Gospel of Thomas

The Gospel of Thomas is perhaps the most famous of the apocryphal Gospels. The extant version presents as a lengthy list of 114 “sayings” of Christ and bears a striking resemblance in places to the gnostic heresies. However, some scholars argue that the work is not explicitly gnostic or otherwise conveys a sort of primordial Gnosticism. While many scholars have argued for an early date for its composition in the 1st century AD, an increasing number of researchers have proposed a later date on the preponderance of evidence, perhaps in the mid-2nd century. Renowned biblical scholar Dr. Craig A. Evans notes that “[o]ver half of the New Testament writings are quoted, paralleled, or alluded to in Thomas . . . [unlike any other] Christian writing prior to AD 150.” As such, it was unlikely to have been written before or during the completion of the New Testament.