literary context for a similar saying, even using a typically more complex sentence structure for the introduction For example, inasmuch as 17:21 and 17:23 could be perceived as somewhat repetitious statements to the disciples, the author of Luke, in including the Thomasine material at this point, may have placed 17:20a on the lips of another group, the Pharisees, before redactionally prefacing the Q speech on the Coming of the Son of Humanity with a reference to the disciples (17:22), creating two separate conversations. Furthermore, there is almost verbatim similarity between Luke 17:21b and P. Oxy. 654.15–16 (GTh 3:3a), with Luke using a redactional ἰδοὺ γάρ to introduce the saying in its new context as an explanation for 17:20–21a (ἰδού possibly even coming from GTh 113:3’s second “behold”). Hence, Lukan conflation of two sayings in Thomas is not only not ruled out, but is quite plausible, despite the perceived lack of verbal correspondence between Luke 17:20–21a and GTh 113:1–2. This hypothesis would answer the question of Luke’s otherwise unknown source for 17:20–21 and ought to be explored further.
36. Cf. Schürmann, “Thomasevangelium.”
37. E.g., Evelyn-White, Sayings of Jesus, xxxiv–xxxvi; Doresse, Secret Books, 339, 342, 350, 375–83; Wilson, Studies, 87; Kasser, Thomas; Brown, “Gospel of Thomas”; Koester, “Gnostic Writings”; idem, “Dialog”; Sell, “Johannine Traditions”; Davies, “Thomas,” esp. 106–16; Koester, “Gnostic Sayings”; idem, “Les discours d’adieu,” esp. 269–71, 275; idem, Ancient Christian Gospels, 113–24, 256–67; Patterson, “Gospel of Thomas”; Koester, “Story”; Riley, “Gospel of Thomas,” 239–40; idem, Resurrection; De Conick, “Blessed”; Pagels, “Exegesis of Genesis 1”; Attridge, “‘Seeking’ and ‘Asking,’”; DeConick, Voices of the Mystics; idem, “John Rivals Thomas”; Pagels, Beyond Belief; Popkes, “‘Ich bin das Licht.’” Translations and commentaries have noted similarities, be they a word, a phrase, or an idea, from Doresse to the present (Doresse, Thomas).
38. Evelyn-White, Sayings of Jesus, xxxv.
39. Ibid., xxxv–xxxvi.
40. Wilson, Studies, 87.
41. Brown, “Gospel of Thomas,” 157.
42. Ibid., 174.
43. Ibid., 175.
44. Ibid., 175–77.
45. Sell, “Johannine Traditions,” 25.
46. Riley, “Gospel of Thomas,” 239.
47. See esp. Koester, “Gnostic Writings”; idem, “Dialog”; idem, “Traditions”; idem, “Les discours d’adieu”; and idem, “Johannine Tradition.”
48. Koester, “Gnostic Writings,” 253.
49. Ibid.
50. Koester, “Dialog,” 534, 544.
51. Ibid., 545–51. Koester and Elaine Pagels have argued that the Dialogue of the Savior is constructed using the saying found in GTh 2 as a framework, though they also state that the Dialogue of the Savior witnesses to a sayings tradition that “appears to be an independent parallel to the one used in The Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of John” (Koester and Pagels, “Dialogue of the Savior,” 244–45).
52. Koester, “Dialog,” 553–54: “1. Die Reden und Dialoge des Johannesevangeliums sind in größerem Umfang als bisher angenommen auf überlieferten Sprüchen Jesu aufgebaut. 2. Die Spruchdialoge aus den in Nag Hammadi gefundenen Schriften sowie bereits bekanntes apokryphes Evangelien-Material haben solche Sprüche unabhängig vom Johannesevangelium aufbewahrt und geben so eine Handhabe dafür, die den johanneischen Dialogen und Reden zugrunde liegenden Sprüche besser zu erkennen.”
53. Ibid., 554. “Ein Datum in der zweiten Hälfte des 1. Jh. nChr. läßt sich für eine ältere Fassung dieser Schrift durchaus annehmen.”
54. Koester, Gnostic Writings,” 243–44: “Although the Johannine attestations [of Thomas sayings] assure a first-century date for their incorporation into the sayings tradition of Jesus, it would be hazardous to consider these Johannine occurrences as proof for a first-century date of the Gospel of Thomas in the form in which it is preserved in its Coptic translation. The Greek fragments from Oxyrhynchus demonstrate the instability of text and context of such sayings collections” (italics mine).
55. E.g., Koester, “Gnostic Writings,” 243, 259.
56. See Koester, Ancient Christian Gospels, 119, 122–23.
57. See, e.g., Koester, “Les discours d’adieu,” 269–75; idem, Ancient Christian Gospels, 264–67; idem, “Johannine Tradition,” 19–23.
58. Koester, “Johannine Tradition,” 23.
59. Davies, Gospel of Thomas, 115–16.
60. Ibid., 106–16. Actually, Koester agrees that both texts develop wisdom traditions. In fact, gnostic thought clearly develops out of the wisdom tradition inasmuch as both emphasize the search for wisdom and enlightenment as the path to one’s salvation. The question is how far along in the development from wisdom speculation to gnostic speculation, and from wisdom forms to gnostic interpretation of those forms, the Gospel of Thomas has moved.
61. Davies, “Christology and Protology.” Cf. Koester, “Johannine Tradition,” 23.
62. Riley, Resurrection, 69–179.
63. Ibid., 178. Cf. Ron Cameron’s critique of Riley’s thesis in “Ancient Myths and Modern Theories,” esp. 239–44.
64. De Conick, “Blessed,” 397.
65.
