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In Irenaeus, the followers of Basilides say only one in a thousand, or two in ten thousand, can understand their teaching. The Gospel of Thomas uses the same numbers, but for the few people Jesus chooses rather than the few who understand.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Gospel of Thomas 1:23
Nag Hammadi
22 Jesus saw infants being suckled. He said to his disciples, “These little ones being suckled are like those who enter the kingdom.” They said to him, “Then shall we enter the kingdom as little ones?” Jesus said to them, “When you make the two one, and when you make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside, and the above like the below, and when you make the male and the female one and the same—so that the male will not be male and the female not be female—when you fashion eyes in place of an eye, a hand in place of a hand, a foot in place of a foot, an image in place of an image, then you will enter [the kingdom].” 23 Jesus said, “I shall choose you, one from a thousand and two from ten thousand, and they will stand as a single one.” 24 His disciples said, “Show us the place where you are, since it is necessary for us to seek it.” He said to them, “Whoever has ears should hear. There is light within a man of light, and it lights up the whole world. If he does not shine, he is darkness.”
Irenaeus, Against Heresies 1.24
Early Christian
6 He, then, who has learned [these things], and known all the angels and their causes, is rendered invisible and incomprehensible to the angels and all the powers, even as Caulacau also was. And as the son was unknown to all, so must they also be known by no one; but while they know all, and pass through all, they themselves remain invisible and unknown to all; for, Do you, they say, know all, but let nobody know you. For this reason, persons of such a persuasion are also ready to recant [their opinions], yea, rather, it is impossible that they should suffer on account of a mere name, since they are like to all. The multitude, however, cannot understand these matters, but only one out of a thousand, or two out of ten thousand. They declare that they are no longer Jews, and that they are not yet Christians; and that it is not at all fitting to speak openly of their mysteries, but right to keep them secret by preserving silence.
Date: 175-190 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
“... A matter of some dispute in scholarship is Basilides’ doctrine of human nature, and his classification of some people (i.e. Christian Gnostics) as “elect,” as over against the rest of humanity who are not. In a discussion of the esoterism of the Basilidians Irenaeus attributes to them the following saying: “And few people can know these things—only one in a thousand, and two in ten thousand.” This saying is, no doubt, based on a dominical saying that circulated among the Basilidians and was probably known to Basilides himself. Compare the Gospel of Thomas (log. 23): “Jesus said, ‘I shall choose you, one out of a thousand, and two out of ten thousand, and they shall stand as a single one.’” Whether or not Basilides knew the Gospel of Thomas, there is no doubt that he regarded those “chosen” or “elect” as relatively few in number. But then the question arises as to the basis of divine election. Is it related to the elect person’s nature? And if so, in what sense? ...”
Pearson, Birger A.
"Basilides the Gnostic" in Marjanen, Antti, and Petri Luomanen (eds.) A Companion to Second-Century Christian “Heretics”
(p. 19) Brill, 2005
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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