D.W. Kim, «Where Does It Fit? The Unknown Parables in the Gospel of Thomas», Vol. 94 (2013) 585-595
This article explores the genesis of some parables in the Gospel of Thomas not found elsewhere. They are not thematically related to each other. Then, how many parables exist in the text? In what way are they different or the same in comparison with the canonical Gospels? These parables in Thomas were not excluded from the concern of the post-1960s scholars, but the literary standard was not unified. The Greek fragments (P. Oxy. 654, 1, and 655) do not offer any crucial source in this case, but the Coptic manuscripts (NHC II, 2. 32-51) evince a new insight that the unknown parable tradition is not intended to show dependency on the canonical tradition; rather they commonly provide key evidence which proves the pre-gnostic Jewish sophia tradition.
07_Biblica_AN_Kim_Layout 1 16/12/13 12:29 Pagina 585
Where Does It Fit? The Unknown Parables in the Gospel of Thomas *
There are approximately fifty or sixty parables of Jesus in the synoptic
tradition, while the Fourth Gospel has twelve short parables 1. The text of
Thomas includes several meaningful parables, whether these come with a
thematic teaching or not. Such data show that the category of parables in the
teachings of Jesus plays a significant role in reconstructing the origin of the
Jesus tradition. In this regard, biblical scholars have attempted to explore
the Thomasine parables from the 1960s onwards. The following diagram
shows how they enumerate certain Logia of Thomas as parables of Jesus:
Surveys of the Parables in Thomas
MONTEFIORE SCHOEDEL PATTERSON BLOMBERG CAMERON STROKER MORRICE
1 Logion 8 Logion 8 Logion 8 Logion 8 Logion 8.1 Logion 8 Logion 8
2 Logion 9 Logion 9 Logion 9 Logion 9 Logion 9 Logion 9
3 Logion 20 Logion 20 Logion 20 Logion 20 Logion 20 Logion 20
4 Logion 21.a Logion 21.a Logion 21.a
5 Logion 21.b Logion 21.b
6 Logion 33
7 Logion 47
8 Logion 57 Logion 57 Logion 57 Logion 57 Logion 57 Logion 57 Logion 57
9 Logion 62
10 Logion 63 Logion 63 Logion 63 Logion 63.1 Logion 63 Logion 63
11 Logion 64 Logion 64 Logion 64 Logion 64.1 Logion 64 Logion 64
12 Logion 65 Logion 65 Logion 65 Logion 65 Logion 65.1 Logion 65 Logion 65
13 Logion 76 Logion 76 Logion 76 Logion 76.1 Logion 76 Logion 76
14 Logion 91
15 Logion 96 Logion 96 Logion 96 Logion 96 Logion 96.1 Logion 96 Logion 96
16 Logion 97 Logion 97 Logion 97
17 Logion 98 Logion 98 Logion 98
18 Logion 107 Logion 107 Logion 107 Logion 107 Logion 107 Logion 107 Logion 107
19 Logion 109 Logion 109 Logion 109 Logion 109 Logion 109 Logion 109
16 Logia 5 Logia 11 Logia 11 Logia 14 Logia 14 Logia 15 Logia
*
This research has been financially supported by a funding of the Institute
for Humanities, Seoul National University, South Korea in 2013.
1
G.W. MORRICE, Hidden Sayings of Jesus. Words Attributed to Jesus Out-
side the Four Gospels (London 1997) 20-21.
BIBLICA 94.4 (2013) 585-595
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