Gospel of Thomas Saying 23

[gnostic ken]

23 – Jesus said, "I shall choose you,
one from a thousand and two from ten thousand,
and they will stand as a single one."
............................

23 Jesus said,
"I shall choose you, one out of a thousand,
and two out of ten thousand,
and they shall stand as a single one."
...........................

23 I shall choose
One from a thousand,
and two from ten thousand,
and they shall stand in unity.
.......................

23. Y'shua says: I shall choose you,
one from a thousand and two from ten thousand--
and they shall stand as a single unity.
.........................

(23) Jesus says:
(1) "I will choose you, one from a thousand
and two from ten thousand.
(2) And they will stand as a single one."

http://www.westarinstitute.org/Polebridge/Excerpts/thomas.html

http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/nhl_thomas.htm

http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/thomas.htm

http://www.ntgateway.com/noncanonical-texts/gospel-of-thomas

[gnostic ken]

Thu Dec 11, 2003 7:14 am, I said;
Only a very few are chosen in each generation.

Thu Dec 11, 2003 6:08 pm, P3nn said;
only a few find their way to understand.

MP
Penn

Sep 18, 2006 09:32 PDT, I said:
This brings up the question. What does "chosen" mean? Is there some
god "out there" that chooses a few to be given a chance to become
enlightened? Is it random chance? Genetics? Do we choose ourselves?

This question of what "chosen means came up recently on some other
Gnostic groups so I thought I would bring it up on
GnosticThought/topica.

Ken

Sep 18, 2006 10:31 PDT, slvan- said:

"Chosen" could be compared to those who have experienced 
-- "gnosis" 
-- a direct/experiential knowledge of the heart, or 
-- the Fulness, or 
-- an awakening...

Scott V.

PS A comparable NT passage might be where it speaks of the "few there be that find it." 

This "few" may have nothing to do with literally how many in the world ultimately get chosen, but how (inwardly) we feel when we do. (IOW, special. <<<<)


Sep 18, 2006 11:04 PDT, I said:
Hi Scott,
Not sure what you mean by this. Do you mean when we
experience the divine (by whatever name we call it),
we do so all alone within our own mind?

Ken

Sep 18, 2006 11:11 PDT, slvan- answered:
Not necessarily. 

I am only speaking to the issue of how the saying might hint at how we might (now) perceive ourselves; i.e., Special (almost unique).

Scott V.

PS OF course, after we REALLY experience this Oneness -- we will ultimately (IMO) -- allow that all others may/will also ultimately experience it. (Sooner or later.)

Sep 18, 2006 13:47 PDT, I replied:
Hi Scott,
I'm still not sure if it is our experience that is
unique or if it is the words we use to describe it
that is unique, but everyone does seem to describe it
at least a little different from everyone else.

Ken

Thu Jan 31, 2008 3:19 am, edmondwhlr said:
Hello Friends, this could be unity of thought. Also a numerical paradigm? But
for me at this time, I will choose one gnostic and then another and all gnostics
in their awareness are one and speak the same language of gnosis. Break the
stick and their is still the I.

ed

Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:31 pm, Gnostic Tom said:
the herd.

the endless stream of people out there.

how many have found gnosis?

how many would really care if you spoke
to them about metaphysical matters?

one out of a thousand?
one out of five thousand?
and would that one even stand out?

how would you know?

i think most of us on this list have
the same experience. in our daily lives,
the people around us at work,
on the streets, in the malls,
we seem somehow detached from, distanced,
because of what we label as gnosis,
something that sets us apart from the herd.




G n o s t i c . T o m
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DharmaGnosis

Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:52 pm, Steve said:
One of the Upanishads says that "The one whom the Self chooses,
by that one is the Self realized." As in many of these logia,
"Jesus" represents the Daemon, the Higher Self. This logia diverts
one from preoccupation with the notion that the ego-persona is the
one "doing" it. We imagine that we are "achieving" enlightenment
through our ego-willed spiritual practices. This idea actually
just reinforces the delusion that we are separate, independant
and autonomous agents trying to "become one" with some spiritual
reality that is Out There Somewhere. To say that it is "Jesus"
(or the Self) that "chooses" is a temporary "expedient means" to
deflect us from our preoccupation with ego-will. The next part of
the logia points out the obvious fact that relatively few people
are consciously aware of being drawn to Gnosis at any given time.
To "stand as a single one" refers, imo, to the awareness of non-
dual Unity that characterizes Gnostic realization.
-Steve

Wed May 26, 2010 9:24 am, Sam said:

Gist of GoT 23

Few ever transcend rote-programmed mind;
but the folk who do... will oneness find...
and I-dentify as... Humankind.


philo

23 Mar 11 Clive said:

I'm not too sure what to make of 1 from a 1,000 and 2 from 10,000.
Maybe he chose one disciple from a village containg 1,000 people and maybe he chose 2 disciples from another village which had 10,000 inhabitants.
The big point of this verse as far as I can see is the last line - They will stand as a single one/unity.
I often wonder if In our quest to understand what the written word means, we are actually putting the cart before the horse.
As I've qouted before - Jesus said,everything hangs on the love of God and the love of our neighbours.
I believe that if we put our quest for unity as our first priority, then as much as we attain that unity the word would open up for us in equal measure.