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Sri Shantananda Saraswati
Om May no harm be done Here, May this desire be motivated by Love. May what is not beneficent wither to obscurity.
 
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The Gospel of Thomas (also known as the Coptic Gospel of Thomas) is extra to the canonical gospels in the New Testament of the bible. It was discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in December 1945 among a group of books known as the Nag Hammadi library. Scholars speculate that the works were buried and hidden after the declaration of a strict canon of Christian scripture, where any works that were not selected for inclusion in the new testament were ordered to be destroyed. Scholars have proposed dates of composition as early as 60 AD and as late as 250 AD as a collection of sayings of Jesus.
Our Commentary on Verse 013 of Thomas Gospel.
These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down.
Gospel of Thomas Saying 13 - The disciples tell Jesus what he resembles.
Jesus said to his disciples, "Compare me to someone and tell me whom I am like." Simon Peter said to him, "You are like a righteous angel.”
Matthew said to him, "You are like a wise philosopher.”
Thomas said to him, "Master, my mouth is wholly incapable of saying whom you are like." Jesus said, "I am not your master. Because you have drunk, you have become intoxicated from the bubbling spring which I have measured out.”
And he took him and withdrew and told him three things. When Thomas returned to his companions, they asked him, "What did Jesus say to you?"
Thomas said to them, "If I tell you one of the things which he told me, you will pick up stones and throw them at me; a fire will come out of the stones and burn you up."
Jesus said to his disciples, "Compare me to someone and tell me whom I am like."
Jesus was a teacher and he wanted to undertand how his teachings had altered the understanding of his pupils.
Simon Peter said to him, "You are like a righteous angel.”
To be likened to a righteous angel by Peter Simon revealed he has been more impressed by the person and style of Jesus’ teaching than the knowledge Jesus imparted.
“Matthew said to him, "You are like a wise philosopher.”
Mathew saw Jesus as wise philosopher, which is an architype, but he revealed no deep understanding he gained from Jesus’ teaching.
We should remember that no other teacher before Jesus had revealed such new divine truth.
Thomas said to him, "Master, my mouth is wholly incapable of saying whom you are like."
Through this answer Thomas acknowledges that his time with Jesus has been a time of unique revelation that can be likened to no other. The significance of this admission is that it shows Thomas has heard and been struck by the original divine truth in Jesus’ words.
Jesus said, "I am not your master. Because you have drunk, you have become intoxicated from the bubbling spring which I have measured out.”
Jesus likens his teaching to a “bubbling spring”, of words which he “measured out.”
Jesus confirms that indeed Thomas has heard, and been moved “become intoxicated” by the divine truth in his teachings. Jesus states that Thomas has understood enough of his teaching for their relationship to move beyond master and pupil status "I am not your master” to one of mutual trust and respect.
“And he took him and withdrew and told him three things”.
We can be reminded here of the heading of this Gospel:-
“These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down.”
There is a reason why some scriptures are said to contain hidden secret meanings. People become comfortable with their interpretation of divine truth. Most traditional beliefs include a higher being or god as their maker, overseer and judge.
Any prophet who teaches refinements to their understanding risks causing upset or even anger.
Also saying 1 of this Gospel alludes to the truth of the above :-
Jesus said, "Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished.
In our opinion, Jesus would have revealed to Thomas his understanding of the truth of Non-Duality.
That this entire existence is a singularity of absolute knowledge which is all consciousness.
That the divine nondual Absolute of Consciousness and knowledge alone exists.
Higher truth is good news to the enlightened, but “troubling” and “astonishing” to the unenlightened, who fear the loss of their belief.
When Thomas returned to his companions, they asked him, "What did Jesus say to you? "Thomas said to them, "If I tell you one of the things which he told me, you will pick up stones and throw them at me;”
Although Jesus was able to reveal higher truth to Thomas, Thomas understood that he couldn’t share this to the others because they were not capable of understanding it yet, and it could cause confusion and anger.
“a fire will come out of the stones and burn you up."
If speaking the truth to others caused them to become angry, “you will pick up stones and throw them at me;” then their anger would have blinded them to any further truth. It is only the truth that will lead you home to the divine. Those who fail to hear the truth will continue to be lead, in consciousness, by their material desire. They will find their way back to experience the decay of the material world “burn you up."
ref. Luke 9:18-22, Luke 21:34-36, Matt 16:13-20, John 4:13-15, John 7:38, Mark 8:27-30.
All verses of the Thomas Gospel.
Ohm peace, peace, peace.