Recovering Jewish-Christian Sects and Gospels (Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae)

jewish-christian gospels and syriac gospel traditions 

actual saying. This suggests that the saying is based on a tradition that
was at some point transmitted within a wider narrative framework.
In contrast to Mark, Matthew and theGospel of the Ebionites,the
Gospel of Thomasskips Jesus’ rhetorical question and gives only his
answer. In this respect,Thomasresembles Luke who also omits Jesus’
rhetorical question. However, the wording of Jesus’ answer goes its own
way in Luke—for which there are no parallels in Matthew, Mark, the
Gospel of the EbionitesorThomas—when its refers to the “word” of God
which one has to hear in order to be regarded as Jesus’ true relative.
In theGospel of Thomas, there is an additional remark which cannot
be found in the parallel passages: “It is they who will enter the kingdom
of my father.” However, the same idea is expressed in Matt :: “Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven
but the one who does the will of my father in heaven.” According to
Schrage, this clearly shows thatThomasmust depend on the Gospel of
Matthew.^73 Since there is no parallel for the clause in theGospel of the
Ebionites, the question will be left open here.

Agreement between Thomas and the Jewish-Christian Fragments
It is more important that there are three points where theGospel of
Thomasand theGospel of the Ebionitesagree against synoptic parallels.
Two of these common phrases are also paralleled inClem. .:^74 ()
Matthew and Mark begin Jesus’ answer with an exclamation: “See, my
mother and my brothers” which is followed by a generalizing statement
“Whoever does.. .” In theGospel of Thomasand in theGospel of the
Ebionites, Jesus’ answer is directed only to the people around him and
itbeginswith the Lukan “These/those here (Nτι/netNneeima)...
Originally Luke had placed this phrase after “mother and brother.” Lukan
Nτ ε/σιν H πιντεςcan also be found inClem. .. () The
Gospel of the Ebionites,ThomasandClem. refer to the “will of the

trast to logia  (“Jesus saw infants being suckled.”) and  (“They showed Jesus a gold

coin.”) saying presupposesa situation—which if described—would read: “Jesus was

teaching in a house.” In Mark, the situation is already described in :–.

(^73) Schrage , . Even Patterson ,  and Koester , , who argue for
the independence ofThomas’ traditions, take the final clause as sign of the secondary
influence of the synoptic gospels onThomas.
(^74) Clement of Alexandria also seems to have known one version of the same saying.
Ecl. .:δελ1, γ%ρ,1ησ,ν  κ$ρις,κα, συγκληρν!μι H πιντες τ.  λημα τ
πατρ!ς μυ. Although Clement’s version comes quite close toClem. ., it does not
haveNτ ε/σινmaking its parallelism withThomasand theGospel of the Ebionitesless
significant.