Gospel of Thomas - The Gospel of Thomas and The Historical Jesus

The Gospel of Thomas and The Historical Jesus

Some modern scholars believe that the Gospel of Thomas was written independently of the canonical gospels, and therefore is a useful guide to historical Jesus research. Scholars may utilize one of several critical tools in biblical scholarship, the criterion of multiple attestation, to help build cases for historical reliability of the sayings of Jesus. By finding those sayings in the Gospel of Thomas that overlap with the Gospel of the Hebrews, Q, Mark, Matthew, Luke, John, and Paul, scholars feel such sayings represent "multiple attestations" and therefore are more likely to come from a historical Jesus than sayings that are only singly attested.

Read more about this topic:  Gospel Of Thomas

Famous quotes containing the words gospel, thomas, historical and/or jesus:

    Resorts advertised for waitresses, specifying that they “must appear in short clothes or no engagement.” Below a Gospel Guide column headed, “Where our Local Divines Will Hang Out Tomorrow,” was an account of spirited gun play at the Bon Ton. In Jeff Winney’s California Concert Hall, patrons “bucked the tiger” under the watchful eye of Kitty Crawhurst, popular “lady” gambler.
    —Administration in the State of Colo, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)

    The five kings count the dead but do not soften
    The crusted wound nor stroke the brow;
    A hand rules pity as a hand rules heaven;
    Hands have no tears to flow.
    —Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)

    Historical! Must it be historical to catch your attention? Even though historicity, like notoriety, denotes nothing more than that something has occurred.
    Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)

    When Jesus wept, the falling tear
    in mercy flowed beyond all bound;
    when Jesus groaned, a trembling fear
    seized all the guilty world around.
    William Billings (1746–1800)