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T he Book of Thomas is a text that claims to have been written in conjunction with Judas Thomas, the twin brother of Jesus and the apostolic hero of Syrian Christians. Like the Gospel of Thomas, the Book of Thomas is identified at the opening of the document as a sayings collection: “The hidden sayings that the savior spoke to Judas Thomas.” The editor of the collection is identified as a certain Mathaias, whose name is similar to that of the messenger (or apostle) and gospel-writer Matthew (Matthaios) and the replacement apostle Matthias (Acts 1:26), but whose precise identity remains uncertain.

Appended at the end of the document are the words “the Book of Thomas the Contender Writing to the Perfect.” Traditionally this inscription has been taken at face value, but some scholars have suggested that it may be read as two titles of the text, “The Book of Thomas,” and “The Contender Writing to the Perfect,” and that these two titles may reflect the composite nature of the text. After all, the text contains sayings of Jesus and a dialogue between Jesus and Thomas, along with a sermon by Jesus on sinners who face judgment. Hans-Martin Schenke argues that the contender designated in the second title is none other than the patriarch Jacob, the most famous contender in the Jewish tradition. Hence, Schenke maintains, behind the present Book of Thomas may be a Jewish source in the form of a letter said to be authored by Jacob the contender.

Within the Book of Thomas the utterances of Jesus sometimes recall sayings and themes in the Gospel of Thomas. Here Jesus comments on Judas the twin, on knowledge of self, on what is hidden and what is visible, on the desires of the flesh, and on wisdom and foolishness. In the middle of the text, and at the very end, Jesus states that one should seek (or pray) and find and rest, as in Gospel of Thomas 2. Like the Book of Thomas in general, the sermon of Jesus recommends an ascetic way of life, and as such it is profoundly concerned about the life and the sins of the flesh. In its presentation the sermon echoes ancient descriptions of the underworld and punishments for the wicked and anticipates later portrayals of judgment in Dante’s Inferno and even Jonathan Edwards’s sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”

The Book of Thomas survives in Coptic in the Nag Hammadi library. Like the Gospel of Thomas, the Book of Thomas probably was composed in Greek, in Syria, where Thomas was revered. John Turner proposes that at least part of the Book of Thomas should be dated to the first part of the third century, that is, after the Gospel of Thomas and before the Acts of Thomas.

The hidden sayings that the savior spoke to Judas Thomas, which I, Mathaias, in turn recorded. 2 I was walking, listening to them speak with each other.

The savior said, “Brother Thomas, while you are still in the world, listen to me and I shall reveal to you what you have thought about in your heart.

“Now, since it is said that you are my twin and my true friend, examine yourself and understand who you are, how you exist, and how you will come to be. 3 Since you are to be called my brother, it is not fitting for you to be ignorant of yourself. And I know that you have understood, for already you have understood that I am the knowledge of truth. So while you are walking with me, though you are ignorant, already you have obtained knowledge, and you will be called one who knows himself. 4 For someone who has not known self has known nothing, but someone who has known self already has acquired knowledge about the depth of the universe. So then, my brother Thomas, you have seen what is hidden from people, what they stumble against in their ignorance.”

Thomas said to the master, “For this reason I beg you to tell me what I ask before your ascension. When I hear from you about the hidden, I can speak of it. And clearly it is hard to bring truth to people.”

The savior answered and said, “If what is visible to you is obscure to you, how can you comprehend what is invisible? If deeds of truth visible in the world are hard for you to carry out, how will you do invisible things of exalted greatness and fullness? 5 How can you be called workers? You are beginners and have not attained the greatness of perfection.”

The savior said, “All bodies have come into being in the same irrational way that animals are produced, and so they are visible, as creatures lusting after creatures. Those that are above, however, do not exist like those that are visible. Rather, they live 6 from their own root, and it is their crops that nourish them. These visible bodies feed on creatures that are like them, and so the bodies are subject to change. Now, whatever is subject to change will perish and be lost, and henceforth has no hope of life, because this body is an animal body. Just as animal bodies perish, so also will these figures perish. Is it 7 not from copulation like that of the animals? If it too is from copulation, how will it give birth to anything different from them? So then you are children until you become perfect.”

Thomas answered, “So I say to you, master, those who speak about what is invisible and difficult to explain are like people who shoot their arrows at a target during the night. Of course, they shoot their arrows as any people do, since they are shooting at the target, but it is not visible. When light comes, however, and banishes darkness, then the accomplishment of each person will be clear. And you, our light, bring enlightenment, master.”

The savior said, “O blessed Thomas, surely this visible light has shone for you, not to keep you here, but so you can leave. And when all the chosen ones lay down their animal nature, then this light will withdraw up to its being, and its being will welcome it to itself, because the light is a good helper.”

Then the savior continued and said, “Oh, unsearchable love of light! Oh, bitterness of the fire! You blaze in the bodies of people, and in the marrow of their bones, blazing in them night and day, burning their limbs and making their minds drunk and their souls deranged. You dominate males and females day and night, you move and arouse them secretly and visibly. When the males are aroused, they are attracted to the females and the females to the males. So it is said that everyone who seeks truth from true wisdom 9 will fashion wings to fly, fleeing from the passion that burns human spirits. And one will fashion wings to flee from every visible spirit.”

Again the savior answered and said, “This is why we must speak to you, because this teaching is for those who are perfect. If you wish to become perfect, keep these sayings. If not, the name for you is ‘ignorant,’ since an intelligent person cannot associate with a fool. The intelligent person is perfect in all wisdom. To the fool, however, good and evil are one and the same. The wise person will be nourished by truth and will be like a tree growing by the stream of water. 10 Some people have wings but rush toward visible things that are far from truth. The fire that guides them gives them an illusion of truth. And it will shine on them with a perishable beauty, and will imprison them in dark delight and capture them in sweet-smelling pleasure. And it will blind them with insatiable desire, inflame their souls, and be like a stake jammed into their heart that can never be removed. It leads them according to its own wish, like a bit in the mouth. 11

“It has bound them with its chains and tied all their limbs with the bitterness of the bondage of desire for those visible things that perish and change and fluctuate impulsively. They have always been drawn downward. When they are slain, they are drawn to all the animals of corruption.”

Thomas answered and said, “Master, is it good for us to rest among our own?”

The savior said, “Yes, it is useful, and it is good for you, since the things visible among people will pass away. For the vessel of their flesh will pass away, and when it disintegrates, it will remain in visible things, among things that can be seen. The visible fire hurts them, because of the love of faith they once had. They will be gathered back to the visible realm. 13 Moreover, among the invisible, those who can see will perish, without the first love, in their concern for this life and the burning of the fire. There is only a little time before what is visible will pass away. Then shapeless phantoms will come and stay forever in tombs on corpses, in pain and destruction of soul.” 14

Thomas answered and said, “What can we say in the face of these things? 15 What shall we say to the blind? What teaching shall we give these miserable mortals who say, ‘We have come to do good and not to curse,’ and will say further, ‘If we were not born in the flesh, we would not know iniquity’?”

The savior said, “To tell the truth, do not think of these as human beings, but as animals. As animals devour each other, so also people like this devour each other. They are deprived of the kingdom. 16 They love the delight of fire and are slaves of death and rush to deeds of corruption. They fulfill their parents’ desire. They will be cast down into the abyss and be afflicted by the compulsion of the bitterness of their evil nature. They will be whipped to drive them down to a place they do not know, and they will leave their limbs behind, not with fortitude but with despair. And they rejoice in the fire, they love madness and derangement, because they are fools. They rush after this derangement, not realizing their madness but thinking they are wise. They . . . their body . . . their hearts turning to themselves and their thoughts being on their affairs. But fire will consume them.” 17

The savior answered, “Listen to what I tell you and believe the truth. What sows and what is sown will pass away in their fire, in fire and water, and will be hidden in tombs of darkness. And after a long time the fruit of evil trees will appear and be punished and slain in the mouths of animals and people through the agency of the rains, the winds, the air, and the light shining above.” 18

Thomas answered, “You have certainly convinced us, master. We perceive in our hearts, it is clearly so, and your word is not meager. But these sayings that you tell us are laughable and ridiculous to the world, since they are not understood. How can we go forth and preach them when we are not respected in the world?”

The savior answered and said, “I tell you the truth, whoever listens to your word and turns away or sneers at it or smirks at these things, that person will be handed over to the ruler who is on high, who rules as king over all the powers, and the ruler will make him turn away and cast him down from on high into the abyss, and he will be imprisoned in a cramped, dark place. So he cannot turn or move because of the great depth of Tartaros 19 and the burdensome bitterness of Hades. Whoever relies on what is brought to him . . . will not be forgiven his madness, but will be judged. Whoever has persecuted you will be handed over to the angel Tartarouchos, 20 who has flaming fire that pursues them, and fiery whips that spew forth sparks into the face of one who is pursued. If he flees to the west, he finds fire. If he turns south, he finds it there as well. If he turns north, the threat of erupting fire meets him again. Nor can he find the way to the east, to flee there and be saved, for he did not find it while embodied so as to find it on the day of judgment.”

Then the savior continued and said, “Shame on you, godless people, who have no hope, who are secure in things that will not happen.

“Shame on you who hope in the flesh and in the prison that will perish. 21 How long will you sleep and think that what is imperishable will also perish? Your hope is based upon the world, and your god is this present life. You are destroying your souls.

“Shame on you, prisoners, for you are bound in caves. You laugh, you rejoice in mad laughter. You do not perceive your destruction. Neither do you perceive your plight, nor have you understood that you are in darkness and death. Rather, you are drunk with fire and full of bitterness. Your hearts are deranged because of the smoldering that is within you, and you delight in your enemies’ poison and blows. Darkness has risen in you like light, for you have surrendered your freedom to slavery. You have darkened your hearts. You have given in to foolishness, and you have filled your minds with the smoke of the fire within. And your light has been hidden by the dark cloud. You love the garment 22 that you wear, although it is filthy, and you are gripped by nonexistent hope. You have believed in what you do not know. You all live in bondage but pride yourselves in your freedom. You have baptized your souls in the water of darkness. You have pursued your own wishes. 23

“Shame on you who are in error, not seeing that the light of the sun, which judges the universe and looks down on the universe, will encircle everything to make slaves of the enemies. Nor do you perceive how the moon looks down night and day, seeing the bodies of your slaughters.

“Shame on you who entice your limbs with fire. Who will sprinkle a restful dew on you, to extinguish the many fires within you, and your burning? Who will shine the sun on you, to dispel darkness in you, and hide darkness and filthy water?

“The sun and the moon will give a fragrant aroma to you and the air, the spirit, the earth, and the water. 24 If the sun does not shine upon these bodies, they will rot and perish just like weed or grass. If the sun shines on it, it grows strong and chokes the grapevine. But if the grapevine becomes strong and casts its shadow over the weeds and all the rest of the brush growing with it, and spreads and fills out, it alone inherits the land where it grows, and dominates wherever it has cast its shadow. So when it grows, it dominates the whole land, and it is productive for its master and pleases him greatly. He would have labored painfully to pull out weeds, but the grapevine by itself has disposed of them and choked them, and they have died and have become like earth.”

Then Jesus continued and said to them, “Shame on you, for you have not accepted the teaching, and those who wish to accept it will suffer when they preach. You will persecute them, but you will rush into your own traps. You will cast them down to the lions and put them to death, daily, but they will rise from death.” 2 5

“Blessings on you who understand beforehand temptations and flee from things that are alien.

“Watch and pray that you may not come to be in the flesh, but that you may leave the bondage of the bitterness of this life. And when you pray, you will find rest, for you have left pain and reproach behind. When you leave the pains and the passions of the body, you will receive rest from the good one. You will reign with the king, you united with him and he with you, from now on and forever. Amen.” 26