Gospel of Thomas Saying 107
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gnostic ken
Nov 19, 2012, 8:06:47 AM11/19/12
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What does Saying 107 say/mean to you?
107 Jesus said, The kingdom is like a shepherd who had a hundred sheep.
One of them, the largest, went astray. He left the ninety- nine and looked
for the one until he found it. After he had toiled, he said to the sheep,
'I love you more than the ninety- nine.'
................................
107) Jesus said, "The Kingdom is like a shepherd who had a
hundred sheep. One of them, the largest, went astray. He left the
ninety-nine sheep and looked for that one until he found it. When
he had gone to such trouble, he said to the sheep, 'I care for
you more than the ninety-nine.'"
............................
107.)
The kingdom is like a shepherd, who owned a
hundred sheep, the largest of which went astray. He
left the 99, in search of the one until he found it.
After all his trouble, he said to the sheep:
I love you more than the 99.
.............................
107. Y'shua says: The Sovereignty is like a shepherd who has 100 sheep.
One of them went astray, which was the largest. He left the 99, he sought
for the one until he found it. Having wearied himself, he said to
that sheep: I desire thee more than 99.
.............................
(107) Jesus says:
(1) "The kingdom is like a shepherd who had a hundred sheep.
(2) One of them went astray, the largest. He left the ninety-nine, (and) he sought the one until he found it.
(3) After he had toiled, he said to the sheep: I love you more than the ninety-nine. "
gnostic ken
Nov 19, 2012, 8:11:47 AM11/19/12
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22 May 12, I said:
Today Roadhouse Jack's post from 2003 makes the most sense to me. You will value something more if you spend a lot of effort to get it.
Kind of like the wolf you feed.
IMO.
Ken
Kind of like the wolf you feed.
IMO.
Ken
23 May 12, I added:
Also this reminds me of the prodigal son story.
These stories may be about members of the church who left and were persuaded to
come back. Long time loyal members may have been jealous of all the hoopla over
the ones who left when they came back to the church.
Ken
These stories may be about members of the church who left and were persuaded to
come back. Long time loyal members may have been jealous of all the hoopla over
the ones who left when they came back to the church.
Ken
23 May 12, Clive said:
You have probably read this from "The Gospel Of Truth"
He is the shepherd who left behind the ninety-nine sheep which had not strayed and went in search of that one which was lost. He rejoiced when he had found it. For ninety-nine is a number of the left hand, which holds it. The moment he finds the one, however, the whole number is transferred to the right hand. Thus it is with him who lacks the one, that is, the entire right hand which attracts that in which it is deficient, seizes it from the left side and transfers it to the right. In this way, then, the number becomes one hundred. This number signifies the Father.
He labored even on the Sabbath for the sheep which he found fallen into the pit. He saved the life of that sheep, bringing it up from the pit in order that you may understand fully what that Sabbath is, you who possess full understanding.
This seems to fit in with my understanding that we have one desire for spirituality on the right and the left is made up of all our other egoistic desires.
We find that desire for the spiritual and then eventually correct our egoism so that all ends up on right side.
I think this saying is linked to the previous one, about making the 2 into 1.
He is the shepherd who left behind the ninety-nine sheep which had not strayed and went in search of that one which was lost. He rejoiced when he had found it. For ninety-nine is a number of the left hand, which holds it. The moment he finds the one, however, the whole number is transferred to the right hand. Thus it is with him who lacks the one, that is, the entire right hand which attracts that in which it is deficient, seizes it from the left side and transfers it to the right. In this way, then, the number becomes one hundred. This number signifies the Father.
He labored even on the Sabbath for the sheep which he found fallen into the pit. He saved the life of that sheep, bringing it up from the pit in order that you may understand fully what that Sabbath is, you who possess full understanding.
This seems to fit in with my understanding that we have one desire for spirituality on the right and the left is made up of all our other egoistic desires.
We find that desire for the spiritual and then eventually correct our egoism so that all ends up on right side.
I think this saying is linked to the previous one, about making the 2 into 1.
24 May 12, I replied:
That makes sense.
BTW, the Gospel of Truth is on page 250 of "The Gnostic Bible" and on page 270 of the paperback revised edition.
Ken
BTW, the Gospel of Truth is on page 250 of "The Gnostic Bible" and on page 270 of the paperback revised edition.
Ken
gnostic ken
Jan 18, 2013, 10:48:39 AM1/18/13
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Tue Jan 15, 2013 4:43 pm, George said:
The versions of this parable, found in Matthew 18:12-14 and Luke 15:4-7, have
implanted themselves into the Christian psyche from a very early time. The
message of Jesus as the good shepherd, conflating the John 10: 11-16
proclamation with the seeking of the lost sheep, generally identified as a
wayward sinner, has become so iconic and proverbial, that any alternate
understanding of its meaning might seem bizarre or even outrageous.
Nevertheless, there are patterns in Thomas which cannot be ignored and need to
be explained. This parable is often compared to the parables of the wise
fisherman (GTh 8) and the merchant and the pearl (GTh 76). In both, the "one"
is preferred over the many. In GTh 8, the large fish is kept while the many
small fish are tossed back into the sea. In GTh 76, we are told that the
merchant is "shrewd." He sells his merchandise and buys the pearl for himself.
Anyone knowing anything about business would say that this merchant is not
shrewd, he is insane. Indeed, the fisherman seems rather odd in throwing his
huge catch overboard for a much smaller quantity of fish, though in a larger
package. In this parable of the lost sheep, the shepherd abandons his ninety
nine sheep for the one. He tells the one sheep that he wants him more than the
others. Does this sound like a sane man? All of these men are clearly detached
from reality. That is to say, they are detached from the so called reality of
the world. But here is the irony; if we see these parables as metaphorically
illustrating the truth of the Kingdom, these men can then be seen as being quite
wise and quite shrewd.
The parable says that there are one hundred sheep. This is a very large number
of sheep for one shepherd to look after. There is no mention of sheepdogs.
Even here, hyperbole prepares the reader/listener to temporarily set aside his
accustomed view of reality and open his mind to new possibilities. The one
sheep is said to be the "largest," yet the Coptic word for this is most often
translated in Thomas as "greatest." The suggestion is that, in some sense, the
sheep is seen as greater than any of the one hundred. The shepherd goes to some
trouble to find this greater sheep, and when he does, he tells it that he loves
it more than the ninety nine. Again, it is instructive to check how the Coptic
word in question is used elsewhere in Thomas. The word used here for "love" or
"care" is most often translated as "want" or "desire." Most translators prefer
"love' or "care" perhaps because it supports the "good shepherd" idea of John
10. However, when "want" is used, the metaphorical value of the one sheep is
more clearly understood.
Another pattern seen in Thomas is its interest in oneness or "the one." In one
form or another, we encounter it repeatedly. As we have seen before, the
"Kingdom" in Thomas is a realm of unqualified oneness. In the previous saying
(106), the power to move mountains comes from making the one two, as it does in
GTH 48: "if two make peace with each other in this house of oneness..." This
one is the one who enters the bridal chamber (75). And where is this Kingdom of
oneness? It is spread out upon the earth (113). In other words, it is
everywhere. In this saying, the one sheep, the sheep that is greater, is a
metaphor for oneness. The shepherd wisely seeks this oneness, which has strayed
from his mind while he believed in separation. By finding the greater sheep, he
finds himself. When he makes this effort and goes to this trouble, he then
realizes the truth, that this is what he really wants, not the world of the
ninety nine, the world of separation.
In Matthew and Luke, the shepherd loves the one sheep because it is lost. In
Thomas, the shepherd wants and loves the oneness of the Kingdom, symbolized by
the one sheep. He chooses the oneness of the Kingdom because it is his home and
essence. In the former, the lost sheep is a sinner, straying from the fold. In
the latter, there is no sin, or anything else to separate man from man or man
from God.
Thank you,
George Duffy
Corvallis, OR
implanted themselves into the Christian psyche from a very early time. The
message of Jesus as the good shepherd, conflating the John 10: 11-16
proclamation with the seeking of the lost sheep, generally identified as a
wayward sinner, has become so iconic and proverbial, that any alternate
understanding of its meaning might seem bizarre or even outrageous.
Nevertheless, there are patterns in Thomas which cannot be ignored and need to
be explained. This parable is often compared to the parables of the wise
fisherman (GTh 8) and the merchant and the pearl (GTh 76). In both, the "one"
is preferred over the many. In GTh 8, the large fish is kept while the many
small fish are tossed back into the sea. In GTh 76, we are told that the
merchant is "shrewd." He sells his merchandise and buys the pearl for himself.
Anyone knowing anything about business would say that this merchant is not
shrewd, he is insane. Indeed, the fisherman seems rather odd in throwing his
huge catch overboard for a much smaller quantity of fish, though in a larger
package. In this parable of the lost sheep, the shepherd abandons his ninety
nine sheep for the one. He tells the one sheep that he wants him more than the
others. Does this sound like a sane man? All of these men are clearly detached
from reality. That is to say, they are detached from the so called reality of
the world. But here is the irony; if we see these parables as metaphorically
illustrating the truth of the Kingdom, these men can then be seen as being quite
wise and quite shrewd.
The parable says that there are one hundred sheep. This is a very large number
of sheep for one shepherd to look after. There is no mention of sheepdogs.
Even here, hyperbole prepares the reader/listener to temporarily set aside his
accustomed view of reality and open his mind to new possibilities. The one
sheep is said to be the "largest," yet the Coptic word for this is most often
translated in Thomas as "greatest." The suggestion is that, in some sense, the
sheep is seen as greater than any of the one hundred. The shepherd goes to some
trouble to find this greater sheep, and when he does, he tells it that he loves
it more than the ninety nine. Again, it is instructive to check how the Coptic
word in question is used elsewhere in Thomas. The word used here for "love" or
"care" is most often translated as "want" or "desire." Most translators prefer
"love' or "care" perhaps because it supports the "good shepherd" idea of John
10. However, when "want" is used, the metaphorical value of the one sheep is
more clearly understood.
Another pattern seen in Thomas is its interest in oneness or "the one." In one
form or another, we encounter it repeatedly. As we have seen before, the
"Kingdom" in Thomas is a realm of unqualified oneness. In the previous saying
(106), the power to move mountains comes from making the one two, as it does in
GTH 48: "if two make peace with each other in this house of oneness..." This
one is the one who enters the bridal chamber (75). And where is this Kingdom of
oneness? It is spread out upon the earth (113). In other words, it is
everywhere. In this saying, the one sheep, the sheep that is greater, is a
metaphor for oneness. The shepherd wisely seeks this oneness, which has strayed
from his mind while he believed in separation. By finding the greater sheep, he
finds himself. When he makes this effort and goes to this trouble, he then
realizes the truth, that this is what he really wants, not the world of the
ninety nine, the world of separation.
In Matthew and Luke, the shepherd loves the one sheep because it is lost. In
Thomas, the shepherd wants and loves the oneness of the Kingdom, symbolized by
the one sheep. He chooses the oneness of the Kingdom because it is his home and
essence. In the former, the lost sheep is a sinner, straying from the fold. In
the latter, there is no sin, or anything else to separate man from man or man
from God.
Thank you,
George Duffy
Corvallis, OR
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