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Early Christian Writings Gospel of Thomas Saying 71 Previous - Gospel of Thomas Home - Next

You can view this web page along with Grondin's Coptic/English Interlinear in frames.
Nag Hammadi Coptic Text Funk's Parallels
Matt 26:59-68, Matt
27:39-40, John 2:13-22,
Mark 14:55-65, Mark
15:29-30, Mark 13:1-4,
BLATZ LAYTON DORESSE Acts 6:12-14.
(71) I will des[troy this] (71) Jesus said, "I shall 75 [71]. Jesus says: "I will
house, and none shall be throw down [this] building, [...] and no one will be able
able to build it [again]. and no one will be able to [...]
build it [...]."

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I alone can destroy your R. McL. Wilson writes: "If this is independent, it must confirm the synoptic version
world and none will be able ('I will destroy') against John (imperative). If, however, it is dependent we may ask if
to build it again. it is intended as deliberate opposition to John ii. 21: 'He spake of the temple of His
- seeker of truth body.' It is at any rate notable that no reference is made to the resurrection; on the
Commentary on the contrary, the possibility of restoration is emphatically denied. This must indicate
transitory nature of a true either a rejection of the doctrine of the resurrectino or perhaps a period after the final
esoteric school. The teaching destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, when no hope remained of its rebuilding."
is perennial --- but it must be (Studies in the Gospel of Thomas, p. 115)
adapted afresh to the needs Gerd Ludemann writes: "The saying is reminiscent of John 2.19, where a similar
of every new community, saying is spoken by Jesus, and Mark 14.58, according to which a saying of Jesus to
tailored to the locale and its this effect has been wrongly put on the lips of Jesus. However, in the New Testament
inhabitants. the teacher has parallels there is always a reference to a rebuilding, whereas there is none in Thomas.
this skill and a concommitant Hence Logion 71 might be about the destruction of the world or matter in a
of that ability is the metaphorical sense. There is no eschatological perspective at work here. Thomas
capabolity to close it down presupposes the New Testament texts and on that basis formulates an ascetic-
deliberately so as to prevent dualistic saying of Jesus about the temple." (Jesus After 2000 Years, p. 626)
it being re-used for another Funk and Hoover write: "The Fellows conceded that Jesus could have predicted the
generation. Nobody can destruction of the temple and its replacement by another 'not made with hands.' And
rebuild it. cf the story of they agreed that some such saying must have circulated as an independent remark
Humpty Dumpty, HD being during the oral period, since it appears in three independent sources. Yet they were
the school and not even the hesitant to identify its original form. The saying in Thomas, unfortunately, is
greatest authority in the land fragmentary." (The Five Gospels, p. 513)
[the king] can put back into
working order what the Gerd Theissen writes: "Gospel of Thomas 71 knows the prophecy in the first person:
teacher has decreed shall be 'Jesus said: I shall destroy this house, and no one will be able to build it (again).' Here
dismantled. [Don't try and the positive part of the prophecy is directly denied. It had not been fulfilled and had
put new wine --- the next become a problem." (The Historical Jesus: A Comprehensive Guide, p. 433)
projection --- into old bottles Stephen Patterson writes: "it structural similarity [to other sayings about the Temple]
--- the past projection's permits the assumption that it is indeed a version of the so-called 'temple word'. . . .
apparatus] Whether the lack of any referenec to the temple in 71 is a secondary feature, or a
- Thief37 primitive touch is difficult to decide. I would suspect, however, that Thomas' ending:
The house is ego which 'and no one will be able to rebuild it' is secondary over against references to
Jesus will destroy and never rebuilding the Temple in the various other versions. The fact that the Temple was
build again. The devil, never rebuilt would eventually prove awkward for such predictions. One way to ease
desire, is the architect of this off the problem would be to allegorize it, as does John, in terms of the resurrection
house. (2:21); another way would be to ease off the prediction itself (so Thomas)" (The
- Anonymous Gospel of Thomas and Jesus, pp. 109-110)
"The mind once expanded J. D. Crossan writes: "I agree with the first two points of that analysis [by Patterson]
can never return to its but not with its third one. Despite its ambiguities, 'house' is best seen as referring
original position." originally to the Temple at Jerusalem, even if the Gospel of Thomas may now
- T Moran understand it in some other way. Next, the structural balance of destroying/rebuilding
71
is common to all three sources in the complex and must be taken very seriously. But I
reverse the sequence presumed by Patterson's analysis. I take Gospel of Thomas 71 as
the most original version we have, and it simply states emphatically: I will destroy
this house so utterly that rebuilding will be impossible. The rebuilding does not,
Alias: initially, reflect any spiritual substitution but is merely an emphatic way of stating
utterly, completely, totally, and forever. It is not this version that has eased off the
rebuilding, taken negatively, but the other versions that have developed the
rebuilding, taken positively. It is most significant, therefore, that the Gospel of
Thomas, which has no interest in the passion of Jesus, still retains this saying. But
that cuts both ways. It may mean that it is very good historical Jesus tradition but also
that the connection with the passion was not at all on the same level." (The Historical
Jesus, p. 356)

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