Gnosticism

Material world = evil

Spiritual world = good

God

Aeon Aeon Aeon Aeon

Aeon Aeon Aeon

AeonAeon Aeon Aeon

Sophia

God

Aeon Aeon Aeon Aeon

Aeon Aeon Aeon

Sophia

AeonAeon Aeon Aeon

God

Aeon Aeon Aeon Aeon

Aeon Aeon Aeon

AeonAeon Aeon Aeon

Demiurge

Gnostics containing divine sparks wantingto return to divine realm.

Salvation could be achieved bygaining appropriateknowledge (gnosis) fromdivine realm

Knowledge brought by anaeon…

Gnostic views of Christ:

1. Spiritual being who instructed discipleswhile masquerading as a human

2. Spiritual being temporarily inhabitinghuman body of Jesus

Gnostic views of humanity:

1. Gnostics

2. Other Christians

3. Other humans

Attitudes towards the human body in the eyesof the Gnostics and their critics

“Sayings” gospel

Coptic (Nag Hammadi, 4th c.) and Greek(Oxyrhynchus, 2nd c.) versions

114 sayings of Jesus. No. 1 promisingfreedom from death to person whounderstands them

By Didymos Judas Thomas, brother of Jesus?

Gospel of Thomas

Sayings found in synoptics (e.g. 34, 54, 73)

Sayings vaguely resembling some in synoptics(e.g. 2)

Sayings nothing like anything in synoptics(e.g. 11, 28, 29, 37)

Symbolism of “poverty” (29), “intoxicated”(28), kingdom of heaven (3, 113)

Gospel of Thomas

Relation to synoptics:

Did Thomas draw on synoptics?

Is the Gospel of Thomas Q?

Temporal relations?

Gospel of Thomas