darkness, and now that the ‘light’ has come into the world, one must abide to it. The differences and conflicts regarding the two Gospels were also evident. The Gnostic Gospel of Thomas clearly focuses on the sayings of Jesus and relies on the interpretation of them to gain salvation. John’s concept of eternal life is quite the opposite and may be compared to the ideas of Paul. The evangelist emphasizes that belief in Jesus alone is all that is necessary for one to “not taste death.” One reason for these conflicts pertaining to the paths of eternal life is that the evangelists had different styles of writing with different audiences in mind. John’s Greek text seems to follow the ideas of Paul; faith and belief are all that is necessary for salvation. Thomas’ audience was probably from a Gnostic background and was only interested in the sayings of Jesus because of the knowledge that it offered, as well as the reward upon gaining the knowledge of the sayings.

In conclusion, there is no doubt of the importance of the themes of “light” and paths to eternal life in the Gospels of John and Thomas. The Gospel of John professes that one can only attain eternal life through believing in the “light”. It makes it very clear that this “light” is Jesus himself. The Gospel of Thomas purports that in order not to taste death, one must interpret or be “enlightened” by Jesus’ sayings. Both Gospels proclaim eternal life as the ultimate goal; they simply differ in how to achieve same.

Bibliography

Davies, Stevan. “The Christology and Protology of the Gospel of Thomas.” Journal of Biblical Literature 111 (1992):663-682

Brown, R.E. “The Gospel of Thomas and St. John’s Gospel.” New Testament Studies 9 (1963):155-177

Zockler, Thomas. “Light Within the Human Person: A Comparison of Matt 6.22-23 and the Gospel of Thomas 24.” Journal of Biblical Literature 120 (2001):487-499

Barrett, C.K. The Gospel According to St. John: An Introduction with Commentary and Notes on the Greek Text. Great Britain: William Clowes & Sons Limited, 1978.

Peterson, Norman R. The Gospel of John and the Sociology of Light. Valley Forge: Trinity Press International, 1993.

Borgen, Peder. Logos was the True Light and Other Essays on the Gospel of John. Georgia: Tapir Publishers, 1983.

1 Brown, R.E. “The Gospel of Thomas and St. John’s Gospel.” New Testament Studies 9 (1963):168

2 Davies, Stevan, “The Christology and Protology of the Gospel of Thomas.” Journal of Biblical Literature 111 (1992):666

3 Barrett, C.K. The Gospel According to St. John: An Introduction with Commentary and Notes on the Greek Text (Great Britain: William Clowes & Sons Limited, 1978), 354.