Gal. 1:6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

The Gospel of Thomas is a non-canonical text that has attracted attention for its collection of 114 sayings attributed to Jesus. While some of these sayings resemble those in the canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), the Gospel of Thomas is not considered Scripture by mainstream Christianity. It was discovered in 1945 among the Nag Hammadi library in Egypt and is written in Coptic, likely translated from an earlier Greek version.

Despite its surface appeal, especially to those interested in "lost" Christian texts, the Gospel of Thomas fails key tests for authenticity and orthodoxy used by the early Church.

Gospel of Thomas

Authorship and Dating Issues The Gospel of Thomas was not written by the apostle Thomas. The text claims to be recorded by "Didymos Judas Thomas," but scholars universally reject this attribution. The earliest manuscript fragments date from 130–250 AD, and most scholars place its composition in the mid-2nd century, long after the apostles had died.

This late date means it cannot be based on eyewitness testimony, a key criterion for inclusion in the New Testament canon. Additionally, the text appears to depend on the canonical Gospels—especially Luke—and may even rely on Tatian’s Diatessaron (a Gospel harmony from around 172 AD), further confirming its late origin.

Gospel of Thomas Coptic-language early Christian non-canonical gospel, part of the Nag Hammadi library Wikipedia Quotes Read Online Summary Analysis El_Evangelio_de_Tomás-Gospel_of_Thomas-_Codex_II_Manuscritos_de_Nag_Hammadi-The_Nag_Hammadi_manuscripts.png Theological Inconsistencies with Orthodox Christianity The Gospel of Thomas contradicts core Christian doctrines. Unlike the canonical Gospels, it contains no narrative of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, or resurrection. There is no mention of the atonement, the cross, or the bodily resurrection—central elements of the Christian faith.

Instead, salvation in Thomas is achieved through secret knowledge (gnosis), not faith in Christ’s redemptive work. This directly opposes the New Testament teaching that salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9).

One particularly troubling saying (Saying 114) claims:

“Simon Peter said to them, ‘Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life.’ Jesus said, ‘I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven.’”

This denigrates women and contradicts Genesis 1:27, which affirms that both men and women are made in the image of God.

Gospel of Thomas Sayings 114 site:reddit.com

Gnostic Influences and Teachings The Gospel of Thomas is widely recognized as a Gnostic text. Gnosticism taught that the material world is evil, the God of the Old Testament is a lesser, flawed deity, and salvation comes through esoteric knowledge that liberates the soul from the physical body.

The Gospel of Thomas reflects these beliefs:

Emphasis on secret sayings ("These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke") Sayings like “Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death” (Saying 1) suggest salvation through insight, not faith No belief in a physical resurrection—only spiritual enlightenment These ideas were condemned as heretical by early Church Fathers such as Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Origen, and Eusebius.

What is Gnosticism?

Structural and Literary Differences from Canonical Gospels Unlike the four canonical Gospels, which present a coherent narrative of Jesus’ life, teachings, death, and resurrection, the Gospel of Thomas is a disconnected list of sayings (logia) with no plot, context, or chronology.

It lacks:

Narrative structure Historical setting Miracles or parables with explanations Theological development This format is inconsistent with the genre of the canonical Gospels, which are biographical proclamations of the "good news" (gospel) of Jesus Christ.

canonical vs non-canonical gospels

Early Church Rejection The early Church never considered the Gospel of Thomas as Scripture. It is absent from all early canonical lists, including the Muratorian Fragment (late 2nd century) and Athanasius’ Festal Letter (367 AD), which defined the New Testament canon.

Church leaders explicitly rejected it:

Irenaeus (c. 180 AD) listed it among heretical writings Eusebius (before 326 AD) called it an “impious and heretical fiction” Cyril of Jerusalem (347–348 AD) warned believers to avoid it Pope Gelasius (5th century) included it in a list of heretical books The Church did not "suppress" the text out of fear—it rejected it because it failed the tests of apostolic origin, doctrinal consistency, and universal acceptance.

early church fathers on Gospel of Thomas

Conclusion The Gospel of Thomas is not a reliable or orthodox account of Jesus’ teachings. It is a late, non-apostolic, Gnostic text that:

Was not written by Thomas Contradicts core Christian doctrines Promotes salvation through secret knowledge Denigrates women Was rejected by the early Church