Texts in Conversation
Paul writes that all things come from the Father and exist through Jesus. In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus says the All came from him and has come back to him, and he goes further than Paul by saying he is the All.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
1 Corinthians 8:6
New Testament
4 With regard then to eating food sacrificed to idols, we know that “an idol in this world is nothing,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 If after all there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we live, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we live. 7 But this knowledge is not shared by all. And some, by being accustomed to idols in former times, eat this food as an idol sacrifice, and their conscience, because it is weak, is defiled.
Gospel of Thomas 1:77
Nag Hammadi
76 Jesus said, “The kingdom of the Father is like a merchant who had merchandise and found a pearl. That merchant was prudent; he sold the merchandise and bought the single pearl for himself. You too seek his unfailing treasure that is enduring, where neither moth approaches to devour nor worm destroys.” 77 Jesus said, “I am the light that is over all things. I am the All; the All came forth from me, and to me the All has come. Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there.” 78 Jesus said, “Why did you come out into the countryside? To see a reed shaken by the wind? And to see a man dressed in soft clothing? Look, your kings and your great men are those who wear soft clothing, and they cannot know the truth.”
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Notes and References
“... There has been debate over the precise worldview and christology here: it cannot readily be called (1) Pauline, as argued by Nordsieck, since if ‘the all’ is the world, then the identification between Jesus and the all is stronger than in the texts he cites. [...] 77.1 From me the all came forth. If ‘the all’ were the phenomenal world, the sense of ‘coming forth from’ would probably be that of creation (cf. 1 Cor. 8.6, and the Father ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα). Since the all is more likely to be the totality of the spiritual element, the ‘coming forth’ is probably more like an emanation (perhaps resulting in a fall). 77.1 And the all reaches to me. Corresponding to Jesus as the origin (‘from me the all came forth’) is the balancing teleological remark (cf. Col. 1.16 and—with reference to the Father—Rom. 11.36; 1 Cor. 8.6). ...”
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