Saying 55

English

Jesus said, ‘Whoever does not hate his father and mother is unable to be my disciple. And whoever does not hate his brothers and take up his cross as I do will not be worthy of me.’

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Interpretation

Jesus’ message demands exclusive devotion that disciples must prioritize Jesus over their own family, to such a degree it looks like they hate their family. This is the first of just a few references to crucifixion in the book, and the only one which implies that Jesus was crucified. Unlike the forms of Christianity which became normative ‘orthodoxy’ through the influence of Paul’s letters, salvation in Thomas does not appear to come through placing trust in a divine act God mysteriously accomplished through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Instead, salvation is accomplished through faithful obedience to the ‘way of life’, by living a life of good works and (for Judeans, at least) obedience to the Torah. Jesus tells his disciples that they must emulate him; they must ‘do’ as he ‘does’, even if it leads to a horrific death. Saying 55 appears to comprise two teachings. The first half could, ostensibly, go back to the historical Jesus, but the awareness of Jesus’ crucifixion indicates the second half came from his followers sometime after his death.

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Parallels

Mark

8.34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’

Matthew

10.37–39 ‘Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.’

16.24–26 Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?’

Luke

9.23–25 Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?’

14.25–27 Now large crowds were traveling with him. And he turned and said to them, ‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.’