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The Gospel of Thomas tells the mustard seed parable in a form close to Mark's, yet it uses Matthew's phrase kingdom of heaven and two other details only Matthew has, so its version is not simply older than the Synoptic forms.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Mark 4:31
New Testament
30 He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it? 31 It is like a mustard seed that when sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground— 32 when it is sown, it grows up, becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birds can nest in its shade.”
Matthew 13:31
New Testament
31 He gave them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest garden plant and becomes a tree, so that the wild birds come and nest in its branches.”
Gospel of Thomas 1:20
Nag Hammadi
19 Jesus said, “Blessed is the one who existed before coming into being. If you become my disciples and listen to my words, these stones will serve you. For you have five trees in paradise which do not change, summer or winter, and their leaves do not fall. Whoever knows them will not taste death.” 20 The disciples said to Jesus, “Tell us what the kingdom of heaven is like.” He said to them, “It is like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds; but when it falls on plowed soil it produces a great plant and becomes a shelter for birds of the sky.” 21 Mary said to Jesus, “Whom are your disciples like?” He said, “They are like little children living in a field that is not theirs. When the owners of the field come, they will say, ‘Give our field back to us.’ They take off their clothes in front of them to give it back and return their field to them. For this reason I say, if the owner of a house knows that a thief is coming, he will keep watch before he comes and will not let him break into the house of his kingdom and steal his goods. So you should keep watch against the world; gird your loins with great strength so that the robbers do not find a way to come to you, for the difficulties you expect will arise. Let there be among you a man of understanding. When the crop ripened, he came quickly with his sickle in hand and reaped it. Whoever has ears to hear should hear.”
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Notes and References
“... GTh 20 shares elements in common with the versions of the parable of the Mustard Seed in both Mark and Matthew (Mk 4.30–32; Matt. 13.31–32; cf. Lk. 13.18–19). [...] Fledderman comments that Thomas is closest to Mark (‘Mustard Seed’, 228), but (1) the reference to the kingdom of heaven, (2) the [...] in 20.4, and (3) the production of the great branch, are all Matthean. Given these redactional features, it is unlikely that Thomas’s version is as primitive as Crossan (‘Seed Parables’, 258–259) and Plisch, 79, maintain. [...] 20.1 The disciples said to Jesus, ‘Tell us what the kingdom of heaven is like.’ Here, as Goodacre notes, Thomas employs the distinctively Matthean phrase ‘kingdom of heaven’. ...”
* 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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