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In Matthew, Jesus accuses religious leaders of blocking the kingdom; in Luke, of taking away the key to knowledge. In the Gospel of Thomas, the same opponents as in Matthew hide the key from Luke, bringing the two accusations together.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Matthew 23:13
New Testament
13 “But woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in. 14 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, and when you get one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves!
Luke 11:52
New Testament
52 Woe to you experts in religious law! You have taken away the key to knowledge! You did not go in yourselves, and you hindered those who were going in.”
Gospel of Thomas 1:39
Nag Hammadi
38 Jesus said, “Many times you have desired to hear these sayings that I am speaking to you, and you have no one else from whom to hear them. There will be days when you will seek me and will not find me.” 39 Jesus said, “The Pharisees and the scribes have taken the keys of knowledge and have hidden them. They have not entered, nor have they permitted those who want to enter to do so. But you—be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves.” 40 Jesus said, “A grapevine has been planted apart from the Father, and since it is not strong, it will be pulled up by its roots and destroyed.”
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Notes and References
“... Again, a form of v. 52 is preserved in Gos. of Thom. § 39a: "Jesus said, 'The Pharisees and the Scribes have taken the keys of knowledge; they have hidden them and have not entered, and those who wished to enter they have not permitted.' " To it is joined a form of Matt 10:16b. The opening of this form is Matthean; but the reference to the "keys of knowledge" is Lucan, apart from the pl.; the hiding is probably a development of the Matthean "locking up." These are a development beyond the canonical forms. (Cf. OxyP 655:39-50; ESBNT 413-414.) ...”
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