Thomas 1:18 … Returning to the Beginning (01/28/17)
“Have you discovered the Beginning, then, you who search for the End? For where the Beginning is, there the End will Be. For blessed is he who stands at the Beginning. He will know the End, and not taste death.” ~ Jesus (Gospel of Thomas 18)
Again, as is almost always the case with the Gospel of Thomas, these verses reflect similar passages in one or more of the canonical Gospels – in this case reverberating Mark 10:31, where Jesus is heard to say “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first” … Now some scholars have hypothesized that Jesus was speaking here of the thief on the Cross seen in Luke 23:29-42 (who was the last saved, and yet seemed to be the first “taken”) along with his disciple Simon Peter in Matthew 4:18-22 (who was the first disciple taken, and yet – after his three denials – one of the very last to “be saved”). Of course, this hypothesis falls victim to the assumption that Jesus is speaking here about a post-mortem spiritual salvation in a post-mortem paradise – an assumption that Jesus himself repeatedly denied during his ministry (where he made it quite clear that his Kingdom of Heaven existed in this life – Luke 17:20-21, & that entry thereto was granted to those who chose to humble themselves by selflessly sacrificing for the downtrodden &/or their enemies – see Matthew 18:3-4, Matthew 25:35-40, Matthew 5:40-44 et al).
Of course, this alternative theology is seen quite clearly in the Gospels when we look to the context of the places where Jesus mentions this same phrase (Mark 10:31 mentioned above, as well as Matthew 19:30 & Matthew 20:16), a context that specifically has Jesus referencing rewards received by those who sacrifice themselves for the betterment of others (!!!) … And yet, as is also often the case, here the Gospel of Thomas takes it all a bit further; noting that this particular Wisdom has to do with rediscovering & re-enlivening the Child of God within (the “beginning” mentioned in Matthew 18:3-4, a “beginning” to which we must all indeed return if we are to ever enter his Kingdom — see Matthew 18:3-4): Loving others as purely as a toddler does, and thereby attaining Salvation (see also John 13:15-17).
Amen … Let it be so.
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