Gospel of Thomas - Chapter 004

Saying 2

(2) Jesus said, "Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled [be dismayed]. When he becomes troubled [is dismayed], he will be astonished, and he will rule over the All."

Saying 2 of the Gospel of Thomas is not Gnostic. It is a riddle, in his book of riddles, which teach how to read riddles of scripture (sensus plenior). It's doctrine is Christian.

This is a word game. The transition words have multiple meanings.

'Find' מצא means 'squeezing מצ for reconciliation א '. It also means 'hundred (church) מא exchanged sin for righteousness צ '. Also 'the father מ comes forth צא '.

Seek and you shall find that Christ's tribulation and death exchanged your sin for his righteousness, revealing the Father.

The repetition of 'find' suggests we look for a second meaning: It is a pun to matzah מצה which is the unleavened bread. It also means 'father מ instructed צה '. It also means 'squeezing מצ her (those who don't understand ה .

Jesus said that he was the from heaven, and the bread symbolized his body at the cross. The cross was the culmination of the Father's instruction of the Son.

Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

"When he finds he will become troubled" . You are confronted with your sin.

The second usage of 'troubled' suggests a second meaning. 'Troubled' חמר also means 'clay. Clay is the earth man came from, you are exposed for being what your nature is.

The doubling of 'dismay' suggests we look deeper. 'Troubled' also means 'wine'. Wine is symbol for grace. There is dismay as you see the grace poured out on you even in the revelation of your sin.

As you have received grace, now you 'rule the All'. Naturally we cannot rule over God. So this is an obvious riddle after so many plays on words.

'Rule' משל also means 'parable' or 'proverb'. When you have received the grace of God now you can speak and understand the parables and proverbs of God; just as Thomas is doing.

Pr 25:2 [It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings [is] to search out a matter.

(1) Vowel substitution

(2) Homograph

Go to Ch. 5