ON LOVE; PART CDLXIII
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α
GoodWill IS Love in Action
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α
The Gospel of Thomas
These are the hidden words that the living Jesus spoke. And Didymos Judas Thomas wrote them down.
(89) Jesus says: “Why do you wash the outside of the cup? Do you not understand that the one who created the inside is also the one who created the outside?“
(90) Jesus says: “Come to me, for my yoke is gentle and my lordship is mild. And you will find repose for yourselves.“
(91) They said to him: “Tell us who you are so that we may believe in you.” He said to them: “You examine the face of sky and earth, but the one who is before you, you have not recognized, and you do not know how to test this opportunity.“
(92) Jesus says: “Seek and you will find. But the things you asked me about in past times, and what I did not tell you in that day, now I am willing to tell you, but you do not seek them.“
(93) “Do not give what is holy to the dogs, lest they throw it upon the dunghill. Do not throw pearls to swine, lest they turn <them> into [mud].“
(94) Jesus [says]: “The one who seeks will find. [The one who knocks], to that one will it be opened.“
(95) [Jesus says:] “If you have money, do not lend (it) out at interest. Rather, give [it] to the one from whom you will not get it (back).” 14
In the last essay we began our discussion of the ninety first saying from the Gospel of Thomas which is another that has an obscure meaning and no direct link to the accepted gospels. It begins with a question on who the Master Truly IS, a question framed by the questioners from an unknown perspective. Is this the average listener or watcher of the Master inquiring or this the disciple as we left off with in the last post where we see the question from Philip and the related sayings from the Master and His disciples regarding the same. It should be apparent to the intent reader that the disciples and the apostles of the Master DO NOT Truly understand exactly who the Master is and Jesus addresses these ideas in the sayings that we cited yesterday as well as in the general tenor of His teaching to His apostles according to John’s Gospel, teachings which we KNOW are given AFTER the Last Supper and at the very end of His ministry. So also the sayings that we left within the last post; these ARE after the apostles follow the Lord, learn from Him and DO on their own as they are sent forth; these ARE after the many miracles including the feeding of the multitudes with the five loaves and a few small fishes and after the raising of Jairus daughter and of Lazarus from the dead and these ARE after the Transfiguration and the Lord. It IS after ALL this that Philip asks the Lord to “shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us” (John 14:8) and it is after ALL this that the disciples pronounce their belief and their understanding saying still later: “Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God” (John 16:30) and we should note here that naught has happened to give them this sudden revelation save that He repeats again for them things that He had before said to them and where the only new idea is perhaps the Master’s admission of His way of teaching them; that He spoke to them as well by parable.
We should not be fooled by the words used by John who renders this idea of parable as a proverb as these ideas are similar as they come from the Greek and both should be seen simply as the Master’s framing His sayings in such a way that there is a deeper meaning that is hidden from the view of the man who sees His words carnally; the man whose focus IS NOT on the things of God. Vincent offers us a lengthy explanation of the parable from which we take a part:
- Parables (παραβολαις) From παρά , beside, and βάλλω , to throw. A parable is a form of teaching in which one thing is thrown beside another. Hence its radical idea is comparison. Sir John Cheke renders biword, and the same idea is conveyed by the German Beispiela pattern or example; beibeside, and the old high German speldiscourse or narration. The word is used with a wide range in scripture, but always involves the idea of comparison:
- 1.Of brief sayings, having an oracular or proverbial character. Thus Peter (Matthew 15:15), referring to the words “If the blind lead the blind,” etc., says, “declare unto us thisparable. ” Compare Luke 6:39. So of the patched garment (Luke 5:36), and the guest who assumes the highest place at the feast (Luke 14:7, Luke 14:11). Compare, also, Matthew 24:39; Mark 13:28.
- 2.Of a proverb. The word for proverb ( παροιμία ) has the same idea at the root as parable. It is παρά , beside, οἶμος , a way or road. Either a trite, wayside saying (Trench), or a path by the side of the high road (Godet). See Luke 4:23; 1 Samuel 24:13…..
- 4.Of a word or discourse which is enigmatical or obscure until the meaning is developed by application or comparison. It occurs along with the words α’νιγμα , enigma, and πρόβλημα , a problem, something put forth or proposed ( πρό , in front βάλλω , to throw )…..In this sense Christ uses parables symbolically to expound the mysteries of the kingdom of God; as utterances which conceal from one class what they reveal to another (Matthew 13:11-17), and in which familiar facts of the earthly life are used figuratively to expound truths of the higher life. The un-spiritual do not link these facts of the natural life with those of the supernatural, which are not discerned by them (1 Corinthians 2:14), and therefore they need an interpreter of the relation between the two…..
The term parable, however, as employed in ordinary Christian phraseology, is limited to those utterances of Christ which are marked by a complete figurative history or narrative. It is thus defined by Goebel (“Parables of Jesus”). “A narrative moving within the sphere of physical or human life, not professing to describe an event which actually took place, but expressly imagined for the purpose of representing, in pictorial figure, a truth belonging to the sphere of religion, and therefore referring to the relation of man or mankind to God.”…..Parable and proverb are often used interchangeably in the;New Testament; the fundamental conception being, as we have seen, the same in both, the same Hebrew word representing both, and both being enigmatical. They differ rather in extent than in essence; the parable being a proverb expanded and carried into detail, and being necessarily figurative, which the proverb is not; though the range of the proverb is wider, since the parable expands only one particular case of a proverb. (See Trench, “Notes on the Parables,” Introd.). 4
Here we should be able to see that the idea of parabolic as we use it; that this IS NOT just the story with multiple meanings but that it is virtually every thing that Jesus says that has a hidden meaning and which IS the majority of what He says. He does not hide the idea that we should keep His words and that we should Love our neighbor, nor does He hide the Truth of just who one’s neighbor IS and this even though this idea is a part of a story that IS called a parable. There IS no doubt in His words on these things and it IS in doing these things that one can gain access to the Truth of ALL of His words.
And so we have the question according to Thomas and while we do not KNOW the audience, we can be sure that it CAN and most likely DOES include His disciples and His apostles who we KNOW from our own reading of their words are unsure and confused up to the very end. Here we should be able to see the relationship between the question asked in Thomas and the tone of the apparent revelation seen in the words from John, that “Now are we sure“. Others of course see this differently, as that is it more in line with the ideas from Luke and Matthew which both tell us this as we read from Luke: “And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?” (Luke 12:54-56). In Matthew this saying is connected with the Pharisees and the Sadducees asking the Master for a sign and in this question, this answer IS appropriate, but it this IS NOT so in regard to the question from Thomas which is straightforward and direct saying “Speak to-us this: you(sg)(are)who, so we-may-believe you(sg)” according to the Interlinear which version we use here because of the later renderings.
As we said yesterday there seems to be a link formed in the ideas of the translators regarding the idea presented by the Master according to Thomas as “you(pl)-read the-face of-the-sky and-the-earth” and the words of the Master above in Luke and that in this link the saying from Thomas is then likened to the saying from Luke and rendered according to this. Hence we get the ideas from the translators that Jesus answer is related to this same idea of reading the times and perhaps this IS also in view that the Master seldom directly answers a question in Thomas Gospel. Here however we DO find a clearer and a better picture than is painted by the consensus of the translators and the commentators; we find that the answer IS ALL about Him spreaking of Himself and remarking on how those asking DO NOT see the Truth that IS before them. Taking then the choppy way that the Coptic translates into English in the Interlinear we find”
- That the question IS clear asking “Speak to-us this: you(sg)(are)who, so we-may-believe you(sg)” and here the rendering of most translations does come to us as asking the same to which we add our thought of His saying: ‘who are you, we think we KNOW and we want to believe but we ARE NOT sure‘.
- That the first part of the Master’s answer IS His telling them that they can read what is happening in the sky and in the Earth which IS much like Jesus comments in Luke above and in Matthew’s version as well. However we see this as a statement of fact in ALL cases as we read: “you(pl)-read the-face of-the-sky and-the-earth“.
- That the next statement from the Master, “and he-who-was-of-your(pl)-presence ( ), you(pl)-did-not-know-him“, is offered in comparison to the last as He says that you can read and understand the things of the sky and the Earth but you CAN NOT read the Truth of who He is through His teachings, His miracles and ALL things that He does in their presence. The other translators take this saying as differently than just as His answer as we read their words; they are telling us that the Master IS saying this as a matter of fact, that they DO NOT KNOW Him. Our view here is that this IS more of answer than an accusation and we should be able to see that in the framing of the question itself, that there is the idea we presented above as: ‘who are you, we think we KNOW and we want to believe but we ARE NOT sure‘. The gist here is then more along the line of ‘you know the things of this world well but you do not KNOW me even though you have been with me and have seen and heard what I have done?‘
- Finally we have the ending words that say “and this-moment, you-(pl)-know not (how) to-read him“. Here we can see the continuation of the previous thought and a sort of disbelief by the Master that confirms the last ‘question’ offered by the Master in return of the questioning of Him; and here we can read Him saying that ‘after ALL of this teaching and all of these miracles and being in my company you still DO NOT see the Truth?‘
This IS what we see in this saying from Thomas and whether this IS questions or statements by the Master really DOES NOT matter as the idea can be formed to say the same thing which IS essentially saying that after ALL they have seen and heard they still don’t KNOW. And this IS NOT unlike the Master’s answer to Philip’s question above where the Master answers simply: “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?” (John 14:9). We should also see this same dynamic at play throughout the gospels where by their words or their deeds the disciples show that they DO NOT understand, that they DO NOT KNOW and we close our comments on this saying with this regarding parables: “And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?“. And He says this even as He goes about to explain it to them; He KNOWS their difficulty, our difficulty, in changing the focus of one’s thoughts, attitudes and actions as men in this world.
Our next saying, the ninety second, is a combination of a thought found in the accepted gospels, and in a prior Thomas saying as well, plus an added part that is of the more obscure nature. ALL of the translations are essentially the same in effect by different in approach and so we list our normal translators:
- Jesus said: “Seek, and you will find; but the things you asked me in those days and I did not tell you then, now I desire to tell them, but you do not ask about them” (Blatz).
- Jesus said, “Seek and you (plur.) will find. Yet, now I am willing to say the things which you used to ask me about and which I did not say to you; and you are not seeking them” (Layton).
- Jesus says: “Seek and you will find! But the things you have asked me about during these days and which I have not told you up till now, I now want to tell you, so that you will not have to seek them any longer” (Doresse).
- Jesus says: “Seek and you will find. But the things you asked me about in past times, and what I did not tell you in that day, now I am willing to tell you, but you do not seek them” (Patterson and Robinson).
- Jesus said, “Seek and you will find.In the past, however, I did not tell you the things about which you asked me then. Now I am willing to tell them, but you are not seeking them” (Patterson and Meyer).
- Said-JS82 this: “Seek, and you(pl)-will-find; > but those-which-you(pl)-asked-me about-() in-those-days, I-did-not-tell-them to-you(pl) in-the-day which-was-here; now, it-pleases-me to-tell-them, and you(pl)-seek not after-them” (Interlinear Version).
Here again we can see the Truer understanding in the Interlinear that does not inject undue feelings into Jesus words as some of the above do. We should note here as well that Doresse rendering actually changes the tenor of the saying. We can assume here that the Master’s idea IS in accordance with His injunction of “seek, and ye will find” (Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9); that this is spiritual Truth that applies to ALL. Here in repeating this the Master goes on to tell them of those things that they sought to KNOW in the past and which the Master did not tell them; things that are likely covered in His other saying to ALL that “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15). The available commentary on this saying includes:
- Helmut Koester points out a parallel with John 16:4b-5: “Those things I did not tell you from the beginning when I was with you. Now I am going to the one who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?'” (Ancient Christian Gospels, p. 121).
- J. D. Crossan writes: “As in the preceding instance, only the seek/find stich is present; but now it is accompanied by another saying whose meaning is not exactly clear. More significant for my own purpose is the fact that the stich’s version here is in imperative/future format and thus in the second person.” (In Fragments, p. 100).
- Funk and Hoover write: “Just as Thom 2:2-4 is an expansion of the basic saying in 2:1, so here 92:2 is an editorial comment on 92:1: it apparently refers to Jesus’ earlier refusal to tell the disciples all his secret knowledge, coupled with the reprimand that his current disciples are not seeking true knowledge. The editorial comment undoubtedly refers to the knowledge (gnosis in Greek) that was important in this branch of the Christian movement.” (The Five Gospels, p. 521).
- Gerd Ludemann writes: “This verse calls on the reader not to give up the search, even though signs of neglect are becoming evident (v. 2b). Gnostic existence is grounded in a ‘religion of searching’.” (Jesus After 2000 Years, p. 635).
While Mr. Koester points to the words from John’s Gospel where the Master tells His apostles: “But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?” (John 16:5), this IS NOT a complete picture as earlier on we find this exchange: “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you…..Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go , thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards” (John 13:33-36). These are seemingly conflicting ideas and we can resolve this by seeing the former in the time and the place that it occurs and as a statement rather than as a question as the whole of this idea of His leaving has been discussed both before the exchange with Peter and between that exchange and the current time in John 16. We should see here that they DO KNOW; they may NOT understand, but they DO KNOW as we read:
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:1-6).
Understanding this we should be able to see that they DO KNOW and in the statement from Thomas Gospel perhaps we can see this reality; that this IS a statement made; not because they DO NOT ask but because they already KNOW and we should note here in these words from John that it IS the Apostle Thomas who questions the Lord after Jesus tells them that they DO already KNOW. Here we should get our greater understanding that they DO NOT yet understand. The ideas of Funk and Hoover above reflect their assumption of the saying from Thomas Gospel and we DO NOT see these ideas in Jesus words; the same IS True of Mr. Ludemann’s remarks as these imply that the Master IS calling out the disciples for not seeking.
In this saying from Thomas’ Gospel we should try to see the greater reality of His words that confirm that He has not shared ALL with them at whatever point in time this saying IS spoken by the Master. He acknowledges that they did ask about things for which He did not give them the answer and in this end part we should get the idea that He IS now ready to offer them whatsoever it IS that they want to KNOW; here we can assume that this is nearer the end as we see in the chapters from John’s Gospel; like the many sayings from the Master that come after the Supper. Can we read this as the more realistic saying as based upon our ideas above? Can we see this as a statement of Truth, that Jesus is telling them those things as “it-pleases-me to-tell-them” and in this can we see that they need not ask instead of that they are being admonished for not asking? Finally, can we see this saying as possibly a continuation of the last saying?
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
| Aspect of God |
Potency |
Aspect of Man |
In Relation to the Great Invocation |
In relation to the Christ |
|
GOD, The Father |
Will or Power |
Spirit or Life |
Center where the Will of God IS KNOWN |
Life |
|
Son, The Christ |
Love and Wisdom |
Soul or Christ Within |
Heart of God |
Truth |
|
Holy Spirit |
Light or Activity |
Life Within |
Mind of God |
Way |
Note on the Quote of the Day
This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.
Today we repeat the Mantram of Unification as our Quote of the Day and we should note the very Christian ideals that are embraced by these words; not the doctrinal Christian ideals but rather the ideals annunciated in the words of the Master and of His apostles. This idea of ONENESS IS a component part of the Love that the Master teaches as He tells us that we should Love ALL and this ideal is repeated by His apostles who clarify it and expand upon it in their pronouncement that we should NOT show respect to persons that we should not prefer one above another, and this of course includes groups of persons who may differ from us in color, in nationality, in religion….in any way. We are told this by the apostles who tells us that God DOES NOT show such favor to individuals nor to groups as we read that “there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11) which IS here offered in the context that ALL are treated equally. There are several instances of this saying interweaved with the idea that we should Love our brother, our neighbor and one another as these ideas are framed and, with this stated concept of this respect, we should be able to glimpse what we have been preaching here in this blog and which is the Truer nature of this Love. We should understand that in our zeal to be among His disciples that we must pay keen attention to the totality of the Master’s words which tell us that we should “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) and it is in this reality that we should understand this idea of respect, that if this is the Way of God that it should be the way of man as well. And, if this were not clear enough, the straightforward words of the Apostle James helps us saying “if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors” (James 2:9).
This IS the greater Truth of this Mantram of Unification; that we understand the reality of our ONENESS, our essential Unity, that we Love as the Master teaches, that we allow the Inner man, the Soul, to be the controlling force in our lives; that we come to see the Truth, that we break down the walls of illusion and glamour and eliminate ALL things that separate us from the Truth and from each other. And that we Love and encourage that Universal Love which is our essential destiny by our own example and in ALL that we say and do.
Mantram of Unification
The sons of men are one and I am one with them.
I seek to love, not hate;
I seek to serve and not exact due service;
I seek to heal, not hurt.
Let pain bring due reward of light and love.
Let the Soul control the outer form, and life and all events,
And bring to light the love that underlies the happenings of the time.
Let vision come and insight.
Let the future stand revealed.
Let inner union demonstrate and outer cleavages be gone.
Let love prevail.
Let all men loveet love prevail.Let all men love.
The Mantram of Unification is a meditation and a prayer that at first affirms the unity of all men and the Brotherhood of Man based on the Fatherhood of God. The first stanza sets forth several truly Christian ideals in Unity, Love, Service and Healing. The second stanza is a invocation to the Lord and to our own Souls asking that from the pain (if there can truly be any) incurred in focusing on the Spirit and not the world will come Light and Love into our lives and that we begin to function as Souls through our conscious personalities. We ask that the spiritual control of our lives will bring to light for us the Love that underlies world events; a Love that the world oriented man will not see working out behind the scenes and also that the Love that we bring forth, individually and as a world group, can be seen by all and ultimately in all. Finally, in the last stanza we ask for those things that are needed for Love to abound. Vision and insight so that we can direct our attention properly; revelation of the future in the sense that all can see the Power of Love in the world; inner union so that we do not fall back into the world’s ways, that we faint not; and that a sense of separation, the antithesis of brotherhood, ends as we know it today. Let Love Prevail, Let All Men Love. Spiritual control of our lives will bring to light for us the Love that underlies world events; a Love that the world oriented man will not see working out behind the scenes.
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
- 14 The Gospel of Thomas; Translated by Stephen J. Patterson and James M. Robinson; http://gnosis.org/
