Texts in Conversation
In Matthew, Jesus tells his followers to give so quietly that the left hand does not know what the right is doing. In the Gospel of Thomas he says it with no mention of giving, right after saying he tells his mysteries only to the worthy.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Matthew 6:3
New Testament
1 “Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward! 3 But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Gospel of Thomas 1:62
Nag Hammadi
61 Jesus said, “Two will rest on a couch; one will die, one will live.” Salome said, “Who are you, man? As if from One, you have ascended onto my couch and eaten at my table.” Jesus said, “I am he who comes from the one who is whole. I was given from my Father’s things.” Salome said, “I am your disciple.” Jesus said, “For this reason I say, if one is whole, he will be filled with light; but if he is divided, he will be filled with darkness.” 62 Jesus said, “I speak my mysteries to those [who are worthy] of my mysteries. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” 63 Jesus said, “There was a rich man who had much money. He said, ‘I will use my money to sow and reap and to plant and to fill my storehouses with fruit so that I will lack nothing.’ These were the things he was thinking in his heart, and that night he died. Whoever has ears should hear.”
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Notes and References
“... LOGION 62 62:1 Jesus said, “I disclose my mysteries to those [who are worthy] of [my] mysteries. 2Do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing.” Logion 62:2 is paralleled only by Matthew 6:3. The saying is as enigmatic in Thomas as it is in Matthew. Thomas treats it as one of the “mysteries” of Jesus and makes no effort to explain it, while Matthew uses it as a rationale for giving alms without ostentation. Within the group of binary sayings, its theme is the maintenance of division. It is difficult to determine how far back in the Jesus tradition this saying goes. ...”
Marshall, John W.
"The Gospel of Thomas and the Cynic Jesus" in Arnal, William E., and Michel Desjardins (eds.) Whose Historical Jesus?
(p. 50) Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1997
* 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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