The Gospel of Thomas is considered non-canonical because it was not included in the final selection of texts chosen to be part of the official Christian canon. Its authorship, dating, and theology differ significantly from the accepted Gospels, and it was not widely recognized or used by early Christian communities.
Read on if you want a comprehensive response
The Gospel of Thomas, a collection of sayings attributed to Jesus, is considered non-canonical within the Christian tradition. Its exclusion from the official Christian canon can be attributed to several reasons, including its authorship, dating, theology, and limited recognition by early Christian communities.
-
Authorship: The Gospel of Thomas does not clearly indicate its author, which contrasts with the accepted Gospels that are attributed to apostles or close associates of Jesus. This lack of clear authorship raised questions about its credibility and authority within early Christian circles.
-
Dating: Scholars generally agree that the Gospel of Thomas was likely composed in the 2nd century AD, which is comparatively later than the canonical Gospels. The later dating raised doubts about its connection to the historical Jesus and its reliability as a source of his teachings.
-
Theology: The Gospel of Thomas presents a distinct theological perspective that differs from the mainstream Christian beliefs found in the canonical Gospels. It contains Gnostic elements, emphasizing the pursuit of hidden knowledge and individual spiritual enlightenment. This departure from the orthodox teachings of the early Christian church contributed to its non-canonical status.
-
Limited recognition: Unlike the accepted Gospels, the Gospel of Thomas was not widely recognized or used by early Christian communities. It remained largely unknown until its discovery in the 20th century when an early Coptic version of the text was found in Egypt. Its lack of wide dissemination and usage within the early church further marginalized its status.
An interesting quote related to the topic comes from Bart D. Ehrman, an American New Testament scholar, who said, “These non-canonical texts were written by Christian authors who often belonged to circles that did not consider the canonical texts to be authoritative or normative.” This highlights the different perspectives and debates within early Christianity regarding the inclusion of certain texts in the official canon.
Here are some additional interesting facts about the Gospel of Thomas:
-
The Gospel of Thomas consists of 114 sayings attributed to Jesus, without any narrative framework or explicit references to his life, death, or resurrection.
-
It was discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945 as part of a collection of ancient Christian texts known as the Nag Hammadi library.
-
The Greek fragments of the Gospel of Thomas are believed to be a translation of an earlier Aramaic or Coptic original.
-
Some of the sayings found in the Gospel of Thomas have parallels in the canonical Gospels, indicating a shared oral tradition or common source material.
Table of Reasons for the Non-Canonical Status of the Gospel of Thomas:
| Reasons | Details |
|---|---|
| Authorship | No clear authorship attributed to a known figure |
| Dating | Likely composed in the 2nd century AD |
| Theology | Contains Gnostic elements and deviates from orthodoxy |
| Limited recognition | Not widely recognized or used by early Christian communities |
Overall, the Gospel of Thomas’ non-canonical status is a result of its ambiguous authorship, later dating, distinct theology, and limited recognition by early Christian communities. Its unique content and discovery provide valuable insights into the diversity of early Christian thought and the process of canonization.
Video response to your question
The video explores the Gospel of Thomas and why it is not included in the Bible. The Gospel of Thomas is a non-canonical gospel consisting of sayings attributed to Jesus. Scholars have debated its composition and origin, and while it is associated with Gnosticism, it lacks many Gnostic features. The video suggests that there was resistance to having more gospels than the four already accepted, and Church authorities expressed opposition to the Gospel of Thomas. Ultimately, the Gospel of Thomas is seen as having limited usefulness for reconstructing the historical Jesus. The video also mentions that early church authorities considered it a forgery made by heretics, and the process of canonization for the New Testament was organic and based on popularity among early Christian communities. However, the Gospel of Thomas is still considered an important discovery for understanding early Christianity.
Some additional responses to your inquiry
Unlike the canonical Gospels, it is not a narrative account of the life of Jesus; instead, it consists of logia (sayings) attributed to Jesus, sometimes stand-alone, sometimes embedded in short dialogues or parables; 13 of its 16 parables are also found in the Synoptic Gospels.
The Gospel of Thomas is non-canonical because it doesn’t follow a narrative structure and doesn’t report major parts of Jesus’ life. Instead, it consists of logia (sayings) attributed to Jesus, sometimes stand-alone, sometimes embedded in short dialogues or parables. The canon of Scripture refers to the books which are believed to be divinely inspired, using a series of tests to prove they deserve to be included in the Bible. The Gospel of Thomas doesn’t belong in the canon of Scripture.
Unlike the canonical Gospels, Thomas doesn’t follow a narrative structure. It doesn’t report major parts of Jesus’ life — his birth, death, and resurrection. Instead, Thomas contains 114 esoteric sayings of Jesus, purporting to record the secrets Jesus taught to his disciples.
Unlike the canonical Gospels, it is not a narrative account of the life of Jesus; instead, it consists of logia (sayings) attributed to Jesus, sometimes stand-alone, sometimes embedded in short dialogues or parables; 13 of its 16 parables are also found in the Synoptic Gospels.
This is due to the fact that the Gospel of Thomas doesn’t belong in the canon of Scripture. Canon, in other words, means the books which are believed to be divinely inspired, using a series of tests to prove they deserve to be included in the Bible.
I’m sure you will be interested
Consequently, What canon was the Gospel of Thomas in? The Gospel of Thomas is a collection of sayings. It is not included in the official canon of the Bible but rather is one of the Nag Hammadi documents.
How does the Gospel of Thomas differ from the Bible? Thomas the Apostle, the Gospel of Thomas does not include any extended mythic narrative and consists entirely of a series of secret sayings ascribed to Jesus, several of which have close parallels in the New Testament Gospels.
Similar
Likewise, What is non-canonical gospels? As an answer to this: The non-canonical gospels are a collection of ancient texts that were not included in the New Testament canon.
Keeping this in consideration, Why is the infancy gospel of Thomas not in the Bible?
Proto-orthodox Christians regarded the Infancy Gospel of Thomas as inauthentic and heretical. Eusebius rejected it as a heretical "fiction" in the third book of his fourth-century Church History, and Pope Gelasius I included it in his list of heretical books in the fifth century.
In respect to this, Is the Gospel of Thomas canonical? Considered by some as one of the earliest accounts of the teachings of Jesus, the Gospel of Thomas is regarded by some scholars as one of the most important texts in understanding early Christianity outside the New Testament. In terms of faith, however, no major Christian group accepts this gospel as canonical or authoritative.
Also Know, Is the Gospel of Thomas a Gnosticism?
The Gospel of Thomas is grounded in gnosticism, the philosophical and religious movement of the 2nd century ce that stressed the redemptive power of esoteric knowledge acquired by divine revelation. Indeed, warnings against it as heretical were made by the Church Fathers in the 2nd–4th century.
In this way, Why is Thomas not a canon?
Response will be: It doesn’t report major parts of Jesus’ life — his birth, death, and resurrection. Instead, Thomas contains 114 esoteric sayings of Jesus, purporting to record the secrets Jesus taught to his disciples. Before we can answer why Thomas doesn’t belong in the canon, we need to know what the early church looked for in a canonical book.
Just so, What is the difference between the canonical and synoptic gospels?
Answer: Unlike the canonical Gospels, it is not a narrative account of the life of Jesus; instead, it consists of logia (sayings) attributed to Jesus, sometimes stand-alone, sometimes embedded in short dialogues or parables; 13 of its 16 parables are also found in the Synoptic Gospels.