Logion 77 in Gospel of Thomas Reconsidered

• Published in: Nihon Gakushiin kiyō Vol. 57; no. 3; pp. 223 - 234
• Main Author: ARAI, Sasagu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Japan Academy 2003
• ISSN: 0388-0036; 2424-1903
• DOI: 10.2183/tja1948.57.223

In considering Jesus' words“Split a piece of wood; I am there”in Logion 77, I offer the thesis, based on the perspective of tradition criticism (Traditionsgeshichte), that these words were formed through interaction with the Upanisad, particularly the“father's word”in Chadgya-Upanisad 12:11, 12. My reasoning is based on the following: (1) In both words, there exists a common phrasing referring to“split a wood”. (2) The“I”which we should infer from the word“wood”in the Gospel of Thomas and“[atman]”in Upanisad-of course in the former the first-person is used explicitly as a pronoun referring to Jesus, while in the latter the narrator's“father”is not directly specified-both are symbolic references to the“primary self”of human beings, and from it we can verify a structural relationship. (3) The Acts of Thomas, which shares similar ideals and was established around the same period as the Gospel of Thomas (early 3rd century), has Indian missions as its theme. (4) Although the Acts of Thomas is a missionary tale, we can establish from internal and external evidence that prior to its establishment (late 2nd century, i. e. when the Gospel of Thomas was established), there was contact between Christianity and Indian culture.