Uncovered 'forbidden gospel' paints Jesus in a whole different new light

Edinburgh Live

21-05-2025

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The Gospel of Thomas, an ancient manuscript containing 114 sayings attributed to Jesus, presents a different image of the religious leader. Instead of performing miracles and preaching to the masses, this version portrays him more like a New Age guru whose teachings directly contradict traditional church doctrines.
This "banned" gospel, unlike the gospels in the Bible, suggests that believers don't require churches or rituals, but rather personal awareness and self-discovery.
The sacred text was first unearthed in Egypt in 1945, but it has recently gained popularity online after content creator Nick Di Fabio shared it with his followers. He claimed that some scholars believe it could be the earliest written record of Jesus' teachings, according to MailOnline.
Di Fabio highlighted one recurring message throughout the gospel: "The kingdom is within you" - not in buildings, not in rituals.
This statement poses a direct challenge to the structure of today's Catholic Church, which is built around hierarchy, temples, and religious authority, reports the Mirror.
So, what does the Gospel of Thomas say?
The Gospel of Thomas opens with the intriguing line: "These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down."
This has led many to believe it was authored by the Apostle Thomas - famously known as the disciple who doubted Jesus' resurrection.
The book was omitted from the canonical Bible due to suggestions that salvation comes from personal knowledge or "Gnosticism", countering early Church tenets of faith and compliance. Scholars have also highlighted doubts concerning its authorship and dating, further justifying its exclusion.
Di Fabio brought forth some intriguing excerpts from the text that have reportedly baffled theologians for generations:.
"Split a piece of wood, and I am there".
"Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death."
He interpreted these quotes as indications that Jesus is omnipresent and that enlightenment is the true pursuit rather than unquestioning devotion.
Where did they discover the Gospel of Thomas?
It emerged that the Gospel of Thomas was unearthed inside a ceramic container near Nag Hammadi, which Di Fabio asserted was an attempt to conceal its teachings from rulers eager to suppress spiritual autonomy.
In contrast with the canonical gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - which recount full narratives of Jesus' life, demise, and rebirth, the Gospel of Thomas presents itself as a collection of aphorisms. This alternative gospel excludes miracles and parables, offering solely a compilation of statements, many mystic and prose-like.
Debate is rife among academics over when the Gospel of Thomas came into being. While some argue it could date back to the mid-1st century and be one of the very earliest accounts of Jesus' teachings, others consider a 2nd-century origin more plausible, aligning with when the established New Testament texts are thought to have been penned, spanning 50 to 100AD.
Why does the Gospel of Thomas raise eyebrows?
Its Saying 3 is particularly contentious:.
"If those who lead you say to you, 'See, the kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you."
The assertion "the kingdom is within you" echoes phrases found within the conventional Bible, however, the enigmatic suggestion that the celestial kingdom lies not beyond but within each individual has sparked theological disputes for generations. This perspective flies in the face of long-held ecclesiastical beliefs by proposing that the divine realm is an internal, rather than external, state of being.
The scripture makes another audacious statement right at the beginning: "And he said, 'Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death.'".
Interpreted by some academic experts as hinting at everlasting life through gnosis, or esoteric insight, rather than traditional paths of faith or acts of virtue.
Discovered amidst 13 antique texts, the Gospel of Thomas is now celebrated as part of an archaeological trove pivotal to understanding early Christian history.
The texts were discovered by Muhammad al-Samman, an Egyptian farmer, in a sealed jar containing leather-bound papyrus books written in ancient Greek.
Alongside the Gospel of Thomas, other works found include the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Truth, the Apocryphon of John, and the Apocalypse of Paul - all of which were excluded from the Bible and continue to be contentious.